POLL: Now the dust has settled how do you feel about Return to Monkey Island?

[ThunderPeel2001]

7 minutes ago, BaronGrackle said:

Then I get to tilt my head back and laugh at the power I've given to the "real" worlds of Maniac Mansion, Indiana Jones, and On Stranger Tides.

 

"The fictitious man is sitting on a fictitious bench instead of on a fictitious pirate ship!!!"

 

Such is the power of stories on the human brain, I guess... it shouldn't matter, but weirdly it does.

[BaronGrackle]

12 minutes ago, ThunderPeel2001 said:

 

"The fictitious man is sitting on a fictitious bench instead of on a fictitious pirate ship!!!"

 

Such is the power of stories on the human brain, I guess... it shouldn't matter, but weirdly it does.

Agent Reyes has it.

Thimbleweed Park spoilers??

 

"I know none if this is real now, but I still need to clear my father's name."

Edited October 18, 2022 by BaronGrackle

[Wally B.]

The way I see the ending (having finished it a couple of days ago) isn't "it was really all a dream".

To me this ending changes nothing on the discourse about "is the Monkey Island world a fantasy or reality?".

We now kinda know what Ron thinks, thanks to the interview with Cressup, but in that same interview he does states that what he thinks doesn't matter. He does imply what his vision is, but never states it, because the ending of the game (so the "canonical" secret) is made open to interpretation. Even better, the game let's you decide what the secret of Monkey Island is, and that is the real answer.

To me the meaning of the ending is that it really doesn't matter if it's real or not. Monkey Island is a videogame world, it's not real to begin with, but it feels real to us, to Boybrush, so in our mind it becomes real (not in a delusional way, like someone suggested, but in a fantastical way).

But we do have to acknowledge that it's not real, that it's fiction, and that there's a moment where it's time to get out of the fiction, even if it's too early for us. We can decide to stay in the fiction, be greedy and selfish and isolate ourselves in our own fantastical world, or get out and share it with those you love.

Maybe it's a bit cheesy, but that's how I perceived the ending. Probably not what they meant, but I don't really care about that, because I know I'm not getting it "wrong", and neither is anybody else.

Ron himself said that he didn't want people getting stuck on the idea that whatever he says is canon and that that's the way it is and can be no other way.

This ending, for me changed nothing about my enjoyment or perception of the other games (I mean, not in the grand scheme of things, it's not like I'm going to play Curse and think "oh, what does it matter, it's only a fantasy world in a theme park...").

Edited October 20, 2022 by Wally B.

[Gins]

I think one of the messages of Return, even if it is an uncomfortable one, is that, as you age it becomes unhealthy to remain invested in fantasy worlds the same way you've been as a child.

 

As in, you can still be invested and have fun, but try to not get real life issues take the back seat to questions such as "what is the Secret of Monkey Island"?

 

Of course, many players already realized this for themselves, so they don't want to be reminded of this uncomfortable idea while trying to enjoy the limited free time they still have as adults. ("Congratulations on figuring it out too Ron...")

 

There are those who know this and it resonates because of that ("Yup Ron totally gets me"), and I think this group might just enjoy Return the most.

 

Then there those who didn't think about it that way before and they say wow and might change their lives because of it. ("Ron is a genius!")

 

And you have those who got their bubble burst and refuse to accept that message. ("Don't judge me Ron.")

 

I want to make sure to say that I don't intend to mean any judgment, and that the quotes in brackets are just there to paint a picture, not to put people into boxes.

 

I just tried to formulate the four quadrants of two arbitrary categories and probably most players can freely put a dot for themselves anywhere on that space.

 

And of course such that dot can likely move about over time.

 

My guess is that those in the first and last quadrant tend to be more disappointed with the game than those in the second and third, and that the emotions are stronger for those in the third and fourth.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Gins
quote marks for clarity

[ThunderPeel2001]

On 10/20/2022 at 7:23 PM, Gins said:

I think one of the messages of Return, even if it is an uncomfortable one, is that, as you age it becomes unhealthy to remain invested in fantasy worlds the same way you've been as a child.

 

As in, you can still be invested and have fun, but try to not get real life issues take the back seat to questions such as "what is the Secret of Monkey Island"?

 

Of course, many players already realized this for themselves, so they don't want to be reminded of this uncomfortable idea while trying to enjoy the limited free time they still have as adults. ("Congratulations on figuring it out too Ron...")

 

There are those who know this and it resonates because of that ("Yup Ron totally gets me"), and I think this group might just enjoy Return the most.

 

Then there those who didn't think about it that way before and they say wow and might change their lives because of it. ("Ron is a genius!")

 

And you have those who got their bubble burst and refuse to accept that message. ("Don't judge me Ron.")

 

I want to make sure to say that I don't intend to mean any judgment, and that the quotes in brackets are just there to paint a picture, not to put people into boxes.

 

I just tried to formulate the four quadrants of two arbitrary categories and probably most players can freely put a dot for themselves anywhere on that space.

 

And of course such that dot can likely move about over time.

 

My guess is that those in the first and last quadrant tend to be more disappointed with the game than those in the second and third, and that the emotions are stronger for those in the third and fourth.

 

I agree with the sentiment, but I don't think it's what Ron intended everyone to feel... because he makes games for a living and is dependent on players of all ages playing them. I feel it's more likely an unintended side-effect of the ending itself. But otherwise, yeah, I get you.

[Lechuck]

What does this ending do to the character of Guybrush (whoever he really is)?

 

There's a huge difference between a child playing make-believe and a grown man.

 

The ending of MI2 may have been shocking and controversial at the time, but it was also... totally fine. Kids play make believe - there's nothing strange about that. We get it.

 

But an adult living in a fantasy world to the point where his wife chaperones him to the amusement park so he can go and play just feels.... a bit weird and uncomfortable.

 

 

[Gins]

1 hour ago, Lechuck said:

But an adult living in a fantasy world to the point where his wife chaperones him to the amusement park so he can go and play just feels.... a bit weird and uncomfortable.

"I know you've looked forward to this new game/attraction in the Monkey Island series/amusement park. I'll do some work/cure scurvy in the meantime and then go to bed/home. Take your time and enjoy yourself, just make sure you turn on/off the dishwasher/lights when you're done, ok? Love you honey 😘"

 

You're right that would be weird in real life 😉

 

Bonus:

"I wanted to surprise you and fixed you old code wheel/ship from Monkey Island 1 with some tape/tape."

Edited October 23, 2022 by Gins
bonus conversation

[Lechuck]

27 minutes ago, Gins said:

"I know you've looked forward to this new game/attraction in the Monkey Island series/amusement park. I'll do some work/cure scurvy in the meantime and then go to bed/home. Take your time and enjoy yourself, just make sure you turn on/off the dishwasher/lights when you're done, ok? Love you honey 😘"

 

You're right that would be weird in real life 😉

 

Bonus:

"I wanted to surprise you and fixed you old code wheel/ship from Monkey Island 1 with some tape/tape."

 

As someone who played the game with his wife (/ who's wife watched him play), touche. 😉

 

But there is a difference between playing a computer game and running amok in a theme park with vivid, lifelike delusions.

 

But then, I also play Dungeons and Dragons.

 

 

[Gins]

11 minutes ago, Lechuck said:

But there is a difference between playing a computer game and running amok in a theme park with vivid, lifelike delusions.

Touché too 😁

 

I do hope that Guybrush didn't actually ruin people's lives and burned down attractions. If he did, and both Elaine and Stan are so casual about it, it doesn't put them in a much better light either 😄

[BaronGrackle]

5 hours ago, Gins said:

Touché too 😁

 

I do hope that Guybrush didn't actually ruin people's lives and burned down attractions. If he did, and both Elaine and Stan are so casual about it, it doesn't put them in a much better light either 😄

"So I notice you dunked the man in the dunking booth, you won this prize at the Guess Your Weight game, and you rode three different rollercoasters."

 

"Well, you know what they say about omelettes and eggs."

 

"I haven't seen the omelette yet. Just the eggs."