It’s only been out for a week but it’s fair to say that Return To Monkey Island has been hitting all the right notes with fans new and old. The sixth and most anticipated game in the Monkey Island series was released this time last week and has been getting rave reviews across the board. Fans and critics alike are enjoying the nostalgia-meets-modern-life vibes in Return To Monkey Island, leading some to wonder if this game signals the end of the long-running franchise after all.
The game returned from a 13-year absence with a surprise reveal earlier this year, much to the delight of fans of the original Monkey Island games from the 90s. Announced back in April, the series creator Ron Gilbert and Lucasfilm Games shared the news of Return To Monkey Island’s existence with a short teaser clip. The stakes were pretty high in terms of fan expectation, which it seems safe to say the sequel has so far been delivered on.
Some discussion around the new art direction for Return To Monkey Island had created a few unnecessary waves amongst both the development team and the game’s community. However, the game’s new visual style seems to add to the charm of the title, which has been reimagined brilliantly for modern platforms. Check out the game’s most recent launch trailer right here to get an idea of how Guybrush and friends look in 2022.
It seems as though Return To Monkey Island has bucked the current trend of being a game with an extensive playtime. The pirate adventure point-and-click title is relatively short and sweet, compared to many games on the market these days. However, less is often more and it seems that the game’s substantial fan base is already craving even more action from Guybrush Threepwood and his cast of ragamuffins.
In response to a question on Twitter, Ron Gilbert seems to have raised the possibility that Return To Monkey Island isn’t the end of the franchise. “Unlikely that it was the end,” was Gilbert’s remark when asked if the Monkey Island games would be ending with the most current game. Needless to say, this gives fans a bit of light at the end of the tunnel that there’s more to come from the Monkey Island crew.
As to what might come next in the Monkey Island series, we’ll just have to wait and see. Considering the period of time in between the original series and the current title, it could be a while before any further Monkey Island adventures come to fruition. For now, it’s fair to say that the gaming community and Gilbert are content to be enjoying the success of Return To Monkey Island as it continues to gather critical and commercial praise.
Return To Monkey Island is available now on PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch.
