Image: Telltale Games
Is it possible to get enough Monkey Island? Doubtful. Having played every single installment of the game and waited nearly ten years for another trip to the mysterious titular isle, I was chomping at the bit for July’s release of Tales of Monkey Island.
Jenny Williams covered the first episode when it came out. In the second episode of Telltale Games’s series, “The Siege of Spinner Cay”, players are once again thrown into a comedic piratical journey alongside the hapless Guybrush Threepwood.
As a continuation of the first episode, “Spinner Cay” gets right down to business. There’s a quick rehash that brings you up to speed and then you find Guybrush in the middle of a sword battle with the mysterious Morgan LeFlay. In a classic Telltale Games puzzle, he must protect himself, his infected hand and his ship, all while continuing onward to rescue his beloved Governor Elaine Marley.
The voice acting crew that we’ve grown to love over the years has returned, including Dominic Armato (who is irreplaceable as Guybrush) and Alexandra Boyd (who voiced Elaine Marley in the third game). Dave Grossman helmed the project. This is a game made by Monkey Island vets, so it’s no surprise that they play to the crowd so well.
Image: Telltale Games
It’s as fun as ever, moving Guybrush around the lush Caribbean sets and getting him into all sorts of trouble. The humor is on par with the first episode and even dances the line with some pretty keen innuendo. Anachronisms abound, as per usual, and fans of insult swordfighting will really get a kick out of the fights.
The controls are still the weakest part of the game, but they are more than excused by the excellent voice acting, the super-fun soundtrack (composed by Monkey Island mainstay, Michael Land) and the clever writing.
If you played Monkey Island back in the nineties and you’re looking for a window back into the heady days of the PC adventure game craze, or if you just want a good laugh, check out Tales of Monkey Island: The Siege of Spinner Cay.
Wired: Hilarious and entertaining story, amazing voice acting and music. It’s everything a Monkey Island fan could hope for.
Tired: Controls are a bit clunky.
