A quirky adventure full of spunk and heart that no one should miss.
Many of you old-school gamers might have heard of or played the Secret of Monkey Island. Released for Windows in 1990, It was considered one of the best adventure games of it's time, even in a market dominated by point-and-click adventures. Lucas Arts continued to develop this series until 2000, when the games just stopped as other genres of game became more popular. Thanks to Telltale games the series has seen is resurrection in the form of one of the best PC games of 2009.
STORY
Ah, one of the most unique pillars of gaming. The Monkey Island series started out with a young shipwrecked man named Guybrush Threepwood who got the sudden urge to become a pirate. While completing the trials, he fell in love and vanquished the ghost pirate LeChuck. He later had more adventures, married his love, Elaine, and killed LeChuck a few more times. Now the series picks up years after Escape from Monkey Island with Guybrush trying to save Elaine yet again from LeChuck. A slip up with enchanting a zombie-killing sword turns LeChuck into a human and releases a voodoo disease known as the Pox of LeChuck. Guybrush is blasted from his ship and washes up on a mysterious island. He then sets out to find Elaine and eradicate the pox. While it may start out dry and just another pirate tale, the story quickly progresses and by chapter 3 you will be full emersed. The story is funny, comical, atmospheric, and creepy. Telltale really nailed it with suspense. Oh, the fact that it was released episodically helped but you should still have fun playing the chapters one shot.
GAMEPLAY/CONTROLS/REPLAY
Tales of Monkey Island is a point-and-click adventure game. That could really just be all for the gameplay section. Your object is to solve puzzles and problems by collecting object and talking to locals. Controls are smooth, while pointing and moving with the Wii remote and Nunchuck (Wii) or the good ole mouse and keyboard combo. Both feel great, although I'd have too admit that I'd go for the Wii controls over keyboard and mouse. The definitely work better. The game is heavy on dialogue, though most of it comes in the form of cut scenes. They never get old, as a lot of it is driven by you. Everyone has something humorous to say, with comedy appealing to both kids and adults. While kids will enjoy the quirk and vibe of the first three chapters, adults will have fun with the dark mood of chapters four and five. Either way there's something for everybody. The puzzles have a nice range from easy to difficult. Sometimes you will think, "I know what to do!," and get it right first time. Other times the answer will be much more obscure and require lots of exploring and trial-and-eror. The puzzles are alway satisfying and rewarding, and every play session leaves you smiling. The game has zip replay value, although you will find new humor in it every time, and will definitely come back to replay a chapter or two (I already have!).
GRAPHICS/AUDIO
The game has a cartoony presence. Visuals are great though. Telltale did not sacrifice graphics for gameplay. The soundtrack os very clear and mysterious, with different background music for each mood. Character models look sharp and crisp. Telltale did reuse some models though for less prominent characters, although they did a good job of hiding it. Everyone is voiced by talented actors, even with a few big names. As tradition, Guybrush Threepwood is voiced by the same original voice actor. Last thing to look at here is the glitches. While the PC/Mac versions are unlplauged, there are rumors as to glitches in the wiiware version. Chapters one and two on wiiware some glitches, from slow frame rates to audio blurbs to even a nasty freezing glitch. Those problems are all gone by chapter three. You can sit back and relax for the rest of the season.
CONCLUSION
There's something to be said about a game that captures your heart. There's also something to be said about a game that gives you genuine fun. And there is also there is something to be said about a game that is simply "the best". Tales of Monkey Island is all of the above. You can pick up the full game now at telltalegames.com or at the Wii Shop Channel. The PC/Mac game can be downloaded for $34.99, while the Wii version is 5000 wii points or $50. You can play the chapters individually on your PC at $8.95 a pop or for 1000 wii points.