Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge review

After the successful special edition of The Secret of Monkey Island, Lucasarts has decided to apply a similar make-over to Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge. To many, including us, this title is the best adventure game ever to be made, with its excellent mix of cunning puzzles and involving plot.

If you haven’t come across the game before, it picks up the story of Guybrush Threepwood a few years after the events of the original Monkey Island. With his tales of defeating the ghost pirate LeChuck starting to bore other pirates, Guybrush sets his eyes on a new prize: the treasure of Big Whoop. Along the way he accidentally provides the means to resurrect LeChuck, and it’s up to you to help him find the treasure, get the girl (Governor Elaine Marley) and defeat LeChuck once and for all (until you play Monkey Island 3 and the following games, that is).

The special edition lovingly updates the original’s graphics, but keeps the look and feel intact. So, all of the characters and backdrops have been redrawn and reanimated in high resolution, but they look like the originals. As with the first special edition pressing F1 lets you switch between the new and old, so you can compare the two or indulge in some retro gaming.

Speech has been added into the game, and it’s a welcome addition. The same group of actors that provided the voices for the more recent games provides the speech here. It’s a talented bunch and they breathe life into the genuinely laugh-out-loud dialogue.