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Return to Monkey island by Ron Gilbert : 19 september 2022
I got stuck and unsure on how to progress any further when exploring Mêlée Island in Chapter 4, so I returned to my ship and set sail and… oh my goodness!
Me too! After i opened the map i was totally overwhelmed! So much to explore!
It looks like part 4 is potentially really huge!
Its a relief as I was worried how close to the end of the game i was.
I liked a lot of the game, however the ending felt criminal. Terror Island was also a bit of a waste.
It’s an ending very much innkeeping with the Ron Gilbert tradition. I feel like it works as a culmination of the games themes (growing older, looking back on your past, gaining new priorities with maturity) but it does sacrifice the immediate satisfaction of what you assume the final moments are building toward to do so.
I like it more the more I’ve thought on the game over the past day. Also, make sure to read the new paged of the scrapbook after completing the game if you haven’t. It gives some extra context for things.
I don’t know, I can’t shake the feeling that Ron and Dave have trolled us with that ending. On purpose. Which, in a way, makes it absolutely brilliant to me. I’m just not sure yet if I like it or not.
I’ve loved my time with it. Finished it last night.
There are definitely some things I’m not a huge fan of, particularly within the latter half of the game. Terror Island - Firstly, the location itself. Not a fan of what amounts to basically empty rooms, and then you get a maze. A MAZE. Sure, a maze with a puzzle to find the route through, but we did that earlier in the forest on Melee.
As for the other islands, it felt to me like the other islands didn’t really have much to them, when you compare to the islands in the other games. I guess, even Melee had few locations for the amount of land area, explained away with some ‘this used to be here, but isn’t anymore’ flavour text.
I’m not a fan of the ending either. I think that’ll be a bit like marmite, but for me I wanted a pay off with LeChuck, which just isn’t there.
I’m interested to here from others when they’re finished, particularly about the post-credits scene, as it would appear there is more than one.
I do want to replay it, as I hardly got any of the trivia cards, and I missed some other achievements.
I will copy what i wrote about the ending on reddit.(MASSIVE ENDING SPOILERS)
Wow. That was so disappointing. I’m still in a bit of a shock. After MI2 and TP, he goes for a meta ending AGAIN? C’mon Ron, how can you ruin the experience like this.
As some people have said, yeah the Secret doesn’t matter that much, but the ending came about so abruptly, i honestly thought it was a joke at first. Now there’s no pleasing everybody, but if anything, these open endings almost always leave a sour taste. It didn’t work for the Sopranos or Lost etc. I feel like with a proper ending what we’d get is maybe a slight disappointment, compared to a massive one.
That being said, i’m also a bit confused about what Ron is actually trying to tell us. In the scrapbook (after you completed the game) there’s a letter from Ron there, where he explains that the games were always a reflection of the years in which the designers were. So MI1 was optimistic and bold, because they were in their 20’s etc. Now they’re in their 50’s, trying to recapture their youth…. and what’s the message exactly? When you’re playing the game, at certain points, you get shown Elaine following in your footsteps, seeing the chaos and destruction your quest has brought onto the world and the people. She even questions you about it, when you’re going back to Monkey Island (i honestly though there’d be more to this) At the end your quest is meaningless, you got nothing. Meaning your whole journey was pointless and just caused others a lot of suffering for no payoff. Is that how Ron and the designers see their 50’s? Even at the end your kid isn’t impressed with any of it. Is that a metaphor as well?
Other thing is, that due to the art style, Guybrush looks less goofy and more…homeless drug-y… it looks like the years weren’t kind to him. Together with the way Elaine talks to him, like he’s a bit of a slow child, it almost looks like he has serious mental issues and everyone just plays along with fantasies. At the start the other kids quickly run away when he’s about to tell them another story, its implied it wasn’t really real and Elaine acts kinda weird at the end “ah yes the Secret of Monkey Island…i remember that one” Guybrush then sits alone on the bench like some hobo, waiting for the next hallucinations to hit him.
Don’t even get me started on loose ends. Like what the hell happened to Madison? She was built up like this badass pirate…then nothing. Goes for all of them. Voodoo lady? Why the hell did she have the safe? Whats her deal? Why would the key to the Secret chest be in the hands of the locksmith? The old lady who tells you about the keys? What’s her deal? The Judge? The Queen? The whole Elaine following your chaos and then being completely fine with it. What’s Elaine’s shortcut to Monkey Island? Nothing. Nada. They were all cardboard cutouts brought to life by Guybrushes schizophrenic hallucination, when he wasn’t under the care of his psychiatric nurse Elaine. (i’m kidding, but not really)
Its one of the worse endings i’ve ever witnessed.
I have three golden keys now, but am thoroughly stumped. Not sure how to win at the eating and algebra contents. I also need to figure out how to get Ned to sign the affidavit.
It really feels like this game has opened up in Part IV and actually become decent. I’m enjoying myself now. It’s just a shame that it took this long for the puzzles to become somewhat challenging and to start exploring new and interesting locations. Still, better late than never.
I have three golden keys now, but am thoroughly stumped. Not sure how to win at the eating and algebra contents. I also need to figure out how to get Ned to sign the affidavit.
It really feels like this game has opened up in Part IV and actually become decent. I’m enjoying myself now. It’s just a shame that it took this long for the puzzles to become somewhat challenging and to start exploring new and interesting locations. Still, better late than never.
I got three keys too but one of mine is the one your currently after. I still need Fisher’s and Widey’s.
The algerba contest I accidently figured out. 
Mannn i had fun getting the keys. I will try and get the final 2 tomorrow.
Not sure about you but I’m worried about getting the ending spoilt.
I’ve completed the game now, so my final verdict is in. I really didn’t care for the first half of the game. I’ve previously covered as to why but to summarise; too many ‘member berries and repeated characters and locations, puzzles which are too easy, weird out of place humour for a Monkey Island game and an art style which I don’t like (to be fair the background are mostly fine, it’s the character designs which really turn me off). To recap the positives; generally well written dialogue, very good voice acting (though perhaps with certain voice artists being given too many roles, resulting in a Skyrim type of situation, where every second or third person you encounter sounds the same), superb soundtrack.
However, once the game hits part IV (the halfway mark), the game really opens up. Not only in terms of scope but in terms of enjoyment. I found the second half to be highly enjoyable. At times, great even. Everything was so much better; the atmosphere, the artwork, the puzzles (finally, something to challenge the ol’ noggin!), the originality, the narrative. Generally, everything just went several notches higher and it made the world of difference to my experience of the game.
THE ENDING: I actually kinda… love it! I’m not sure how Ron Gilbert could have possible pulled off an ending where he reveals the Secret and have done it any better than he did here. I thought it was perfect. I love the subversion; it’s not that the world of pirates is a fantasy in a modern era man’s mind (or a child’s mind), it’s that the modern era is a fantasy within the mind of Guybrush, as he recounts and indulges the fantastical when telling his Children the tales of his adventures past.
Yet, Ron still left that chest locked. He still flirted with the idea that the Secret is yet to be discovered and it’s all very clear to me now; there is no REAL Secret. To have a REAL Secret would spoil the mystery and debate. Is that a bit of a JJ Abrams style Mystery Box cop out (in this case; a literal Mystery Box)? Well, yes it is but for me, here, it worked. Largely because I felt that Ron answered enough with the subversion I previously mentioned.
Someone much wiser than myself once said that you can have a great story but if the ending is terrible, none of it matters because that ending is all that the audience will remember. Conversely, you can have a terrible or milquetoast story and a fantastic ending and the audience will walk away satisfied. It’s the last thing you see which leaves the lasting impression and for me personally, that ending worked tremendously. Not even just the actual ending but everything leading up to it (Parts 4 and 5).
I particularly loved the lava environment with the massive pirate code wheel (a lovely in-joke - that’s how you do ‘member berries correctly; make them more than just memories, make them part of the environment organically and make them serve a real narrative purpose). That whole lava environment reminded me a great deal of the final stages of Fate of Atlantis. Not just in terms of the literal similarity between locations but in terms of the art style. Weirdly, I found the art to be significantly superior in the second half of the game to the first (especially as the game drew to a close). It’s almost as though they ran out of money to properly finish the art for the first half or something. Either that or they worked on the art sequentially and were really firing on all cylinders by the end.
Anyway, what a roller coaster ride of a game that was. Such deep valleys and such soaring highs.
Verdict for Parts 1-3: 4/10 (verging on a 3)
Verdict for Parts 4-5: 8/10 (verging on a 9)
Final rating: 7/10 (teetering on a 6 because I really didn’t like the first half at all, but I’m feeling generous)
Ranking of the series (best to worst)
Revenge>Secret>Curse>Return>Tales>Escape
I’ve completed the game now, so my final verdict is in. I really didn’t care for the first half of the game. I’ve previously covered as to why but to summarise; too many ‘member berries and repeated characters and locations, puzzles which are too easy, weird out of place humour for a Monkey Island game and an art style which I don’t like (to be fair the background are mostly fine, it’s the character designs which really turn me off). To recap the positives; generally well written dialogue, very good voice acting (though perhaps with certain voice artists being given too many roles, resulting in a Skyrim type of situation, where every second or third person you encounter sounds the same), superb soundtrack.
However, once the game hits part IV (the halfway mark), the game really opens up. Not only in terms of scope but in terms of enjoyment. I found the second half to be highly enjoyable. At times, great even. Everything was so much better; the atmosphere, the artwork, the puzzles (finally, something to challenge the ol’ noggin!), the originality, the narrative. Generally, everything just went several notches higher and it made the world of difference to my experience of the game.
THE ENDING: I actually kinda… love it! I’m not sure how Ron Gilbert could have possible pulled off an ending where he reveals the Secret and have done it any better than he did here. I thought it was perfect. I love the subversion; it’s not that the world of pirates is a fantasy in a modern era man’s mind (or a child’s mind), it’s that the modern era is a fantasy within the mind of Guybrush, as he recounts and indulges the fantastical when telling his Children the tales of his adventures past.
Yet, Ron still left that chest locked. He still flirted with the idea that the Secret is yet to be discovered and it’s all very clear to me now; there is no REAL Secret. To have a REAL Secret would spoil the mystery and debate. Is that a bit of a JJ Abrams style Mystery Box cop out (in this case; a literal Mystery Box)? Well, yes it is but for me, here, it worked. Largely because I felt that Ron answered enough with the subversion I previously mentioned.
Someone much wiser than myself once said that you can have a great story but if the ending is terrible, none of it matters because that ending is all that the audience will remember. Conversely, you can have a terrible or milquetoast story and a fantastic ending and the audience will walk away satisfied. It’s the last thing you see which leaves the lasting impression and for me personally, that ending worked tremendously. Not even just the actual ending but everything leading up to it (Parts 4 and 5).
I particularly loved the lava environment with the massive pirate code wheel (a lovely in-joke - that’s how you do ‘member berries correctly; make them more than just memories, make them part of the environment organically and make them serve a real narrative purpose). That whole lava environment reminded me a great deal of the final stages of Fate of Atlantis. Not just in terms of the literal similarity between locations but in terms of the art style. Weirdly, I found the art to be significantly superior in the second half of the game to the first (especially as the game drew to a close). It’s almost as though they ran out of money to properly finish the art for the first half or something. Either that or they worked on the art sequentially and were really firing on all cylinders by the end.
Anyway, what a roller coaster ride of a game that was. Such deep valleys and such soaring highs.
Verdict for Parts 1-3: 4/10 (verging on a 3)
Verdict for Parts 4-5: 8/10 (verging on a 9)
Final rating: 7/10 (teetering on a 6 because I really didn’t like the first half at all, but I’m feeling generous)
Ranking of the series (best to worst)
Revenge>Secret>Curse>Return>Tales>Escape
My friend gave it a 6.5 told me i would hate the meta ending
Yet, Ron still left that chest locked.
You can actually open the chest. Judging by your opinion, I think you’ll like what you’ll see inside. You can even open the door from the back alley and go back inside the Monkey Head. There are several endings to the game, also depending on what Guybrush says to Boybrush at the end. There is also a post-credit “scene” if you look at the scrapbook after you finish the game.
I personally love the game. It was everything I was hoping it to be.
I don’t really feel in the mood to explain my thoughts in details, I already did it on another forum, but yes… I feel at peace. I got the game I wanted. <3
My friend gave it a 6.5 told me i would hate the meta ending
heh, basically the same score I gave it! As for the ending; I usually DESPISE meta endings (I thought the meta ending to Thimbleweed Park was garbage, for example - a big middle finger to the audience. A rug pull for the sake of a rug pull) but this is one of the few (perhaps only?) times where a meta ending has worked for me.
I do wonder if your friend truly grasped the meaning behind the ending? I only ask because as the credits rolled, one of my first thoughts was “there’s gonna be a lot of people who don’t actually understand the meaning behind this ending and what the actual implications are. They’re gonna misinterpret it and hate it, just like they did with Lost. So many people complain about the ending to Lost and say “it turns out they were in purgatory the whole time. The Island was purgatory. That’s it” and it’s just… urgh, no. That’s literally not what happened. You didn’t understand the ending at all. It annoys the writers of Lost just as much as it does me.
That your friend dismissed the ending as “meta” kinda suggest he/she didn’t really get the point of it. I mean, it is meta, but it’s kinda not. As with Lost, everything in the pirate world happened. Guybrush is a real person, living in pirate times. All the events of the games happened for real. The modern world we see at the end of the game is Guybrush being silly and inventing crazy endings to his own adventures when retelling them to his Children. He’s basically ending his story by saying “...and then it was the future and everything had been in the imagination of a flooring inspector 
”.
Yet, Ron still left that chest locked.
You can actually open the chest. Judging by your opinion, I think you’ll like what you’ll see inside. You can even open the door from the back alley and go back inside the Monkey Head. There are several endings to the game, also depending on what Guybrush says to Boybrush at the end.
Mind. Blown. 🤯
There is also a post-credit “scene” if you look at the scrapbook after you finish the game.
Well, at least I saw that part!
Yet, Ron still left that chest locked.
You can actually open the chest. Judging by your opinion, I think you’ll like what you’ll see inside. You can even open the door from the back alley and go back inside the Monkey Head. There are several endings to the game, also depending on what Guybrush says to Boybrush at the end.
Mind. Blown. 🤯
There is also a post-credit “scene” if you look at the scrapbook after you finish the game.
Well, at least I saw that part!
It’s a small puzzle, actually.
I’m putting it under spoilers if you want to figure it out by yourself. 
For the chest, you can steal the key from the animatronic LeChuck right in front of it. For the door, you also need to use a key… I think it’s Stan’s keys, I’m not 100 % sure.
Also:
The post-credits scene changes depending on whether you go with Elaine or go back in the Monkey Head, whether you get the key or not, whether you open the chest or not, and depending on what you say to Boybrush. I think this is what Jdawg’s friend calls “meta”, in the end. There are a lot of endings and interpretations, which I love, to be frank. The Secret is whatever we want it to be.
It’s a small puzzle, actually.
I’m putting it under spoilers if you want to figure it out by yourself.
For the chest, you can steal the key from the animatronic LeChuck right in front of it.
Haha! That was great.
Also:
The post-credits scene changes depending on whether you go with Elaine or go back in the Monkey Head, whether you get the key or not, whether you open the chest or not, and depending on what you say to Boybrush. I think this is what Jdawg’s friend calls “meta”, in the end. There are a lot of endings and interpretations, which I love, to be frank. The Secret is whatever we want it to be.
Incredible! I had no idea the ending was so open ended. I agree with you; that’s the a wonderful way of dealing with the whole Secret.
Yeah the ending is purposefully left open to interpretation, and lets the player realize various interpretations, because the story of RtMI is a personal reflection of Ron Gilbert’s feelings towards his stories. As well as a rumination of the fan’s feelings toward his stories and how they change as they’re interpreted and reinterpreted through repeated viewings over time. What the secret is or whether it’s even important is ultimately left for the player to decide because their personal connection to the story over all these years is what made it important in the first place.
This international house of mojo article with all the epilogues also gives some extra clarity on potential interpretations (spoiler warning: link)
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