Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

"Guybrush returns, and the plot thickens..."

A quick recap, which will contain minor spoilers for both this game and it's prequel. You have been warned..... In The Secret Of Monkey Island , a point 'n' click adventure game from Lucasarts, you controlled Guybrush Threepwood, a young boy who wants to become a pirate. You take control as Guybrush arrives on Mêlèe Island, hoping to achieve this lofty goal. While on the island he meets and falls in love with Elaine Marley, the governor of the island, and encounters the ghost pirate LeChuck, leading to a finale on the mysterious and long lost Monkey Island......
Monkey Island 2 continues this plot, and as we join Guybrush enough time has passed for him to become a fully fledged pirate, split up from Elaine, grow a beard, and set off in search of the legendary treasure 'Big Whoop'. Meanwhile, it would appear that LeChuck is not as dead as was previously thought, and he is really rather angry with the young upstart who destroyed his ghostly form, a certain Mr. Threepwood......

OK, now that you have an idea what the plot of the game involves, on with the review.

The graphics and scope of Monkey Island 2 are both a vast improvement over The Secret Of Monkey Island. Whereas the first game had only three settings, this game is split over several different islands, all with distinct graphical stylings. Guybrush himself is also far more detailed graphically. Although there is, oddly, less music in this game, overall the game is much more stylish and easier on the eye than it's predecessor. However, the atmosphere doesn't seem quite the same as the first game, and I'm not entirely sure why this is.

Gameplay follows the same formula as the original: the options presented on the bottom of the screen are just the same (including 'Walk' - very handy this one, 'look', 'talk' and 'take'), and the classic formula that involves taking items, combining them with others and puzzle solving is all present and correct. Save for the enhanced graphics, there is little to differentiate this game from the original. This is a Good Thing.

There are several new characters introduced here. Some, such as Wally the cartographer, will go on to play larger parts in the upcoming games, while others, such as the villainous Largo LaGrand, are seemingly only in this particular chapter. In addition, several old faces make a welcome return. Some, such as LeChuck and Elaine, are fairly obvious and easy to anticipate. Others are a pleasant surprise, and I won't ruin that here.

The game moves towards a finale that nobody could have predicted at a pace that constantly keeps the player engaged, and while it is longer than Monkey Island one, this still means that it'll be over in days. Still, the conclusion is the most open to a sequel I've ever seen in a game (think The Empire Strikes Back, only in game not movie form), and this proves to be another excellent chapter in one of gaming's greatest epics. The only problem is that, as with the first game, it is part of a greater whole, and as such isn't as enjoyable as a standalone game. As such it warrants an 8/10, but make that a nine if you have the other Monkey Islands.

The only real fault is that we are still seemingly unaware as to what the Secret of Monkey Island actually is.....

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/22/01, Updated 10/22/01