Guybrush must stop LeChuck! There’s just one problem…he’s dead.
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood was a brilliant episode full of classic Monkey Island humour, but also a lot of plot development which pushed the series forward. Morgan was murdered and after curing the pox, Guybrush was killed by LeChuck as he absorbed the pox back into himself. So now that Guybrush is dead, how can he possibly save Elaine?
Rise of the Pirate God starts out as Guybrush pushes his way through is grave only to find he is at the crossroads, an area where a soul determines which path it goes onto. Upon tricking the grim reaper to get aboard the boat, he soon comes across means to open a rift back into the world of the living. Of course, you still have to get control of your body and stop LeChuck…which is not as easy as it sounds, there are plenty of obstacles stopping Guybrush from doing all that.
The puzzles in this episode are perhaps a bit easier than past episodes, but I did get really stuck at a few points and was certain I was caught up in a glitch because I was reviewing an evaluation version, but it turned out that I simply forgot to get a list of ingredients so I could pick up the items in question. While it might have been nice for the puzzles to be harder, I personally liked the flow of the episode more than past ones…except for the backtracking.
This episode is the best of the season because it brings everything to a head, but also lets you revisit a few areas from past chapters. It’s a bit nostalgic and it’s quite sad when it ends, I can’t help wondering where the series will go from here…will Telltale get another crack at making another season or will it vanish again for a few years? I hope it’s the former and not the latter. I don’t know about anyone else, but I found myself quite attached to Morgan throughout the season…there’s just something about her that’s curious and was relieved to find her in the crossroads. Her storyline progresses somewhat and I hope to see more of her in the future of the series.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of the episode is when you come across Winslow and discover he is in love with the mermaid-esque style creature from Siege of Spinner Cay. Believe it or not though, it does play a big part in the showdown with LeChuck. Of course, I won’t spoil much else about the finale as it has to be watched. Does the Voodoo Lady really control the fates of both Guybrush and LeChuck? Well, even I’m not sure about that…
Visually, the episode is the same as the rest of the season. Having said that, the crossroads look eerie and well detailed. Character animation has been a huge plus through the season and the final chapter does not disappoint. Voice-acting is brilliant as always, mostly thanks to an excellent script that made me fall in love with the series for the first time.
The Verdict
So, Guybrush is dead but must rise from the dead to save everyone. It sounds like an epic climax to a great season and it is! The season has been great from start to finish and it ends on the greatest high I’ve seen in a Telltale game to date. I cannot wait to see what they do with the series next.
