Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan review

Previously, on Monkey Island: Voodoo pox! Human LeChuck! Magical sea-sponges! At this point in the series, it’s almost like reviewing a TV show rather than a game. The basic structure, the characters, the overall plot – you’re not going to jump into Guybrush’s world at this point. So the question is more how well this episode continues the series, than how it might stand alone. In short... it’s strange. But then, the majority of it is set inside a giant manatee’s stomach.

Taken as a straight adventure, this isn’t the best episode of the series, with the limited location making it feel both shorter and easier than it is. The lack of space means that there’s much more of an emphasis on gimmick puzzles, ranging from a genuinely good one involving a bodyswapping voodoo locket, to a frankly painful one about making scary pirate faces. Mostly, they’re fine, but not great.

As a continuation of the story, however, the episode works well. Much of it revolves around Guybrush and his sexy pirate-hunting fangirl Morgan LeFlay, and her realization that the hero whose picture she keeps in her corset might not be the murderous badass she thinks. While predictable, their growing relationship is a great example of Telltale’s increasing knack for expanding the episodic concept into a growing plotline, not just a monthly wacky premise full of one-liners. This definitely isn’t their strongest adventure, but it’s part of their strongest series – a journey that’s so far been much more enjoyable than the sum of its parts.

Oct 8, 2009