Escape from Monkey Island is an adventure game created and released by LucasArts in 2000. It is the fourth game in the Monkey Island series and follows The Curse of Monkey Island (1997). The game was first made available for Microsoft Windows in November 2000 and later released for Mac OS and PlayStation 2 in 2001. It is the first Monkey Island game to use three-dimensional graphics and the second to use the GrimE engine, which was improved from its first use in Grim Fandango (1998).
The story follows pirate Guybrush Threepwood, who returns home with his wife, Elaine Marley, after their honeymoon. He discovers that Elaine has been wrongfully said to be dead, and her position as governor is up for election. Guybrush must work to get Elaine’s position back while uncovering a plan to turn the Caribbean into a place that only looks good for tourists. This plan is led by Guybrush’s opponent, LeChuck, and an Australian conspirator named Ozzie Mandrill.
Escape from Monkey Island received positive reviews and was a moderate commercial success. It was the final LucasArts adventure game released, as later projects, Full Throttle: Hell on Wheels (2003) and Sam & Max: Freelance Police (2004), were canceled. The game was followed by Tales of Monkey Island, released by Telltale Games in 2009.
Gameplay
Escape from Monkey Island is an adventure game that includes talking with characters and solving puzzles. The game is played using only a keyboard or a joystick, making it the only game in the Monkey Island series that is not a point-and-click game.
A special feature of the game is called action-lines. Guybrush looks at items the player can use. The player uses the "Page Up" or "Page Down" keys to choose which item Guybrush should look at.
A well-known feature of the Monkey Island games, called insult swordfighting—where sword duels were won by knowing the right insults and responses—is mentioned briefly in the game as "insult armwrestling" and in an unwinnable insult duel against Ozzie Mandrill. In the second part of the game, insult games are replaced by "Monkey Kombat," a name that is a parody of Mortal Kombat with a matching symbol. Monkey Kombat is a mini-game similar to rock-paper-scissors, where the player must memorize lines of "monkey insults and retorts" made by randomly mixing words like "oop," "chee," "ack," and "eek" each time.
Plot
Guybrush Threepwood and Elaine Marley return to Mêlée Island after their honeymoon. They discover that Elaine has been officially declared dead, her role as governor has been taken away, and her mansion is planned to be torn down. The governorship is open for election, and a man named Charles L. Charles introduces himself as the main candidate. As Elaine works to regain her position, Guybrush hires a navigator named Ignatius Cheese during a game of insult arm-wrestling, meets two old acquaintances, Carla and Otis, and travels to Lucre Island to retrieve the Marley family heirlooms and obtain legal papers to save her mansion. During his journey, Guybrush learns about the Marley family’s hidden secret: a magical item called the Ultimate Insult, which can spread insults so harsh that they weaken the spirit of those who hear them. He is falsely accused of bank robbery by a criminal named Pegnose Pete, but proves he is not guilty.
After obtaining the legal documents and returning to the manor, Guybrush and Elaine find out that Charles L. Charles is actually the shape-shifting Demon Pirate LeChuck, who has escaped from an icy prison and is searching for the Ultimate Insult. As Elaine continues her campaign, Guybrush travels to Jambalaya and Knuttin Atoll islands to collect the pieces of the Ultimate Insult. When he returns home, he is attacked by the newly elected governor, LeChuck, and Ozzie Mandrill, who steal the pieces from him. The two villains are working together: Ozzie wants to eliminate pirates and turn the Caribbean into a resort, while LeChuck owes Ozzie for being freed from his icy prison and plans to use the Ultimate Insult to defeat Elaine and marry her. Feeling they might need Guybrush as a hostage, the villains leave him on Monkey Island.
Despite feeling discouraged, Guybrush works to escape. He learns the skill of Monkey Kombat from the "monkey prince of Monkey Island" and helps the hermit Herman Toothrot regain his memory. He discovers that Herman is actually Elaine’s missing grandfather, who had lost his memory 20 years ago after being pushed into a whirlpool by Ozzie. After building a larger version of the Ultimate Insult, Guybrush finds a giant, pilotable monkey robot hidden inside a colossal monkey head statue on the island. He reactivates the robot, and Herman and the island’s monkeys join him in controlling it. Using the robot, Guybrush disables an amplifier for the Ultimate Insult created by Ozzie before returning to Mêlée Island. Meanwhile, Ozzie captures Elaine and completes the Ultimate Insult. When the device fails due to the missing amplifier, LeChuck takes control of a statue of himself and uses the Ultimate Insult to fight Guybrush’s robot. During the battle, Guybrush repeatedly ties the robot, allowing Elaine to escape and causing LeChuck to become frustrated. This results in Ozzie’s destruction and the Ultimate Insult’s collapse. LeChuck is defeated. Guybrush and Elaine are reunited, and Grandpa Marley returns as the governor of Mêlée Island, allowing the couple to resume their life as pirates.
Development
The game was created by Sean Clark and Michael Stemmle, who were the lead designers. Both had previously worked on LucasArts adventure games such as Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and Sam & Max Hit the Road. Sean Clark also worked on Loom and The Dig. Escape used a slightly improved version of the GrimE engine, which was first introduced in Grim Fandango. Unlike other games in the series, Escape did not use the SCUMM scripting language. Instead, it used the Lua programming language. This change is shown in the game: the pirate-themed SCUMM Bar, which appeared in The Secret of Monkey Island, is replaced by a tropical-themed Lua Bar.
A new version of the iMUSE interactive music system was created for the game. This version included MP3 compression and other updates. The music and ambient sounds in the iMUSE system were programmed by lead sound designer Larry the O. The introductory music in Escape is the same as the third game in the series. Earlier games had new remixes of the Monkey Island theme. Clint Bajakian, who had previously worked as an additional composer on Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, was the main composer for Escape. Additional music was provided by Michael Land, Peter McConnell, Anna Karney, and Michael Lande (not to be confused with Michael Land).
The voice cast included returning actors such as Dominic Armato as Guybrush, Earl Boen as LeChuck, Leilani Jones Wilmore as the Voodoo Lady, and Denny Delk as Murray. Alexandra Boyd, who had voiced Elaine in the previous game, did not return. She was replaced by Charity James. Pat Fraley voiced Stan, a different actor than in earlier games. Characters like Carla, Otis, and Herman Toothrot, who had appeared in The Secret of Monkey Island, were voiced for the first time.
The game was also released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001. The PS2 version had slightly higher polygon counts and used less pre-rendered material compared to other versions. Escape was the third LucasArts adventure game to be released on a console, following The Secret of Monkey Island for the Sega CD and Maniac Mansion for the NES.
According to Heinrich Lenhardt of PC Gamer US, LucasArts might not have made another Monkey Island game if sales in Germany had not been strong after The Curse of Monkey Island. Tom Sarris of LucasArts explained to GameSpot that the company considered worldwide sales when deciding to make Escape from Monkey Island. He said that because Grim Fandango was profitable, making adventure games was still financially viable.
Reception
In December 2000, Simon Jeffery from LucasArts said the company was very happy with the success of Escape from Monkey Island. He noted the game was selling well in the United States and very well in Europe, which he said showed that adventure games still had a market, even though many believed the genre had ended. According to PC Data, the computer version sold 55,275 copies and earned $2 million in the United States by the end of 2000. In Germany, the game debuted at number 4 on Media Control’s computer game sales chart for November 2000. It ranked ninth in December 2000 and 16th in January 2001. PC Data estimated sales in the United States at 32,576 units for 2001 and 9,168 units for the first six months of 2002. The jewel case SKU sold 11,061 copies in North America during 2003.
In March 2003, Bill Tiller from LucasArts said he was unsure about the sales of the PlayStation 2 version but thought it had decent numbers on the PC. He reported that sales of the PlayStation 2 version were very low. Later, Rob Smith wrote in Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts that the game’s reception in the United States was disappointing, but sales in Europe were strong, showing that adventure games still had interest in that region.
The game received mostly positive reviews. Some critics said the gameplay had a difficult interface and was harder to control with a keyboard or joystick compared to a mouse. The "Monkey Kombat" feature was also criticized, with GameSpot calling it the game’s biggest problem. One reviewer said the designers likely thought combining humorous fighting, cute monkeys, and a parody of Mortal Kombat would work, but it did not.
PC Zone gave the game an 82% score, calling it enjoyable and fun despite lacking new ideas. Adventure Gamers gave it four stars out of five, calling it a quality adventure game but criticizing the restyling of old locations on Mêlée Island and Monkey Island. Jeff Lundrigan of Next Generation gave it three stars out of five, praising the story, characters, and production values.
Playboy gave the PlayStation 2 version an 85% score, saying it captured the humor of the Marx Brothers with a modern style and praised the gameplay and characters. Maxim gave the same version six out of ten, criticizing the jokes as tasteless. Jeff Lundrigan of Next Generation also reviewed the PlayStation 2 version, giving it three stars out of five and saying the puzzles were confusing but recommending it to patient players.
Escape from Monkey Island was a runner-up for GameSpot’s, The Electric Playground’s, IGN’s, and Computer Gaming World’s awards for best computer adventure game of 2000, which all went to The Longest Journey. Computer Gaming World’s editors said the game was fun and good for fans but not as classic as other games in the series. However, CNET Gamecenter named it the best adventure game of 2000, calling it the best graphic adventure game of the year. It was also a finalist for their overall game of the year award, which went to The Sims.
Computer Games Magazine also nominated Escape from Monkey Island for its 2000 "Adventure Game of the Year" award. At the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated the game for "PC Action/Adventure," "Art Direction," and "Original Musical Composition."
- E3 2000 Game Critics Awards: Best Action/Adventure Game