Excitement is well and truly palpable for the long-awaited next chapter in the acclaimed Monkey Island saga. Set to debut some time in 2022, Return to Monkey Island could finally end up answering some of the series' most important questions, such as whether the whole thing was just one big dream and what the Secret of Monkey Island actually is. A recent trailer for the game has only ramped up expectations, even if its reception hasn't exactly been universally positive.
While some details remain frustratingly sketchy, there's still a good deal of information to dissect. Several clues as to the direction of the series can be gleaned from the recently-revealed trailer and the game's website. With expectations high and anticipation building, here's everything to know so far about the upcoming point-and-click adventure, Return to Monkey Island.
The Story of Monkey Island So Far
The Monkey Island franchise has entered into legend as possibly the most enjoyable point-and-click saga of all time. LucasArts' original games followed the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood, an incompetent but relentlessly optimistic wannabee buccaneer seeking to best the ghost pirate LeChuck and win the heart of Governor Elaine Marley. With pretty much every mainline entry in the series concentrating on Guybrush's efforts to defeat his ghostly nemesis, it looks likely that LeChuck will once again return as the main antagonist when 2022's latest entry finally drops.
The biggest question surrounding The Return to Monkey Island has been exactly how the new game will fit into the established series canon. Despite the trailer featuring elements and characters only introduced in the third Monkey Island entry, writer Ron Gilbert has been insistent that Return will follow on from the events of the second game, LeChuck's Revenge. At the end of LeChuck's Revenge, Guybrush bests the dastardly ghost pirate by using a voodoo doll against him, but when the pair emerge from the maintenance tunnels in which they were situated, they have transformed into small children having a day out at an amusement park, implying that the events of the first two games were potentially nothing more than the fanciful imaginings of a pair of rogue kids.
The trailer for Return, however, seems to imply that things are set to pick up from where the on-island narrative of the second game left off, with the game's website filling us in by stating that Marley has "turned her focus away from governing" while Guybrush is "adrift and unfulfilled, having never found the Secret of Monkey Island." Moreover, newer, younger pirate leaders have taken over Melee Island, while Smilin' Stan S. Stanman is now imprisoned for so-called "marketing-related crimes."
Return to Monkey Island's Trailer
While a charming if rudimentary announcement trailer released on April Fool's Day 2022 sparked speculation that a new Monkey Island chapter could be a legitimate proposition, the news was later confirmed by numerous sources, original scribe Ron Gilbert among them. After a few months of waiting, an official gameplay trailer dropped in late June 2022, revealing a number of enticing, novel, and controversial features for fans and critics to dissect and discuss.
The most notable and contentious issue was the trailer's exhibition of a new artistic direction, the classic aesthetic of the first two Monkey Island games replaced by a more abstract, almost cubist art style that many have compared to that of Drinkbox Studios' Mexicana-inspired adventure title, Guacamelee. Such was the backlash from some disgruntled fans that director Ron Gilbert was forced to stop updating his personal blog on account of the online abuse he was receiving over the game's design.
Others pointed out the fact that the trailer hinted at many of the possible aspects of gameplay that could entice players back onto Monkey Island's shores. First and foremost, Guybrush mentions that this will be the story in which he finally discovers the Secret of Monkey Island, something fans have been waiting for since the franchise's first entry.
Additionally, many major characters make their welcome returns, including the aforementioned sleazy boat salesman Stan, Sword Master Carla, the Voodoo Lady, and of course LeChuck himself, complete with glowing red eyes and hobbling peg leg. There are also a few scenes in which only Elaine seems to be present in the role of the protagonist, indicating that perhaps she could end up as a playable character for at least a portion of the upcoming adventure.
D23’s games showcase promised a look at dozens of Marvel and Disney properties, and while the supposedly massive expo might have left a few fans disappointed, it did give players an update on Return to Monkey Island. D23 offered fans another sneak preview of the game courtesy of a Developer Update Trailer narrated by Guybrush actor Dominic Armato, even if the teaser mostly consisted of a general overview of the franchise’s history rather than treating fans to much new footage of the upcoming adventure.
What Armato did promise was "outstanding voice acting, a wonderful new music score, and a gorgeous illustrated art style," not to mention an "in-game scrapbook" in which Guybrush "details his adventures and important moments from previous games." Acting as a sort of greatest hits compilation of earlier games, the scrapbook is teased as “a great way to get caught up on what’s happened so far, or a fun refresher if you already know the whole story."
The Latest News on Return to Monkey Island
With the new entry not far off, Gilbert and developers, Terrible Toybox, have been sharing more and more information about the upcoming adventures of Guybrush and his pirate chums on the game's official website. The site is laid out rather satisfyingly like a dialogue encounter from the actual games, describing many of the details fans can look forward to.
Probing the incarcerated Stan, for instance, reveals that the contentious new art style comes courtesy of Rex Crowle, the same man who worked on games such as Tearaway Unfolded and Knights and Bikes. With a little more questioning, Stan also reveals that the game's music will be written by three composers -- Peter McConnell, Michael Land, and Clint Bajakian -- all of whom have worked on the series in the past. The signature "magical pirate reggae grooves" that fans know and love will once again be heard throughout Gubrush's adventures in the Caribbean.
It isn't just the sound and visuals that have enjoyed a refresher. Stan also boasts that there will be a "clever evolution of the classic point-and-click controls" that typify the genre, as well as "context-sensitive interactions, [...] reactive dialog trees and an easy-to-use inventory system" that will supposedly make pirating a breeze. All of these will come in handy now that Melee Island is under new management by a band of up-and-coming buccaneers, and with Guybrush set to explore the spookily-named Terror Island and the cold wastes of Brrr Muda.
When Does Return to Monkey Island Release?
Return to Monkey Island will release on September 19 for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. No other platforms have been announced yet, although there's a possibility that it will come to most major consoles later down the line.