There are very few games that really remain true to what gaming was.  It isn’t always about killing and blood or gore. Gaming used to just be an escape a visual novel where we were allowed to enter a world and escape our real life troubles.  In most respects gaming still does that but it relies heavily on violence and true to life graphics.  Being able to experience something that brings me back to my younger years can be a remarkable experience.  Tales of Monkey Island has been just what the doctor ordered.

While my roots lay in early 8 and 16 bit console gaming for most of my youth I was able to experience some of the great point and click graphic adventure experiences that the PC had to offer. Police Quest, Maniac Mansions, Full Throttle and one of my all time favorites Gabriel Knight.  These were games that while not keeping you on the edge of your seat with action they were had engrossing plots, sizzling puzzles and some of the best experiences you could have.

I am going to avoid any possible spoilers for anyone and say that if you have not played Episodes 1 and 2 pick them up NOW.  If you have picked them up then you know the story up to this point.  You pick up right as Episode 2 ends in the role of Guybrush Threepwood as you get swallowed by a Giant Manatee.  Once inside you goal is to get out.  This requires some quick thinking and puzzle solving as you must find you way to infiltrate the Brotherhood of the Manatee Interior in order to secure the manatees missing cochlea, thus allowing it to continue its trek to the manatee mating grounds where the treasure you seek lays.  The story is about what you expect from Tell Tale Games.  It is engrossing and well written and I must say superbly Voice acted.

With any other point and click or in this case click and drag (although using the WASD keys can be done) controllers are fairly irrelevant, I click and it responds.  But I can say that the story progress well and I found myself once it was over itching for the next episode.  While I may not be the biggest fan of episodic content in gaming, if this is any indication it is here to stay.  Tales of Monkey Island has thus far remained true to its much older cousins and is definitely worth the ride for fans of the Monkey Island world.  Check it out and enjoy the adventure.   ARRHHHHHHH!

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

I have been getting into PC gaming as of late, and I am something of an adventure game fan, although I both love and hate them.  Rarely does it happen that developers strike that perfect balance of obscurity and intuition in their puzzles.  I think Telltale has done a pretty good job in balancing the puzzles.

There were a few times that I got stuck…My best advice if you are stumped is to do everything you can think of. See if anything works, and see if what you did changes anything, then do everything over again to see how that change affects the outcome.

Telltale has very successfully translated the quirky LucasArts adventure game architecture style from 2D into 3D.  I really enjoyed the ship and building designs, along with most of the characters.  The island map system is also nice, letting you go to places you’ve been without having to find your way through the jungle every time.

I didn’t feel out of the loop from inside jokes and long running gags, but I could definitely tell that there were some there…A friendly nod to the die hard fans of Monkey Island and other LucasArts adventure games. I found myself smirking at the sarcasm, quips, and asides scattered throughout the dialogue.

Adventure gamers have traditionally been spoiled with low system requirements.  The move to 3D is raising those requirements.  I would recommend a 2.4GHz  or greater Pentium 4 (or AMD equivalent), more than 512MBs of RAM, and a Radeon 9700 video card or newer for TOMI.  These are pretty relaxed specs by today’s PC standards.

The one area I felt that was lacking is the new mouse control scheme.  To move Guybrush using the mouse, you click and hold, then drag the mouse in the direction you want to walk.  A circle appears around Threepwood, with a small arrow that shows you what direction you will move.  The mouse movement system just felt awkward, so I used the keyboard to move and the mouse to manage the inventory and select or use objects.

Having played Sam & Max Season One, I feel that Launch of the Screaming Narwhal provides a decent amount of game-play for a first episode.  I would expect the content to increase slightly with each episode, as it did in Sam & Max. Depending on how savvy you are with adventure games, I would say Narwhal offers anywhere from two to six hours of game-play.

There is also a Treasure Hunt mode available in the Main Menu.  Treasure Hunt sets you in the jungles of Flotsam Island with one treasure map to start.

By following the sounds of the forest (Sounds you must follow are marked on the map), you will find a buried treasure that unlocks prizes on Telltale’s website.  I noted that these sounds are not subtitled like the dialogue, which could present problems for the hearing impaired, requiring them to rely on trial and error, or faqs/walkthroughs to find the correct directions.

Successfully finding treasures will unlock Wallpapers, TOMI Avatar pics, and coupon codes for discounts on Telltale Game episodes or seasons (the 50% off an entire season coupon excludes TOMI).  Treasure Hunt is available in the demo as well, so you need not buy the game to unlock coupon codes.

I had a good time with Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, and the ending is quite the cliff-hanger.  Thankfully Episode 2, “The Siege of Spinner Cay” is coming later this week to alleviate your gnawing curiosity.

Score: 7 out of 10

Thanks to WalllessFury and Telltale Games for providing the game for this review.  You can purchase the entire season, or Episode 1 only at http://www.telltalegames.com/store/games …Episode 1 is now also available for purchase through Amazon.com

Keep your eyes peeled as I may be offering some of those coupon codes I unlocked for a Loud Mouthed Gamers contest (for those of you too lazy unlock a code for yourself through the game, demo, or Telltale’s website)

Review Written by Playing Mantis