Monkey Island in-game footage shows off the remake's controversial new art direction

The first reveal of Return to Monkey Island gameplay earlier this month did not go as planned: A day later, Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert said he wouldn't be talking about the new game anymore because of the "personal attack comments" arising from its updated visual style. But Gilbert's Monkey Island cohort Dave Grossman has a somewhat different approach to the matter.

Grossman shared a 10-second clip of Return to Monkey Island gameplay earlier today on Twitter, showcasing hero Guybrush Threewood walking between buildings. And, yeah, that's it. Enter stage left, exit stage right.

"New surveillance video for #MonkeyIslandMonday! Strange man seen striding purposefully on Melee dock, ignoring the pelicans and bar as though he had somewhere to be, some devilish puzzle to solve... @grumpygamer have you seen this?"

Grumpygamer, for those who don't follow such things, is Gilbert, and despite his pledge not to post about it anymore, it seems he couldn't help himself.

Gilbert also confirmed that the clip is in-game footage, and done entirely in real-time.

The clip itself is unremarkable: I like the new art style, but this is literally just ten seconds of Guybrush walking alone across a pier. It makes me wonder whether Grossman posted it not because it's exciting and new, but as a repudiation of the attacks on Gilbert and a flat-out rejection of any suggestion that the game might be changed. Maybe it's just a video clip—sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and all that—but I suspect there's a little bit of a message here, too.

A release date for Return to Monkey Island hasn't been announced yet, but it's expected to be out later this year.