Rare
Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island lives up to its name
We played the first chapter of the new Tall Tales inspired by the Lucasarts classic, a complete tribute, and reimagining of the 90′s classic.
Sea of Thieves is a sea of opportunities for the most unexpected adventures. In the five years since its launch, it has found a way to improve and continue to deliver satisfying experiences to its users. At a time when the future lies in game-as-a-service, Rare’s title has found its place in a sink-or-swim sea. This is due not only to the constant support and updates the game has received but also to the surprises and collaborations it has had along the way.
A few years ago, we were surprised with a collaboration that no one expected, but it fit like a glove. The Pirate Life update with Pirates of the Caribbean made more than one fan of the Disney Parks attraction and the movies it inspired to scream and shout, and it was a journey that knew how to blend both universes in a very simple way. This year, and being more discreet, its developers announced a collaboration with one of the most important pirate titles in video games: The Secret of Monkey Island. Before its release, we had the opportunity to play the first of the three episodes of this adventure, and here are our impressions.
The Legend of Monkey Island
But first, let’s talk a little bit about what Monkey Island is. To be honest, it is a franchise that may be old and unknown to new generations, but its importance in the history of video games is of the utmost importance. The story follows Guybrush Threepwood as he becomes the best pirate in a very special and different version of the Caribbean. The franchise is a graphic adventure that follows the point-and-click format, which bases its gameplay on the mouse to make decisions, investigate, and solve puzzles, among other things. The franchise has a very particular style, with humor that ranges from sarcastic to very simple, sometimes breaking the fourth wall and bordering on the absurd.
Look behind you, a Three-Headed Monkey!
With that little bit of background, let’s move on. Like the Tall Tales of Pirates of the Caribbean, we will be able to activate the story of Monkey Island in a new post on the beach of some of the outposts on the map. From here we start with references to Monkey Island, as we will be activating it with Kate Capsize, a key character from Monkey Island 2. This is where we learn of the connection between Sea of Thieves and these guests, as we set off across worlds to reach our destination: Mêlée Island.
From this moment on, and without giving any spoilers, Sea of Thieves becomes a love letter to this franchise. And it is that most of the mechanics, weapons, or tools that we usually use are left aside before what happens with this story, becoming an experience that emulates the elements of an adventure game of yesteryear, where we will have to talk to the various characters we meet, get information, find other items, make a chain of favors and solve puzzles to continue advancing in the story. And is that when we reach Mêlée Island, our main objective will be to reach the governor’s house and meet the famous Guybrush Threepwood, a task that will not be so easy.
And this is where Mêlée Island really shines. For those who played Secret of Monkey Island, you will finally be able to walk around this special place in full 3D. The level of detail is impressive, from the SCUMM bar with fully recreated characters to the church or the governor’s mansion are faithfully brought to a fully updated environment.
Throughout the adventure we had to perform several activities, from listening to a huge amount of dialogue lines (one of the longest recordings for a Sea of Thieves adventure), getting money to buy a disguise, serving special grog, visiting the prison, tricking the guards, and other activities. It is noteworthy that these lines of dialogue have the same humor characteristic of the series, making all the situations extremely funny. Something that also caught our attention was that much of our movement was simple, we had to go back and forth, return, go back again to talk to a character and even in some cases we ended up anticipating some clues or requests presented by the game.
These activities can be complicated at first, considering that they are adapted from a game designed for a single player, and Sea of Thieves allows you to do them with a crew of 4 players. In our test, we played it between 2 players and we were able to share activities, and although we did not hear 100% of all the lines of dialogue of all the characters, it helped to make the adventure a little faster and easier to complete.
Along with this adventure, Sea of Thieves’ in-game store, the Pirate Emporium, will also be updated with some cosmetics, such as costumes inspired by LeChuck, the series’ great villain, as well as a ship customization pack and some souvenirs that can be unlocked after the voyage to Mêlée Island.
In the nearly 2 hours that this first adventure lasts, you can see the love and attention to detail that the Rare staff has put into this expansion. The enormous amount of dialog and easter eggs in this adventure is enough to satisfy those players who have been controlling pirates in video games for several decades. Even without being a fan or connoisseur of Monkey Island, it is more than clear the work and love that went into this first chapter, and even makes you curious to get some of the latest versions of this franchise.
The first Tall Tale from The Legend of Monkey Island is now available in Sea of Thieves as of today, July 20, with two more arriving later on.