.png)
Guybrush Threepwood is back. Honestly, if you told me five years ago that Ron Gilbert would actually return to the series he started in 1990, I would have called you a liar. But here we are. Return to Monkey Island isn’t just another point-and-click adventure; it is a literal time capsule cracked open, updated with a controversial art style, and delivered with the kind of meta-narrative wit that makes you question why we play games in the first place.
The game picks up where Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge left off. Or does it? That’s the thing about this franchise—the ending of the second game was a surrealist fever dream involving an amusement park and a kid named Guybrush. It confused people for three decades. Now, Gilbert and Dave Grossman have finally stepped back into the captain’s chair to explain, or perhaps complicate, that legacy. It’s bold. It’s weird. It’s exactly what a point-and-click game should be in 2026.
The Secret Everyone Was Chasing
The plot centers on Guybrush’s obsession with finding the "Secret" of Monkey Island. Not a secret. The Secret. He’s older now, maybe a bit more tired, but his single-mindedness is as sharp as a cutlass. What makes this entry fascinating is how it handles the passage of time. The Caribbean has changed. New Pirate Leaders have moved into Melee Island, replacing the old guard. These new guys represent a more corporate, "efficient" brand of piracy that lacks the charm of the old days. It’s a bit of a commentary on the gaming industry itself, isn't it?
🔗 Read more: Fallout 4 Walkthrough PS4: Surviving the Commonwealth Without Losing Your Mind
You spend a lot of time on Melee Island early on, and the nostalgia hits like a ton of bricks. The SCUMM Bar is still there, though things look different. The music, composed by the original legends Peter McConnell, Michael Land, and Clint Bajakian, instantly teleports you back to 1990. It’s that iconic reggae-infused pirate theme that feels like home. But the game doesn’t let you stay comfortable. It pushes you to move forward, to explore new islands like Terror Island and Brrr Muda, each with its own bizarre internal logic.
That Art Style Controversy
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the visuals. When the first trailer for Return to Monkey Island dropped, the internet went into a meltdown. People wanted the pixel art of the 90s or the lush hand-drawn look of The Curse of Monkey Island. Instead, Rex Crowle—the genius behind Knights and Bikes—delivered a jagged, paper-craft, expressionist aesthetic.
It was a shock. I hated it at first. Then I played it.
The animation is fluid and expressive in a way pixel art simply can’t be. It feels like a storybook being read by an unreliable narrator, which fits Guybrush perfectly. If you’re holding out because it doesn't "look like Monkey Island," you’re doing yourself a massive disservice. The art grows on you until you can’t imagine the game looking any other way. It’s sharp, vibrant, and allows for visual gags that require precise facial expressions.
💡 You might also like: Making Snow in Infinite Craft Without Getting Lost in the Logic
Modernizing the Point-and-Click Grudge
Traditional adventure games died because they were too hard or too illogical. Remember the rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle? Yeah, that stuff doesn't fly anymore. Return to Monkey Island fixes this without "dumbing down" the experience.
The hint book is the MVP here. It’s an in-game item that provides tiered clues. If you’re just a little stuck, it gives you a nudge. If you’re completely lost, it basically tells you the answer. It’s a brilliant way to keep the flow going without forcing players to Alt-Tab to a walkthrough. Plus, the inventory system is streamlined. You don't have to "Use" "Item" "With" "Object" anymore; the game contextually understands what you’re trying to do. It’s smooth.
There are two difficulty modes: Casual and Hardcore. Casual removes some of the more complex multi-step puzzles, while Hardcore is the full experience. Honestly, play Hardcore. The puzzles are clever and fair. They rely on "adventure game logic" but provide enough environmental clues that you’ll feel like a genius when you finally figure out how to distract a guard or forge a document.
The Return of the Original Voice
Dominic Armato is Guybrush Threepwood. There is no other way to put it. His voice has aged just enough to match a Guybrush who is now a father, retelling his exploits to his son, Boybrush. The voice acting across the board is stellar. Alexandra Boyd returns as Elaine Marley, and she’s as brilliant as ever—though some might argue she’s a bit too patient with Guybrush’s nonsense this time around.
LeChuck is voiced by Jess Harnell now, following the retirement of Earl Boen. Harnell does a fantastic job capturing the undead pirate's theatrical rage. The dynamic between Guybrush and LeChuck is less of a hero-villain relationship and more of an eternal, exhausting rivalry. They are two sides of the same coin, both stuck in a loop of their own making.
👉 See also: Finding Your Main: The List of Characters in For Honor That Actually Matter Today
A Legacy Re-examined
What most people get wrong about this game is thinking it’s just a nostalgia trip. It’s actually quite cynical about nostalgia. Guybrush is so obsessed with the "Secret" that he often ignores his wife, his responsibilities, and reality itself. The game asks: why do we keep coming back to these old stories? Is the payoff ever as good as the journey?
It’s a brave move for a developer to question the very fan service they are providing. By the time you reach the final act, the game takes some turns that have left the community divided. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say it stays true to Ron Gilbert’s original vision, even if that vision is a bit of a "middle finger" to traditional storytelling tropes. It’s poetic, in a weird way.
Why You Should Care Now
Even years after its initial release, Return to Monkey Island stands as a masterclass in how to revive a dead IP. It doesn't just copy the past; it interrogates it.
The game is packed with "Trivia Cards" hidden throughout the world. These cards test your knowledge of the entire series. It’s a fun little meta-game that encourages you to look closely at the beautifully cluttered backgrounds. It also rewards long-term fans without alienating newcomers. If you’ve never played a Monkey Island game before, you can still follow the story, but the emotional weight comes from knowing where these characters started.
Actionable Insights for New Pirates
If you’re diving into the Caribbean for the first time, or returning after a long hiatus, keep these points in mind:
- Don't ignore the Scrapbook: It’s in the main menu and provides a fantastic summary of the previous games through Guybrush’s eyes. It sets the tone perfectly.
- The Hint Book is your friend: Do not feel guilty for using it. Some puzzles require you to travel across three different islands to get one specific item. If you feel the momentum stalling, check the book.
- Talk to everyone twice: The dialogue trees in this game are massive. Often, the funniest lines or the most subtle hints are buried in the second or third conversation attempt.
- Examine everything: Guybrush has unique dialogue for almost every single object in the game. It’s where the best writing lives.
- Look for the Trivia Cards: They appear randomly as flickering sparkles on the ground. Collecting them is addictive and provides genuine insight into the development history of the series.
Return to Monkey Island is a rare bird. It’s a game that acknowledges its own irrelevance in a world of high-octane shooters and open-world epics, and uses that irrelevance to tell a deeply personal, funny, and occasionally heartbreaking story. It’s the ending we deserved, even if it wasn't the one we expected. Whether you're here for the grog, the insults, or the truth behind the Secret, you'll find that the journey was always the point.