There's pressure on any sequel that builds on a beloved game to live up to the standards set by its predecessor, but when that original game is more than three decades old, the pressure reaches a whole new level.
This is the challenge that faced Return To Monkey Island, a pirate adventure game helmed by series creator Ron Gilbert for the first time since 1991's Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. Released earlier this week for PC and Switch, it reunites series fans with (and introduces newcomers to) bumbling pirate Guybrush Threepwood, zombie pirate LeChuck, and a whole host of classic characters from the previous games.
Reviving long-absent IP — the last outing for Guybrush and co was 2009's Tales of Monkey Island by Telltale Games — is nothing new to the world of entertainment, but whether that return lives up to expectations and rose-tinted memories can vary by franchise. In the case of Monkey Island, it appears Gilbert and his team have triumphed.