Tales of Monkey Island Episode 3 [PC] Review

29 Sep 2009 at 16:27:16 by Tim McDonald
Systems used to review this title: (PC)

I think we're far enough into the Monkey Island episodes that I can spoil a few very minor points of earlier games. Tales of Monkey Island has been going for, what, around three months now? We can talk a little bit about what we've seen so far. Nothing major, for those of you who're waiting until the season finishes before you pick it up, but if you really want to stay chaste and virginal to all things Tales of Monkey Island, you should probably stop reading here. Then again, if you want that, I'm not sure why you'd be reading a review anyway.

So! It is my great pleasure to announce that the third episode of Tales of Monkey Island, Lair of the Leviathan, finally gives Morgan LeFlay more than a bit role. This is a great pleasure because Morgan LeFlay is easily one of the best characters in Tales, and my personal favourite. For all the bit characters in the series who felt like one-dimensional photocopies of each other, Morgan is a supporting cast member who is well-written, well-acted, and genuinely amusing, not least in her conflicting two roles as the dread bounty hunter after Guybrush Threepwood, and as an unrepentant Threepwood fangirl. Don't get me wrong: LeChuck's role in the last game was adorable, but Morgan is simply brilliant.

In fact, Telltale has attempted a very different focus in this episode. While the previous episodes had a large number of locations and a fairly large (and fairly samey) cast, Lair of the Leviathan pares everything down. I don't know whether this was intentional based on criticism, or whether it was always planned like this, or if it was simply down to the time anything larger would've taken, but I don't much care. Leviathan is a much, much tighter experience than the other two episodes.

The first chunk of the game, in fact, is set across all of two locations. When we last left Guybrush Threepwood, he was hot on the trail of La Esponja Grande - the voodoo-sucking sea sponge that will hopefully eradicate the voodoo pox that he he has unwittingly unleashed on the Caribbean. This hits a slight snag when he and his ship are swallowed by a giant manatee, leaving him, Morgan, and Winslow trapped inside it, along with previous meals (including one returning character who the fans will most definitely be happy to see.) The trio have to escape, but with all of the puzzles set in either the manatee's mouth or its stomach it - as mentioned one paragraph up - feels a whole lot tighter.

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