Unlike the first two episodes, this chapter starts off pretty quickly with Guybrush and his ship (including the deadly Morgan LaFlay) getting swallowed by a giant manatee.  I have played a lot of adventure games, some set in some pretty exotic locales, but I have to say that the innards of a giant manatee are on top of the list when it comes to cool game settings.

One thing that really makes this third episode great is the puzzles.  A lot of adventure games fail in this category, either because the puzzles are just bad/stupid, or because you end up having to concoct ridiculous scenarios (such as taping your cellphone to a cat).  They usually involve lots of inventory juggling, forcing you to randomly try combining items hoping you come up with a solution.  Lair of the Leviathan is refreshing because its puzzles generally make sense; some are not only very creative, but a lot of fun.

For example, at one point you must enter into a “Pirate Face-off” competition with one of the pirates you meet in the belly of the beast.  When it’s your turn, the screen switches to a close up of Guybrush, giving you various options for his eyes and mouth to create a unique “Arrrgh!” face.  The whole process is very entertaining, and one thing that adds to the freshness of the puzzle is that Guybrush must first learn the various facial techniques before he can perform them. Another puzzle involves figuring out how to use a limited phrase list to communicate with a manatee.  Not only are these examples fun, they were also humorous.  In fact, I think part of what made this episode my favorite was the fact that it was the funniest of the three in a lot of ways.

So far my biggest complaint with Tales of Monkey Island has been the way you guide Guybrush around.  Thankfully, this episode had smaller areas with fairly open spaces, so having to drag Guybrush wasn’t as annoying.  Also, the TellTale team came up with a really clever quick travel system when you’re inside the manatee, so moving around was probably the easiest of the three titles so far.  I would still like to see support for the “click here, go there” navigation system in the future. I do have to mention that it annoyed me a little that they depicted manatees as carnivores.  I guess I’m being a bit silly, since everything else is asking me to completely suspend disbelief (Giant manatees? Surviving inside of one? Talking underwater?), but it was a detail that jerked me a little from the immersion of the game, and one I felt like I had to mention.

As with the previous episodes, the characters really help make Tales of Monkey Island outstanding.  The voice acting is terrific, and the facial animations help bring them to life.  This episode has a particularly interesting development of LaFlay’s character, which helped draw me into the story more than I had been in previous chapters. The music is also outstanding, and helps create the various moods throughout the episode. Combined with the great visuals, the music aids in making a fantastic experience.

The general downside to point-and-click adventure games (as a genre) is that the replay value is low.  Once you’ve experienced the story and solved the puzzles, there just isn’t much to encourage another play through.  However, Lair of the Leviathan, was so enjoyable that I actually wanted to play through it again.  If you decide to only play one episode of the series, make this the one.  If you are on the fence, then this episode definitely makes playing the first two worth it, at least in my book.  Hopefully the final two chapters will be as enjoyable as Lair of the Leviathan is.

Title: Tales of Monkey Island: Lair of the Leviathan Publisher: TellTale Developer: TellTale Platform(s): PC (Reviewed) Release Date: 09/29/09 (PC), TBA (Wii)

Doin It RIGHT: - Great, enjoyable puzzles. - Awesome settings. - Great characters and voice acting. -The best episode thus far.	Doin It RONG: - Challenge may be low for hardcore puzzlers. - I still want a point-and-click navigation system. -Manatees are herbivores.
FINAL SCORE: 9.5 / 10

All day Saturday, September 19, you can download the first episode of The Tales of Monkey Island, The Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, for FREE.  Just visit http://www.playlikeapirate.com/.  You can also purchase the entire season (all five episodes) for the discounted rate of $29.95.  TellTale also promises something “special” for those who have already purchased the game.

LucasArts will be extending the festivities out to the entire weekend, giving you through September 21 to take advantage of their special celebratory offers.  You can save 50% on The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, whether it is the iPhone/iPod version or the PC (via Steam or Direct2Drive).

If, like me, you’ve already partaken of the above, and are anxiously awaiting the next installment in the Tales of Monkey Island series, don’t worry: The Lair of the Leviathan will arrive on September 29.  It’s certain to be a gut-renching experience, as Guybrush gets in deep (literally!) as his quest for the voodoo exfoliating La Esponja Grande takes a scenic twist — through the guts of a giant manatee!  For more information on the series, visit http://www.telltalegames.com/monkeyisland.

[Source: TellTale and LucasArts]