“The Curse of Monkey Island” is arguably the only Monkey Island sequel that didn’t involve the original creative team to be still perceived as a classic. It’s a faithful reiteration of the formula of the first two games with updated graphics and voice acting. The cartoonish visual style took a whole new direction, and even though the mood does feel different, it was undoubtedly the most logical way to transpose the visuals of the first two games in a higher definition. It also became the visual standard for all the other sequels and remakes.

The game also brought essential quality-of-life improvements such as double-clicking to exit an area or the “coin” to condense the dozen of verbs from the previous games into three main actions.

The plot and overall structure felt very similar to “The Secret of Monkey Island”, with the last chapter reminding me of “Monkey Island 2”. The plot is as lousy and derivative as it gets, but the characters and puzzle chains can get quite hilarious. Despite having none of the original writers, the humor felt absolutely on par with the standards set by the series. I always thought that the Guybrush-LeChuck-Elaine triangle was what made us tired of Monkey Island over the years. It felt unnecessary in the first sequel already, and “The Curse of Monkey Island” even turns it into the main driving force behind the plot. Introducing new characters and trying out new things could have been risky but, at the same time, much more rewarding. Not that the plot is that essential in a Monkey Island game, as it’s usually about the humor of the individual sequences.