Ron declares he is working on a new Monkey Island

I feel like people have been much more positive about this short video. It seems to me that something really works here – I’m not sure what is it exactly, maybe seeing it in motion, in a familiar place, with the music, and the little details. I don’t know.

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Yes, it feels more like a snapshot of actual gameplay. The music helps to support the visuals. It just works. Quite honestly, this clip has given me more faith in the game than I’ve had since it’s reveal. I feel as though I will enjoy exploring this world and that feeling is such a key element of what makes an adventure game worth playing; immersion.

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I think you’re right. I’ve personally been excited since the beginning, but to be frank, this has also been a step up for me. I feel like this is what I’ve been expecting the most since I’ve seen the screenshots : immersion – that’s the right word. I’m glad it didn’t disappoint – for this screen, at least.

Now, as you said, the game will probably be disappointing no matter what since a lot of us have been dreaming about it for years.

But, as of now, I’m personally really excited about what I saw and read. I think a part of me was only expecting three things: the game starting at the amusement park, the Secret revealed and Ron being able to do what he wanted to do. So, in a way, I’m getting exactly what I wanted.

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I understand how people could have liked the art all along. I understand how people could have hated the art all along.

But I guess I don’t understand how people could react negatively to the gameplay trailer from earlier, but now positively to this. Haven’t we already seen the walking animation? I don’t know what’s changed, except we see the speed goes faster.

But I’ve read a lot of comments of people on twitter and reddit who had doubts from the gameplay trailer which were overcome by this dock scene.

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Indeed. All three quotas have been fulfilled. They are pretty much the same requirements which I required to be satiated. I wanted from a hypothetical Monkey Island 3a, so yay? The cynic in me can’t help but think “be careful what you wish for” (lord knows, I’ve watched enough Hammer Horror films over the years to have learned that lessen), but maybe this one time, just this one time, everything will work out for the best? My glass is 3 quarters empty, what of it?!

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Yes, this is surprising for sure. But at the same time… I don’t know. I think St_Eddie summarized it well. I think this video in particular shows something we didn’t see before: what the atmosphere of the game will be while playing it.
The trailer was more about showing some key parts with the main theme playing in a background. It wasn’t like… a clip taken directly from a Let’s Play, for example – which this video could be.
I think that what we have now give us a better idea of what playing the game will be like.
And I’m saying that even though we didn’t see anything about inventory, dialog trees, etc.
We surprisingly didn’t see a lot of game from this game – and I’m not saying that in a bad way.

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You know; all of us. Everyone. All those who love the art and all those who hate the art…

Do you know what we all have in common? We all want to play this motherfucking game!!!

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Excuse my language, please.

I got a badge for literally spending every day, for the past 300 days, checking this forum. I think I deserve a slap for that, not a badge. Still it speaks to my excitement for the game!

I don’t know, while I loved the trailer the short walking animation we see made it feel like an old Flash game. This time the walk looks more detailed.

I still find it really weird to use old Flash game as a negative regardless. So much awesome stuff! Think of Samorost for example.

I can’t be sure, but aren’t these videos supposed to be demonstrations of the actual game? They would lose their meaning if Ron programmed them ad hoc…

Yeah, but it’s undeniable that the majority of Flash games just went with the easiest way and half-assed animations.

And the same can be sadly said for Spine nowadays. All crappy mobile phone game ads you get have these smooth but terribly unpolished breathing animations, it’s easy to associate this style with something low quality.

Fortunately I never played these flash games so I don’t have such bad memories. I watched so much South Park that this kind of walk animation feels completely normal to me…

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Programming in this sense can also be a recording of input, but I don’t really see any difference between clicking to go somewhere and “clicking” to go somewhere as far as showing the game goes. Except that you get rid of a dead half second in the middle.

Even there I think that’s rather unkind to say about something someone made in a couple weeks in their spare time. Although I realize you’re able to push out something significantly higher quality in a similar timeframe. :wink:

I think that there is more than one factor in play. My hypothesis:

  • We have been exposed to different levels of art polishing over time. Dominic has said that a lot of polishing was made after people saw the first screenshots.
  • The trailer felt more like a fast-paced collage of custscenes and some real gameplay, while the new clip provides something very similar to what the player will actually experience.
  • We can’t assume that all game environments will get the same amount of care. We hope that all game locations will be consistently cared of, but we can’t exclude that some iconic place like Melee Island docks received extra attention.
  • Melee docks at night tick many nostalgia and emotional boxes that new locations don’t. Especially if you take in account that the developers have practically replicated the original MI1 design. LeChuck’s ship anchored there also reminds us of a time when the same ship appeared ominously in those waters, after kidnapping Elaine.
  • Soundtrack definitely helps.

So I can understand why this short clip feels like a Monkey Island game more than what was shared before.

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But I’m a little bit disappointed that we won’t get tank controls:

https://twitter.com/phrenopolis/status/1549085896099524608

They are (short) advertisements. (And not demos.)

This is interesting because Ron made not so good experiences with releasing unpolished and earlier graphics from Thimbleweed Park. I really thought that he publishes only polished and/or final art to the public.

I guess it also weirds me that Guybrush is moving at “running” speed while using a “walking” animation, so that he’s sort of power walking across. Escape and Tales got me used to seeing a run animation when Guybrush was moving faster.

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Big agree, but with this latest reveal the walk cycle is still the thing I’m most critical of. But since Ron confirmed the animations are all done live in spline, maybe modders will be able to do some tweaks… And other hilarious possibilities.

This is my favorite drop of what they’ve released with the possible exception of their remarkable website. Very exciting.

Tank controls in an adventure game was the worst idea ever, imho. I’m really glad, Grim Fandango remastered got a point & click interface. I wish, Escape from Monkey Island would receive the same treatment.

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Well, Guybrush’s face is admittedly stiff, but not tank-armor stiff.

I have noticed that some of the early shared screenshots have not been included in both the official website and the Steam page.

It doesn’t prove anything, but one hypothesis is that some of those screenshots were still a work in progress.

As I’ve said before, I don’t exclude that the April 1st gag forced them to share some non-final material.

Let me share with you the superpower that will help me enjoying this game more: I don’t look at Guybrush too much. :stuck_out_tongue:

Yes, the social resistance against this art style is so strong that the chance of getting mods is significant.

Still, I feel like it’s the kind of style that might grow on me if I give it time. It didn’t happen with MI1SE, but I like abstract art so I can’t exclude that I’ll learn to appreciate this RtMI Guybrush, in the future.

I’m glad too.

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