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not as amusing as the writers thought

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 23, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is the fourth installment in LucasArts' "Monkey Island" series. Producers of the game have stated in on-line interviews that there would indeed be a fifth installment, but as of my writing it's apparently not under production.

I bought and played this one essentially on the strength of the third item in the series, "Escape from Monkey Island," which I adjudge to be far better.

They seemed to have a winning recipe in that installment: why did they completely overhaul the concept?

Well, okay, not everything was overhauled. The voice actors, atmosphere, and quirky sense of humor are all intact, but the game designers saw fit to completely revamp the way Guybrush moves around the screen. And whether you set his movement to "character-relative" or "screen-relative," it never seems to work right.

Nor do the gamemakers think anything of including a lot of puzzles that rely on a timer, so you've got to manuever this difficult to control character around before a certain door closes, etc. I don't think they had the right to do that, so to speak, while the character movement was so wonky.

But the thing that really gets my goat is that they took the unique, beautiful cartoony look of Monkey Island 3 and replaced it with CGI drawn characters, which effectively robs this series of its central charm: superior visuals.

The look of the islands, the sky, the clouds, and even the characters in Monkey 3 was so well-done and charming that I stuck with that game just to enjoy the game's eye-candy. I thought it was the game's greatest strength. And that's precisely what they've monkeyed with -- pardon the pun.

In fact, with the stunning visuals gone, the character of the gameplay rises to the fore, and the idiocy and frustration of many of the puzzles becomes unbdeniably apparent.

In fact, I got so frustrated with Monkey 4 that, after getting about halfway through the game, I just sat there with a walkthrough trying to get through the rest of it. Even with the walkthrough, though, it was still a slog! The entire time I was cheating, I kept thinking, "Sheesh. I'm glad I didn't waste precious hours of my life agonizing over that puzzle. I would simply never have guessed the solution, since THE SOLUTION DOESN'T MAKE ANY FLIPPIN' SENSE!"

. . . which means if you'd like to go through this game straight, you've basically got to try to pick up every object, try every object you have on every other object in every possible screen.

If you find this kind of thing fun, then knock yourself out.

A great Monkey Island game, but not the best

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge fan of the Monkey Island (MI) series. While Escape from Monkey Island does have the great signature qualities of a Monkey Island game (challenging puzzles, great acting, hillarious dialogue), this was not my favorite in the series.

I don't like that you cannot control the game using the mouse. The keyboard makes for clumsy controls.

Also, other people might disagree, but I don't like the game in 3D. To me, the MI series looks best as a cartoon. Seeing the characters in 3D just makes the game look awkward.

Also, this game is missing the signature insult swordfighting, one of the best features of the previous games.

I'd still reccommend this game, but it's not the best of the MI series. The Curse of Monkey Island is.

Enjoyable but occasionally frustrating adventure game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm old enough to remember the Atari ST in the late 80s early 90s and I was vaguely aware of The Secret Of Monkey Island, but Escape is the only one of the series that I've played, so I'm not going to compare it to any other. With that qualification in mind...

I enjoyed this game. At times, very much. But there were also times when I was thinking. "Euurghh I'm really starting to dislike this" I'll list the things I didn't like firstly, to get the unpleasntness over.

- Control is annoying. Guybrush is controlled much like a 3rd person action game, he can walk run anywhere within the games boundaries. Running however has an annoying tendency to bounce him righ back in the opposite direction when he hits a boundary. When he sees objects of interest, it's name appears at the bottom of the screen, but these have a tendency to appear and disappear rapidly depending on whether Guybrush is exactly in the right zone of detection and moving him in just the slightest direction near a busy item hotspot can make the multiple choice tree flash on and off like disco lights. There are also seperate controls for look, pick up and use items and it's not an easy task to program a controller and remember all the buttons. Even at the end of the game I still hadn't gotten the hang of using items in my inventory.

- Some puzzles are just too obscure. Although few seem totally inconprehensible in retrospect I don't see many people completing this without a walktrough. I'll give just one to illustrate.....*Spoiler warning*........... To win a diving competition you need a dunce cap, to reduce your splash, and you need to put some half chewed salmon bagle in your opponents seal oil which will attract seagulls and disturb his dive. Although in hindsight they may make some obscure sense, in the game you'd have a hard job figuring out that the dunce cap in the school is actually wearable and would reduce splashing when diving. And you would also have to know that lox is salmon and making the connection between the bagle and the seal oil is just too much for the average gamer. *end of spoiler*

- I found the superfluous items a bit annoying after a while. 2 hours into the game you *know* that looking at most item will merely produce a mildly amusing remark from Guybrush, so the search for items becomes slightly annoying.

- There is a combat mini game which requires you to a make a note of winning move combinations. It's different every game so you can't consult a walkthrough. I enjoyed it, but it's fairly hard work and might drive off the casual gamer

-The in joke references to previous characters from the series went over my head as I didn't know who they were.

-And maybe it was just me but the game was just too short. I completed it in 3 days of intense play (admittedly with a walkthrough at about a third of the puzzles) but I'd read that it was a huge game.

However despite all that I'm glad I played to the end. Regardless of the annoyances the Monkey Island world is often tremendous fun to be in. The look is somewhat cartoony with odd angled buildings and curly moonlit clouds. The voice acting is uniformly convincing, and the soundtrack is excellent. Some of the puzzles are quite clever and very satisfying when you solve them. And isn't the fact that I wanted to see more after I finished proof enough that the game world is enticing? Above all the Monkey Island world is charmingly silly and is, in the end, great "escapist" entertainment.

Goofy Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I loved the Monkey Island games. When I bought Escape from Monkey Island years ago, I loved it so much I tracked down the older games and tried to force my new computer to play them. It did not play the first one, because it was just not compatible. Too bad. This is one of the silliest games I've ever played and I mean that in the best possible way. The goofy humor, the silly characters, and the fun puzzle type action make this one of my favorite video games ever. Now if they'd just make another one...

such a great procrastination tool

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Oh Monkey Island, how I do love thee. You keep me firmly enmeshed in your silken monkey net though the evil forces of clinical cardiology are calling my name. 'Tis the sweetest thing to grab a cup from StarBuccaneers and while away hours picking bananas and placing them in strategic places...
Only complaint, couldn't they make Guybrush walk just a little freakin' faster? Geez, you can finish medical school before Guybrush gets across the dadgum pirate ship, ARRRRRRR!!!!

Fun, but much worse than the other 3

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

All I have to say is "Monkey Kombat" what a horrible, horrible way to end a game. Since when is copious note taking any fun? Lucas Arts tried to replace the amusing insult fighting with this drivel and it failed miserably. The overall game itself also pales in comparision to the stellar 3 games leading up to this one. Quite average, even for a monkey island fan. Monkey Island fans, pick this one up and suffer through the bad parts, but everyone else stay the hell away.

A noble attempt, but my least favorite MI game

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: January 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Escape From Monkey Island is the 4th entry in a series of adventure games starring our favorite wannabe pirate, Guybrush Threepwood. I grew up on these games, developed by the LucasArts gaming company and consider myself a pretty good adventure gamer. However, being well versed in all things Monkey Island, I can confidently say that this is the weakest game in the series thus far. I'm not implying that it's unplayable by any means, but it just didn't quite have the spirit of the previous 3.

So once again, Guybrush finds himself on Melee Island, the first island you visit from the original MI. The game picks up pretty much where the last one left off, with Guybrush and Governor Elaine Marley newly wed and returning from their honey moon. Elaine has been pronounced dead and must run for re-election against Charles L. Charles, a mysterious newcomer. There's also a new villain introduced, the pirate hating Ozzie Mandrill from Australia, and what MI game would be complete without the ghost pirate Captain LeChuck. Or the demon from heck pirate as he's now referred to. Just like previous games, you're after one goal. In EFMI, that goal is to discover The Ultimate Insult before Ozzie Mandrill can.

Just like any MI game, there are familiar characters from previous games to interact with. The only problem is the project leaders on this one are new to the world of Monkey Island and instead of really creating anything new or original, they spend most of the story rehashing old jokes. In fact there are so many inside jokes for fans of the old games, it starts to become a little tedious after a while. I found myself rolling my eyes more often than laughing. It feels like they tried so hard to please former fans that they ignored the fact that most of these jokes would go right over the heads of newcomers, but I guess they figured the target audience would only be fans of the previous games.

So once you leave Melee Island you explore a couple other islands before ending up on Monkey Island. If I'm not mistaken, this installment features the fewest islands to explore out of any other game, which is a shame because it makes it feel a lot shorter. When sailing around on your ship, you can see Phatt Island and Booty Island, previous islands from Monkey Island 2, but to my disappointment, you never get to revisit them. Insult sword fighting is replaced by Monkey Kombat, which I found to be quite challenging. I believe it took me a whole night to solve this part of the game. Overall the puzzles were pretty challenging and sometimes I don't know how an average gamer could solve them without the help of a walkthrough. Unlike previous MI games, there isn't an option for easy or difficult puzzles.

Escape From Monkey Island runs on the GrimE engine that was developed for the superior Grim Fandango. That makes it the second LucasArts adventure game not to run on the SCUMM engine, and the first MI game to feature 3D graphics and atmospheres. That's not necessarily a problem, it is necessary for games to take advantage of advancing technology, but unfortunately the 3D graphics in this game just don't look that great. The only time they look acceptable is when the game pauses for a cut scene to further the plot. Other than that, they look rather primitive by today's standards and even by the standard set by Grim Fandango which was released only a year prior. I prefer the look of Curse of Monkey Island which featured beautiful 2D graphics and backgrounds.

I was delighted that Dominic Armato and Earl Boen reprised their roles as Guybrush and LeChuck from Curse of Monkey Island, the first "talkie" MI. They do a great job voicing those characters and hopefully will continue to do so should a 5th MI go into production. The rest of the voice actors however were average to bad. Every time Otis opened his mouth I usually found myself hitting the button to skip his dialogue. I know this is only a computer game but I expect a little better voice acting. The music was decent but not as good as the music in Curse. It usually got a little repetitive in some areas and there weren't any new character themes or motifs introduced that stuck in my head.

Overall, it's a decent adventure game if you look at it from a stand-alone point of view, but in comparison to the rest of the MI series, it doesn't stand up to its predecessors. If you're a fan of MI, I would recommend playing it just for nostalgia's sake, but don't expect it to blow you away. For newcomers to the series who still enjoy adventure games, I would recommend playing the other games first or any of the other adventure games developed by LucasArts.

The Great Escape

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: June 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Ahoy there, monkey-island buccaneers and landlubbers alike! Lucas Arts is back with its much-adored 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise, and are they back with a bang! Though not quite as absorbing as its 3 predecessors, it's definitely a rollicking adventure, and best of all, far exceeds what many thought would be a final tying up episode.
At the end of the Curse of Monkey Island, we had our wannabe pirate hero Guybrush Threepwood finally marrying Elaine Marley, the Governor of Melée Island. So we begin with her returning to her own mansion, only to find that her extended absence has misled people into believing she's dead. The search for the required documents leads Guybrush to Lucre Island, and from here unravels a whole new plot. Events force Guybrush to set sail in search of the Ultimate Insult, a terrifyingly powerful Voodoo weapon. Worse, he has on his trail the slimy Ozzie Mandrill. He's a bent old Australian developer bent on converting the pirate paradise into a wholesome tourist attraction. On his quest, Guybrush must accomplish Herculean tasks and ultimately make the eponymous Escape from Monkey Island.

You've got to hand it to these guys. They've convincingly managed to construct a whole new plot from what seemed to be the ashes of a completed trilogy. What's better is that they draw from the previous games' unanswered questions, bring in old characters, and huge revelations are made. All this while maintaining its freshness. Old islands like Melée and Monkey Island are accurately revamped , while new ones like Jambalaya and Lucre dazzle with their imaginativeness. The result is a coherent narrative.

Most prominently, the entire game now unfolds in 3d, leading to gorgeous graphics without destroying the cartoony appeal. The game runs on the Grim Fandango Engine, and therein lies the problem. It is a major ordeal to maneouvre your character by keyboard, and remember which key does what. Using inventory is a major headache and you can only interact with an object if its name appears. Getting your character to the right spot is sometimes more challenging than the puzzles. What a stark contrast to the simple CMI interface! This is a definite downside of the game.
Thanks to this hitch, one doesn't get to soak in completely the luscious backgrounds. The sea is stunning, the clouds and topiaries are as surreal as before. As for characters, I do admit I liked the lanky Guybrush of the previous game better, but his outfit makes up for it. We get to enjoy the amusing Guybrush- Elaine relationship, shown more tenderly than in all 3 previous games. Old characters like LeChuck (yes!), Carla and Otis, Murray, Stan, the Voodoo Lady and Herman Toothrot return. There aren't too many new ones- but Dead-Eye Dave, Admiral (Whatever) Casaba and Father Rasputin are quite fun.
Music too, is good, though not fantastic. Agreed, it can't match CMI and there is a lot of recycling and déjà vu. However, it is every bit foot-tapping and the scores of Lua Bar and Planet Threepwood are flashes of genius. Backgrounds, characters, music: when these three come together, we have a feast for the senses. Scumm Bar and Knuttin Atoll are textbooks in atmosphere building! Atmosphere, after all, is the pièce de resistance of the series.
Last of all, but probably most importantly, the puzzles are a pleasant surprise. Some like in Act 1 are a piece of cake, while others like Monkey Kombat and Mysts of Tyme are devilishly subtle. We still have the inventive use of inventory...like prosthetic skin as a trampoline and a dunce hat used to improve your diving score. You get most of it if you try hard enough (and conquer the keyboard interface). But I'm glad to say there's no repetition of puzzles from the previous games. There's a fair deal of real treasure-hunting, Matrimonial Lava Rides, boulder hurling, Insult Arm Wrestling and freeing yourself after being framed. The pirate world gets increasingly modern thanks to Mandrill- we now have banks, perfumes, Sushi-bars, theme restaurants, lawyers, groggeries and Star Buccaneers Coffee- things we couldn't even dream of in the prequels (unless you count the Carnival of the Dead). In short, they haven't limited their imaginations. All in all, the puzzles are just right- neither too tough or too easy. Some are outright silly, (like knocking an amnesiac's head in various ways) but all in all, the puzzles make a refreshingly novel cocktail.
In totality, this game is a joyride of clean, roll-on-floor fun from start to finish! It's especially so if you have the patience to get past the taxing `what-do-I-do-now' parts and the blasted keyboard. Another hitch is the boringly slow pace in the Monkey Island Act, the only place I lost interest. Overall storyline may be weak in places, but you hardly notice. But clever and witty dialogues, amazing cutscenes, absorbing characters and atmosphere and innovative puzzles, more than make up for that.
Some may love it, some may hate it, but surely no one can forget it.
Since every secret is unveiled here, there doesn't seem to be much chance of making a sequel without looking like a dragged soap opera. Thus, though it has its imperfections, Escape from Monkey Island makes a fitting conclusion- thoroughly satisfying for the discerning game-geek. This is one sea any parrot worth its pieces-of-eight will advise you to set sail in. It raaaaaaks.

Makes the leap to 3d

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Yet another incarnation of the beloved series, this time in full fledged three dimensions, a trap to most game companies when trying to transition but, not suprisingly, a goal that is reached with the great lucasarts adventurecompany...For the most part this is one of the best examples of how to transition to 3d and not ruin the overall experience that your previous games had

Ok game...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is a well scripted game. It plays like a movie. There are puzzles that will stop you and you have to figure them out before you can progress. There are funny jokes, and some running jokes from the previous games that I didn't really get, since I never played them.

Negatives on this game is I can't do a full or partial install, I can only play it off the CD. Of course it is one of those linear adventure games, so if you can't think of the exact thing to do, and you're stumped for long periods of time, it can get frustrating.

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