Ron Gilbert is one of the most influential figures in the early adventure video game scene. After joining LucasArts in 1983, then known asLucasfilm games, Gilbert quickly began to rise the developer’s ranks and was soon offered the opportunity to develop his own adventure game alongside artist Gary Winnick. This game becameManiac Mansion, a 1987 graphic adventure that’s still beloved today. Gilbert went on to create the SCUMM Engine, which would go on to power hisMonkey Islandseries and just about any other 1990s LucasArts adventure title. After a 30-year hiatus, Ron Gilbert is back, once again helming aMonkey Islandgame, this time fittingly titledReturn to Monkey Island.
Released just a few weeks ago,Return to Monkey Islandhas been one of the hidden hits of 2022, with an incredible critical reception. Managing to not only capture the same light-hearted, cutting humor of the original, but elevate it far beyond its 1990s predecessors,Return to Monkey Islanddelivers a hilarious sea-faring adventure packed with fan-service and a surprising amount of emotional depth. Nowhere is this more present than in the game’s multiple endings, some of which are very heartfelt.
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Return to Monkey Island’s Main Ending and Post-Credits Scenes
The general plot ofReturn to Monkey Islandpicks up right afterMonkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, and sees an older Guybrush Threepwood telling his son, Boybrush, about the time he finally set sail in pursuit of the Secret of Monkey Island. Along the way, Guybrush meets up with a colorful cast of characters, most of which come straight from the previous entries in the franchise.Return to Monkey Islandfeatures over 10 different endings, with five of those being the endings fans are most likely to see after finishing up their first playthrough.
The end ofReturn to Monkey Islandsees Guybrush about to discoverthe Secret of Monkey Island,and the outcome is decided by the player’s final choice. The main ending sees the player open up the locked chest with the animatronic’s key. The chest opens to reveal a novelty T-shirt that reads “I found the Secret of Monkey Island and all it was was this stupid t-shirt.” The camera then cuts to the present day, where Boybrush asks what was in the chest, leaving the player to choose one of five different dialogue options.
The first of these, “The chest was filled with gems, rubies and gold!” shows a post-credits scene of Boybrush playing on top of a big pile of gold. The second option, “The secret was really the friends we made along the way,” shows Guybrush sailing off with a handful ofReturn to Monkey Islandcharacters. The third choice, “Your mom was right, it’s better not to know,” shows Guybrush burying the chest in the ground. Number four, “I wasn’t making anything up, that was what really happened,” sees Guybrush, Elaine, and Boybrush receiving three tickets to the park.
And the final option, “There isn’t any one answer to what the Secret is,” shows a banana spinning on top of a rock, which is a reference toChristopher Nolan’sInception. Just before these post-credits scenes, Elaine mentions that she’s found the map to the treasure of Mire Island, hinting that their sea-faring careers are far from over. Guybrush then sits back, taking in the view by himself for one, peaceful moment.
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Return to Monkey Island’s Secret Endings
On top of the main endings,Return to Monkey Islandalso has a handful ofsecret endings, most of which can be achieved by cutting the game short in one way or another. The first of these, and by far the most sinister, can be seen by letting Guybrush drown three times in a row. During the section where Guybrush is walking underwater, players can let the timer run out, which causes a present day Boybrush to say that couldn’t have happened. If this is repeated twice more, the camera cuts once again to the bench where the two sit, but now no one’s there. Instead, text appears on screen reading, “Many years ago on this very day, Guybrush Threepwood died from what authorities would later call an accidental drowning. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Elaine. They had no children.”
A few other endings can be seen inReturn to Monkey Island. If the player grabs the key but chooses to leave with Elaine before opening the chest, then a cinematic of Guybrush throwing the key into some lava is shown, likely being a reference tothe ending ofLord of the Rings. If the player decides to leave Monkey Island without either the key or the chest, then the camera cuts back to present day, showing Boybrush’s friend Chuckie playing with the key.
If the player decides to leave Monkey Island without Elaine, then even more endings can be unlocked. Instead of leaving with Elaine, the player can choose to use Stan’s keys to leave via the caves. If the player does this before picking up the key, then the game will show Guybrush and Elaine sailing off to sea together. If the player leaves via the caves after grabbing the key, but not opening the chest, then it’ll showLeChuck and Liladueling over the chest. And if the player leaves the T-shirt, then the game shows the Voodoo Lady returning to find her shop has been destroyed.
Return to Monkey Islandis available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.
