15 votes

Returning to Monkey Island

11 comments

  1. [10]
    gingerbeardman
    Link
    I watched this and then hated myself for wasting that time. I found it extremely disappointing. It's a self-congratulatory piece about the most recent game with the Dev team doubling down on how...

    I watched this and then hated myself for wasting that time. I found it extremely disappointing.

    It's a self-congratulatory piece about the most recent game with the Dev team doubling down on how correct all their decisions were and how all the players and complaints are wrong. Made me quite uncomfortable.

    I'm not wrong, because I've not played the most recent game. :)

    5 votes
    1. [8]
      BeardyHat
      Link Parent
      I didn't get that impression. Felt more like they were trying to draw a parallel to how game dev used to be a certain way, how you'd create a game that you want to create and what was fun to you,...

      I didn't get that impression. Felt more like they were trying to draw a parallel to how game dev used to be a certain way, how you'd create a game that you want to create and what was fun to you, because otherwise you had no outside input (as was described with the first two Monkey Island games).

      This methodology has created many games we now regard as classics and it seems like with the new game, they decided to go this direction. Makes sense really, because it often feels like the loudest whiners are a minority, yet have outsized influence due to the nature of communication these days, so it makes sense to block them out and create what you like, rather than try to please them, because they'll always find something new to bitch about.

      I've played exactly once Monkey Island game (Escape). Would like to play more, but generally don't have the patience for old adventure games and "playing" them with a guide on a second screen doesn't seem like play much at all.

      12 votes
      1. [7]
        CptBluebear
        Link Parent
        One of the core tenets that the creator of Monkey Island will not budge on because of outside pressure from gamers is that he thinks games shouldn't be longer than a handful of hours. So funnily...

        One of the core tenets that the creator of Monkey Island will not budge on because of outside pressure from gamers is that he thinks games shouldn't be longer than a handful of hours. So funnily enough I'm still on topic when I tell you that the latest Monkey Island is pretty fun and you should give it a whirl, because it's short. Specifically so because the devs consider short games to be the gold standard.

        2 votes
        1. [3]
          Chobbes
          Link Parent
          Never played a Monkey Island game (it's on the list to eventually try!)... But I'm very much in favor of shorter games. There's a lot of people who seem to want games you can put thousands of...

          Never played a Monkey Island game (it's on the list to eventually try!)... But I'm very much in favor of shorter games. There's a lot of people who seem to want games you can put thousands of hours into, and I can totally understand why people value that (especially if you're a kid / teenager on a tight budget), but especially as I get older I find that often what I like the most are games that will give me a unique experience and a well-crafted story that last a few sessions at most. My absolute favourite experiences have been games that you sit down and play in a single sitting... There's something kind of immersive about just sitting down and seeing something to completion, and it's nice to not have to worry about when you're going to pick it up again and what you will have forgotten, it's something you can just keep in your head throughout. My biggest issue with short things, though, is that sometimes I feel like things have to be kept simple because you cannot develop a lot of skill and muscle memory in a short timeframe... Which is definitely okay, but it's a bit of a limitation on what can be done, and I also value when people put a lot of effort into achieving perfection in something, so it sometimes makes me a little sad to think that something is a little more ephemeral and not something I'd really focus on?

          5 votes
          1. smiles134
            Link Parent
            It's pretty rare that I enjoy playing a game for more than 40 hours (and that's stretching it) unless the game is designed around replaying (i.e., competitive games or something like Civ). Give me...

            It's pretty rare that I enjoy playing a game for more than 40 hours (and that's stretching it) unless the game is designed around replaying (i.e., competitive games or something like Civ).

            Give me short, tightly crafted narrative experiences any day.

            3 votes
          2. CptBluebear
            Link Parent
            If I remember correctly that dude is fairly absolutist in the statement. It's not just "Monkey Island games shouldn't be longer than 3 hours" it's ALL games shouldn't be longer. There should be...

            If I remember correctly that dude is fairly absolutist in the statement. It's not just "Monkey Island games shouldn't be longer than 3 hours" it's ALL games shouldn't be longer.

            There should be room for both. A game like Elden Ring wouldn't do for just a couple of hours, but Stanley Parable shows it's fantastic as a self-contained and easy to complete story. It really depends on the writing and what your goals are with the game.

            1 vote
        2. [3]
          BeardyHat
          Link Parent
          The video definitely inclined me towards it and I'm more likely to play newer adventure games, but I feel like I can't play it until I've played the first three. That said, I just hate, hate, hate...

          The video definitely inclined me towards it and I'm more likely to play newer adventure games, but I feel like I can't play it until I've played the first three. That said, I just hate, hate, hate having to read a guide to get the puzzles done, it completely takes the fun out of the game for me and I know full well I'd need one for the first three games.

          2 votes
          1. [2]
            st3ph3n
            (edited )
            Link Parent
            There's definitely a bit of moon logic to some of the puzzles in the original games, but they're well worth playing. Monkey Island 1 and 2 got remaster releases about 10-15 years ago, which added...

            There's definitely a bit of moon logic to some of the puzzles in the original games, but they're well worth playing. Monkey Island 1 and 2 got remaster releases about 10-15 years ago, which added voiceover tracks and updated graphics but with the ability to switch back to the original art on the fly. I think they may also have added a hint system but I don't remember for sure. Monkey Island 3 (Curse of Monkey Island) came out later in the nineties and has beautiful hand-drawn 2d art, but a fixed resolution of something like 640x480. It works fine in ScummVM, though. Escape from Monkey Island is the 3D one and tends to be overlooked. I haven't actually played that one myself. I didn't feel like I was missing anything when I played Return to Monkey island when it came out in 2022, though.

            1 vote
            1. BeardyHat
              Link Parent
              Oh, I own them. I actually really dislike the new graphics in Monkey Island 1/2 and am super glad I can change them back to the originals, even if I don't get the voice acting, as I recall. And...

              Oh, I own them. I actually really dislike the new graphics in Monkey Island 1/2 and am super glad I can change them back to the originals, even if I don't get the voice acting, as I recall. And Curse is actually something that gets installed on every device I own that can run ScummVM (Miyoo Mini, 3DS and PS Vita), because I know that someday I want to play it. I recall trying the demo as a teenager and the art style just stuck with me, I'll never forget it.

              I may try them again. I was, a few months ago, recommended the Universal Hint System due to my general hatred of using guides and this is supposed to help mitigate that, though I haven't tried it yet. I actually ought to go back to The Dig and see if I can make it further with the UHS, as I got to the point of needing the guide on the second screen with that one too.

              2 votes
    2. Protected
      Link Parent
      I've played all Monkey Island games 1 through 5 and watched Return played, and I've also watched this video yesterday. I'll reiterate what I've been saying elsewhere: I personally thought the...

      I've played all Monkey Island games 1 through 5 and watched Return played, and I've also watched this video yesterday. I'll reiterate what I've been saying elsewhere:

      • I personally thought the aesthetic of Return was quite good. I really like how the locations are portrayed in higher resolutions. The art is very consistent and the sets are cohesive and stylish. The odd caricaturish look of the characters can be offputting, and many of their designs leave me indifferent, however...
      • ...almost every Monkey Island game and remake has a completely distinctive art style from the others; 1 and 2 were similar but even then there was controversy because of Guybrush's beard, for some reason! Which is one the "best" or "correct" style? How can anyone's opinion be anything but subjective? All the developers can do is create something they're satisfied with.
      • That said, I do disagree with Ron on one point: The cartoon-like style of Curse is excellent!

      I've also watched Thimbleweed Park played (different player) and played The Cave and Deathspank. I liked them all. Ron Gilbert is perfectly capable of working with all kinds of art styles and genres and create good enjoyable games.

      As a fan of The Dark Tower and other stories in the same vein, I quite liked the essence of "The Secret" of Monkey Island as revealed in this game. I love it when things go meta. There are dozens of us!

      I can agree with the fans who felt the jokes lacked some cleverness compared to the previous games. Maybe it's because Tim Schafer wasn't on board? I'm fairly certain that's supposed to be one of his strengths.

      3 votes
  2. semitones
    Link
    Very nice movie. I loved all the b-reel of gaming magazines and game manuals. The artwork of these games was what drew me into the world initially, and seeing them explored all kinds of ways was...

    Very nice movie. I loved all the b-reel of gaming magazines and game manuals. The artwork of these games was what drew me into the world initially, and seeing them explored all kinds of ways was really neat.

    I especially liked the pirate's pixel-art portrait. "You're Guybrush Threepwood? Hahaha" first time I saw that was the first time I realized pixel art was its own art form.

    3 votes