A new Ron Gilbert Monkey Island was definitely not on my list of things to expect in 2022, but here we are.
I have some very fond childhood memories of the first Monkey Island, and that sort of thing can very easily lend itself to an over-abundance of hype. The idea that “Yes, we’re finally getting more of that thing I loved!”
But there’s no way to know that; even with the original team back together, it’s been thirty years… that’s a lot of built-up nostalgia to try and recapture/equal/surpass, which is probably not a realistic ask of any developer. So I have to keep reminding my brain to try and temper the expectations.
Unfortunately I pretty much fall in the red camp, despite all the best intentions, time + new developments + personal life changes in the developers + market demands mean that the result will likely be a somewhat random blend of original and new technology/ideas that may not mesh.
I still have fun memories of the old game, and teeter with you on the top of the pole but pragmatism means I’ll be waiting and reading alot of reviews before $ are spent.
I disagree. Most of you have not played their recent games: Thimbleweed Part 1 & 2.
It has proven to still work, be awesome and has the same flair like before (sans that it’s not a Threepwood Theme)
First? ?
tough crowd.
Crowd that isn’t 12 years old.
how is this a thing still… The internet has been around for decades at this point. Just… please stop…
I just don’t get people who jump on and be the literal first comment that anyone sees on a strip… then… say absolutely nothing.
Make us chuckle. Make us think. Point out something interesting or insightful or strike up a conversation or debate or literally do anything other than shout your place in line, then act surprised that people dislike it.
lol only posted it because I knew it was the one thing you should never write on this forum. Oh well, at least we know the dislike counter works. ?
No one has a sense of humor these days. So uptight and literal about everything.
Finally, some good news!
Who knows, there’s always a chance for Psychonauts 2 2.0 😉
pretty sure the creative minds who made the first one are long gone and scattered, plus with the woke trend, the humour that should be here will certainly be downplayed a lot, but we’ll see
the “anti-woke” internet crew is pathetic.
Right, why in world would want to be telling people that you NEED to be able to call them offensive names in order to be happy?
The issue is the term gets caught up in the extreme zealots who go out of their way to be offended by everything.
As a result, everything is offensive to at least somebody, and as long as that somebody is loud enough (because the internet provides unlimited reach), they get to ruin it for everyone else.
A recent example of not being able to please everybody:
https://www.indiewire.com/2022/02/peter-dinklage-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs-backlash-little-people-1234695983/
Actually, I think this is a good example of modern-day sensibilities ‘ruining’ something that was already a little dehumanizing to begin with. People with dwarfism have had to deal with stereotypes for ages. Snow White is part of our cultural heritage, and has literally been the source of many of the stereotypes that hurt this group to this day. I don’t fault Dinklage at all for not wanting to be a part of the film, nor for speaking his mind about it, nor for Indiewire writing about it. What is Dinklage supposed to do, lie? That doesn’t make him a… Read more »
Trump once said “everything that’s woke goes to shit” and it’s probably the only thing he and I agree on.
Fun fact: humor is actually not intrinsically tied to discrimination and abuse.
Wait what??? … oh right, I already knew that…
That’s true. But you’ve got to admit, that type of humour is pretty damn funny, and is a favourite of a lot of people, especially those who grew up in the 90s when that type of humour was all the rage.
But I guess times change.
It’ll swing back around eventually.
I mean, a lot of humour in the 90s wouldn’t have been considered acceptable in the 50s, so it’s not the first time humour has been limited in such a fashion. Just give it time. 🙂
Lmao watch me not admit that
here is the thing. Abuse is only funny and all the rage for two reasons. Dark humor of those who deal with it as a coping mechanism ad those who are the abusers.
It’s tied to controversy. Yet these days everyone takes everything way too seriously and considers everthing an attack on another person.
“You fool! You’ve given cheese to a lactose-intolerant volcano god!”
Honestly, though, this *should* be amazing.
Isn’t that quote from the third one which was actually made without the original crew?(not that I really care the third one was my favorite)
The base of the stick is a bunch of executive directors and publishers hacking at the stick with axes shouting microtransactions, nft, brand deals, merchandising, open world battlegrounds, epic store exclusive and every other cursed word in games development.
The main difference will be: We’re not as young as we once were. I loved the Monkey Island games 1+2 as a kid, but when I replayed the Special Editions later, it was quite a different experience. Still great games, but that magic feeling wasn’t there. Still looking forward to this new game, Ron Gilbert is still great (Thimbleweed Park was totally underrated, and it showed his mastery).
I think the main problem I had with the special editions wasn’t really about my age or that the magic wasn’t there. I loved to play them again but like with all Point&Click adventures they had no replay value because I know the story, jokes and puzzles already. If I could I would erase my knowledge about them over and over just to enjoy them properly again 😀
It could be good. When two point hospital came out I was also cautiously hopeful, and the game played like a true sequel to the original, owing largely to it being made by the original creators. Have hope that this will be done right as well.
lets face it, your brains about to do a stripper spin down that post and you pray it lands in the green
Wait, what?
This better not be a belated April Fools, Tim, or I swear to God I’ll… uh… well, there’s not a whole lot I can do, really.
The Monkey Island series was a riot, and I can’t wait to jump back in!
https://www.polygon.com/gaming/23010107/return-to-monkey-island-release-2022
Well, as long as it’s priced at $19.99. I knew a guy once who told me to never spend more than twenty bucks on a computer game.
I never really understood the hype about monkey island to be honest.
It never was my style of game, but when i did try it. It was “okay” at best.
At the time when i tried it, i was much more into CnC and real time strategy games though.
Same here. My mates mostly love the series but I never really saw the appeal.
Nothing appeals to everyone. I loved C&C AND Monkey Island. But i never got into Duke 3D.
Because it basically set the bases for all graphic adventures games to come. Of course there were other games before, but MI was the one that defined the rules for good game design for any game of that type.
Plus: great story, funny characters, witty writing, superb graphics & music.
But graphic adventures is a very niche market, and there are sub-niches within as well, especially in the good old days where without access to any guides or hints it could take months to finish a game. And once you finish there is no real replay value.
I’m still holding out for a sequel to “Loom.” ='(
I’d love a classic single player new Ultima entry.
LOOM? What is LOOM? Tell me about LOOM! And while you’re at it, what’s this GRIM FANDANGO I keep hearing about?
More Infocom perhaps? I still think A Mind Forever Voyaging was some of the best worldbuilding ever done in gaming.
“My name’s Guybrush Threepwood and I want to be a pirate!”
I still remember reading these pixelated words for the first time… It was the start of my love for point-and-click adventures.
Your comic is 100% right on the money! I want to be excited, but I fear the excitement! 😀
There is also a new Little Big Adventure (aka Relentless: Twinsen’s Adventure) in the works, running the same risk.
Wait, WHAT?! I DID NOT KNOW THAT!
Jesus Christ, first a new Monkey Island-game and then new a LBA: I have no idea how to keep myself together long enough for the games to come out!
If you can hold out long enough, they’re going to fix up the old games to work better on modern systems, too. Soon you can relive the nightmare that was the jetpack infiltration mission.
Also, apparently, a Gobliiins sequel too. Point’n’click adventures making a comeback would sound like a dream come true to me; and to be fair, games like the Dark Chapters anthology and Until Dawn helped prepare the ground with their “extremely limited” gameplay.
*Dark Pictures*
While I do believe they’ll make a good game, I’m not sure I’ll like it as much. Can you honestly say you are still the same person you were 30 years ago?
Both us and the creators are very different people today. We might no longer have the same tastes, or the same opinions on what makes a good story or gameplay. And that is fine… I only hope that they can put out something they can be proud of, and not get caught by the BS tactics today’s publishers are so fond of.
I still like some games that I played as a kid, so… sort of? At least enough to give it a shot.
Tales of Monkey Island already involved Ron Gilbert and also Steve Purcell and it was a good game. I am very confident about this one.
Two words – Broken Age. Yes I know it’s a different team but for every Bloodstained there are way more Mighty No 9s. So yeah, I’m going to wait and see.
Can I say that Tim’s moustache makes him look like the URS guy from Pokemon Ultra Moon?
https://www.nintendo-insider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/phyco-ultra-recon-squad-artwork.jpeg
I think the fact that one of those “extremes” is actually completely realistic, and the other is just sunshine and rainbows, says it all.
Hey, Tim ¿Do you actually have that moustache? I know the second panel is supposed to be the important part of this comic page, but… that moustache, it is Epic!
On the other hand, I’m already dead and cold inside, so I would choose the red side.
Yeah, I typically try to draw myself roughly as I appear at any given time.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’d make a convincing movie villain.
“No, Mr Bond, I expect you to DIE” [twirls mustache]
Tim should audition for Goldface in the upcoming blockbuster Threat Level Midnight
I think the name for that particular style of handlebar moustache is “El Bandito.”
“Dad, the other kids don’t want to come over for a sleepover. They say you’re going to throw them in with the sharks…”
AWESOME!!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
I’m looking forward to it. I’m getting “Psychonauts 2” vibes where it will deliver on 90% of what we want but between the amount of time since the initial releases and now, and also the slightly higher bar perhaps set by Telltale Games (In some senses) it will still be good but not Mind Blowing but it will scratch the right itches.
I tend to lean towards the right on this issue due to way too many daggers in my nostalgia heart, but there have been a few pleasant surprises now and then. Wasteland 2 for example.
The first, was the game that got me for good into gaming and computers as a kid. Back when it was still pretty new. It blew my mind.
Life-changing, considering I’ve been an IT guy for 25 years.
I’m willing to believe. I’m ok with it not being “perfect.” And I understand it shouldn’t try to cater to impossibly high expectations.
“…never make another monkey island unless…”
That quote is a reference to a manifesto Gilbert wrote in 2013 about his dreams of creating another Monkey Island game. The post made clear that Monkey Island would never officially return unless Gilbert owned the series’ IP. “I’ve spent too much of my life creating and making things other people own,” Gilbert wrote. “Not only would I allow you to make Monkey Island fan games, but I would encourage it.”
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/04/ron-gilbert-confirms-a-new-monkey-island-adventure-game-coming-in-2022/
I’m not saying the Final Fantasy 7 remake is perfect. But this is where I was for that and I’ve been quite happy with it so far. So hopefully Monkey Island turns out the same.
Here is the question. My wife and kids never played the originals. (duh on the kids front) But, would I be ableto just jump into this one with my family? Would THEY enjoy it too, because I have wanted to share this magic with them so much.
I still have all the originals. Every time I see an article with “What game would you want to see remade” I say Monkey Island, but now I’m on that pole too.
Geez, hold your breath for 10 minutes…..
I will resign to expect it to be utter trash. That way, if it’s awesome at release, it will be a pleasant surprise! If it’s trash, it won’t hurt.
When I first played Thimbleweed Park, I fell into the red zone. After leaving it alone for a few months and playing it again with a fresh perspective, I quickly entered the green zone. It’s all about avoiding that damn hype. The game will probably be as good as the first two Monkey Islands. No better and no worse. So you just need to take off those rose-tinted glasses and keep that perspective in mind. It’ll probably be a great game. But people will likely be comparing it to the rose-tinted games in their heads, rather than the actual games… Read more »
Accept that NOTHING will live up to the expectations, and you’ll be in a much better position to enjoy what _is_ offered.
Look behind you, a three-headed monkey!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
YOU FIGHT LIKE A COW!
I’ve personally enjoyed all the Monkey Island games(even Escape from Monkey Island) so I’m firmly in the green camp although I doubt it’ll cure cancer. Boredom absolutely but not cancer.
Hey, you remember when Shenmue 3 happened?
I’ll just leave that there because, for better or worse, that’s pretty much what this is going to be as well.
That’s exactly how I felt when the newest Matrix movie was announced.
Assume this’ll be like Psychonauts 2: It will show the age of its genre, but still be remind you of the good times that genre once delivered. It’ll give you a nostalgic thrill, alongside a quiet, sollemn reminder that moving on to new things was the right thing for the industry (and you) to do.
IMO, Revolution Software did well with their returns to Broken Sword and Beneath a Steel Sky.
Stay (realistically) optimistic.
I do not have high hopes. The internet killed the point and click adventure game.
Kids these days have no idea what it’s like to be stuck on a puzzle for weeks or months because they can just google the answer.
Remember, the person who gave us Star Wars also created the prequels.
Tim, question: have you not played Thimbleweed Park 1 & 2? You do know who was behind this, I am sure? If not, do it. Then re-watch the Teaser and just go with “OH BOI MY BNODY IS READY!”
I kinda fall to red camp; with simple question of: “why continue series now, after so many decades of keeping it in abyss” and answer to it leads mostly into deep red side