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I like this read a lot and agree. I even think at times throughout the games, LeChuck becomes a force of nature that even Guybrush's imagination can't control and is truly horrified of him. Like in real life, sometimes our negative thoughts and feelings go rouge and we can't control them as much as we think or would like. MI2 in a way is Guybrush's imagination and negative feelings going rouge with LeChuck hunting him, his world gradually falling apart as he notices more about reality (as warned by the Voodoo Lady in the first game) and he feels lost and lonely again because the world that he went to escape into and avoid those emotions is now turning on him. That nightmare with his parents I feel is indicative of how Guybrush felt as a child, they left him and he now feels alone again. MI2 in some ways was Guybrush at his lowest in the entire series, which makes Return all the more heartwarming when you see him with a family, finally happy and content. I also think LeChuck knowing Guybrush grew up in an orphanage was also a somewhat subtle hint that LeChuck is a force and villain that embodies these negative feelings of Guybrush. It's no wonder he is his worst enemy, he represents his worst emotions.

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Thank you! I love your thoughts as well, especially what you said about LeChuck being Guybrush's alter-ego; this is something I've been thinking about a lot. In a way, LeChuck could represent Guybrush's dark thoughts and his past as an orphan. In MI2, this part of him wins, and he gets lost in the amusement park. In Return, he's old and finally able to face it, and therefore, to leave the amusement park - I love Dominic Armato's theory, stating that Boybrush doesn't really exist, and it's actually just Guybrush talking to his younger self to move on, as he's alone on the bench at the end. Now, I don't know if that was intended by Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman, but still, I find it fascinating. Also, I forgot to mention how much I love Elaine in this game. She is, for me, the most interesting character in Return. You can interpret what she says and does in so many ways... Like, is she being a supportive wife to her obsessed and a bit immature husband? Is Guybrush changing what happens while telling the story to make it look like their relationship was better at that time? Is it Boybrush projecting himself as his father and seeing his mother as what she is, a mom? This is where I think the game shines the most, in its narration and all the layers behind it.

My thoughts on RtMI... I love the game! I've played it around six times since its premiere and I still can't get enough! On the surface level, it's a goofy game about pirates, but underneath, it is also a reflection on the art of storytelling. I adore the whole game, but I especially appreciate the Prelude and the Ending! I'm astounded by how smoothly they explained the ending of MI2 and transitioned to the new story! The framing device is a brilliant solution! I'm very impressed that Ron and Dave actually managed to explain the MI2 cliffhanger with a twist that nobody else had thought of earlier! And I thoroughly enjoy the deliberate ambiguity of the Ending. Guybrush is an unreliable narrator and the Ending makes us question what was real and what was not. I enjoy that Ron and Dave constructed the ending in such a way that leaves room for questions and interpretations! The makers promised to resolve the mysterious ending of MI2 and to reveal the Secret of Monkey Island, and they kept their promise, but they did it in a way that is ambiguous enough to make various interpretations equally plausible! Is Guybrush a flooring inspector with an overactive imagination, lost in his pirate fantasy in a theme park? Or is he really a pirate who told his son a story with a weird ending in order to troll him? It’s all open to debate... For me, the most resounding final statement of Guybrush is that The Secret is like a story that changes with time and the storyteller. The statement perfectly encapsulates the main theme of the game. The Secret might be a t-shirt in a carnival or a giant monkey robot or something else... RtMI strongly reminds me of Tim Burton’s “Big Fish” movie. It's a story of a man who tells fantastical tales about his life. His son tries to find out what about his father was real and what was not. it's difficult to separate fantasy from reality... Another movie with a similar theme to RtMI is “Princess Bride”. The film uses a framing story in which an elderly man reads a fantasy story to his young grandson (the grandson sometimes interrupts the story, just like Boybrush does in RtMI). RtMi is also a game about letting go and moving on with one's life. If Guybrush’s tales are indeed fictional (or mostly fictional), it implies that LeChuck was invented by Guybrush as an evil “alter ego”, a different side of Guybrush’s personality. Throughout the course of the game, we learn how alike Guybrush and LeChuck really are. LeChuck even has Elaine’s wedding veil in his cabin, which further reinforces the idea that LeChuck is really a different side of Guybrush. Both Guybrush and LeChuck are obsessed with the Secret, they are both trapped in the past, while the world moves forward. However, only Guybrush is able to leave the pirate amusement park with his beloved wife in the end. The animatronic LeChuck is forever trapped there. People complain that there was no final confrontation with LeChuck this time around. However, I think that the fact that Guybrush makes a conscious decision to leave the amusement park fantasy behind and move on with his life is his greatest triumph over LeChuck. Whether Guynrush’s stories are real or not, he is happy with his loved ones in the end – that’s what’s most important. So, yeah, I really love pondering about RtMI, as much as Dee loves to talk about anchors!

Yeah, I'm afraid that Ron Gilbert would shoot it down with "It was all a joke". It would be a pity... I perfectly understand you! I love going through the layers and possible meanings of RtMI and the other two games of Ron Gilbert's trilogy! It has been a year since the premiere of RtMI and I'm still quite obsessed with the game! It's great that the games are constructed in such a way that allows various interpretations! No other adventure game series has had me so deep in thought for such a long time! I have recently watched Tim Burton's movie called "Big Fish". it's a beautiful film that touches on very similar themes and questions as RtMI. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Yeah, it's all very interesting. My thoughts is that even if his son and Chucky imagined the whole dancing skeleton thing, I think it would still speak to Guybrush being an orphan. If they were imagining Guybrush being an orphan, I think that comes from a more genuine place and not wholly made up. Perhaps Boybrush asked if he is ever going to meet his grandparents and Guybrush told him. The couple at the park might be just how they envisioned the parents for that sequence, but I feel no matter what, there was a deep meaning behind that sequence. Whereas the whole LeChuck and Guybrush being brothers was a clear Star Wars ripoff and was treated as a joke, the whole parents sequence was much more somber by comparison. They might start dancing, but Guybrush seeing them and saying that they abandoned him was a very somber moment by comparison from my perspective.

Thank you for your reply! Your observation is very interesting! We don't know for sure if the whole "dancing skeletons / Guybrush being an orphan" plot was made up by Boybrush and Chuckie. We know that the "parents" whom we met in MI2 are just some random couple. but does that mean that the whole plot of Guybrush being an orphan was completely invented by Boybrush and Chuckie too? it's all not clear and very open to speculation... If Guybrush really is an orphan, it would make perfect sense that his evil alter ego (LeChuck) knows about it... All three of Ron Gilbert's Monkey Island games actually feel like a trilogy (similar to Star Wars)! MI2 is like Empire Strike's Back, and RtMI is akin to Return of the Jedi. Guybrush finally overcame his enemy, left behind his evil alter ego if you will, and found peace and happiness,..

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It's been about a year, and after replaying the game a billion times – yes, I'm that obsessed, ha ha – I wanted to share a thorough review. I hope that's okay – I know I'm just some random member. I apologize in advance for the long post and clumsy English. First of all, I'm an old fan. I've been playing the games since I was a kid in the '90s. I've been waiting for this game forever, and I really wanted Ron Gilbert to make the game he wanted to conclude his trilogy. So, let's start! I'm reviewing it chapter by chapter. PROLOGUE Now, like a lot of people, I was really curious and excited about how they would handle MI2's ending... and I think they did an awesome job. It's simple but, at the same time, eerie, deep, and so strange. The more you think about it, the more you understand how it can be interpreted in different ways. It succeeds in giving an answer while keeping the mystery of it. I've been waiting for so long just to see what was on the right of this amusement park... It's just crazy to think that we can see it now. We're never sure what's real or not, who is who, when it happens. It could be just Guybrush being old and crazy and talking to himself... or a dad sharing his very real adventures to his son. I love that. PART 1 I really like this part. Yes, we already know Mêlée Island from previous games, but it feels fresh, somehow. I love the commentary about Guybrush being old and obsessed with something nobody cares about. There is a deep sense of nostalgia and even melancholy walking in Mêlée town. Sure, the puzzles are on the easy side, but I think it's a good start. It's too bad we can't visit Meathook's cabin. I'm not a big fan of two puzzles, though... First of all, I feel like the cracker mix could have been used to create crackers by adding water to them. This seems like a missed opportunity. Also, the plant for the voodoo spell... It felt a bit random to me. Now, about the mop tree joke... The first time I played the game, it felt out of place. Now, the more I replay the game, the funnier it gets. It's reminiscent of the absurdity of some past jokes, like the chicken with the pulley in the middle. Not related to this part directly, but you can feel how invested Dominic Armato is. Loved that! PART 2 One of my favorite parts. I think the look of LeChuck's ship is beautiful; this is the part where the art style shines for me. The music is incredible, and I love how it evolves depending on where we are on the ship. Sure, again, the puzzles are on the easy side, but I think it's great how we're interacting with this crazy crew. I love all of these characters. Also, an unpopular opinion... I love Jess Harnell's voice, even more than Earl Boen's. I think it's easier for me since I'm French, so I don't know Earl Boen that well. When I played Curse for the first time, I was playing in French, so it wasn't him but Mario Santini. Also, not related to this part in particular, but there are so many funny hidden interactions here and there; it's awesome – I missed most of them during my first playthrough. PART 3 This is my least favorite part... My main issue is that Monkey Island feels small and empty. Now, I heard from interviews that they had to cut a bunch of stuff so that the plot could get going. I have mixed feelings about this. Sure, I really wanted the plot to move forward at this point, but at the same time... this is Monkey Island. And it's too bad that we didn't get more of it. The writing part is very good, IMO. I particularly like when Guybrush falls... and then suddenly gets better. It's weird, and you can interpret that in many ways, like, did he really fall from that high? Is it Boybrush imagining this in a more dramatic way than it really happened? Elaine acts like it was nothing. Again, it shows that Guybrush is an unreliable narrator in a story where we're not sure what's real or not. PART 4 Phew... This is going to be long. First of all, I was amazed at how big this part was. When I saw the map with all of these islands, I literally said: "Wow!" out loud. This made me think of Monkey Island 2, obviously, and I absolutely loved that. Big islands to visit in any order... This is exactly what I was expecting from a Monkey Island game! Now... To go into details... Melee and LeChuck's ship – I think they were nicely used. There are some puzzles that were foreshadowed in the previous parts, so it feels nice and satisfying. Terror Island – I really like this island. I know a lot of people think it's empty, but I felt like it was part of the joke, like it's threatening everywhere you go, so Guybrush doesn't want to go too far. It's just creepy to be creepy. The maze part is smart, even though I got lost for like an hour because I didn't realize I should use the plaque. I felt like Guybrush could have said something like: "Oh, boy. I'm lost. Maybe I can try something else?" The part with Herman Toothrot was hilarious to me. There were so many hidden interactions... Like you reading the inscriptions on the wall, it's really funny. Scurvy Island and the pirates – Ok, so, I didn't care much for the island. I understand why it's here, it just didn't really seem interesting to me. I thought the seagull puzzle was a bit redundant since we're doing the same thing for the fish contest. I like the scurvy joke, though, and the pirates can be very funny. I like the Stan puzzle, even though I feel like something is missing, but I'm still not sure what. Looking twice at the case to get the license was unnecessarily difficult, in my opinion. Brrr-Muda – I have some real issues with this island. It doesn't feel as complete and fun as the other ones, and I think it's because I don't get why it had to be an ice island. There is one action we can do with an ice sculpture, but it's only for a joke. Besides that, all of these puzzles could have happened on a completely different island. I know I might be nitpicking, but that was frustrating to me. I feel like the environment should be used as a puzzle. That's too bad. Besides that, I think the characters are great, mostly Judge Plank. The queen trials... The fish and joke contests were easy but fun. I'm still not sure how we could know that the fire could be used as a distraction. I actually did it by mistake. So now, talking about two puzzles... Locke Smith's key – I know one island was cut, Cogg Island, and I wonder if it was for this key, because this felt too easy to me. That's a shame. Cogg Island looked awesome. The Chums – Just wanted to say I love this puzzle. I'm actually a (French) fiction writer, and this really felt like a good way to teach storytelling. Ok. So now... I loved the build-up to finding the Secret. Putting the keys in the chest felt rewarding. The part where Guybrush finally opens it was epic. And I love the confrontation with LeChuck. Again, really funny hidden interactions with Guybrush counting to 100. PART 5 So, I guess you figured it out... I'm one of the people who love the ending. I think the discussion with Elaine in the jungle was great, and it really made us think about Guybrush and the player's actions. The puzzles get really hard at this point, mostly the last ones, but I feel like it was totally justified. Now, my theory over the years has always been that Guybrush was lost in an amusement park, and I've been dreaming of him coming out of this door... So, when he did, I was actually really happy. And just being able to visit this last street, now revealed as a park with animatronics... I felt something I still can't really explain, but it was emotional. I think they were smart to do an ending like that, one that resolves everything and nothing at the same time, that gives you time to make you think, and it's really something that's still staying with me as of now. Also, I think the last shot with Guybrush alone on the bench is very meaningful. To summarize, I love this game. I think that, besides some small clumsy design choices, it really does everything that I wanted to see in a third Ron Gilbert (and Dave Grossman) Monkey Island game. It felt nostalgic, melancholic, and personal. I like that the game goes deeper into the themes of what's a story, what's real, what's not, and, finally, who cares as you make the story you want it to be. And, most of all, I think it's smart how the game embraced this feeling of disappointment we would have all felt anyway. So, there you have it, my messy review. Hope it was a bit enjoyable to read, at least.

Everyone, let's replay all the endings in 4:3, maybe the real real Secret is found in these new areas!

Speaking of The Writers' Cut... Youch:

Monkey Island Heardle #369 🔇🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥 #MonkeyIslandHeardle