We’ve gotten past “this exists,” so now let’s see if we can collect the cold hard facts that have come to light about Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island so far.
Your first burning question is most likely, “Is Ron involved?” Frankly, I think you guys are insulting Disney by even raising that as a concern. We’re talking about the creator of Monkey Island here. We can take it for granted that they’d show the basic courtesy of at least consulting him about the project.
Uh, whoops. Well listen, I’m sure it’s perfectly innocent. They probably just didn’t know how to get a hold of him. Moving on, you’ve got this interview with Creative Director Mike Chapman which pretty much summarizes everything known so far. The product will consist of a three-part expansion to Sea of Thieves, released on a monthly basis. As you heard from the trailer, the key voice talent has been retained. And as for the story-line, well, they seem rather committed to having one:
And that title – The Legend of Monkey Island – is riffing on the main series’ titles. Can you talk more about where it falls in the timeline?
The double meaning of the ‘legend’ in The Legend of Monkey Island, refers to Guybrush’s “past stories”, and the adventure you will go on in this new Tall Tale in Sea of Thieves.
One of the things we thought was absolutely key was that we tap into were the themes and core DNA of what makes Monkey Island… ‘Monkey Island’, and what makes Sea of Thieves…‘Sea of Thieves’ – weaving them together at a deep thematic level beyond just the pirate thing. We wanted to pull from the most beloved elements of the franchises while also trying to pick a time period where an untold story could be unveiled.
The double meaning of the ‘legend’ in The Legend of Monkey Island, refers to Guybrush’s “past stories”, and the adventure you will go on in this new Tall Tale in Sea of Thieves.
The story takes place when Guybrush gets to marry the love of his life, Elaine. At the end of the third game, The Curse of Monkey Island, Guybrush sails off to the horizon on a galleon with “Just Married” on the back, and they go off to presumably have their honeymoon. It’s a really interesting entry point for our story – what if Guybrush and Elaine had their honeymoon in the Sea of Thieves? What if they had been invited to the Sea of Thieves to have this ultimate pirate honeymoon? And that’s where our story picks up.
Personally, I don’t understand the need for this “alternate history” exercise when Return to Monkey Island burnt so many calories to make the further adventures of Guybrush and Elaine as open-ended as possible. I mean, do they not even remember ending #8-Q?
Anyway, it’s not a real Monkey Island game until The SCUMM Bar anoints it an official acronym, but as we await that formality, it's cool to get the sense that the team at Rare is so enthusiastic to play in this sandbox. Stay tuned throughout the week as Mojo does its best to orient itself to the implausible reality that Monkey Island games are now a yearly event.
Source: Xbox Wire
