Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge

Just as LucasArts took the fans' complaints into consideration in regard to the briefness of the first title of the series back in '91, they have now proven that they're able to listen twenty years later as well. The main complaints towards the first title were the unworthy graphics of a contemporary remake and the lack of voice work in the classic game version. Which essentially means that they fixed the problems and polished this new sequel to the border of perfection.

Let's strip away the retro-eyed awe and look at the facts: MI2:SE has all features we expect from a modern adventure, yet its story and puzzle design easily beats out modern competition - despite the missing light-mode.

An absolute joy to play once more. [Oct 2010, p.80]

Monkey Island 2: Special Edition brings HD life to probably the best adventure game ever. Nice graphics, great artistic choices and a revamped control system for an unavoidable title for every adventure fan.

It's just as funny and entertaining as its older self, if not more, with new music, awesome voice-acting, and great bonus features.

Stunning graphics and excellent voice acting. [Sept 2010, p.86]

So whether you're a newcomer or a LeChuck's Revenge veteran, it's definitely worth taking the trip back to the world of Monkey Island.

You really have to either hate point and click games with the burning passion of a thousand suns or not like dealing with downloadable games to dislike this title.

A labour of love that successfully captures the spirit of the original. [Oct 2010, p.64]

Masterpiece of re-mastering. After a long 19 years the legendary adventure game returns in all its glory. Monkey Island 2 SE is as good as wine – the older the better. [Aug 2010]

The entire package does a fantastic job of delivering all the fun, brain-teasing puzzles and hilarity for which the series is known.

Guybrush Theepwood strikes back in the remake of his best adventure so far. Also, Lechuck's Revenge is one of the best of his genre. A great adventure game and a fantastic remake.

If you haven't played this game when it first came out a long time ago , you should go and buy it right now. And if you have, you should go and buy it right now. It's the best adventure game of all time, period.

Thankfully, a year ago the Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition reassured us that our fortune-hunting flashbacks were in good hands and now Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge Special Edition sends any fears we might have had left straight to Davey Jones' locker.

Fans will appreciate the colorful commentary from the franchise creators and unlockable art gallery, while those intimidated by the adventure games of the past will find comfort in the simplified controls, object highlighting and hint system.

It's an excellent chance to relive the heady days of the point-and-click adventure, where games were written with intelligence, humour and precision rather than large explosions and endless DLC.

Perfect for quick sessions or marathoning through, MI2:SE packs a lot into its package.

It's still a fantastic game. [Sept 2010, p.102]

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is a great addition to your downloadable library. Whether you're an old adventure gamer looking to scratch a nostalgic itch or a shellshocked shooter fan looking for a whimsical break from the fray, this game's meager entry fee is well worth it.

The base experience of Monkey Island 2 is still as sharp as ever, though, with some of the wittiest dialogue and intelligent puzzles ever seen in an adventure game. It's just a shame the "special edition" part is a bit of a letdown - it's more of an average 2-disc edition than a deluxe Criterion version.

Classic gameplay and vibrant new visuals mix with timeless humor and inventive puzzles in this revamped blast from the past.

Even if the classic version has some unforgivable cuts, this Special Edition has a great artistic value, and brighten up one of the best game of the '90s.

LucasArts managed to correct the very few flaws of the first remake of the saga released in 2009, for a result now close from perfection.

For longtime fans, that commentary track alone is worth replaying Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. For everyone else – even those of us who aren't entirely enthusiastic about the methodical pace and heavy exploration of the genre – the wonderful art, stellar cast of characters, challenging puzzles and killer comedy warrant at least an attempt at adventuring.

If you're an adventure games fan and didn't yet try this legend of the genre, you can't miss this new special edition. Now if you're already a fan knowing the whole game by heart, quoting the best punch lines during high society galas, here's an opportunity to dive in again and rediscover this mythical game under a new light. The only thing we were disappointed with was the creators' commentary: it fell short of our expectations, otherwise it would have garnered 5 stars easy.