Monkey Island 2 Remake

[SyntheticGerbil]

I know they are doing a better job this time around, but I still really don't want these guys drawing Sam and Max.

[Threepwood4life]

It looks like you can now buy MI:SE off Telltales website now either separate or with all 5 episodes of TOMI for $19.95 until May 7th.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but the Lucasarts Twitter picture is now the cat from Hit The Road.

http://twitter.com/lucasartsgames

 

Yes, this is the perfect place to post about it :-P

 

Don't read anything into it, though:

 

@k_o_o Is requesting I change my picture to that of a cat, or she won't buy Monkey Island. I think I can accommodate.

[Kroms]

I know they are doing a better job this time around, but I still really don't want these guys drawing Sam and Max.

 

Steve Purcell would probably be involved somehow, as they're his characters and world.

 

It's interesting how that style works okay for Monkey Island and very well for Lucidity, some bits aside. I like a lot of things about it. Andrea Rhodes is a pretty good artist, but maybe that aesthetic isn't very true to the original tone the Monkey Island creators were going for.

[Laserschwert]

The new screens at 720p:

 

 

It's weird that we haven't seen any 1080p shots from the SE yet... I suspect that this one will be 720p max...

[SyntheticGerbil]

Andrea Rhodes is a pretty good artist...

 

Wow, thanks for the link Kroms, her stuff is great! I didn't play Lucidity, but the concept sure is nice. Mobygames says she didn't work on the first SE though. Also it seems that Lucidity had a smaller team and did not have anything outsourced to Singapore... hmm...

 

You know, thinking about it, if there were to be a hi-res version of Sam and Max, I wouldn't even want it to be remade in the style of the original game. I think it would be neat to change the whole art direction to have all the inking of the comic and prominent outlines. No doubt this would have been impossible to pull off in 1993, but it would be an awesome thing to happen now.

 

It's weird that we haven't seen any 1080p shots from the SE yet... I suspect that this one will be 720p max...

 

I'm sure, the last one wasn't 1080p, it was 720p and it had that big black border around it to boot along with some pixelation on some upscaled art at times.

[Laserschwert]

I would love HTR to look like THIS.

 

I'm sure, the last one wasn't 1080p, it was 720p and it had that big black border around it to boot along with some pixelation on some upscaled art at times.

I'm pretty sure it is, because I'm playing it at 1920x1200 and there's no signs of upscaling. Plus the backgrounds were created at an even larger resolution to start with, as seen HERE. The black border is just there because of the overscan area of TV sets, when played on a console.

[SyntheticGerbil]

I'm not too keen on Steve Purcell's newer simplified and wackier style, but I sure like the watercolor stuff. Of course that would take forever, but I can only hope.

[Kroms]

I remember trying to emulate acrylic on Photoshop a year or so ago, when I was doing some Purcell-inspired digital painting ("painting"). It is a bitch to do. I really doubt anyone would go down that route for a full game, but goddamn would it be good.

[Thrik]

The original was definitely 1080p, but that's the PC. No idea what the console variations are like — most current-gen console games run in 720p AFAIK.

 

Also what's with the shadow beneath Guybrush in the arrows shot above? Are shadows possibly a late-into-development addition? Not too unlikely seeing as they've clearly been making significant art changes during the last month or so, though weirdly absent in the LeChuck/Largo/Priest shot.

 

Edit: Just looked at the leaked video again and Guybrush does indeed have a little blurry shadow at all times which seems to be appropriately clipped by foreground art. Kind of makes that argument a bunch of pages back look silly. ;

[SyntheticGerbil]

I remember trying to emulate acrylic on Photoshop a year or so ago, when I was doing some Purcell-inspired digital painting ("painting"). It is a bitch to do. I really doubt anyone would go down that route for a full game, but goddamn would it be good.

 

Wait... you draw?

 

The original was definitely 1080p, but that's the PC. No idea what the console variations are like — most current-gen console games run in 720p AFAIK.

 

Are you sure it's not scaled up to fit your screen resolution? I'm not saying your wrong, 'cause you're probably right, as I haven't played the PC version.

 

Also what's with the shadow beneath Guybrush in the arrows shot above? Are shadows possibly a late-into-development addition? Not too unlikely seeing as they've clearly been making significant art changes during the last month or so, though weirdly absent in the LeChuck/Largo/Priest shot.

 

Edit: Just looked at the leaked video again and Guybrush does indeed have a little blurry shadow at all times which seems to be appropriately clipped by foreground art. Kind of makes that argument a bunch of pages back look silly. ;

 

Yeah, I noticed everyone had a little blurry shadow in that video and in the first one as well, but I didn't want to bring it back up again. I would guess they are just adding them in as things progress, sort of like LeChuck changing posture getting worse (which is better ). I'm guessing that maybe it's something they have to load per room and attach to the characters when they get around to it since the original didn't really make use of shadows? I really have no clue.

[Thrik]

Well I didn't spot the telltale minor blurriness that's usually a result of even 720p-to-1080p upscaling — my PC always runs games in 1080p so 720p tends to stand out as I'm on a 42-inch TV.

 

Also 1080p was specifically listed as a resolution option so it wouldn't make much sense to not have assets geared towards such a resolution, plus most PC monitors are at least 1024p (even if not widescreen).

[Gabez]

I remember seeing some screenshots that looked 1080p -- but since I haven't played the game I'm no authority in the matter.

 

Those shadows look like they make quite a difference -- LeChuck looks like he's floating without one.

[Threepwood4life]

Craig Derrick is on the latest OXM podcast discussing MI 2: SE you can listen to it here http://oxmpodcast.podbean.com/

[ThunderPeel2001]

They look much better in 720p, thanks for posting them - but the lighting is still far to "stage" like.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Craig Derrick is on the latest OXM podcast discussing MI 2: SE you can listen to it here http://oxmpodcast.podbean.com/

 

Does he say anything interesting?

[Threepwood4life]

Does he say anything interesting?

 

Just only started listening to it now.

[Threepwood4life]

Notes from the podcast (some info may have been mentioned before);

 

- Derrick discusses creator commentary and how he got all 3 together in the same room.

 

- They recorded the commentary 2 days after the announcement from GDC over 2 hours worth of recording.

 

- Commentary will not be on every screen, specific scenes were chosen and recorded over.

 

- If commentary is active a button option will appear in that scene and will bring up the silhouette image.

 

- Tim Schafer reveals in commentary that the scene in Full Throttle when Ben grabbed the bartender by the nose is a reference to when Largo grabs the bartender in the bloody lip.

 

- People asked for so many different combination's for the first SE, voices in classic mode, voices in classic mode but no narrator, they finally went ahead with just not offering voices in classic mode at all but this time voices will be in classic mode for MI 2.

 

- You can select either point n' click or direct control for the control scheme

 

- With 360 controller, Instead of the trigger button to bring up the verbal interface like before you now hover over the object(s) with right analog stick and then press the RB button and it shows you what verbal actions you can or can not do with that particular item.

 

- Derrick discusses how he got into the business, grew up playing LA games and when he first joined LucasArts he originally was going to try and release MI on the iPod Nano years ago but was denied.

 

- Earl Boen's dialog for MI 2 was suggested to be recorded at the same time he recorded dialog for the first Special Edition last year. (Dominic Armato assumed that was the case, thus he mentioned it back when he was interviewed on the podcast (though off the record). LucasArts considered it, but they didn't do it.)

 

- Derrick would really like to see Maniac Mansion and DOTT get the Special Edition treatment the most but hopes to look at the other titles as well.

 

- No iPad version in development at the moment but there maybe a couple of surprises in the future for that product.

[Laserschwert]

A very cool interview... I really start liking LucasArts again

 

- Earl Boen's dialog for MI 2 was recorded at the same time he recorded dialog for the first Special Edition last year.

I think you didn't listen carefully enough here

 

Dom assumed that was the case, thus he mentioned it back when he was interviewed on the podcast (though off the record). LucasArts considered it, but they didn't do it. But after all they were able to bring him back for MI2.

- The narrator voice will not be in the classic mode with the other voices. (If I heard that right I hope)

No, he just said that people were asking for so many different combinations for the first SE, voice in classic mode, voice in classic mode but no narrator, and so forth, that they just opted to not offer voice in classic mode at all.

[Threepwood4life]

I think you didn't listen carefully enough here ;-)

 

Dom assumed that was the case, thus he mentioned it back when he was interviewed on the podcast (though off the record). LucasArts considered it, but they didn't do it. But after all they were able to bring him back for MI2.

 

No, he just said that people were asking for so many different combinations, voice in classic mode, voice in classic mode but no narrator, and so forth, that they just opted to not offer voice in classic mode at all.

 

Well it is late here in the UK I couldn't remember every little thing right if i'm tired but did my best.

[Thrik]

it shows you what verbal actions you can or can not do with that particular item.

This feature would be awesome if it only showed you the actions that ellcit a unique response of some kind (whether it be dialogue or result).

[elTee]

Hmm, iPad surprises... perhaps some classic, non-SE titles a la Steam last year?

[SyntheticGerbil]

Well I didn't spot the telltale minor blurriness that's usually a result of even 720p-to-1080p upscaling — my PC always runs games in 1080p so 720p tends to stand out as I'm on a 42-inch TV.

 

Also 1080p was specifically listed as a resolution option so it wouldn't make much sense to not have assets geared towards such a resolution, plus most PC monitors are at least 1024p (even if not widescreen).

 

Oops, I was wrong. I just double checked and the game is displaying at 1080p on my PS3. I guess I figured since everything else plays at 720p, then MI:SE does. Sorry.

 

No, he just said that people were asking for so many different combinations for the first SE, voice in classic mode, voice in classic mode but no narrator, and so forth, that they just opted to not offer voice in classic mode at all.

 

That answer smells like a cop-out to me. I think they should have just left the voices on for all modes and then you could just turn the voice volume down. I already have to do this if playing classic mode on PS3, because everyone plays a few milliseconds of dialogue before silence. So obnoxious.

 

I'm not sure the biggest difference a narrator vs. no narrator would make.

[ThunderPeel2001]

This feature would be awesome if it only showed you the actions that ellcit a unique response of some kind (whether it be dialogue or result).

 

That would be a great idea. Why the decided to ignore the best adventure game interface ever made -- the one from Curse of Monkey Island -- and come up with their own version, is beyond me. I hope MI2 rectifies the situation, and it sounds like it will. Awesome.

[ThunderPeel2001]

http://www.lucasarts.com/games/monkeyisland2/#/gallery

 

Just been checking out the official site... Every background on there looks incredibly sweet. Really beautiful stuff. Have to admit, I'm letting myself get more excited... I really hope they don't **** this up with crappy voice acting and interface. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease.