Devolver Digital and Lucasfilm Games have just released a new trailer that details the release date and pre-order bonuses of the upcoming graphic adventure title "Return to Monkey Island." This video follows a brief teaser and story trailer, which showcases the game's new art style and traditional point-and-click adventuring gameplay.
In this new trailer, Stan the Salesman delivers one of his patented sales pitches to players, even promising those who pre-order the game some horse armor in a cheeky swipe at Bethesda's "Oblivion" pre-order bonus.
Deep in the Caribbean
For the uninitiated, the "Monkey Island" series was one of the many original IPs created at Lucasfilm games during the 90s. A deal with publisher JVC prohibited the company from making any tie-in titles to the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" licenses, leading to a slew of classics such as "Maniac Mansion," "Zak McCracken and the Alien Mindbenders," and "Loom."
Ron Gilbert was disillusioned with the common tropes that continued to plague graphic adventure titles – particularly the efforts from rival studio Sierra. "The Secret of Monkey Island's" pirate setting was conceived out of fatigue with the stereotypical Tolkien-esque fantasies that oversaturated the market.
In addition, deaths and unwinnable situations were deliberately avoided because of the frustrating trial-and-error design that annoyed his colleagues when playing titles such as "Space Quest 2."
What is the secret of 'Monkey Island'?
Another area the game hoped to improve upon was presented as the game employed comic book artist Steve Purcell to provide the game with lavishly detailed character art and featured backgrounds that made good use of dithering.
The game's Caribbean-themed score was provided by composer Michael Land – his first major project. The soundtrack was acclaimed by critics and was even performed by a live orchestra at the 2004 Symphonic Game Concert in Leipzig, Germany.
"Return To Monkey Island" Marks the first new installment since 2010 and the first entry to be directed by Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman since 1991.
The duo has been pretty tight-lipped regarding the game's plot and how it fits within the series' larger continuity. Still, fan-favorite characters such as Stan the Salesman and Murray the talking Skull are confirmed to be in the game. This is interesting considering that Murray debuted in a title that Ron and Dave had no part in making – "The Curse of Monkey Island."
A lingering mystery has yet to be revealed in this long-running franchise-namely, what the eponymous "Secret of Monkey Island" actually is. Players may finally get the answer to this question when the game comes out on PC and Nintendo Switch on September 19, 2022.
