Return to Monkey Island – Trial, Adventure

No mercy!

Do I need to know the old games, at least part 1&2, to be able to enjoy Return to Monkey Island? Yes, actually. Of course, the title can also be played through by novices, but the countless allusions can only be understood by those who are familiar with the subject – because the new part actually follows on from LeChuck’s Revenge in terms of story. In the main menu, I recommend everyone who knows the originals but can no longer recite them off the cuff to click on the “scrapbook” – there the events are presented in a condensed form and important people are introduced. The presentation as a kind of photo album with umpteen clickable fields is at least debatable – I would have wished for a more witty and snappier introduction.

The next disappointment lurks in the options menu for all those who had not already meticulously informed themselves beforehand: There is no German synchro! The English soundtrack, partly with the original speakers from back then, is very successful – but if quickly spoken English is not enough, you can’t avoid reading the text boxes all the time. Font size, background bar, speaker name display etc. can be configured, but I missed a humorous and skilful German dubbing until the very end. After all, the German texts are error-free and translated to a high standard across the board. Of course, some puns are freely translated into German and throw one or the other gag overboard – but that’s just not possible any other way with a funny game or film.

Everything stays different

And how do you like the graphic style? There is no right answer to this question – I really like him, others roll their eyes at the character designs. In any case, the scenarios are lovingly drawn and have character, also thanks to the many crooked lines. The scrolling purrs, the animations are elegant and the camera also feels much more modern than it used to be. If you compare the look with that of the pixelated original (or even the 2009 revision), then it becomes obvious: Return to Monkey Island looks very different, but stays true to the rough draft from over 30 years ago – you can recognize the characters, the buildings and streets again and again! The scenario also has plenty of feel-good aspects ready: In five chapters, Guybrush explores a good handful of scenarios that cite old places and at the same time introduce new areas. Return to Monkey Island isn’t a particularly big game, but it does have a lot of little corners and quaint places worth looking around.

In terms of gameplay, a surprisingly classic adventure awaits you with lots of dialogue, careful searching and – of course – puzzles. If you don’t choose the easy mode, which is easy on the head, you will easily spend ten or even fifteen hours with Guybrush, LeChuck, Elaine & Co. If you have just arrived at a place, the whimsical exploration begins: There are dozens of doors and figures and many more clickable spots. At the push of a button, interaction points are marked on the PC, on the switch small squiggles ensure that you always know which objects in the vicinity the pirate can interact with. Guybrush has a silly line for every thing and can use a lot of things. In the inventory I can combine objects with each other and of course “pull” them into the world to look for possible combinations there. Adventure players know and appreciate that. And that’s exactly what Return to Monkey Island serves them – it’s not new or even wild, but it’s fun and works.