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The Curse of Monkey Island out on Steam
Escape features some very good writing and puzzles, better than those in Tales I think. I just really, really disliked what they’ve done to the Monkey Island universe, turning it into a kitschy sunny resort full of postmodern jokes, self-references and cameos for the sake of cameos. Also the 3D cast was ugly to the point I couldn’t care about them. At least Tales made an attempt to return back to the roots.
And Curse has Murray, that’s a solid point 
Also the whole Plunder Island chapter which is masterfully designed and incredibly fun to play. After that the game goes downhill…
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I liked the melancholy atmosphere of blood island.
Game design-wise I think MI2 was best but Curse isn’t that far back.
Escape features some very good writing and puzzles, better than those in Tales I think. I just really, really disliked what they’ve done to the Monkey Island universe, turning it into a kitschy sunny resort full of postmodern jokes, self-references and cameos for the sake of cameos. Also the 3D cast was ugly to the point I couldn’t care about them. At least Tales made an attempt to return back to the roots.
Very well said,you voiced exactly why I hated Escape. I cringed when I saw Starbuccaneer’s Coffee.
Tales also had a couple of low points like the Merpeople and the whole of episode 4. I really liked Morgan Lefay as a character though.
Some of you have rose-tinted glasses. Monkey Island has never been a “purist” series untarnished by the modern world - remember the grog vending machines, telephones, erm…rollercoasters?
And the tourist resort in Escape was the main part of the plot, so at least it had a reason for being there.
Some of you have rose-tinted glasses. Monkey Island has never been a “purist” series untarnished by the modern world - remember the grog vending machines, telephones, erm…rollercoasters?
And the tourist resort in Escape was the main part of the plot, so at least it had a reason for being there.
There is a difference between introducing some references in a fully developed world of pirates and turning the whole world into a modern-day reference. Maybe it was meant to look like a comment on the “postmodernization of art” thing that had already started back then and reached its peak during the 2010s, I don’t know, although I’m pretty sure Ozzie was supposed to be a satire on Rupert Murdoch. Either way, I don’t think Monkey Island series are suitable for such global experiments. They had Sam & Max and Day of the Tentacles licences, plenty of space for modern-day satire and social comments.
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Monkey Island has always been a series with a wink that it knows it is a game and it even breaks the 4th wall now and then even in the first 2 games. I’ve always seen it as an iteration of how a little child could interpret the world of pirates and in that, as the kids don’t really know history, they bring in things that are anecdotal to the time they live.
Monkey Island has always been a series with a wink that it knows it is a game and it even breaks the 4th wall now and then even in the first 2 games. I’ve always seen it as an iteration of how a little child could interpret the world of pirates and in that, as the kids don’t really know history, they bring in things that are anecdotal to the time they live.
Funny, I’ve always taken it at face value, that is like an actual (albeit silly) Pirate Adventure. Kinda like the piratey Indiana Jones and the Ark of the Covenant.
I guess that’s the reason why I don’t like Curse and Escape as much as the two older games, as they are more cartoony.
I honestly don’t see how MI2 is less cartoony than 3. The first one is the only game that takes itself halfway seriously.
Monkey Island has always been a series with a wink that it knows it is a game and it even breaks the 4th wall now and then even in the first 2 games. I’ve always seen it as an iteration of how a little child could interpret the world of pirates and in that, as the kids don’t really know history, they bring in things that are anecdotal to the time they live.
Exactly - grog vending machines, used boat salesmen etc just felt like part of that world, and the occasional aside to camera never did Shakespeare any harm. Escape didn’t have that feel to me - too many things seemed like in-jokes or references rather than part of the world (Monkey Kombat? Really?), and the overly knowing script undermined the setting. It becomes a (rather smug) world where ‘insult sword-fighting’ is a thing people talk about, rather than a world where coming up with the right put-down is the key to successful sword-fighting.
*Shrugs*
I liked the in-jokes. I mean no one had a problem with LeChuck always coming back as a villain a zillion times as well as other recurring characters such as voodoo lady and Herman. And I know you’re going to come up with another “but…” I just think Escape was not very much a departure for the series.
They could have reused insult swordfighting like Curse did but it would have been a bad idea. Monkey Kombat is not the best idea for a mini game but at least it was original.
Member of the NAALCB - (North American Anti- Lobster Cop Brigade) since 2019.
They could have reused insult swordfighting like Curse did but it would have been a bad idea.
They did actually, only it was called “insult arm wrestling” and felt really pathetic, like they were forced to include it.
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I had forgotten Escape had the arm wrestling part in it. Then again, I’ve played it through only once and that was years ago.
It’s a 10 second segment near the beginning of the game, meant as a nod, not as something “pathetic” or shoehorned. The game reuses insult swordfighting in the Monkey Kombat segment, that is basically the exact same mechanic (wander around, learn things by losing to opponents until you have the full repertoire then beat the segment) minus the humor.
The game reuses insult swordfighting in the Monkey Kombat segment, that is basically the exact same mechanic (wander around, learn things by losing to opponents until you have the full repertoire then beat the segment) minus the humor.
Some of us found it funny. And it’s also a puzzle, you aren’t told how to win like with insult swordfighting in MI1.
I think some people are bitter that Escape changed the graphics to 3D, which is strange because these same people probably loved Grim Fandango
Member of the NAALCB - (North American Anti- Lobster Cop Brigade) since 2019.
I said earlier what my gripe with Escape was, so I’m not sure who “some people” are.
The humor is situational in monkey combat, but each insult/comeback aren’t funny on their own. So once the novelty of the situation wears off, you still have a bunch of ooks ahead of you. Hence, not that humorous.
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