Return to Monkey Island

New or seasoned gamers who enjoy slower, story-based puzzles, interacting with memorable characters, and amusing situations will no doubt fall for this tale's charm. Without spoiling any of the puzzles of Return to Monkey Island, you'll be tasked with an objective, such as unlocking a door, so you'll need to chat with someone who may drop a hint about where to find the key. But when you find the key, it's guarded by someone that perhaps needs to be distracted, so you can pocket it without their knowledge. Or you may find a knife, which you'll add to your inventory, and use it to pick the lock and enter the room. As a generic scenario, this should give you an idea of how these kinds of puzzles work. They're engaging, smart, and never too difficult to solve -- and there's a hint system built into the game, if you ever do get stuck.

The context-sensitive interactions and reactive dialogue trees add even more immersion and depth to your adventure. You really feel like you get to know these characters. Visually, while the development team received complaints early on from passionate gamers, the art and animation is still classic but also more textured and three-dimensional than its predecessors'. The music and sound effects are also top-notch. But it's the clever writing, head-scratching challenges, and memorable characters that will make a long-lasting impression. There isn't much to complain about this A-grade game, but before you buy, make sure you know that it's a slower-paced game that prioritizes dialogue over destruction, and puzzles over pistols. Ron Gilbert and team have done it again.