Should LeChuck be included or sidelined in the next MI game?

[HaydenWCE]

The title basically says it all, but I'll add a bit more of an explanation down here.

LeChuck has made an appearance as the main villain in all five Monkey Island installments (except maybe Escape, in which he arguably played the role of secondary villain). And while he is an absolutely brilliant and classic character who I like very much, I can't help but feel that his constant returns may be causing MI's story to suffer slightly. LeChuck's attempt to carry out the same plan in each and every game (killing Guybrush, marrying Elaine, ruling the caribbean, etc.) has, unfortunately resulted in the MI plot becoming a little repetitive. So, if the next MI game were to include LeChuck, then I'm afraid that it may result in the plot/storyline just following the same formula and pattern of all of the previous games. I think that the MI series sort of needs to go in a new direction (story-wise) in order to keep it fresh, interesting and keep it evolving, and I think the only way to achieve this is to completely exclude LeChuck from the next Monkey Island game, if not the one after as well.

Of course, I don't want to see the character gone for good because, as I said, I really like LeChuck - just like the rest of you. However, I would like to see him sidelined for a period of time in order to make way for the Monkey Island story to evolve and grow in new directions. Ridding the MI series of LeChuck will, I'm sure, give the writers more freedom in order do this (ie. take the story in new directions), because at the moment I just feel that LeChuck is a restriction upon Monkey Island and is almost suffocating it and preventing it from moving forward.

Without LeChuck, the writers (whoever they may be) will be able to introduce a new main villain, or villains - villains that are different from LeChuck in personality, characteristics, etc. New villains, of course, will have different aims and evil schemes to LeChuck, as well as different methods of achieving them. It would add a new dynamic to Monkey Island, instead the games growing repetitive and stale. Getting rid of LeChuck would mean that the story will no longer have to shaped around him, and it may also add to the canon by allowing the writers to introduce new villains.

Anyway, what have you all to say about this?

[Hande]

I personally don't think plot has ever been the MI games' biggest concerns though I'll admit Tales excelled in that area.

But to answer the poll, I'd personally like LeChuck to have maybe a smaller role in the next game if only for variety's sake and definitely he should be kept around. An MI game without LeChuck is like a Mario game without Bowser, he's just a key figure in the franchise and he needs to be present. Actually I'd be surprised if they ever made an MI game that didn't include Guybrush, Elaine, LeChuck, Stan or the Voodoo Lady. Sure, Elaine hasn't always been at the center of an individual storyline (MI2) but she always makes at least a few appearances through each game.

On Escape though, I personally think Ozzie is the main villain in that one since he's basically the catalyst for everything that happens. And though LeChuck does steal the show again - towards the end he's under the influence of the Ultimate Insult.

[Fearless Flying Monkey]

a Mario game without Bowser

They've produced the same game for 20 something years and got away with it, and I don't think it was very good in the first place. Although with LeChuck being sidelined, I think that this game was well handled and I can see where series 2 is going with the Voodoo Lady being the major Villain and possibly Morgan Le Flay getting in the way as well. I could see LeChuck being missing until the last episode and essentially kicking everyone about a bit.

[HaydenWCE]

I guess he could be included in the next game. But some work needs to be done in order to mix things up/change things around a bit, instead of basically the same thing happening in every game - LeChuck trying to make Elaine his bride, trying to kill Guybrush and attempting to gain supreme power over the whole caribbean. And there needs to be a different final battle, instead of the 'LeChuck chases Guybrush around from location to location and punches him until Guybrush can come up with a plan to kill him' scenario.