Tales Of Monkey Island The Siege of Spinner Cay – Review – PC

Welcome adventure game veterans!  Congrats on solving the puzzle!  You knew that The Eye of the Manatee was still good for something, didn’t you?  Pretty obvious really, since it was still in your inventory at the end of Episode 1.  Now, where were we?  Oh yes, the cliffhanger.  If you would be so kind as to take your place. Go on now.  Over the edge with you, and don’t forget to hold on tight…!  After a harrowing month of waiting, The Tales of Monkey Island continues with Episode 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay.

As usual, the story begins with Guybrush Threepwood up to his neck in trouble.  The danger of being a Mighty Piratetm is that someday a Mighty Piratetm Hunter may just come looking for you! Match swords and wits with Morgan LeFlay, the greatest pirate hunter in the Caribbean…and Threepwood’s biggest fan!  After showing LeFlay the door, you will discover that your world has expanded after escaping Flotsam Island.

The search for La Sponge Grande begins as you set sail for the Jerkbait Islands.  The Pox of LeChuck is spreading, casting it’s shadow on the peacefull and mysterious Spinner Cay and it’s surrounding islands.  It’s up to you to restore peace (because the Pox is kinda sorta your fault, and Elaine said so).  Or you could go kick some sand around on the deserted islands strewn about the map.
“Siege” is littered with jokes poking fun at adventure game staples.  I found myself laughing a bit more than I did in Narwhal, with plenty of smirks to go around.  I’m not sure if this is because the dialogue is funnier, or if I’m just warming up to the Monkey Island characters and humor.  One of the funniest things is that I’m not even sure if Elaine is infected by the Pox of LeChuck…

The opening puzzle felt just right, but I didn’t feel the puzzles were as inspired or cohesive this time around.  I also got stuck more often this time.  For the most part the puzzles were intuitive, but there were a few exceptions.  I was disappointed that there wasn’t just one more puzzle at the end.  Episode 2 comes in at about the same length as Launch of the Screaming Narwahl.

All in all an enjoyable experience, I look forward to continuing the story in Episode 3 later next month. The great thing about Telltale Games and their Episodic content is that at the end of the Season, you can get a DVD Collector’s Edition of the games, featuring artwork and other extras, just for the cost of shipping!  So if you are hesitant about digital distribution, Telltale lets you have your cake and eat it too!

Score: 7 out of 10

Review Written by Playing Mantis

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