Return to Monkey Island Reviews

Return to Monkey Island is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Sep 19, 2022

Return to Monkey Island is everything I wanted and more. Daft humour with plenty of dad-worthy gags, puzzles to both frustrate and delight you, lovable throwbacks around every corner, and all while being effortlessly enjoyable. It feels like Monkey Island has fittingly come full circle with this title in many ways, and yet I can’t help but be selfish and want more Guybrush from Gilbert. There’s still room in the scrapbook for more adventures, and if we’re lucky, maybe we won’t have to wait 30 years for the next title.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2022

Return to Monkey Island is the third episode of Monkey Island that we didn't have, which comes thirty years later with a load of innovations compared to LeChuck's Revenge, but which we now take for granted. The ability to make the most of all the innovations of the genre, combined with the original sense of humor of the series and the extraordinary experience of the authors, makes this game an easy success.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 27, 2022

Return to Monkey Island ably delivers the charm, humor, and sharp puzzles the series is known for, while offering a few tweaks to make things less intimidating for new crew members. A reluctance to try anything too daring in terms of design or storytelling dampens the proceedings a bit, but longtime Monkey Island fans ought to enjoy the voyage even if the series’ sails are getting a bit well-worn.

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GameMAG
Top Critic
7 / 10
Oct 3, 2022

Return to Monkey Island is a competent nostalgia-filled ride for loyal fans.

Review in Russian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 8, 2022

Though I still remain surprised that Return to Monkey Island even exists, I can't contest what Ron Gilbert and developer Terrible Toybox have wrought here. By masterfully combining the witty and thoughtful point and click escapades of the series past with a newfound warmth and charming aesthetic, Return to Monkey Island is by and large the series return that fans have long been waiting for and is a roaring success in the process.

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9 / 10
Nov 8, 2022

Ultimately, with Return to Monkey Island, original creators Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman have not only crafted a loving throwback to a genre they helped popularise, they've also reinvigorated it.

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85 / 100
Nov 8, 2022

Return to Monkey Island is fantastic. Brilliantly written and full of charm, the game manages to deliver a fresh experience in a nostalgic world. Even though the new art direction is divisive, the storytelling and humor are top-notch and make this a highlight of the franchise.

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M3
Top Critic
Sep 21, 2022

For those of you who grew up with Monkey Island, Indiana Jones, Quest for Glory and all the other great point and click games of the 90s, Return to Monkey Island is a pure joy to play. Purchase! You won't regret it. Return to Monkey Island does most things right and hopefully this is the first of more new Monkey Island games (directed by Ron Gilbert).

Review in Swedish | Read full review

Unscored
Sep 19, 2022
I recommend: Return to Monkey Island (Review)  video thumbnail
90 / 100
Sep 19, 2022

A wonderful love letter to Monkey Island fans that left us with a tear of joy at the end.

Review in German | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2022

Despite the many years on his shoulders, the saga created by Ron Gilbert still seems to have a lot to tell. With Return to Monkey Island, the videogame author creates a nostalgic work, but deeply immersed in contemporaneity, which tells with the usual dose of sagacity and irony.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Atomix
Top Critic
80 / 100
Sep 19, 2022

This franchise returned in the best way, of course, with certain details that possibly will not convince at all. But if you really want to see more adventures of Guybrush Threepwood from now on, it is clear that you should not leave aside this installment. It may not be the best in the saga, but it is the latent proof that there is some interest in returning the life that he lost so long ago.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Unscored
Sep 19, 2022

By officially revealing the Secret and bringing the series full circle, “Return to Monkey Island” is deliberately closing a chapter in the franchise’s life. It’s not the end of Guybrush Threepwood or Monkey Island, but it’s a swan song for the bygone era that birthed them.

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9 / 10
Sep 23, 2022

Return to Monkey Island reaches into your heart, rips out your desire to know THE SECRET, and clenches it in front of your face. As hard as it would be to concede that The Secret of Monkey Island™ might always have been a McGuffin, it's agonising to contemplate that your 30-year longing for the Monkey Island 3 might be just the same. Delighting as you tremor, Return presents to your transfixed gaze a phenomenal point-and-click adventure, bubbling with passion and fun. All the way through, you will hope, achingly, that the big reveal is coming – and then…

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Jake Su
Top Critic
4 / 5.0
Nov 14, 2022

At the end of the day, there were always some risks involved with Return to Monkey Island, and opinions are going to be divided among the hardcore fans and relative newcomers. What cannot be denied, however, is that this is an amazing point-and-click adventure that retains much of the beloved charm, while still updating the experience to be a more well-balanced affair. This is an excellent return, to say the least, and I can only hope this is the beginning of a new age that Terrible Toybox will be leading from the front.

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90 / 100
Nov 20, 2022

Guybrush is back with a game that features all the best characteristics of the Monkey Island saga. If you have to play only one game in 2022, let it be Return to Monkey Island.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Ben Salter
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2022

Return to Monkey Island is a delightful adventure, and while it might not quite reach the unobtainable prestige of its predecessors, with a much more accessible design it’s destined to become Guybrush Threepwood’s most popular tale yet.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 20, 2022

When it comes to pure fan service, there won't be many better this year than Return to Monkey Island. It feels like the true sequel to LeChuck's Revenge and it feels as though its clever, self-referential wit is a product of Gilbert's return. As sad and nostalgic as parts of Guybrush's newest tale can be, I had a wonderful time revisiting familiar people and places in yet another golden-age adventure.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2022

Return to Monkey Island brings the beloved classic point-and-click series into the modern puzzle adventure genre, and it's a perfect fit. It's a fine addition to the Monkey Island series, but it nevertheless seems held back by Monkey Island 2's strange ending. In its attempt to explain it away, it just hurts its own narrative, which had the potential for more than it achieved. But it is still a fun ride, full of wild, funny, and surprisingly sincere moments. I will be keenly looking forward to the next Monkey Island game from the mind of Gilbert and his team.

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91%
Oct 2, 2022

Return to Monkey Island returns the series to the highs of the first two games, delivering a hilarious and surprisingly touching story of trying to recapture past glories.

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