Telltale. You are charged with the following crime…making the best episode to date.
The Lair of the Leviathan left us as Guybrush found La Esponja Grande and Morgan LeFlay betrayed him to take him back to the Marquis de Singe from Episode One. When they get back to Flotsam Island however, Guybrush is arrested by the pox-infected pirates and put on trial for his crimes throughout the episodes…how will Guybrush talk his way out of being hanged?
This episode sees the return of salesman Stan who I first saw in the XBLA remake of Secret of Monkey Island. He was annoying there and he’s annoying here, but he serves a few important parts to puzzle solving, as well as being your prosecutor in court. The charges against Guybrush start out being absolutely ridiculous like causing a burn on a pirate leg with nacho cheese. Luckily, the pirates are dumb and with some smooth talking allow Guybrush out of his cell to hunt for ways to prove his innocence.
After all that is done, you are then accused of spreading the pox. The trouble is that Guybrush doesn’t have anyone to defend him since La Esponja Grande doesn’t seem to be working anymore. Well, Elaine comes to the rescue…kind of. She’s heavily infected with the pox and soon realises that Morgan has been near Guybrush which triggers a jealous outrage and the two battle it out in Club 41. This episode pushes the storyline further with a few unexpected twists that I will leave you to find out. One of them is pretty obvious since it’s in the title of the game, but the others I wasn’t expecting.
The puzzles are a bit easier this time around and it’s great to be back on Flotsam Island. It may seem like the area is recycled, but there are new areas that you didn’t get to see first time like the courtroom and the inside of Club 41. Telltale has once again outdone themselves with clever writing and puzzles that once again stand out from its predecessors. Last month I said that the third episode was the best to date and I expected Episode 4 to topple it…well, I was right. This is the best episode so far and it sets it up perfectly for a season finale next month. I cannot wait.
I personally would love this series to come to XBLA since the remake of Secret of Monkey Island is on the platform, plus I’d relish an opportunity to replay the season with achievements. Hopefully they will eventually bring it to the console, but until then…the PC/WiiWare versions will have to suffice. Visually, the episode is the same as past instalments, but the animation seems to be improving. Voice-acting is brilliant as usual, but the script is superb and that’s why the audio got an extra point this month.
The Verdict
If I went into anymore detail about The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood, I’d give away key points of the story that you need to see for yourself. It maintains the formula so far, but surpasses its predecessors with some clever plot twists and shock moments that will blow the mind of any Monkey Island fan. Bring on the final episode, Rise of the Pirate God!
