There are four magic words that have turned the world of video games upside down in the last few hours. The first two are “Monkey Island” and the other two are “Ron Gilbert”. The explosive formula that these words compose together is probably unique in the history of digital interactivity: the Monkey Island saga is one of the most loved, perhaps the most loved of the last thirty years of electronic adventures. And that of Ron Gilbert is the author’s signature, the one behind the first two titles in the story: 1990’s The Secret of Monkey Island and Monley Island 2: LeChuck’s revenge.
There were three other titles then, but none under the creative direction of Gilbert, who was the one who bluntly made the game the success it is and for which the gamer community is still inflamed today. A direction of excellence that made the first two Monkey Islands immortal adventures, rightfully entered among the most beautiful video games of all time, and that after the separation between Gilbert and LucasArts, the original publisher of the games, seemed destined to remain in history, yes, but like memories. But the news came as a surprise: there will be a third Monkey Island directed by Ron Gilbert, it will be called Return to Monkey Island and will be set temporally by the parts of the two original titles. In short, the next three not edited by him Gilbert makes it clear that he does not calculate them at all, and that is enough to unleash the enthusiasm of the fans.
From the short trailer it is clear that the narrative and graphic style of the game is both contemporary and classic. Very little is known at this point other than that Return to Monkey Island will be out in 2022, so soon, and that it has been developed in the last two years in total secrecy. The protagonist Guybrush Threepwood will also return together to the mysterious monkey island, and who knows perhaps the terrible ghost pirate LeChuck, the duels to the white weapon seasoned with ridiculous insults in pirate, the three-headed monkeys, the taverns and the Grog that flows to rivers, emotions and the wonder of the unknown, and of course Gilbert’s sharp and even popular and decidedly American irony, which is the real engine of all the pirate adventures in the archipelago of his imagination. And who knows that the thirty years that have passed since the first titles do not bring something else in the hold of the treasure chests. The game will probably be cross-platform even if there are no details in this regard for now. All that remains is to wait to land, once again, at the port of the islands of the funniest freebooters ever. And once off the vessel, utter the single most immortal phrase of LeChuck’s ghost: “My name is Guybrush Threepwood and I am a fearsome pirate!”.