Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

The Good
This game has it all: Unique story, intriguing plot, clever puzzles, memorable characters, ingenious humor, vast areas and superb music! It is a prime example of interactive drama.

The Bad
Monkey Island 2 is my best point and click game, so there are not many bad things to say about it. If I can complain of something, it is the small part of the role of Elaine Marley. Elaine is such a powerful person, that whenever she meets with Guybrush, she shapes a moment that moves the narrative forward.

The Bottom Line
Monkey Island 2 is one of the finest point and click adventures, so that it can be found regularly on the lists with the top video games of all time. The game is the sequel to the legendary "The Secret of Monkey Island" and both games have fairly gained a cult status and many followers. Monkey Island 2 shares many beautiful elements that make this sequel an instant classic: A funny protagonist, an original adventure, interactive music, exotic atmosphere and an unexpected ending. LucasArts created an adventure that feels real and doesn't limit the player's imagination. If you are keen on video games with a big world and its inhabitants, you should experience this Caribbean setting at least once.

The Good
This game shows great comic graphics, laugh-out-loud humor and that great LucasArts interface. All this may not seem much at now, since the adventure genre is practically dead, but if you really observe you can see that the Gilbert brothers really did pump everything they have in the sequel to MI.

The Bad
Not much really to put here but maybe the game could have been a tiny bit longer. But hey if it's not long enough for you, go back and play it again. You won't be disappointed.

The Bottom Line
This game may be looked on by others from now as a one of the best adventure games in the now-dying genre. If you can still dust off a copy of this gem, you will see why it was a milestone and one of the best successors to one of the best games ever made (in my opinion.) If you don't already have it.....BUY IT!!!!

The Good
It's the same point and click interface as part one but it's enhanced. You now have pictures for each item making it easier to understand what it exactly is. This makes the good gameplay of part one even better. The story is just as interesting as in part one: You are once again playing the role of Guybrush Threepwood, the would-be pirate. After having destroyed the evil ghost pirate LeChuck, he ends up on Scabb Island and there he hears about the legendary treasure Big Whoop. Desperate to find it he gets ready to set out. However, an evil pirate called Largo LaGrande has put up an embargo to stop ships from leaving the island. With help of the voodoo priestess, you eventually chase him away but also, by accident, help him revive LeChuck who was once his captain. You must then find Big Whoop before the enemy finds you. This quest takes you to new beautiful islands. On these islands you will meet totally new and weird characters such as the utterly irritating Largo LaGrande, Wally the cartographer and the extremely lazy governor Phatt. You'll also meet some returning old characters such as Stan, who helped you get a ship in part one and now deals in coffins, the low moral fiber pirates, your beloved governor Elaine Marley, the voodoo priestess and off course LeChuck now returned as a rotting zombie corpse. Guybrush himself looks more mature now having a beard and a stylish blue coat. You'll find new items some of which are useful, some not. They include things such as always useful money, a rope always used in such games and even some animals. Probably the strongest part of this game are the graphics. Everything is hand-painted and still looks amazing in those old 256 colors nowadays. Not many games had graphics like these in those days. The floppy disk version has an easy mode for newbie adventure gamers, which is strangely not on the CD version. Sound has also improved. It has great tunes and not just some tunes and sounds here and there as in part one.

The Bad
It's sometimes a bit difficult to see what you can use and what not. The point and click interface remains good but also has the old "can't find the right spot" problem. The puzzles are still a bit too hard at times which may be a problem for gamers who are unfamiliar with the genre and do not have the floppy disk version which, as I said, doesn't have an easy mode.

The Bottom Line
If Monkey Island 1 isn't the best adventure game of all time then it's probably this one. This is simply one of the best games ever and if you like adventure games this is essential. If you are new too the genre this is one of the best games to start with. Brilliant. brilliant, brilliant.