The Curse of Monkey Island is one of my absolute favorite games -- along with the other three games in the franchise. Once again, the dashing Guybrush Threepwood bumbles his way across the Caribbean to save the love of his life, Elaine. As with all of the Monkey Island games, the best part about the game is the tongue-in-cheek gags. The puzzles are great; some of them are tough enough I'd be surprised if too many people can get through it without taking a peek at the walkthroughs, and some are certainly frustrating, but none of them are so absurdly difficult that they detract from the gameplay in the least. The stylized cartoon graphics are eye-catching, the voice acting and campy music are strong, and the new system of player interface is less cumbersome than the old "walk to, talk to, look at, pick up, open, close, give, push, and pull" commands from previous iterations of the franchise. Playing through this game will give you an idea where some of the more modern RPGs such as the Knights of the Old Republic games and Jade Empire have drawn their inspiration. Get this one as soon as you get sick of playing Halo, Half-Life, or Grand Theft Auto -- its compelling story and amusing characters are sure to satisfy.