Hot on the heels of my review of Tales of Monkey Island Episode One here comes my review of Tales of Monkey Island Episode Two. Before I go any further I must give you a spoiler warning; this review continues on from my review of Episode One and if you don’t want to read how that story finished you best head away now.
At the end of Tales of Monkey Island Episode One we helped Guybrush successfully launch the Screaming Narwal into the high seas to go after his gorgeous wife Elaine and the now seemingly non evil Le Chuck. But as usual things don’t go that smoothly for our favourite pirate and shortly after the Screaming Narwal is boarded by a mysterious sword wielding woman.
Episode Two: The Siege of Spinner Cay, kicks off right where Episode One left off and in yet another tribute to the original Secret of Monkey Island your first task is to regain control of your ship with the help of your trusty sword, a healthy dose of word play and puzzle solving (of course). The mysterious woman is a bounty pirate hunter sent by the Mad Doctor from Flotsam Island to fetch your pox ridden hand, she also happens to be rather pretty and your biggest fan which makes dealing with her a much trickier prospect than you’d first think.
I don’t want to spoil the proceedings of this episode too much because it’s really important to experience it firsthand; however what I can say is that when you do eventually get sailing again it’s not long before you dock in Spinner Cay (a big island owned by a species of Mermaids and Mermen) in search of mast repair and information. As it turns out these are the same Merpeople who will be able to help you with your quest to find the giant sponge which the Voodoo Lady mentioned in Episode One. Luckily Elaine and Le Chuck have already arrived on this Island and are slightly ahead of you; this time you’ll need to team up with your nemesis Le Chuck to find the three mystical summoning items you need before they fall into the hands of even eviler pirates who are threatening to destroy the island. So once again another five or so hours of pirate puzzle-solving adventure lies ahead. Last time out in Episode One I got stuck for a couple of times but compared to Episode Two it was a doodle. This time out Telltale have piled in some really clever yet devious puzzles that certainly had me stumped on several occasions; walking around unsure of what to do for minutes if not hours at a time has always been a fundamental part of a Point and Click game and once again it’s rears it’s frustrating slash compelling head. So whilst there isn’t anything really new in terms of gameplay in Episode 2 of Tales of Monkey Island and for another 1000 Wii Points might seem expensive; ; if you loved Episode One (like me) then it’s essential and you’ll want to play through this episode as quickly as possible to experience the very funny story ready for the upcoming third Episode next month. It’s difficult to accurately judge but Episode Two felt slightly shorter in terms of story than the first by about but because I was stuck for longer it worked out about the same; either way a whole new slew of characters are here to meet and getting to the end is as fun as ever.
I award Tales of Monkey Island Episode Two 8 out 10 and once again and await the next episode in great anticipation.
Related: Tales of Monkey Island Episode One, The Secret Of Monkey Island Special Edition review
I used Gamefly a couple of years ago, and had the same problem. There is about 2 weeks time between each game. So, you can get roughly 2 games a month (assuming you play the entire game in one night, and put it in the mailbox early the next morning). That works out to about $12 a game. That’s like twice what it costs at Hollywood/Blockbuster, and you don’t have to wait with them. Netflix is great, because it’s fast. But with Gamefly, you’re not getting it fast, so it’s all con and no pro.