Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle - You need a man to get anything done

Well what is this game? Its a pirate adventure game set in the Caribbean. Wait, isn't there another game like that? Yeah one of the most famous adventure games of all time, Monkey Island. Except this game you are searching for turtle island. The game isn't bad its reminds me a lot of Monkey Island but instead of a lumbering oaf that is Guybrush you get this giant asshole Morgane. Morgane isn't as witty or resourceful as Guybrush but she has a crew that can do stuff for her. I forgot where I heard about this game but it caught my attention by being so similar to Monkey Island. Its a spinoff series of another adventure game by the same company called So Blond and share many of the same characters.

The graphics are pretty good, but character sprites are a little lacking but easily overlooked. Most characters are likable and entertaining minus a few. Voice acting is decently well done. There is a problem though, and that is Morgane thinks of you as an idiot. She needs to point out everything to you. EVERY LITTLE THING. Oh I got a cloth I should go to the pump. Oh the pump is missing a rivet it must be on the ground. Oh I fixed the pump now I can add water to my cloth. The cloth is wet now I can clean the windows with it. I cleaned the windows, Mama is going to be so proud. Arghhhh. Let us think for ourselves you dumb brat. The game starts as an 8 year old Morgane doing chores for her mother and its mostly a tutorial so she gives you a ton of information. As you progress you are given less and less information. Even with so, the amount of information given is still too much. You're supposed to be Morgane, not some loser that follows Morgane around while she explains everything to you a second time because you're too stupid to understand. Yes literally she repeats what just happened on the screen to you. The character says something and something happens oh no heres Morgane breaking the 4th wall, yet again, to explain to you in simpler terms. The inventory is kinda annoying as its extremely sensitive. Moving it too far to the left or right flies across all the pages.

Later on you become the acting captain for your father's ship when you are grown up. At first your crew is slow to trust you but eventually they start growing on you. You as in Morgane. What I liked is that she is both a woman and Spanish. Thats two minorities in video games in one character. Although Morgane is likable and portrayed in a positive light as a capable independent woman, she can never get anything done without ordering a man to do it. For example you need to climb up a wall, you have to call someone to give you a lift. Opening a window? Need a man to open it. Sure the captain's first mate has comically huge strength and is twice as big as the other guy but most of the time the men used are random scrawny guys. He is used when you need to cut through a jungle with a battle axe or threaten away pirates and to act as a bodyguard because its an unsafe area in the French Quarter. Its a shame. Guybrush isn't super strong but as an adventure game we can understand being able to hold random huge objects or lift things that are impossible (until you suddenly aren't!) Because its an adventure game how else are you supposed to fit 50 items in your pants?

I can understand if its a super realistic game but this is a comedy adventure game. Its not as witty as Monkey Island but its not bad if you don't compare it to that. You're able to hold giant fucking totem poles in your pants to save your crew yet you can't open a window because you're a girl and you don't have the strength? Why do you have to go back to call a crewmate to do it? Other than that theres really not much to hate about the game. The game has many references like on a rock formation at the top of a cliff if you investigate with the look button you make a comment about how it looks like a monkey holding up a lion cub. An obvious reference to Lion King. Inside the kitchen you see lots of fish and various seafood hanging on the walls. One of them looks like a metroid. If you keep an eye open for these things you can find them easy. Theres even a my little pony reference. However the puzzles for the game is very easy. Any adventure game veteran would find it too easy but for a novice it should be fine.

Overall, its an ok game but its not great. If only you can get things done without a man. Even so, Morgane is a memorable character with her Spanish accent and sharp tongue. It makes me smile every time someone goes "Hello Morgane (pronounced mor-gain) how are you" because of the way it sounds. Its pleasing to hear an ethnic name and that of a woman in a game. Morgane isn't sexualized either. She is a strong female character (despite needing men to do all the heavy lifting yet being able to hold giant objects like totem poles to save your crew when they get shackled is exempt from this.) A rare breed and more games need to learn to make.