Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge - Special Edition

The Good
Note: I'm reviewing solely the remastered version of Monkey Island 2. All things to do with the original Monkey Island 2 will be ignored. As well as referring to the previous game, it will be the remastered version of Monkey Island 1.

It's a Monkey Island game. Which means you can expect great puzzles, humor, and exploring. Almost all features from the first Monkey Island are carried over into this sequel; with an addition of easier inventory access and object interaction. This time around, you simply have to right-click an item to interact with it, rather than having to press the key associated with it (T for Talk, P for Push, etc). The voice acting, music, and overall sound of the game is great. Each character has a distinct personality and really brings the whole world to life combined with it's great art direction. Some nice additions are also in-game audio developer commentary, unlockable concept art, the ability to switch back-and-forth between the old and new graphics, and a hint system to help you if you are stuck.

The Bad
Unfortunately, this game doesn't stand close to the first Monkey Island. The hilarious "insult sword fighting" from before is entirely gone which means there is really no particular fight in the game to be had. The game is simply too big, and too long. It's funny because during some bits of the developer commentary they even discuss these issues: whether it was a good idea for game to be so long compared to the first Monkey Island. Monkey Island 2 also over complicates the puzzles too much. For example, there is a bag hanging from a tree branch and you can only cut it with ONE particular object. So, if you have a knife, a saw, or a broken bottle, all which are capable of cutting, you can only use the broken bottle to cut the bag. This happens quite a few times during the game. There is much more backtracking than the first game. Depending on who you are, you either love that or hate it.

The Bottom Line
A great game, an okay sequel. A lot less memorable than the first Monkey Island across the board. In terms of characters, settings, and atmosphere, Monkey Island 2 falls just a bit short when trying to follow up a great, great first game. Nonetheless, a solid, and humorous adventure experience.