Game Review: Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God

The problem with making episodic games, as Telltale Games does, is that the last episode must be the highlight of the season. It can’t just be good, or even as good as the best episode. It has to wow us just like any good season finale. Fortunately, Telltale was able to do just that with the finale of the first season of Tales of Monkey Island.

We’ve been all over the Caribbean and even inside a Caribbean creature with our protagonist, Guybrush Threepwood. And Telltale has managed to weave a pretty convincing tale that is still interesting despite being spread over the length of five episodes. As I mentioned in previous reviews, one of the best parts about this particular season is the character development and emotional tension between a few of the main characters. It’s rare for an adventure game to reach that level of emotional engagement, so Telltale must be praised for creating such an enjoyable and complete story.

In episode five, Rise of the Pirate God, we find Guybrush in the unfortunate position of being dead. The game literally starts in a grave. In this episode you explore the pirate afterlife, er, underworld … or maybe … it might be some kind of pirate limbo. Regardless, it’s pretty fun to explore and, in true Monkey Island fashion, funny as well.

The design of the pirate afterlife is well done. It could possibly be my favorite location in the entire series (the only real competition would be the aforementioned Caribbean creature). It’s moody and dark. It seems just like the pirate afterlife should, with just a touch of whimsy and eccentricity that makes it clear this is still a Monkey Island game.

Speaking of the world design, it’s time to reveal one of the few gripes I have about Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God. There’s just not enough of it! The places in the underworld were so intriguing that I was a little disappointed at how limited they were. I wanted more. In all honesty, the pirate afterlife is just a part of the game; there are more important places to go and things to accomplish. And yet, I would have loved to spend a lot longer exploring in the afterlife had there been more places to go.

Telltale deserves praise for another clever decision they made in creating Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God. There is often a temptation when creating a series to make the finale a reunion show. Creators often feel obligated to parade all the characters that have been part of the series through the final episode in some kind of sentimental version of a high school reunion. Telltale has not fallen victim to such impulses, instead focusing on the few main characters for whom the story has the biggest impact. In fact, the whole season has been that way. Most characters in each episode are new except where the story requires one to reprise a role.

It may seem like a small thing, but those kinds of small decisions help make the overall story tighter and the games much more enjoyable. Telltale has a real gem in their hands with Tales of Monkey Island, and they’ve done a remarkable job of making each episode better than the last so that Rise of the Pirate God comes to a satisfying climax. And the best part is that an epilogue to the story sets the stage for more Tales of Monkey Island. That’s right, season two, baby! We want it, Telltale wants to do it. With Tales of Monkey Island, it’s a win-win situation for all.

Episode 1 Review

Episode 2 Review

Episode 3 Review

Episode 4 Review