Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood Review

In Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood, it’s reckoning time as the hero is set to pay for his mishaps. These include the malignant pox that has spread throughout the pirate universe, as well as other acts of malfeasance for which Guybrush seems to be a magnet. Solving the puzzles and the mystery of the pox will be your priority as you try to save Guybrush from an untimely trip to Davey Jones’ locker.

This chapter begins with some devilishly difficult puzzles, and ends with another one. Throughout, you are constantly on your toes as the entire island, it seems, is against you. Getting through this without a walkthrough will prove difficult for most, but the puzzles are also rewarding, and of course clever. What sets this chapter apart is the constant sense that something bad is going to happen, and the ominous title is definitely the first sign. Guybrush will literally fight for his life throughout, and when it’s all over, will it be enough?

As usual, your adventure will be chock full of characters, including an old Monkey Island series veteran, the hapless lawyer/salesman Stan. He adds a humorous and fresh twist to the proceedings, though his performance doesn’t match that of the talking skull, Murray, in the previous chapter. The writing and voice acting are solid, but in general they also don’t reach the quality (or humor) of the previous chapter, Lair of the Leviathan. This has more to do with how brilliant that chapter was, and not meant as a knock against Trial and Execution, which features some of the better cutscenes and plot twists of the season.

Unlike the previous chapters, there are no new locales in this chapter of the saga. Instead, you visit the site of the first chapter, Flotsam Island. The twist here is that you visit the island at night this time, and this provides the developers an opportunity to differentiate it with new textures, particle effects, and some very impressive environmental lighting. It really does feel different for the most part, but after the wonder provided by the previous chapters, it felt a bit disappointing heading back to Flotsam. Eventually, I did end up preferring this nighttime Flotsam to its daytime equivalent, and all of the previous enhancements in lighting and animation that have evolved with the series are present here. The audio, as usual, was very well implemented and set the tone perfectly for the wacky scenes, as well as the few serious scenes found in this chapter.

All things considered, it’s difficult to say that this is the best chapter in the series. The previous one, Lair of the Leviathan, featured funnier writing and prettier locales. Still, Flotsam Island has never looked better, and The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood featured tougher puzzles and a better story. While all of the previous chapters have ended in cliffhangers, Trial and Execution’s final act is the best one yet, and will surprise with the way it leaves the player on the edge of their seat. As usual, fans of the series or those who enjoyed previous chapters should pick this up immediately, while those who have yet to test these waters would do well to start at the beginning of what is shaping up to be the best adventure series on Wii.