Return to Monkey Island: I care too much about this game to demonise it for graphics

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opinion: The first gameplay for Return to Monkey Island causes a lot of clamour about the visuals. It”s understandable – but Fabiano forces himself to be calm anyway

I am the devil chicken!

Pardon, perhaps context would be quite good. Ahem. I can well imagine that after this article I might be able to scare a superstitious tavern owner as El Pollo Diablo (guitar strumming). Because maybe I”ll be tarred and feathered – even though this method of torture always makes so much mess.

But currently, few people probably want to hear what I”m about to say: don”t demonise Return to Monkey Island because of its graphics!

I am very aware of where the current storm of indignation is coming from. After all, it was already foreshadowed in the first teaser for this unexpectedly enjoyable return. For here it was also apparent that Monkey Island might not look quite as many fans had wished it to.

Now, however, we got to see actual gameplay and, at the same time, a glimpse of many beloved characters. Good Guybrush stumbles through the Caribbean again as a mighty pirate, his beloved Elaine stands by her plunder bunny and of course the undead pirate captain Le Chuck is lurking somewhere again.

Now, however, all these figures look distinctly different according to the new graphics – even if they are still recognisable. And that simply causes irritation. For me, too, by the way.

Yes, visuals are important

I don”t want to stand there and play the old tune. I don”t want to tell you now that graphics aren”t everything in a game. In many cases, the visuals may even be the least important part of it. But personally, I”m a person who really cares a lot about the look of a game. I can rarely really get completely involved in a game whose graphics I don”t like.

It doesn”t matter if it”s because of the style or if the graphics are definitely technically behind. Sometimes I get annoyed myself, for example I ignored Minecraft for years for exactly this reason and then realised that I really enjoy this game. But I still couldn”t get rid of this attitude completely.

Style in particular is immensely important for me and my anticipation of a game. I”m actually like many of you. I find it much harder to get excited about comic graphics than when the same game simply tries to imitate a more realistic look.

Well, occasionally I can warm to some comic book looks, and love Monkey Island 3, for example, not in spite of but for its visuals. I also like the two remasters to the predecessors. But those are exceptions. If it becomes as abstract as Return to Monkey Island, my goodwill ends at some point.

Or rather: such a look doesn”t meet my aesthetic sensibilities.

So I”m actually completely on the side of the majority – and yet I just don”t want to give in to this feeling of disappointment right now. Monkey Island is simply too important to me for that.

I need the anticipation

I probably wouldn”t be hitting the keys here right now without Monkey Island 3. Because that was the first PC game I ever played through. Together with my dad. Monkey Island is correspondingly emotionally significant for me. The two predecessors are also among my absolute favourite games, even though I later played them through on my own.

So when Devolver announced Return to Monkey Island out of nowhere in April, my heart instantly did somersaults, opened a keg of grog and fell staggering off the dock. I”d been hoping for this announcement ever since Lucasfilm Games was resurrected – but I couldn”t really believe it.

Now it”s happened and I”m currently taking all the good PC gaming news I can get. Yes, I”m literally forcing myself not to let the graphics of a Return to Monkey Island spoil my mood. After setbacks like Diablo Immortal and the Settlers comeback, it”s all too easy to swear off any anticipation. But I need these positive outlooks in my life. This has nothing to do with unconditional hype, but rather with maintaining a healthy optimism about something that is extremely important to me.

And graphics are a matter of taste – especially when it comes to the artistic vision and not the technical implementation. So far, moreover, the visuals are the only tangible clue to being in a really bad mood. But in the end, what matters most is whether Monkey Island retains its humour, its heartfelt story and its shrewd puzzle design.

I don”t often manage to look past visuals. With Return to Monkey Island, however, I make a determined exception. For me, there is too much emotionally attached to this game to be completely put off in advance.

Especially since I know I can handle it. And maybe you can too.

The pirate Guybrush Threepwood returns with the upcoming title Return to Monkey Island. Already during the Nintendo (Direct Mini on Tuesday) new content of the game and some other titles were presented. In a new story, the well-known protagonist from the pen of Ron Gilbert is supposed to get to the secret behind the eponymous island. The trailer from Tuesday offers first graphic insights and reveals a little of the plot.

Those familiar with the pioneering title “The Secret of Monkey Island” from the year of its release in 1990 will recognise some visual differences. Above all, the facial features of the characters seem elongated. However, this does not detract from the richness of detail of the characters, which are staged with appropriate facial expressions, gestures and animations. In addition, the atmosphere and spirit of the series comes to the fore with typical pirate melodies and classic settings.

Nevertheless, the latest part of the series seems to have provoked criticism from some because of the graphics. In his blog post, which has since been deleted, Ron Gilbert wrote in the night from Wednesday to Thursday that people were “just being mean” and that he had to delete comments with “personal attacks”. The post has since been deleted again, but in exchange Gilbert will no longer give updates on the game of his own accord. “The joy of sharing has gone out of me.” On Twitter, “Dominic Armato” and others captured Gilbert”s deleted post.

The break in style in Return of Monkey Island is deliberately chosen by Ron Gilbert as well as the development team Terrible Toybox and the publisher Devolver Digital. It is supposed to be something new that does not simply resemble a true-to-style remake of the original title. Meanwhile, an exact release date for Return to Monkey Island remains unknown. However, the point-and-click adventure game is scheduled for release this year for the PC and Nintendo Switch.