The original Secret of Monkey Island was made great by interesting characters, funny dialogue, a whimsical world, and challenging puzzles or situations. It was NOT known for its graphics. Tales of Monkey Island succeeds in all the ways it should; new and memorable characters, hilarious conversations, a series of whacky and creative places, and challenging puzzles. Where it excels is in its puzzle structure which seems more streamlined and intuitive, which may disappoint hardcore puzzle addicts, but what it adds are more frequent "Aha!" moments than accidentally stumbling across an obscure "solution". Where it lacks is in it's plasticy textures and copy-pasted character models. But with TTGs Sam & Max, and Walking Dead series, I'm sure they can do better! I hope they secure the license for more Monkey Island!
Warren Spector, the legend behind this game and other great games like Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Thief: Dark Project, and Wing Commander, had a dream! He believed that a game could immerse you in all of its detail and story, but still let you be the one who drives the story in a direction you want to go. In a sense, the freedom of this game might be what inspired the story-tree games of Bioware. Its graphics are an unfortunate thing of the past, and the voice acting is deplorable at times, but those are often forgotten by the mysterious and secret-filled world of Deus Ex. For those who want to experience the thrill of infiltrating strongholds in ways the game designers didn't plan out for you, or dig through the layers of story carefully woven around you to unveil the conspiracies, this is a game for you! There is an old saying "Everytime you mention Deus Ex, SOMEONE will reinstall it." This is because it is a rich and timeless experience that is always surprising players, even when they have played it a dozen times before. Everyone should play it, but those who haven't shouldn't be ashamed, but rather excited that they can experience for the first time!
