Devolver Digital has announced Return to Monkey Island, a sequel to the beloved Lucasfilm Games (formerly LucasArts) franchise that helped define the point-and-click adventure genre in the 90s.
Return to Monkey Island is being brought to life by series creator Ron Gilbert via his development studio Terrible Toybox. Also returning are writer and programmer Dave Grossman, composer Michael Land, and actor Dominic Armato, who voices the main character, Guybrush Threepwood.
The Monkey Island games follow Guybrush on a multitude of wacky adventures as he tries to become a notorious pirate. Known for its humor, lovable characters, and player-friendly design that made it immensely difficult to fail, the series became one of the most influential and important within the point-and-click genre. This focus on wide-reaching appeal and accessibility helped to bring it to audiences that were otherwise put off by many of the more difficult and esoteric titles of the time.
After Gilbert departed from LucasArts in the mid-90s, the company went on to release three more sequels in the franchise for a total of five games. However, Return to Monkey Island has been confirmed to be a direct follow-up to Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, so it’s unknown at this time if the game will even acknowledge the latter entries in some way or set out to establish an entirely new canon.
No platforms have been announced for Return to Monkey Island, but it’s virtually guaranteed to at least wash ashore on PC when it releases later this year. We’re sure to hear more in the coming months.
