While we still don’t know many details about Return to Monkey Island, some early images have already sparked controversy online.

The community has exploded at the unexpected news that Return to Monkey Island, developed by original creator Ron Gilbert, is in development. Although the renowned author announced the news in advance in the US on April 1st, we gamers only found out days later. This fact also highlights Gilbert’s trademark humour in video games, although, in fact, the creative is not always in the mood for jokes.

“I wanted to keep moving Monkey Island forward because it’s interesting, fun, and exciting.”- Ron Gilbert

Now Gilbert has written a blog post reflecting on one of the most criticised aspects of the upcoming game, the art style. After the first screenshots of the game were released, many gamers lashed out at the decision to move away from the classic pixels and give a more modern perspective than the original game released in 1990.

“When Dave [Grossman] and I first started brainstorming Return to Monkey Island we talked about pixel art, but it didn’t feel right. We didn’t want to make a retro game. You can’t read an article about Thimbleweed Park without it being called a “throwback game”. I didn’t want Return to Monkey Island to be just a throwback game, I wanted to keep moving Monkey Island forward because it’s interesting, fun, and exciting. It’s what the Monkey Island games have always done.”

“It may not be the art style you wanted or were expecting but it’s the art style I wanted.” – Ron Gilbert

“I wanted the art in Return to Monkey Island to be provocative, shocking, and not what everyone was expecting,” says the creator after reading the reviews on this aspect. “Return to Monkey Island may not be the art style you wanted or were expecting but it’s the art style I wanted.”

“It’s ironic that the people who don’t want me to make the game I want to make are some of the hard core Monkey Island fans. And that is what makes me sad about all the comments,” Gilbert continues. “Return to Monkey Island is an incredible rollercoaster. Get on and have some fun or stomp out of the amusement park because it’s not exactly the rollercoaster you wanted.”

With that said, we now know that Ron Gilbert is not changing the game’s art style, although he did answer some of the most commented questions from players on his blog. However, what is clear is that the new game will be different from Gilbert’s well-known games, and part of that goal is reflected in the significant change in the way the puzzles are solved.

Source: Grumpy Gamer