Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge

I always appreciate it when an artist has a vision and the conviction to stick to it, even knowing that many folks won’t like it. And boy, did the ending to LeChuck’s Revenge leave a lot of frustrated players in its wake. As Guybrush Threepwood, mighty pirate, you’ve spent two games working against the evil ghost pirate LeChuck. Finally, as Monkey Island 2 nears its end, it’s clear you’re close to defeating him for a second time when…(huge spoilers for a 33-year-old game incoming…) it’s revealed that he’s your brother, you’re both kids, and the whole saga has just been childhood imaginings playing out at a pirate-themed amusement park!

I absolutely loved it. Guybrush always evinced an endearing, childlike naivete, and with this twist, both games became not just enjoyable, hilarious adventures, but also paeans to the power of imagination. It gave me a whole new context for everything that had happened, and a whole new lens through which to think about it. Subsequent sequels, which which series creator Ron Gilbert was not involved, basically retconned this ending out of existence, but when Gilbert finally returned to the helm for last year’s lovely Return to Monkey Island, he found his own way to bring things full circle, picking up where he left off all those years ago.—Carolyn Petit