Monkey Island Ch 3 - Lair of the Leviathan - Now available!

124

Comments

  • edited October 2009
    jmm wrote: »
    Not everyone wants to get stuck for over a week or so to solve a puzzle. Also consider that the game is episodic, if all the things you say are put in the game the following will probably happen:
    a) The pricetag will increase considerably. "Episodes" will cost around $30 each (More assets (dialogs, graphics) means more money, more QA/testing, more planning)
    b) The games will be released yearly (or worse) instead of monthlyish
    c) The game will cater to hardcore gamers.

    While I still think the difficulty should be increased but not more
    than a few notches (2 or 3 notches).

    The idea floating around of having a difficult mode which the user can select if s/he wants, has some merits (hardcore friendly, replayability) it also complicates development and testing plus it needs more time to develop (which raises costs) and it widens the gap between releases.

    What I think can be a middle point is to both increase the difficulty and enhance (*fix*) the hint system. That way if users get stuck (due to the increased difficulty), there is always a simple way to get past frustrations without resorting to the internets (which is fine as a last resort, but I prefers hints since you are still in the game)


    Fortunately you don't have to walk with those items in real life :)

    We wait 8 years...

    I dont care about the price, if they are doing this just for the money... it sucks, the game diserves to be perfect, and if it take 2x work, it should be done.

    Im not asking to make the game triple harder, but at least double... in 1 to 10 it just get a 2 in hard... at least a 5 should be acceptable...

    I repeat... i dont want to say... Tales Of Monkey Island, the easyest Graphic Adventure Ever Made...

    I was 10 when i go trough games like Monkey 1, 2... i loved to get stuck, and think all day and night in what should i do... I loved when i was 14 and i played for 4 months GrimFandando, 5hours daily...

    Hard is always better... A game that takes me 3 hours per episode, it just pisses me off.
  • edited October 2009
    We were promised by Dave Grossman it would get harder as well as darker. I love the 3rd episode to bits and while it has innovative new types of puzzles, the difficulty really isn't increasing.
  • edited October 2009
    Did I love the episode? Yes. Did I think it was easier than the others? Yes. Did I see the ending coming? Yes.
  • edited October 2009
    What's with the male manatee suddenly suggesting the Cyrano strategy? Really odd leap of logic there.

    And it's still really easy, by the way.
  • edited October 2009
    Congratulations on another great episode, Telltale!

    Perhaps the best one so far(?). I particularily like that the story takes place within a very limited space, so that you don't have to spend time travelling from place to place (I'm a bit impatient, I know).
  • edited October 2009
    Sure it's a bit on the easy side, but it's definetely THE BEST episode yet!

    CONGRATS TELLTALE!

    funny, engaging and the puzzles (although easy) are INGENIOUS! Everything is logical, funny and interesting!

    keep it up!
  • edited October 2009
    Wow, calm down guy. I was alittle disappointed that I finished it so fast also. Although, I feel like I know the puzzle style of MI so they are easier. I just dont think you should be cursing at the guys who brought this great series back from the dead.

    yea i know its great that they brought it back and all that, but dont tell me that you werent dissapointed with this episode. you have to admit that it was too easy and all that waitin pisses u off even more. i just feel im not gettin my moneys worth here. im sure lot of ppl agree with me. i gave them my money and i got every right to say whatever i want.
  • edited October 2009
    yea i know its great that they brought it back and all that, but dont tell me that you werent dissapointed with this episode. you have to admit that it was too easy and all that waitin pisses u off even more. i just feel im not gettin my moneys worth here. im sure lot of ppl agree with me. i gave them my money and i got every right to say whatever i want.

    Didn't you appreciate the acting, the music, the laughs, the innovative designs for the (albeit easy) puzzles? It feels like MI to me, dunno about you. Murray's lines were well written, I thought.
  • edited October 2009
    I might have missed you saying it, Jake, but what was that little detail that you put into LotL from Majus' video?
  • edited October 2009
    I might have missed you saying it, Jake, but what was that little detail that you put into LotL from Majus' video?
    Manateeeeeeeeee!
  • JakeJake Telltale Alumni
    edited October 2009
    I might have missed you saying it, Jake, but what was that little detail that you put into LotL from Majus' video?

    Blurgh I need to find what I wrote somewhere else and save it to a clipboard. It was a teeny tiny littlest detail ever, during the moment when you're ejected out of the manatee. I thought that Majus did that well in his "Wonder What Happens" video, with the falling and flying debris, especially pieces of glass and wood breaking (implying crates and lanterns and bottles falling off the ship), so when you see that lantern fly past Guybrush's head and make a glass shattering sound, that was put in because Majus put it in his flash film. See, smallest weirdest thing ever, that doesn't matter to anyone, but hey.
  • edited October 2009
    I wasn't one of those people who wanted ToMI to be horrifically difficult, MI2 style, getting me stuck for hours. And I didn't have a problem with episode 1's difficulty at all, given that it was the start of the game, and I was expecting it to get harder.

    But I have to honestly say, as good as many things in this chapter were, it was short (it felt shorter than the other episodes), and it was way too easy for being halfway through the game. Are things really getting harder, or are the time constraints limiting how many puzzles you get in? I mean, this episode only really had, what, four or five places? It's pretty small, and there weren't really very complex puzzles with items.

    If it's still getting better, I'll live with it (since everything else in the episode was still great), but if episode 4 and 5 are going to be similar in challenge and puzzle depth, I kind of wish you'd taken a bit more time before releasing these...
  • edited October 2009
    Wow I didn't think all of Episode 3's puzzles were easy, sometimes I was really glad they put that hint system so you'd know where to look. It's not like you're playing Monkey Island 3 (which took most of my time awake during a 7-day week to beat both versions). I thought that Manatee mating "insult fighting" was a pain and getting crew members to crack or elect you in to the brother hood took awhile. It brought back some great memories of playing Monkey Island 1-3 (Never really cared for 4). Yes some of the puzzles seemed familiar to previous games, but I didn't think this episode was a walk in the park.
  • edited October 2009
    i think people just want some longer, more involved puzzles like the 4 map pieces in MI2. it was only one chapter of the whole game, but it took a LONG TIME to get each map piece and it was such a huge accomplishment when you finally got one.

    ToMI keeps doing these "do three of this action" puzzles, and they really dont take long at all, and you basically end up completing all three almost at the same time. so that really makes it feel short when you can complete 3 major puzzles all in the span of 5 minutes of each other.

    i just remember each map piece in MI2 had a bunch of objectives in a row to accomplish, with twists and turns. you pretty much just HAD TO focus on one map-piece at a time because there was so much to it.

    i think that's what's missing from TTG puzzles. theyre always the same formula.

    Intro puzzle
    3-part puzzle
    center short puzzle
    3-part puzzle
    and then final battle/puzzle

    this sort of chopped-up formula really doesnt lend itself to long, involved, drawn-out puzzles like the ones we loved from MI1, 2, and 3. and that's kinda saddening.


    edit: this is just my opinion, nobody freak out
  • edited October 2009
    Is there a way to purchase only Ep 3? I got Ep 1 for free on Pirate day, bought Ep 2 and now it seems I can only purchase a full subscription which seems very unnecessary to me. (Meaning I won't)
  • edited October 2009
    rakrul wrote: »
    Is there a way to purchase only Ep 3? I got Ep 1 for free on Pirate day, bought Ep 2 and now it seems I can only purchase a full subscription which seems very unnecessary to me. (Meaning I won't)

    The release of single episode purchase seems much later than the release of the episode for download by those who bought the full season. It'll come. :)
  • SiNSiN
    edited October 2009
    This was the best episode this far IMO. Great job telltale!
  • edited October 2009
    AdventureGamers actually gave it a good review!

    http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,1077
  • edited October 2009
    AdventureGamers actually gave it a good review!

    http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,1077
    Finally :) I was actually quite surprised how low their scores have been so far (especially since they've been quite generous to some less-then-perfect recent adventure titles). Oh well, different tastes I guess.
  • edited October 2009
    I finished it yesterday, and it is definitely my favorite episode yet. Fantastic job, guys! Can't wait to play the next installment.
  • edited October 2009
    I finished it yesterday, too. Definitely a quality chapter, and probably my favorite one so far. The characters in this chapter were much richer and more memorable, in my opinion. Can't wait for Chapter 4!
    "Walking around the ocean with this in my pants probably wasn't the smartest idea."
  • edited October 2009
    Thanks, your game is just awsome !

    I just didn't enjoy the
    Manatee talk thing
    .
  • edited October 2009
    Is there anyway someone can send me a video of the ending to this chapter? I got to the part where
    Moose smashes Guybrush and Morgans heads together
    and then my computer crashed. I ask this because the game is installed on my brothers profile and I don't know the password. I need to know what happens. It has to be the end right? I won't see my brother again until tomorrow night and that's a long time to wait for a few minutes left of a game. If there's still more gameplay after this then I'll wait, but I kinda doubt it. Can someone help me out PLEASE!
  • edited October 2009
    Thanks Jake! I saw that there was still gameplay and stopped watching. I thought that was the end, but since there's still gameplay I'll wait.
  • edited October 2009
    Exactly, the short puzzlez just make it easy, as the few places u can go, or the few objectives u have to acomplish...

    I insist:
    1-More places
    2-More characters
    3-Longer objectives
    4-More items inside (so it gets hard to know what is the right item to use)
    5-Try not the obvius things.
    6-Unnusefull items, or clicks spots.
  • edited October 2009
    I started playing it on Wednesday and played it for about half an hour before I had to go out for the rest of the day. Then I was busy and didn't get round to continuing until today. And today I got back into it so quickly I didn't stop playing until I finished it!

    I don't recall getting really stuck anywhere (though some puzzles caused me to stop and think for a while). So maybe I found the puzzles a little easier than expected in this one. However, the actual concepts for the puzzles were amazing!! Some of my favourite puzzles were:
    The face-off (going round and collecting facial expressions!)
    Switching bodies with the Voodoo Lady, and using the tarot cards
    Helping a manatee get a date (confusing at first, but had fun with it in the end)

    A couple of other memorable bits in this one for me were
    giving a laxative to exit the manatee (nasty yet appropriate!)
    and of course,
    Murray
    .

    As always, the presentation was as lovely as the first 2 chapters. Lovely graphics with fantastic facial expressions from the characters, really nice music (beautifully composed and well arranged), excellent voice acting from all the cast and a fun storyline.

    Also, the end credits were entertaining! (kind of a weird comment, but true)

    Telltale, you've done it again!! :D Once again I give you two thumbs up!
  • edited October 2009
    thiz wrote: »
    Still very short with just 1:30 hour playtime but best game-episode ever made by telltale in my opinion! This one rocks so hard, just the credits are worth for playing.

    1h30m?

    You really need to turn off the hint system completely. Its under options. And it really sounds like you just did not do any mistakes, which is a lot of good gags missed.

    I actually used the hint system for the first time in this game.

    *SPOILER* *SPOILER* I thought I had to ride the Manatee back to the Island somehow. I could probably have figured out about the locket without the hint I got after turning on the hint system, but it said it was only my mind that needed to go to Spoon Island, and I just knew I had to take a closer look at the locket.

    It was also great that there was an extra face puzzle, and only there to be a gag :) The whole episode was great. I think I used 6 hours on it, and it probably helped that I didnt play it all the way through in one night. That way it is easier to enjoy exploring all possibilities just to hear what they are going to say to it. Completing the game in 1 hour and 30 min, you probably never got stuck, and certainly did not try out all the stuff those "mini games" as they were called could lead to.

    I also liked how getting DeCava a drink seemed like you needed color his drink, but turned out to be a monocle puzzle :D Two great parts of MI2. And it seemed it was made that way on purpose. *SPOILER*
    *SPOILER*

    I liked the mini games a lot more than having several places to go between since those places didnt have much puzzle in them anyway, the way I see it. If there are going to be lots of locations, there needs to be lots of puzzles to go with that, otherwise the game only gets long because of the travel time, instead of hearing all those responses you can get.

    If the game is to be bigger they would have to make the game non episodic, because then they wouldnt be limited to short episodes, but could link all the Islands in this game. Perhaps make another Monkey Game that isnt episodic but perhaps revisits some of the Islands already visited with new twists? One where there is several places to visit.

    I certainly enjoyed this episode alot, and to those who played through this episode in less than 2 hours probably even 2½ hours, try doing all those puzzles and minigames again and get all the possible options out of them. Check out those "Did you try?" threads. Maybe find those treasure maps. Dont know if there is one in each episode, but that certainly should lengthen the game.
  • edited October 2009
    Exactly, the short puzzlez just make it easy, as the few places u can go, or the few objectives u have to acomplish...

    I insist:
    1-More places
    2-More characters
    3-Longer objectives
    4-More items inside (so it gets hard to know what is the right item to use)
    5-Try not the obvius things.
    6-Unnusefull items, or clicks spots.

    Items with no use at all is a cheap way to lengthen a game. More characters really would not make it better for me if they are all just making glass unicorns or helping some unknown pirate. In episode 3 there might not have been many characters or locations but at least there were more than 2 puzzles per location and more mini games with witty remarks, and all the characters were usefull and had good jokes.

    You are looking for a game that isnt episodic. Being episodic it just cant have more characters and items without creating meaningless stuff. If it isnt episodic it is easier to make a game were you have to visit several locations to solve puzzles. Maybe you should try Simon 4 or Ceville. Those games have lots of items and places, although I find the jokes and gags in this game better overall.

    You could also try Gobliiins 4, but it is almost episodic as well since every level is just one screen, and many puzzles repeat themselves. The earlier Gobliiins games were much better, but Im still glad they made a 4th one.
  • edited October 2009
    I thought I had to ride the Manatee back to the Island somehow. I could probably have figured out about the locket without the hint I got after turning on the hint system, but it said it was only my mind that needed to go to Spoon Island, and I just knew I had to take a closer look at the locket.
    The locket puzzle was really easy, when u first gave it to Decava, u can see how he push the botton, and the arrow obvyusli shows who goes to a body. And the wrench, just give u the answer with out thinking...


    It was also great that there was an extra face puzzle, and only there to be a gag :) The whole episode was great.
    The face puzzle its like swordfigthing, just easyer and faster, and the ship face puzzle, was really obius... he was the only one where u can "ARRR" and then choose a face, so, it was for sure that u needed to use a face on him.
    I think I used 6 hours on it, and it probably helped that I didnt play it all the way through in one night. That way it is easier to enjoy exploring all possibilities just to hear what they are going to say to it. Completing the game in 1 hour and 30 min, you probably never got stuck, and certainly did not try out all the stuff those "mini games" as they were called could lead to.
    I´ve completed in 2 hours, and a do all the talk with evereyone, and tryed almost everything, even more with murray :P

    I also liked how getting DeCava a drink seemed like you needed color his drink, but turned out to be a monocle puzzle :D Two great parts of MI2. And it seemed it was made that way on purpose. *SPOILER*
    *SPOILER*
    I frist tryed to melt orange and yellow, to make something in the middle, it didnt work, then i remember his eyeglass and my items. no more tahn 3 minutes.

    I liked the mini games a lot more than having several places to go between since those places didnt have much puzzle in them anyway, the way I see it. If there are going to be lots of locations, there needs to be lots of puzzles to go with that, otherwise the game only gets long because of the travel time, instead of hearing all those responses you can get.
    Nobody says a lot of travel, i mean a lot of places to go, but they dont need to be far one each other...
    I certainly enjoyed this episode alot, and to those who played through this episode in less than 2 hours probably even 2½ hours, try doing all those puzzles and minigames again and get all the possible options out of them. Check out those "Did you try?" threads. Maybe find those treasure maps. Dont know if there is one in each episode, but that certainly should lengthen the game.
    What? there r no puzzles or minigames that u can skip playing fast... Just talking, or using something in other something, to watch the response of it... I repeat, i read the "did u try" and i did almost everything, and finished the game in 2 hours. (the longer i got stuck, was 5 min)

    Items with no use at all is a cheap way to lengthen a game. More characters really would not make it better for me if they are all just making glass unicorns or helping some unknown pirate. In episode 3 there might not have been many characters or locations but at least there were more than 2 puzzles per location and more mini games with witty remarks, and all the characters were usefull and had good jokes.
    More items, will make u not see obvius things so easy... If u had 30 items to try, or think wich one will be good on "random thing", it makes game harder and better, more characters, are good... All the peopple must not be there for a reason to helpu, they could be there to make u get loss, sending u in a quest that cant be done, or things like that... If every character, has to be memorable, then noone will, couse they will all be perfect, and noone will light up... All characters usefull, makes game OBVIUS.

    You are looking for a game that isnt episodic. Being episodic it just cant have more characters and items without creating meaningless stuff. If it isnt episodic it is easier to make a game were you have to visit several locations to solve puzzles. Maybe you should try Simon 4 or Ceville. Those games have lots of items and places, although I find the jokes and gags in this game better overall.
    Maybe, u should try watching a movie, and not playing a Grapihc Adventure game, that´s supposed to MAKE U THINK and, burn ur ideas. If they will keep this "difficult puzzles" (sarcasm), i suggest, that next time, they make "Tales Of Monkey Island Movie - 3D animated for PC and Wii" and not a game.

    You could also try Gobliiins 4, but it is almost episodic as well since every level is just one screen, and many puzzles repeat themselves. The earlier Gobliiins games were much better, but Im still glad they made a 4th one.

    I played goblins 1, 2 and 3 when i was just a kid, less than 10 years old... They were fuck**n hard, and there were no "internet", or "solutions". The third, was a great game... But wth??? Goblins 4??' never heard of it!!! i will do some search when i come back to home...

    I´d been playing this games since i have 4 years, starting with Maniac Mansion, Day of tentacle, MI, Full Throotle, goblins, Indiana Jons, Sam & Max, Simon the sorcerrer, Grim Fandango, and a lot that i dont remember now... And i insist...

    TellTales... PLEASE, dont make a game, if it will be so easy... I dont wanna have to say that "Tales of Monkey Island, is the easyest Grapihc adventure game ever made"

    PS: Sorry about my bad english. (even not being english native, the game is that easy)

    Focus please... The game is excellent, the history is excellent... up to now, it could be a great movie, but not a game.
  • edited October 2009
    Wow, chapter 3 is just mindblowing and simply perfect. Thanks guys!
  • edited October 2009
    One of the things I loved about this episode was that Coronado and his crew got exactly what they deserved in the end. The boys might go back to their neverending frat party, but now that De Cava got them back, he's probably going to rope them into some diabolically convoluted, Monte Cristo-esque scheme to get revenge on Guybrush and/or the Voodoo Lady.
  • edited October 2009
    elaine's face always looks dirty
  • edited October 2009
    octochan wrote: »
    but now that De Cava got them back, he's probably going to rope them into some diabolically convoluted, Monte Cristo-esque scheme to get revenge on Guybrush and/or the Voodoo Lady.

    Aaaand, now we have a plot for the sequel. :D
  • edited October 2009
    I'm almost done with it, think. When does the fourth episode come out?
  • edited October 2009
    Duate wrote: »
    elaine's face always looks dirty

    Dirty as in grubby, a slur on the poor or dirty-minded?
  • edited October 2009
    tbm1986 wrote: »
    Dirty as in grubby, a slur on the poor or dirty-minded?
    like she's been fixin' cars all day
  • edited October 2009
    Duate wrote: »
    like she's been fixin' cars all day

    I don't get that on graphics setting 9
  • edited October 2009
    I loved this episode, go Murray!!
  • edited October 2009
    Is it me or has each episode gradually got less intricate? It only took a couple of hours or more and that was filled cut scenes. I never got stuck at any point for longer than a couple of minutes. This game should have been released as one and not broken up into episodes I would have paid the same price and it would be a whole lot more satisfying than finishing it in a few hours then waiting a whole month to be able to continue. Maybe i should have waited until they were all out.
Sign in to comment in this discussion.