And here's MONKEY ISLAND 2!
Very great sequel! One of the best example of how good a sequel should always be, even if they released it only a year after the first one!
(note: This review was written a long time before the recently released 2010 Special edition)
Edit29/12/2010: Edited this old review with my current template, instead of the huge jpg picture I previously had...
VGR: Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
From LucasArts
Played on PC Dos
Also available on Amiga, MacOs, FM Towns and as a Special Edition remake on PC, Xbox 360, PS3 & MacOs.Type Adventure/Point & Click
Year 1991
LeChuck is back!! And this time, he's not alone, he' got himself a sidekick!!
LeChuck's Revenge is the fan-favorite sequel to the famous 1990 first Monkey Island game.
It came out exactly one year after the first one, because of how popular the Monkey island series became back then.
The same original team worked on this one, it is still a voice-less game, but would that
really stop it from being a good game?
Let's have a look!
First things first. This games starts by asking you if you want to play a puzzle filled version of the game (the real complete game) or a lite version because you're scared of challenges... I hope you'll all made or will make the wise manly choice here!!! You know who you are! *stares*
The game takes place a certain amount of time after the first one. The story opens "in situation" with Guybrush & Elaine meeting again after a long time off a cliff. What did happen up to this point?
The game then goes back in time to the events leading to that moment....
Guybrush wears now "a fine leatherjacket", like a real pirate captain. He also grew up a beard and likes to remember the time he defeated the ghost pirate Lechuck (See Monkey Island 1 for that!).
His journey starts on Scabb Island, searching for the legendary treasure of "Big Whoop".
When suddenly....
That's Largo Lagrande pictured above.
Former Lechuck's living right hand man. With Guybrush's unvoluntary help, he will resurrect lechuck in a brand new terrifying zombie pirate form.....
The game is basically a big treasure hunt with many pieces and puzzles to find and resolve across 4 pretty big chapters.
The game is more difficult than the original, less linear, offers a lot more challenges and stuff to do.
It runs on the same SCUMM engine which had been a bit updated with a more simplistic and cleaner
interface.
You'll meet again some old faces and tons of new ones.
Like everybody's favorite Wally, the cartographer.
The poor lil' guy will go through a lot thanks to mighty pirate Guybrush Threepwood.
This game will have you explore tons of places, mix lots of objects, travel across islands...
There really is lot of things to do this time around, including: breaking out prison, exploring a sunken galleon, using a "monkey wrench", doing business with Stan again, playing dress up... yep, dress up.
On the technique aspect, the game truly shines among 1991 releases. It has, in my own opinion some of the best backgrounds in a game from that time. The backgrounds were mostly hand drawn by comic artist Steve Purcell and then simply scanned.
It sure looks beautiful!
The music is also one of the best score done by Michael Land, famous LucasArts composer.
One of the best Monkey Island soundtracks ever!
Unique and memorable.
Click above!
Once again you'll have to search around some islands for clues and objects, while, "Meanwhile" LeChuck will be up to no good, preparing his revenge the game was named after...
Once again you can't really be stuck in this adventure game nor can you die. However there are some hidden death scenes to parody Sierra's adventure games. They won't really affect the game.
I won't reveal those here, but here's the outcome you'll get from those:
It's a really fun adventure.
The game became even more iconic and famous than the first over the years as it is the last done by the exact same team as the first episode. LucasArts' "trinity" went off, each in his own separate way after that.
The game is also remembed for its ambiguous ending scene (was it all a dream? did the two games really happen? what is the truth behind all that? what really is the secret of Monkey Island? if the 3rd game would have been made by the same guys, how would the story pick up??).
Usual internet drama... In reality, this game was intended as the last Monkey Island game, so the plot was on purpose left ambiguous and open ended.
I guess people like to make a fuss about everything and I personally see this game's ending as a joke/parody/homage to Monty Python absurd humor!
Here's what I really know about this game "canon" ending, in this little sequence after the credits:
To be continued~
Overall, it is the perfect example of a well done sequel!
As a game released only one year later, it's quite impressive since it really upgraded both visual and sounds. The game engine was even polished. the plot isn't just your standard cheap sequel rehash.
It has its own story and can be played and easily understandable. The game works perfecty fine for newcomers, you can play it without knowing anything about the other ones.
It's a great experience, with tons of laughs, great dialogues, memorable characters and scenes.
I really recommand it to anyone who likes adventure games, pirates, LucasArts studio or just great stories!
You can only argue about the ending and really that means taking things too seriously!
It's a must play! Wait for an eventual rumored special edition or find it in second hand!
What are you waiting for, still reading this? NOW!! PLAY IT right away!!
I give it:
3 / 3 Murrays!
