PlayStation 2

Escape from Monkey Island

Everything that made EFMI so great on the PC arrives on the PS2 perfectly intact. The game's many puzzles are perfectly balanced head-scratchers, but completely logical in their own Monkey Island sort of way; and the game invites creative experimentation since you can't die or make a mistake. The cartoony graphics won't win any technical awards, but they're totally appropriate for the game's goofy atmosphere.

Escape from Monkey Island is the fourth and hopefully not the last in this great series (if the voodoo lady is to be believed number 5 will be coming someday). The transition to the 3D engine was handled perfectly and as usual with all LucasArts adventure games, from Sam and Max to Maniac Mansion to Grim Fandango, it is the plot and humor that carries you along. If you liked any of the previous Monkey Island games or just adventure games in general this is a must have game.

Comme je le disais plus haut, ce nouveau volet de la série est identique à sa version PC. Mais le fait de pouvoir jouer au pad augmente grandement le confort de jeu. Si vous possédez déjà la version PC, pas la peine d'investir dans celle-ci (à moins bien sûr, que vous ne soyez un fan absolu de la série et que vous ne voulez voir les quelques dessins préparatoires en bonus sur le DVD), mais si à l'inverse vous ne connaissez pas cette saga, c'est le moment de remédier à cette lacune. Vive les jeux d'aventure LucasArts !

You know, one thing that pisses me off these days is the amount of toilet humour on television shows claiming to be comedies. Why can't TV writers have a look at a game like Escape From Monkey Island to see what good comedy is all about. It's clean, but it's also tremendous fun and anyone with a sense of humour should enjoy this game immensely. The graphics, the action, the puzzles and the voices all combine to create one of the most enjoyable titles on the Playstation 2 this year. Prepare yourself for one great adventure.

What you'll get with Escape From Monkey Island is a rich adventure game that entertains with its quick wit and colorful characters. Even if you are new to the series like I am, you'll rarely notice, as the plot isn't dependent on it. What would have earned the game an even higher score, however, would be if LucasArts found a way to appeal to those who don't enjoy adventure games, as the puzzles can be too difficult or time-consuming for the novice to complete. Overall, if you enjoy adventure games or have enjoyed them in the past, Escape From Monkey Island will definitely appeal to you.

To end the review with a pun, and yet a terrible one, Escape from Monkey Island is bananas load of fun. There I said it! Despite it being nothing like an adventure game that we've all become so accustomed to, Monkey Island is an excellent puzzle-solving adventure title that most fans of the genre must pick up. The game got personality and that's what makes up most of its final score. The voice acting is absolutely, positively first-class. It has been incredibly long time since a game featured sound caliber as magnificent as Escape from Monkey Island. Wonderful visuals, amusing gameplay and sound that will sweep you away, Escape from Monkey Island deserves its fun in the sun...oh and the monkeys are really funny!

Even though most of your time is spent conversing with swashbucklers and watching story breaks, challenge rears its head within hundreds of logic-defying puzzles. Monkey Island may not deliver a high level of interaction, but there’s no denying that it’s a great game and a nice change of pace. If you want to laugh, this title will keep you rolling.

But for the most part, this is a very smooth translation of an excellent adventure game and should definitely be checked out by fans of the genre or even the curious. Plus it's got zombies, pirates, monkeys and beer. What's not to like? In a world where good old storytelling too often takes a backseat to flashy new technology, this is a great escape.

The few technical issues and other shortcomings to be found in Escape from Monkey Island are worth pointing out but aren't worth dwelling on, because the game's great sense of humor and unique style ultimately deserve all the attention. The fact is Escape from Monkey Island is an excellent port of one of the best PC adventure games in the last several years. Granted, adventure games aren't nearly as popular on the PC as they used to be, but the on the other hand, a game like Escape from Monkey Island seems much more at home on a console.

While these types of games do not traditionally offer a high replay value, you might find yourself drawn to it again as if you were re-reading a favorite book. Hopefully Escape from Monkey Island will revive a genre that is on the verge of extinction, as it is a great example of how to make an entertaining comic adventure.

Det är svårt att vara negativ när man har ett sådant härligt spel att recensera. Det brukar ju sägas att äventyrsgenren är död, eller åtminstone döende, me när den verkligen det när spelen kan vara så här bra?

Myst has always struck me as the video game equivalent of an art film – it’s beautiful, pretentious, none too entertaining, and appeals to a rabid cult that fancies themselves more sophisticated than the average person. Think of Monkey Island as the adventure game for the rest of us – one that requires both a quick mind AND a sense of humor.

Si vous êtes adepte des Monkey Island et avez joué à Escape from Monkey Island sur PC, oubliez cette adaptation : c'est exactement le même jeu. Si par contre vous ne connaissez pas ce quatrième volet de la mythique série de jeux d'aventure humoristique, et appréciez les jeux farfelus, plongez ! Si Escape from Monkey Island n'est pas le meilleur jeu de la série, il a le mérite d'exister enfin sur PS2. Rien que pour la beauté de ce geste, et parce que le genre est rare sur console, Escape from Monkey Island PS2 se voit gratifié d'un point de plus que son équivalent PC.

Those who have played the PC version will find no need to pick up a second copy; the versions are for the most part identical, which is a good thing. The game is solely driven by dialogue and story, so if button mashing action sequences are you thing Monkey Island is, well, not your thing. Those without a sense of humour need not apply. Ditto those without patience.

Die Steuerung ist bei diesem Spiel sicherlich gewöhnungsbedürftig. Gerade auf der Landkarte passiert es einfach zu oft, daß man ungewollt in die falsche Richtung steuert. Der Kenner wünscht sich da einfach die gute alte Maus-Steuerung von Monkey Island 1&2 zurück. Die Rätsel sind allesamt recht knackig und man ist in manchen Situationen fast schon auf ein Lösungsbuch angewiesen. Das war bei den Lucasarts-Adventures aber schon immer so und steigert somit die Langzeitmotivation. Die Flucht von Monkey Island ist ein äußerst witziger Titel. Bestätigt von den, mit viel kreativität gestalteten Situationen mit anderen Bewohnern, verstrickt man sich schnell in quirlige Gespräche, zum abbrechen!

It's a rollicking good time, except for one thing: nearly all the puzzles are impenetrable, "who the heck would ever think of that" stumpers. The game then climaxes with numerous rounds of something called Monkey Kombat, which will have even the most hardened adventure gamer pulling their hair out trying to work through all the permutations. There's a partial walk through included, but it won't get you far. Still, if you've got the patience, this is one terrifically funny and entertaining game. Just don't expect to beat it in a week (or likely as not, without help).

EMI is not a bad game but it will never join its brethren in the panoply of gods of the genre. I for one would like to see LucasArts get out of the sequel to sequel to sequel business altogether and focus solely on new ideas.