Tales of Monkey Island Review - PC

6.5

Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 6
Audio: 5
Innovation: 3

Introduction

Escape from Monkey Island is one of those seminal early games that define a console. For the NES, it was Super Mario Bros. For the Gameboy, it was Tetris. And for many PC gamers, it was The Secret of Monkey Island – the witty point and click adventure co-created by Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer (who went on to do well with Psychonauts and, more recently, Brütal Legend). Now, Telltale Games, who have made a name for themselves producing episodic point and click games – notably the Sam & Max and Homestar Runner series – have gone back to the archives to make five brand new games. And here’s episode one.

Gameplay

You know, it’s nice to luxuriate in a style of gaming that the industry has tended to move beyond. The point and click adventure really isn’t the gaming staple that it used to be, despite its important historic presence on the roadmap between tabletop and electronic gaming. To have a well-made game that both embraces and pokes fun at the genre’s conventions is something pretty special.

I’m sure you know how it all works. You guide our ol’ pal Guybrush Threepwood around the mysterious Flotsam Island in search of answers – where is his wife, what is wrong with his hand, and how can he get off this island? Interacting with characters provides multiple dialogue options, all of which are invariably funny, and some of which will help you on your way. Of course, you can pick up items around the environment and, in a new twist to the series, combine them. It’s classic game design in every sense of the word.

There a few issues though – the environments are in limited 3D, meaning you can move towards and away from the camera. As a result, to move Guybrush you have to click and hold in a direction, represented by a circular ring around the character. It’s quite a frustrating setup that often sees you struggling to get him where you want him to be. And with the pace he walks, you want to be pointing him in the right direction. It needed to be tightened up.

Additionally, some of the solutions to the issues you face are a little obscure. Yes, it’s the style of game, and yes, it’s better than being too easy, but a few of the sequences require a bit too much lateral thinking. Of particular note is the ability to distract a character with a phrase and then do something before he turns back – once you realise that, you’re mostly in the clear, but it’s a logical step that isn’t immediately apparent. With that said, solving a puzzle of such esotericism is gratifying; I guess with this style of games, you get what you pay for.

In regards to the story, Telltale got it just right. The game feels just the right length for episodic content, and sets up what looks to be a very interesting series. The world will undoubtedly broaden in the next few instalments, ...