Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge – Special Edition is a recreation of the original Monkey Island 2. Guybrush rose to prominence during the events of The Secret of Monkey Island, but his star is fading. He is now on the hunt for Big Whoop’s fabled wealth. Unfortunately, he is stranded on Scabb Island, where Largo LaGrande, a former henchman of LeChuck, rules and steals all of Guybrush’s wealth… His first goal is to flee Scabb Island, but his search for Big Whoop becomes more personal as an old foe resurfaces…
The game doesn’t differ much from its predecessor in gameplay: the player explores the area, solves item-based puzzles, and interacts with many individuals via multiple-choice dialogues. The game’s primary focus is the search for a treasure map, which requires the player to solve interwoven puzzles across three islands.
This Special Edition’s three main new elements are the all-new graphics, full voice acting (now also available while playing with the old pictures), and new controls similar to The Curse of Monkey Island’s coin control. When right-clicking on an object, all good verbs appear. The player can optionally circle through the verbs to modify the default command for the left mouse button. Of course, he can always return to the original version, where the original SCUMM-Interface with nine verbs is at the bottom of the screen. To begin an action, the player must select one of these verbs and then click on an item in the game world or the inventory.
New players are unfamiliar with the original game will benefit from two additions that will make their lives easier: a hint system and the option to illuminate all interactive components on the screen. On the other hand, the original game’s “easy” option is not included. The optional in-game commentary by Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer, and Dave Grossman can be activated during specific game sequences and provides background information regarding the original game’s development.
