Secret of Monkey Island SE - Review (PC Version)

I forced myself to fire up Monkey Island SE for the fourth or fifth time so I could complete it and get it out of the way. That was how I felt on loading up the game - but it's actually a harsh sentiment on what is a golden nugget of gaming history.

Having missed the original game the first time around and considering it's reputation, I was very pleased on hearing of a modern updated special edition being released to celebrate it's er 19th Birthday. On seeing the price of £6 I jumped aboard (pardon the pun) eager to experience what is meant to be the funniest point and click adventure ever.

I'm happy to report it's still very funny, which surprised me actually being two decades old. Some of the gags are hilarious with lots of self aware humour and repeated catchphrases too. The reasonable voice acting complements the rib-tickling very well and a special mention has to go to my favourite characters, the jazz-handed used ship salesman Stan and the grumpy old shop keeper who has a great line : "I suppose I could trek all the way across the island - AGAIN!" Of course, you had to be there.

The visuals are nothing to write home about, although I could not imagine them being better considering the budget price and to be fair some of the backdrops are nicer than others. In fact by pressing a button at anytime in the game you can switch back to the original version in real-time and that is when you can truly appreciate how far gaming graphics have come in the last 20 years.

The main problem of the game though is the same problem that caused the 'Point and Click' adventure genre to disappear some 15 years ago. The gameplay mechanic is just too darned simple forcing the designers to throw bizarre 'puzzles' at you to keep you challenged, some of which you would never get in a million years.

This conveniently brings me on to the very helpful 'H' button which gives you tips if you are stuck, eventually shouting the answer out if press it enough times. Its inclusion is a testament to how impatient us gamers are in modern times, preferring to zap through content instead of scratching our heads at a barrier. Still, I feel I got my moneys worth as I played through most of the first half of the game without the need of assistance.

A highlight was defeating the sword master by learning witty retorts by fighting pirates passing by - hilarious. A definite purchase for Monkey Island fans or veteran gamers who missed out the first time and are curious of the game's legacy.