Be that … a three headed monkey? No! It be MONKEY ISLAND: LAUNCH O’ T’ SCREAMING NARWAL (review)
Aug 2nd, 2009 | By Vidar Daatland | Category: Entertainment, Gaming
HARR HARR ..HARR! T’ (accordin’ t’ him) mighty pirate™ Guybrush Trheepwood be at it yet again! Would I yield and will ye, scum? Well, this is a question I long longed t’ explore. And tharfore, I sat sail with Tales o’ Monkey Island: Launch o’ t’ Screaming Narwhal. Avast me harties, I was nearly blown away!
Long lost, but not forgotten, be t’ golden age o’ t’ adventure genre. T’ times when t’ fun and positive creative genius gave us a whole lot o’ shiny gamin’-treasure, mainly from LucasArts and Sierra. But then came t’ gritty, mindless cheap-ass 3D-mania with “captivity and negativity” and buried all t’ treasure. Aye, it was indeed a sad time for those that wanted more than just mindless “runnin’ around and butcherin’ people in stupid ways on t’ Internet”. So we sat down with a grog N’ ale, throwin’ voodoo-curses on those pesky cheap-arse games. Fun, adventure, laughter. Was it all gone? No more three-headed-monkeys?
Apparently not! Because Telltale Games came along with a shovel and started diggin’, with a whole community o’ old-time gamers showin’ them t’ X that marks t’ spot. First with sequels t’ Sam & Max, and now t’ crown jewel o’ them all: Monkey Island. Even captain Jack Sparrow be no match for this witty, naive fellah that once again has t’ take on that blasted arch nemesis LeChuck and his evil mojo-thin’y’. What wrong-doin’s will t’ mighty pirate™ do this time around?
I’m not givin’ ye any information about t’ story, except you’re Guybrush, Le Chuck be out t’ do evil and Elaine be in trouble. T’ rest, you be explorin’ yourself. It be better that way, no spoilin’ t’ story for me harties.
T’ graphic is nice, with a good voodoo-aura. A rather peculiar controll-system, where ye hold t’ mouse button and drag t’ way you want t’ walk (or double click for Guybrush t’ run) makes me mind boggle a bit. It be startin’ t’ get on me nerves! But not nearly as much as the great puzzles, but they get on me nerves in a pirate-positive way. Oh how I’ve missed you, funny little dumb-ass brainstimulator’s.
If ye never played Monkey Island before, please please PLEASE do try it. T’ first one is now available in an upgraded version. It be one o’ t’ best games in t’ history o’ gamin’, and it fits all. If ye liked Pirates of the Caribbean, ye be lovin’ t’ character o’ Guybrush Threepwood. They be actually both loosely inspired by the Disney-ride which holds t’ same name (although t’ main inspiration for t’ game comes from the book On Stranger Tides).
It be episode based, which may seem a bit odd t’ old gamers. Ye buy and download one episode at a time, t’ first one titled Launch of t’ Screamin’ Narwhal (that be Launch of the Screaming Narwhal for all t’ non-pirates of ye). It be available on t’ PC and Wii, I’ve tested it on t’ first. 35 golden doubloons was t’ price for all t’ five episodes, released monthly. And even though this is a pirate-game, I would urge you not t’ go t’ t’ pirate bay, but pay up. If yer pockets be empty, go out and steal from yer pesky neighbor or somethin’. HARR!
T’ game is very player-buckoly, you’ll not even be able t’ die and t’ humor be just as good as should be expected. Some o’ t’ original creators be involved in this fifth game in the series, which seems t’ give aft some o’ t’ lost atmosphere from t’ first two games. It lacks some o’ t’ qualities o’ t’ first and I be wantin’ more characters t’ interact with. But then again this is only one o’ five chapters. It be like judgin’ a film only by its first act. Oh how I’ve missed bein’ a mighty™ pirate!
The verdict
It be a great first episode for t’ entire family. I had me own audience (me two sprogs) while playin’ this, and we laughed out loud together over t’ sillyness that be Monkey Island. It was all over after 5-6 hours o’ playing around, leavin’ us all wantin’ the next chapter. Ohoy mates over at Telltale, prepare t’ be boarded because I be wantin’ more! Savy?
Ye can all check out t’ trailer below and order t’ game over at Telltale.
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