Monkey Island is one of the most beloved PC franchises of all time, and there are few players in their 30s and 40s who won’t feel pangs of nostalgia when they see the title character, Guybrush Threepwood. There’s no doubt that The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge was the best in the series, but the games went downhill slightly after Ron Gilbert left.

Gilbert has returned now, though, and he is the mastermind behind Return to Monkey Island. The new title has a lot of the elements that made the original so popular, and it could spell future offerings in the franchise.

First Ron Gilbert Game Since 1992

Many players and experts in the industry like GameRant believe that the second Monkey Island game was the best one in the series. That’s why it was such a shame that Gilbert left the development team and didn’t follow up with another offer. Gamers have had to wait a long time to see the original creator’s distinctive touch again, and their patience has been rewarded with the new installment.

Return to Monkey Island was released in September 2022 and is available on Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows. The game received positive scores across the board, with GameSpot awarding it a score of 9/10. The new offering is packed full of nostalgia-inducing callbacks to the first two games in the series, and it even includes the return of Dominic Armato as Threepwood. That means the new game has a familiar feel but also introduces plenty of fresh elements to appeal to modern players.

New Title Capitalizing on Pirate Popularity

There hasn’t been a game in the Monkey Island series since the release of Tales of Monkey Island in 2009. That title came nearly a decade after its predecessor, Escape From Monkey Island, so fans have been used to waiting a while for new installments to drop. The fifth game was well received as well and turned out to be Telltale Games’ most successful Monkey Island entry from a commercial perspective.

The recent release of the sixth game has the potential to outdo the sales record of the game that preceded it. That’s because it has dropped at a time when pirate themes are all the rage across the gaming industry. Ever since Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, swashbuckling options have been abundant on every platform.

The most common place to find pirate games is mobile, where there are titles like Plunder Pirates from Midoki Ltd. There are also some much-loved options at online casinos, with Pirates’ Plenty at PlayStar casino being one of the most popular games at the site. It features a treasure map, and players have to spin the reels to try to win gold.

Thanks to the success of Return to Monkey Island, both critically and commercially, it could well mean that there are other releases to come. There is so much potential for the franchise, and the prevalence of pirates in mainstream culture means that there will be a huge audience for any upcoming games.