Heartwarming / Return to Monkey Island

• The game proper opens when your player character finishes running off to the end of the map, and finds Guybrush Threepwood: your dad.
• Guybrush's scrapbook of adventures. There was no requirement to give players a recap book of the last 5 games, but it's heartwarming what Guybrush chooses to remember about his last five adventures. Meeting Elaine, stopping the wedding, meeting his many friends and frenemies, and even having a note in the back that he needs more pages for more adventures.
• Even after all their years and the rough patches around the start, Guybrush and Elaine's romantic relationship seems as strong as ever, with both of them willing to support the other's passions.
  • Their relationship has reached its logical conclusion. They're both getting on in their years and they love each other. Even though there is a Red Herring set up where Elaine is confronted with Guybrush's, let's say, less thoughtful actions, she just gently points them out and suggests he could have done better. They're just so gosh dang sweet all the time.
• Guybrush working to make up for his problems with Governor Carla. Giving her a voodoo "forgiveness frog", and making sure to talk about her real accomplishments in order to ensure the apology is accepted.
  • Across the whole game, it's sweet to see Guybrush's eternal quest to be a Mighty Pirate has not only given him lots of good memories but also true friends. Despite them all (except Elaine) being varying degrees of Vitriolic Best Buds, he comes across as genuinely close with Carla, Otis, Wally, the Voodoo Lady, Stan, the former Pirate Leaders, and even Murray if you squint.
• Despite being on opposite sides, Guybrush can be pretty civil and complimentary with Bob and Putra on Lechuck's ship.
• When Guybrush finishes his story for Boybrush, his son is a bit skeptical by the Anti-Climax given. There's a variety of different answers one can give about it, but one of the options is that the story can always keep going and change with every telling like a good story will.
• The very end of the game, which sees Guybrush sitting on a bench in beautiful surroundings, quietly enjoying a moment of true contentment. Given all the abuse he's taken over six installments as the Butt-Monkey, it's lovely to see him find a measure of peace, especially for fans who have followed him since the start.