Return to Monkey Island Joins PS Plus Extra — The Comeback That Actually Delivers

Why This Caught My Eye

Return to Monkey Island landing in the PlayStation Plus Extra catalog is the rare bit of subscription news that actually matters. This isn’t a filler indie you’ll forget in an hour; it’s the sixth entry in one of gaming’s most beloved adventure series, created by Ron Gilbert himself after a 31-year absence from the franchise. As someone who grew up juggling rubber chickens with pulleys and trying to out-insult pirates, this one hits the nostalgia center hard – and still has the modern design chops to keep new players onboard. It earned a 17/20 from the editorial team back at launch in 2022, and for good reason.

Key Takeaways

• Return to Monkey Island is on PS5 via PlayStation Plus Extra – an easy, low-friction way to try a genre classic.
• Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman return, picking up after Monkey Island 2 with writing that’s sharp, funny, and surprisingly reflective.
• Modern point-and-click conveniences (smart hotspots, a tiered hint book, controller-friendly UI) remove old-school frustration.
• The art direction is bold and divisive, but the music and voice acting nail the tone fans remember.

Breaking Down the Announcement

Released on PS5 in November 2022, Return to Monkey Island was developed by Terrible Toybox and published by Devolver Digital in partnership with Lucasfilm Games. It’s now included in the PlayStation Plus Extra catalog, which is exactly the kind of audience-expanding moment a story-driven adventure benefits from. No microtransactions, no live-service strings – just a complete, tightly paced adventure that runs a breezy 8-12 hours for most players, more if you savor every gag and puzzle.

The pitch is as straightforward as it is irresistible: Guybrush Threepwood still hasn’t uncovered the true Secret of Monkey Island, LeChuck is being LeChuck, and Elaine Marley has moved on to bigger causes. The story consciously bridges 1991’s Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge with today, leaning into meta humor without turning the whole thing into a fourth-wall demolition. It’s funny, yes, but there’s a surprising warmth to how it treats aging, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves about our favorite games.

What’s Actually New vs. Just Nostalgia

The big question whenever a classic returns is whether it’s a museum piece or a real update. Return to Monkey Island leans firmly into the latter. The UI is context-sensitive and built to work on a controller: explore with the stick, tap to examine or interact, and combine items with clean, readable prompts. The game quietly prevents “moon logic” dead ends by signaling if an item can’t plausibly combine — a godsend if you remember the worst of 90s adventure design.

There’s also a smart, tiered hint system presented as an in-game book. It starts with nudges (“Maybe try talking to X again”) and only escalates to explicit answers if you keep asking. Purists can ignore it; newcomers don’t need to doomscroll for walkthroughs. And if you want a breezier romp, the optional Casual Mode trims puzzle complexity without dumbing down the jokes.

On the aesthetic side, the art direction by Rex Crowle (Tearaway, Knights and Bikes) sparked debate at reveal — a stylized, storybook look instead of the hand-painted romance of The Curse of Monkey Island. In motion, it works. The animation sells the gags, locations read clearly from the couch, and the vibe feels intentionally modern rather than trapped in amber. Meanwhile, the returning composer trio — Michael Land, Peter McConnell, and Clint Bajakian — deliver the musical comfort food fans wanted, and Dominic Armato’s voice as Guybrush is still pitch-perfect.

The Gamer’s Perspective: Playing on PS5 via PS Plus Extra

Adventure games on a sofa live or die on interface friction. This one keeps it smooth. Hotspot highlighting is sensible, text is readable, and you won’t fight the cursor. Performance is essentially perfect — it’s a 2D adventure, so expect instant loads and crisp visuals. The only thing to be aware of: if you’re the kind of player who wants to brute-force every puzzle, the game’s guardrails and helpful feedback can feel like it’s reading your mind. Personally, I’ll take a clean puzzle language over hours of combining every item with every door.

As for story, avoid spoilers. The ending is playful and a bit divisive, in classic Monkey Island fashion. It’s less about explaining the Secret with a capital S and more about what chasing it has meant to players across decades. That choice won’t click for everyone, but it’s the kind of swing you only get when the original creators come back to say something, not just sell something.

Value Check and Who Should Play

If you’ve never touched Monkey Island, this is a friendly on-ramp that respects your time. If you’re a returning fan, the callbacks land, but they don’t gatekeep progress. It’s funny, humane, and well-paced — the rare sequel that understands its legacy without being crushed by it.

On PS Plus Extra, it’s a no-brainer download. Subscription catalogs rotate, so don’t sleep on it; add it to your library and take a weekend voyage to Mêlée Island, Terror Island, and the icy nonsense of Brr Muda. You’ll get a modern adventure that remembers why you fell in love with the genre, minus the 90s headaches.

TL;DR

Return to Monkey Island on PS Plus Extra is the real deal: classic adventure writing from the original team, modernized for controllers, with smart hints and no filler. Whether you’re chasing nostalgia or discovering Guybrush for the first time, this comeback earns your time on PS5.