The Legend of Monkey Island (Sea of Thieves)

[ThunderPeel2001]

4 hours ago, KestrelPi said:

Also fine with how Guybrush looks here, it's completely in keeping with the character style of Sea of Thieves and it looks in some shots of the trailer it's an attempt to be closer to the hair colour depicted in the first two games, which I'm into.

 

Fair. Don't get me wrong, I'm super happy this exists. Not so fussed about the story (which I'm expecting to be weak) but the idea of walking around the islands in 3D is a dream. I will definitely play and try it, even if Ron wasn't consulted and Guybrush looks like he's be recast by way of Ecce Mono.

[BaronGrackle]

Quote

I'm kind of happy about the universal enthusiasm in the comments but ... it shows what absurd expectations Ron Gilbert had to fend off for Return. These are the fans that the Monkey Island franchise would have needed last year.

I know I'm in the minority, but I still see Monkey Island games in three different character-art genres:

1. Pixel, semi-realistic (SMI, MI2)

2. Cartoony (CMI, EMI, TMI, Special Editions, and now LMI)

3. Paper animation (RMI)

 

I understand that Guybrush in CMI looks nothing like Guybrush here in LMI. But, I still get that Western animation cartoony tone. It's still familiar.

 

I'm very often wrong in life. That being said? I fully get RMI's designs receiving a stronger kneejerk backlash than LMI is getting right now; it makes sense to me.

Edited June 12, 2023 by BaronGrackle

[LuigiHann]

1 hour ago, JacquesSparkyTail said:

Point taken but i just wanna point out that stans jacket was accurate. I’ll admit i had to squint to double check. Not sure if it was because it was too dark or there was just so much going on that it got lost but it is definitely doing the thing. 

Yeah, it's definitely a subtler effect than it usually is, since they're using a semi-realistic cloth texture and the shadows and highlights are all moving with his arms as they would in 3D. But the actual checker pattern is pleasantly static.

 

As for Guybrush, it definitely looks like the sort of design you'd come up with by extrapolating solely from MI2 without reference to his later looks. I don't love it and I don't hate it, but it fits well with the story they're trying to tell. His actual face I suspect is assembled from the game's existing character creation assets, which would explain why it lacks a certain guybrushiness.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by LuigiHann
fix

[Aro-tron]

9 minutes ago, LuigiHann said:

Yeah, it's definitely a subtler effect than it usually is, since they're using a semi-realistic cloth texture and the shadows and highlights are all moving with his arms as they would in 3D. But the actual checker pattern is pleasantly static.

Ok, I re-watched it and I can see that they did keep the pattern static. I just don't think the effect is the same in 3D. I feel like the original effect was a design solution borne of the limitations of the technology they had. It was one of the places in MI where you could see the seams of the game, and I always liked that part of the experience.

 

This, on the other hand, just feels like a call-back for the sake of nostalgia. But I am clearly not the audience for this game - I never felt the desire to walk around the islands and feel immersed in the pirate world like I know some people have. I'm happy for those of you who are going to enjoy this, and also relieved that Return came out before this did.

[LukaZeroCool]

 

[Didero]

I was only half-watching the XBox show, so this was a very pleasant surprise! More Monkey Island is more better, in my eyes.

Plus, I've always been kind if interested in Sea Of Thieves, but never quite enough to actualy buy the game, so this might push me over the edge.

The big Steam Summer Sale is coming on June 29 (I love that they just announce all the sale dates now), so I think I'll pick it up then.

 

So glad they got the original voices!

[ThunderPeel2001]

2 hours ago, LuigiHann said:

His actual face I suspect is assembled from the game's existing character creation assets, which would explain why it lacks a certain guybrushiness.

 

I suspect you're right. Never in a million years would I say that face had one iota of Guybrushness, but it's probably a game limitation. (I'm half suspecting there to be a plot twist that reveals it's NOT Guybrush to be honest, that's how little he looks like Guybrush to me). He looks like Guybrush of Nazareth...

 

And the Voodoo Lady is the same. 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by ThunderPeel2001

[Gins]

I'm waiting for a good sail and then I might buy it. I had my eyes set on this game since the announcement, but then it was Xbox exclusive, then when it came to PC I was put off by the multiplayer, since I have no friend who would play this with me.

 

But maybe swinging across to Hook Island with a rubber chicken in 3D is enough to get me to try it.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Yes, if we're able to walk around Melee it's going be pretty incredible. I will actually take the time to learn how to play the damned game in the first place! Fingers crossed.

[LuigiHann]

1 hour ago, LukaZeroCool said:

 

 

That's at least decent, though the wording of this and other posts would suggest that they were more or less done making it before they looped him in. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it's because they intended it as a licensed equivalent of a fan tribute and not necessarily a True Monkey Island Game that would necessitate Ron's input

 

47 minutes ago, ThunderPeel2001 said:

 

I suspect you're right. Never in a million years would I say that face had one iota of Guybrushness, but it's probably a game limitation. (I'm half suspecting there to be a plot twist that reveals it's NOT Guybrush to be honest, that's how little he looks like Guybrush to me). He looks like Guybrush of Nazareth...

 

And the Voodoo Lady is the same. 

 

 

 

Yeah, it's just wrong enough that I'd almost prefer he be recast for this incarnation, or at least I would have directed Dom to deliver the lines differently. Feels like he should have a more grizzly gravely voice compared to Dom's perpetually youthful performance.

 

Regardless, it should indeed be fun to walk around these islands in 3D. Since Tales opted to avoid recurring locales and Return returned to 2D, the only "3D" takes we've seen for Monkey and Melee islands were in Escape, which wasn't especially aiming for nostalgic immersion or authenticity the way this is.

Edited June 12, 2023 by LuigiHann

[Jake]

3 hours ago, Aro-tron said:

This, on the other hand, just feels like a call-back for the sake of nostalgia. 

For whatever it’s worth, Escape and Tales both had 3D characters and used the same basic effect as Sea of Thieves for Stan’s coat. 

[JacquesSparkyTail]

4 hours ago, Aro-tron said:

Ok, I re-watched it and I can see that they did keep the pattern static. I just don't think the effect is the same in 3D. I feel like the original effect was a design solution borne of the limitations of the technology they had. It was one of the places in MI where you could see the seams of the game, and I always liked that part of the experience.

 

This, on the other hand, just feels like a call-back for the sake of nostalgia. But I am clearly not the audience for this game - I never felt the desire to walk around the islands and feel immersed in the pirate world like I know some people have. I'm happy for those of you who are going to enjoy this, and also relieved that Return came out before this did.

Just out of curiosity what would you have liked them to do? If you were unhappy when you thought the jacket didn’t have the effect and were equally unhappy when you discovered it did, do you have a third option in mind? And if so what is it? Genuine question here btw, hoping i’m not coming off shitty lol

[KestrelPi]

I'm not sure I'd have it any other way than this being a lovingly reference laden nostalgia-fest. I mean the alternative would be for it to be a serious attempt at expanding the MI universe and I think Rare would be first to admit that they haven't really earned that. Sure, I think ReMI opens up the possibility of lots of different kinds of stories being told by lots of different people but LOOK, we literally just got a new Monkey Island game last year, one we never expected, so I'm not going to begrudge if Rare don't set their storytelling ambitions any higher than 'a fun romp through some familiar locations and characters'. To me that almost feels like the MORE respectful way to do something like this.

 

edit: possibly the rudest thing they've done is forever taken the name The Legend of Monkey Island out of commission for this.

Edited June 13, 2023 by KestrelPi

[Aro-tron]

4 hours ago, JacquesSparkyTail said:

Just out of curiosity what would you have liked them to do?

I think I had not finished my coffee and was grumpy. I didn't see the repeating plaid at first, and then when I did see it, I realized that it didn't really change how I felt. Which means it wasn't really about the plaid. I guess it also seemed like his arms weren't moving fast enough. But that's not the point either. Really, what I reacted against was seeing something that I strongly associate with a context that I have a lot of nostalgia for (pixels and dialogue trees) adapted into a context that I'm ambivalent about (open world RPGs).

 

It was also just once scene in a trailer, and I probably reacted too quickly. I'm prepared to find this more interesting once I wrap my head around what it is, rather than focusing on what it is not.

 

The part that I liked the most was like was the scene with Guybrush, since it seemed like an attempt at a new story. It was cool that they got Dom back to do the voice, and I actually thought he did a really good reading of the scene.

[Sadbrush]

20 hours ago, Vainamoinen said:

I'm kind of happy about the universal enthusiasm in the comments but ... it shows what absurd expectations Ron Gilbert had to fend off for Return. These are the fans that the Monkey Island franchise would have needed last year. I haven't seen a single commenter go "well, the cheap graphics don't really fit the franchise" or "actually, Guybrush couldn't grow a beard" or "why have they emasculated the main char" or "so Murray is gay now?!?" or "actually, this would look so much better with MI3 graphics" or "did they have to steal the tired old Spaceballs joke?" or "they better not have an MI without Elaine!" ...

 

To be fair, expectations were monumentally high when Ron was involved. We wanted everything to be perfect after a 30-year hiatus. While I think most of us recognize this as a fun, anomalous, one-off idea in an existing pirate game IP that was already heavily influenced by Monkey Island, so our expectations are sufficiently managed. 

 

Also, I feel like I'm in the minority on this, but I really want this to be canon with the rest of the games, especially if it takes place smack dab in the middle of Curse and Escape, where Ron wasn't involved at all. Particularly with the original (has it been confirmed yet?) voice cast involved, I'd love for this to fit in and expand the existing lore of the series (which doesn't retcon Return at all).

[Scummbuddy]

@Remi Referring to this game with the acronym of "SeMI" is pretty perfect. Bravo.

[Adventure Game Hotspot]

Ahoy there fancy pants!  I think this is GREAT news. My only concern is that I don't want things to start going the way of Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I barely recognize those IP's anymore.

[Remi]

5 minutes ago, Scummbuddy said:

@Remi Referring to this game with the acronym of "SeMI" is pretty perfect. Bravo.

It just makes sense. It’s Semi-Monkey Island and all. SeMI. 

 

This is a hill I’m willing to die on. >:

[Niemandswasser]

4 hours ago, Adventure Game Hotspot said:

Ahoy there fancy pants!  I think this is GREAT news. My only concern is that I don't want things to start going the way of Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I barely recognize those IP's anymore.

 

The problem is that with each commercial success this becomes, essentially, inevitable. There's no scenario in which Disney et al could or would have made Star Wars, Indy or anything else with the same care or passion as under Lucasfilm. They bought Lucasfilm because they were pretty sure they could use its stuff to make a lot of money, and they felt--correctly--that people would spend billions for anything released under those labels, regardless of artistry, craftsmanship, or care. That was, from the beginning, the *only* reason new movies were made, and when they were...people spent billions on them. Everything else--all the arguing, the screaming, the dumbass demands to remove things from canon (as if that was a label that had ever meant anything to begin with)--was incidental. All they had to do was make something that was basically watchable and had all the right signifiers to get people into the theater, and the result was billions of dollars. Why would they go out of their way to do anything more than that?

 

I'm glad ReMI got made. I really like it! But I'm pretty sure the only reason Disney's answer to Ron finally went from "no" to "yes" is because post-Thimbleweed they (correctly, again) figured they could outsource the heavy lifting to his team for a pretty low cost, and in return they'd get a test balloon to show them whether something they already owned had the legs to become a long-term exploitable property. They have their answer, and here we are. They're not putting the monkey back in their pocket now.

 

EDIT: left out a key phrase

Edited June 13, 2023 by Niemandswasser

[Gins]

58 minutes ago, Niemandswasser said:

They're not putting the monkey back in their pocket now.

 

 

[Lagomorph01]

Just read the article, and I have to say I'm with Remi on SeMI. But anyone who's on board, I hope you have the ride of your life!

 

I do love how every Monkey Island announcement brings the forums back to life! For that I thank thee, SeMI!

[Didero]

So I guess we can summarize the forum's attitude to this as......

 

 

 

SeMI-excited

[Laserschwert]

Here's hoping this at the very least brings about some "new" Monkey Island music (or at least some new takes on old tunes).

Edited June 13, 2023 by Laserschwert

[KestrelPi]

I think people are massively overestimating how much ReMI was even ... noticed financially by Disney honestly. I do not believe in a world where they looked at what happened with ReMI, and gleefully set about seeing how else they can exploit this. I mean, for a start Sea of Thieves already had its mini-MI tribute long before ReMI. 

 

I do believe in a world where they saw that ReMI did fine and decided 'sure, we can afford to throw this name around a little more, it seems low risk' i.e. at best the existence of ReMI vaguely greased some wheels. But let's be honest, Monkey Island is not in the same league as a Star Wars and Indy, and never will be. It's not even in the league below. 

It's a minor game series which was fairly popular in the early 90s and gained a bit of a cult following, and has had a couple of revivals.

 

Heck, even if Disney sticks a Monkey Island series on Disney+ and casts Chris Pratt as Guybrush Threepwood, I promise you it's because some exec went rogue on some passion project and it somehow passed through all the usual filters. No disney exec with dollar signs in their eyes is looking hungrily at Monkey Island.

 

 

[KestrelPi]

Actually I think I'd go further than what I said before and say that even if Monkey Island somehow impossibly did become a Star Wars, is this a nightmare proposition? Sure, that brand has produced some real stinkers in the past 30 years. But it's also produced some gems, even recently, and will continue to do so for as long as there are people that care about Star Wars and want to create Star Wars. As cynical and greedy as your hollywood execs can get, in the end, for now at least, they still have to work with people who are passionate about what they create, and have dreams and visions for what it could be.

 

Are we really sat here worried about a future where we'd see endless cereal box tie ins and bad TV spinnoffs and mixed-bag movies, but then every couple of years we'd get an awesome comedy series about Stan's latest ventures, or an amazing RPG which explores the weirder parts of MI lore with real style and understanding?