Monkey Island 5: First Ep Next Week, New Vidaction

The year's most unexpected sequel is barrelling towards us, and Telltale hope to whet a few more preorder whistles by finally releasing a smidgen of interface'n'puzzle footage - specifically, the opening minutes of the reborn point'n'click adventure. Episode 1, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, is out in just six pirate days (which are like normal days, but with a looser moral code), and if you're convinced you're going to love it, you can pay pirate money (which is much like normal money, but with a slight scent of seaweed) for it right now. Video below. Comments that will almost certainly annoy someone are also below.

Laugh? I nearly cried. Actually, I idly checked Twitter instead for half of it, because it sadly failed to raise much chuckleage from my ever-sneering lips. This doesn't mean the thing's a cockup, just that, as with the majority of the Sam & Max eps that preceded this, something about the humour simply leaves me cold. I must point out that I do have a sense of humour, lest you wonder. Why, only last decade I laughed at an episode of Yes, Minister.

It's well-presented visually, however, adding in a big ol' dose of cinematic that S&M's more static locations perhaps lacked, and it's good to see item combination finally find its way into Telltale's hitherto rather simplistic puzzling system. If the humour does tickle your pirate funny bone (which is much like a normal funny bone, but with a picture of a parrot on it), I can't see any reason why you won't have a wonderful time with this first of five episodes. Me, though: I'm going to go paint the corner of my room black, and then go sit in it and sulk until sunset, whilst secretly hoping all the really great zingers have been saved up for later in the game.