I found the below comment about the art style on Reddit rather interesting. Could this really be a reason behind the art style?
according to reviews I’ve read on Knights and Bikes (a game this artist is known for), the art style helps blur the line between fantasy and reality. In Knights and Bikes, players aren’t 100% clear about which parts are actually happening and which parts are the protagonists’ imagination. Perhaps Ron wanted that feel in Return to Monkey Island.
Am I the only person who finds the art style of the video quite different from the art style of the screenshots?
If I observe a screenshot of the video, I perceive a more “refined”, “polished” and “clean” image.
Obviously, there are similarities between the video and the screenshots, but for some reason my mind tells me “this is not really the same hand/style”.
You’re right. The art is better in the trailer video and it has nothing to do with the fact that it’s moving. It’s a better composition, and has more sophisticated use of color, balance, and focal points.
I expect the game to use simulated camera movements (pans, zooms, etc.)
Do you think that the visual differences between the video and the screenshots might be related to the fact that what we see could be only a part of the scene?
In my opinion, apart from the movement - which helps a lot in conveying depth, a slight camera movement with some parallax tells way more than a static image - there’s the fact that of the four screenshots, two are small enclosed rooms. And those two images are in my opinion the worst looking ones.
The locksmith and the jury room make me a bit claustrophobic, while Melee looks great and that cave is just asking to be seen in movement.
I hope so, though the key shop interior looks visually disorganized and is a pretty tight crop.
Let’s not forget the flickering lights. That can make the difference in night scenes, and make them feel much more lively.
I remember the animated palette at the carpenter’s shop in monkey2. That made all the difference.
However, palette cycling in 256 colors was much bettter than what we had in TWP, so I’m not optimistic about that.
Exactly. The interiors are too crammed and narrow…
I struggle to believe that Ron chose the worse locations to show us though.
when you compare monkey island 1 to the remake you notice that the remake was very children-friendly while the original was darker and sometimes slightly scary. its very clear to see when inside the money head! so i hope the graphics will be dark and scary when they need to be. Since MI3 the graphics were “too clean” in my opinion.
I love Ron Gilbert and also every Monkey Island game. But here’s my thing with the current situation: Escape from Monkey Island was roasted for its story and graphics (yes the gaming magazines rated it favorably, but I remember reading fan reactions on websites, and they were not as kind). When the Secret of Monkey Special Edition came out, its art style was condemned even harder. Fans made game patches to play the old graphics with new voices… they made one patch to literally CHANGE THE WAY GUYBRUSH’S HAIR LOOKED.
When all of that was happening, were Monkey Island fans considered “toxic”? Were they a thankless fandom who deserves nothing? Because I don’t remember anybody getting upset with fans who had complaints against Escape or the Special Edition looks.
You are mixing up several things:
First there are profound, reasonable and justified critics. They weren’t good at that time regarding Escape.
Second there are fans who modified the games. They have done this because of different reasons. For example they asked themself “how would it look like to play the old graphics with the new voices”. You can’t imply that they did this because that they think that the graphics of the SE are crap.
Third there are the “toxic” fans. We hadn’t them back then like these days: Escape was published 2000, Facebook, Twitter and all of the other antisocial networks were invented later. So these toxic fans hadn’t their megaphone.
When and where? Could you give examples (links)? I can only speak for the German market, but here no one condemned the art style (or the whole games).
Here’s an article from the Scummbar fansite in 2003, complaining about certain fans. It references some of these things: The Monkey Island SCUMM Bar - Articles
From that article:
“Secondly, you get a similar group of whining pains that bemoan the ‘death of adventure games’, not matter how much of an over-used cliché it may be. These people are usually the same fickle collective that went into overdrive around the time the first news of Escape From Monkey Island was announced. Before the game was made public, and other E3 titles from that year were being revealed (up until then, all Star Wars: Episode I games), the droning masses were typing messages like “Oh great, more Star Wars. LEC as it once was is DEAD!” except with more spelling mistakes and hyperbole. Then when the game was finally announced, the same complaining fools were falling over themselves to celebrate the return of adventure games (when exactly did they go away?). Finally, after the game was out, they get bitter and start picking holes in the exact same game they were praising non-stop until its commercial release. A few months later, they’re back to saying adventure games are well and truly deceased.”
I remember when complaints gradually rolled in for Escape. This article calls out the complainers, but it was a thing. Fans today aren’t any more “toxic” than they’ve always been.
IMHO You can’t sum it up this way.
Of course they existed. But they hadn’t a “megaphone” like today -
and if you shout things out loud enough, more people will follow you. You hadn’t these massive shitstorms like we have today.
I don’t remember, actually, but usually I don’t pay much attention to topics like “how people are/were/should be categorized or labeled”.
From my experience, shifting from videogames to these very personal topics increases the chance of getting less pleasant discussions. So, I try not to take other people’s artistic choices personally.
Well, I do deserve nothing. 
I have no right in telling artists what they should do and they have no obligations to satisfy my personal taste.
We had chatrooms and websites. But otherwise, what “shitstorms” are in play here? A few minority comments on Ron’s blog?
Where are the Youtube videos screaming about Return looking like a travesty? Are there subreddits devoted to hating the next Monkey Island games? Star Wars has a lot of warfare among fans. For Monkey Island, I don’t see it yet.
Then everything is fine-a-reno. Isn’t it?
Nowadays we have a way to directly address him. Comments on his blog, replies to his tweets… and when he used to come here, tagging him (yes, I’m still mad that he left us 
we’ve always been respectful here!).
30 years ago, if I wanted to tell him his games sucked, I wouldn’t have even known where to start.
Actually, yes! It’s pretty refreshing in this fanbase.
…
Pretty sure that convinced him to make RTMI. (Or so I like to think)
We should all give us a little pat on our back for being the supportive people we are over here.
Go Ron! Go David! 
Yeah, we are the best. We’re even cool with the occasional self-contradiction. 