Escape from Monkey Island
Score: 95% ESRB: Teen Publisher: LucasArts Developer: LucasArts Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: Escape from Monkey Island is a graphically perfect port of the PC version. The graphics are very colorful and have their own unique, cartoon style. Like most adventure games, this one has it's fair share of deep dark jungles and towns, but the way they are presented is totally unique and breaks up the monotony that plagues some games. For example, how many video game towns have you walked around and seen a Starbuccaneers or Planet Hollywood (or as they call it, Planet Threepwood)? While the backgrounds are prerendered, all of the characters (and some items) are made up of polygons and perfectly blend in with their environments. While this is a total pleasure to look at, it can make the game a pain at some parts, mostly when it comes to figuring out which items to pick up along the way. The only real problems I had were that some of the animations got a little stiff at times and there were a few hiccups (mostly when sounds loaded). Sometimes, when everything is quiet...I can still hear the monkeys. The one thing that really stands out about the sound is that every character, no matter how minor (except for two mute pirates that wander around some towns) has a spoken voice and many lines. Now, I know most people tremble in fear when they hear the words 'voice over', but the lines are done really well - something that is even more impressive considering that the core element of this game is it's jokes and their delivery is better than some real comedians. Upbeat Caribbean-style music plays throughout your adventure and adds to the overall excellent presentation.
Gameplay: The plot of Escape from Monkey Island is one of the most uniquely clich I've ever seen (read on, you'll see what I mean). The best way to describe it is Animaniacs meets Monty Python with a dash Saturday Night Live (when it was funny). Our story begins when Guybrush returns home from a three-month honeymoon at sea with his new wife, Elaine, who happens to be governor of the Tri-Island Area (TM). Upon their return, they discover that the residents of Melee Island (TM) have declared Elaine dead and the silver-tongued Charles L. Charles is running for the 'vacated' mayor's office. Apparently Guybrush and Elaine's honeymoon was a little longer than the citizens thought it should be. If that wasn't bad enough, an evil Australian land developer, Ozzie Mandrill is buying the entire Tri-Island Area (TM) and turning it into a tourist trap! What's a mighty pirate to do? Go on a series of interconnected and seemingly unrelated (read: pointless) journeys all over the Tri-Island Area (TM) before finally stumbling upon something that somehow saves the day! Along his journey, Guybrush will cross swords (and insults) with peg-nosed pirates and lawyers, enter the deadly Monkey Kombat tournament, and search for the mind numbingly powerful ego-crippling voodoo talisman - THE ULTIMATE INSULT! Nothing is sacred during Guybrush's quest and there are many different pot shots taken at celebrities and references from just about every movie imaginable, including Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Star Wars, and Back to the Future. A majority of the game is spent solving puzzles, and I'm not talking about your typical 'move the box' puzzles - these are some of the most bizarre puzzles ever devised, the solutions are even more bizarre. To fully understand these puzzles you have to understand that not only are the developers not on the same page as the rest of us, but they're on a whole different shelf in the library. I loved every hour of it (and believe me, there are many, many hours). While some of the puzzles are easy, there are a few that will have you going mad. But just when you're looking up the developers names in the phone book and loading your sniper rifle you get this 'I wonder' feeling and solve the puzzle. It's really a great feeling. My only real complaint was that sometimes the puzzles are a little too obscure and will have you looking at a strategy guide.
Difficulty: As I mentioned before, this isn't a short, easy game by any means. It's hard and requires a lot of thinking. It's difficult to say just how hard this game is because as I played through I got hung up on puzzles that my roommate's girlfriend figured out immediately, and vice versa. It's just that type of game that challenges not only your logical problem solving skills, but your illogical ones as well. Luckily, you are able to save at any point during the game, so you never risk a total brain meltdown and the puzzles never get so hard that you can't continue the game. My main words of advice…keep a pencil and pad around, they will both come in handy.
Game Mechanics: The control is very easy to use and makes excellent use of the Dual Shock 2. You control Guybrush using the left analog stick and as you come across certain items, you'll see text descriptions pop up at the bottom of the screen. In cases where there are multiple items, you can use the shoulder buttons to highlight specific items on the list. By pressing X you can examine the items and usually get some kind of clue as to how to use them. Once you have the item, you highlight it in your inventory and press triangle to use it. You are given an unlimited inventory and won't use everything you find (like a prosthetic liver that only works if you give it a constant supply of alcohol), which adds a little more challenge to the game. You can call up the inventory at anytime and some of the items are combinable. The one thing that really hampers this game are the load times. Although they are usually pretty short, they seem to happen way too much and kill the pace of the game at times (especially when it happens right before a big sight gag). Having been a fan of the Monkey Island series since the beginning, I was really surprised at how fresh this game felt. Just when I thought the developers couldn't get any stranger, they go and surprise me. This really isn't a game for everyone however. If you're more prone to working your trigger pulling muscles, and not your thinking ones, then avoid this game. However, for anyone just looking for a great game to sit down and enjoy, I fully recommend Monkey Island. So guys, when's Monkey Island 5 coming out?
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Medal of Honor: Frontline NFL Primetime 2002