Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 87 | 101 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 11 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 31 reviews sampled · 25 total reviews in window · weighted 23.1 up / 2.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (97)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Return to Monkey Island is a decent play all around. The puzzle design is generally good and I love the interactivity, but it can feel obtuse at times. The story is also good, even if simple, although it does take a while to get going.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Return to Monkey Island is a competent nostalgia-filled ride for loyal fans.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Return to Monkey Island is a brilliantly modernised point-and-click adventure game that's tailor-made for both fans of its classic predecessors and anyone who loves narrative-driven exploration titles.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Return to Monkey Island reaches into your heart, rips out your desire to know THE SECRET, and clenches it in front of your face. As hard as it would be to concede that The Secret of Monkey Island™ might always have been a McGuffin, it's agonising to contemplate that your 30-year longing for the Monkey Island 3 might be just the same. Delighting as you tremor, Return presents to your transfixed gaze a phenomenal point-and-click adventure, bubbling with passion and fun. All the way through, you will hope, achingly, that the big reveal is coming, and then…”
read full review ↗ - 95
“It took a lot to Return to Monkey Island. Like I said in my intro, there was a lot of hesitation that came with me starting this game. Media revivals are extremely hit-and-miss, and I couldn't stand to watch a franchise so close to me fall apart. But when the credits rolled and I wiped the tears from my eyes, I realized why I was actually scared. I already knew when I started that I didn't want it to be over.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“I would say that I’m truly glad this game exists in the way it is presented. It does play a little bit on nostalgia, but it does not stop there. It has successfully established itself as a great game in itself, not hiding behind the nostalgia of the previous entries.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Return to Monkey Island treats itself as a game that never left. In some ways, the franchise itself never truly did. Terrible Toybox uses that to do its own spin on the current adventure game formula and while some elements are for the diehard fans, it also asks some interesting questions regarding gaming as a whole and how we perceive the games that defined us as we grow older.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“All these great visuals, puzzles, and dialogues create a really great video game that doesn’t have to be ashamed of its roots. Return to Monkey Island is more than simply a nostalgia act. It has its individuality.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Return to Monkey Island feels like a real celebration of the series so far by including characters, locations such as Melee and Monkey Islands and plenty of callbacks, but expanding on all of those things with plenty of brand new components to act as a worthwhile celebration and sendoff for Guybrush and his adventures. Guybrush continues to be an engaging, hilarious and believable character that really helps immerse you into the story of himself and his fellow adventurers. The ending may be hit or miss with some fans but will certainly promote discussion and it’s just great to see a new Monkey Island game in 2022. Whether you’re new or existing fan, Guybrush’s latest adventure is well worth experiencing.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“I am honestly very happy with the game overall and I am tempted to play through the entire franchise again. Thank you, Mister Gilbert, and everyone else involved in this game. For expanding the story I’ve been with since I was a kid and for hitting me right in my childhood, but in the best way.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Ultimately, with Return to Monkey Island, original creators Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman have not only crafted a loving throwback to a genre they helped popularise, they've also reinvigorated it.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The nostalgic return of the hero who captivated us at an innocent age came to remind us in the most emphatic way that no matter how old we get, we will always want to be children.”
read full review ↗
cublikefoot
GameMAG
Jump Dash Roll
Nintendo Life
video games are good
eXputer
Hu3br
GRYOnline.pl
ani-game.com
Prima Games
Push Square…and 85 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch Notes 1.5Nov 8, 2022
- Patch Notes 1.3.3Oct 7, 2022
- Patch Notes 1.3.2Sep 27, 2022
- Patch notes 1.3.1Sep 22, 2022
- Patch notes 1.2Sep 20, 2022