They do not come funnier than this, and the Special Edition somehow makes this point-and-click game even better with pitch-perfect voice acting, painted backgrounds, and a remastered soundtrack. Monkey Island 2 is the peak of the outrageous comedy adventure and one of the best adventure games on PC. The result is a game with dialogue that is witty and regularly laugh-out-loud, its situations wildly memorable (think back to the spitting contest, the skeleton dance, or the mardi gras fish fry), and puzzles that, while challenging, are always amusing. Elaine, understandably, wants nothing to do with him. He is also being hunted by the zombie pirate LeChuck, whose ghost he killed in the first game. The problem is he is utterly inept, has more confidence than ability, and is a dab hand at ruining lives. His burning desire to become a swashbuckling pirate and win the heart of governor Elaine Marley is noble. Loveable loser Guybrush Threepwood is one of videogames’ most endearing characters. While The Secret of Monkey Island changed the genre and put LucasArts on the Adventure Throne, Monkey Island 2 is a perfect improvement in every area.

Tim Schafer’s journey through Mexican folklore still represents the pinnacle of proper movie-quality storytelling in videogames – just don’t mention those wretched demon beavers. The often obtuse puzzles can derail the pacing, but just exploring and interacting with this beautiful world makes up for these irritants. Friendly, car-obsessed demon Glottis would not be out of place in the best Disney movies/ Pixar movies, and Manny is one of the most effortlessly cool and likeable player characters in an adventure game. The game stars some of the finest characters ever written, including protagonist Manny Calavera, who must try to save Mercedes Colomar, the woman he thinks he wronged. It is a cleverly-realised world with film noir influences and a big dollop of crime and corruption. Set in the Mexican Land of the Dead, where everyone’s a skeleton or a demon, the recently deceased have to work off any crimes they may have committed before taking the treacherous four-year journey to get into the Ninth Underworld. Dialogue, character, world, and imagination cement Grim Fandango among the best adventure games.

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