MaximumPC 2007 04

reviews Tes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized

81 MAXIMUMPC april 2007

W

e’ve waited for over a decade for

the return of Sam and Max, the

caricatured freelance detectives

from the deranged mind of Steve Purcell.

After LucasArts’s controversial cancella-

tion of the duo’s highly anticipated adven-

ture in 2005, Telltale Games came to the

rescue to bring these lovable gumshoes

back to PC gaming. We’re happy to report

that fans will not be disappointed.

—NormaN ChaN

EpisodE 1: CulturE shoCk

The first of six planned episodes for the

invigorated franchise quickly reacquaints

you with the twisted world of Sam & Max

before immediately launching you into a

puzzling case involving washed-up child

actors and fitness gurus. You control Sam,

the laid-back canine with a sharp wit, who is

followed by Max, a maniacally insane rabbit

who provides most of the game’s physical

humor. Fans will love the faithfully re-created

style and art direction from the last game

(but now in stunning 3D) and will appreciate

familiar set designs and characters. Yes, the

DeSoto is back, too!

You’re charged with investigating the

strange behavior of the Soda Poppers, a

group of former child stars vandalizing the

town and harassing Bosco, the “inconve-

nience” store owner. The puzzles that must

be solved to unravel the mystery range from

completing very simple acts (dropping a

bowling ball on someone’s head) to under-

taking obscure challenges involving car

chases and tear gas. We were sometimes

stumped by the more difficult puzzles near

the end of the game,

but exploring hilari-

ous dialogue trees

for clues and revisit-

ing each location

eventually did the

trick. The design-

ers have ensured

that solving a tough

puzzle to progress

the story is incredibly rewarding, but also

that you’re consistently entertained by the

minor details of the game world, even when

you’re stuck.

One thing we would’ve liked is the inclu-

sion of more minigames to further extend

the life of the game. We completed the story

in about five hours, including exhausting all

possible conversation paths we could find.

But for less than a Hamilton, you’re still get-

ting a lot of great game. This first episode is

a success not only for the adventure-game

genre, but for episodic gaming as well.

The crafty writing and well-polished game

design prove to be winning ingredients in a

long-awaited dish.

EpisodE 2:

situatioN: ComEdy

The second episode of Sam & Max not

only brings a new case to the private eyes

but also hints at the overarching mys-

tery that’ll tie the entire season together.

Characters from the first episode return

to take on new roles, and the puzzles get

harder in order to stress your problem-

solving skills. The novelty of the dynamic

between Sam and Max wears off a little,

but we have to give props to the writers

for continuing to create laugh-out-loud

scripts for the game.

This time, an Oprah-esque talk show

host is holding her audience hostage, and

it’s up to you to find a way into her studio.

The mystery is clearly broken down into

three challenges that you can complete in

any order: filming a television pilot, winning

a recording contract, and being featured in

a tabloid. The Soda Poppers come back

to judge an American Idol –inspired singing

competition, and Sybil (who was a psychia-

trist last time) returns as a gossip journalist.

Many of the environments are reused in new

capacities (Bosco’s store, the office), but

plenty of new sets keep the episode from

feeling like too much of a rehash.

You might breeze through much of the

first episode, but the puzzles here would

have even MacGyver scratching his head.

In one segment, we baked a cake with lard

and squid tentacles but weren’t given any

indication of how or where to use it. We

ended up trying to “apply” it to every object

and character in the game before getting it

to the right person. One suggestion: Be sure

you save before the final scene—branching

dialogue options make it easy to get lost if

you’re not paying close attention.

We walked away from the second install-

ment satisfied but not as enthralled as we

were after playing the first. Like any good

serial, the whole (so far) is more enjoyable

than its individual parts. We can’t wait to see

how the rest of the arc pans out.

Sam & Max

Proof that adventure gaming isn’t dead! Honest!

Not only does Bosco run the “inconvenience store,” he’s a world-

class inventor as well.

We can’t help but chuckle at the creative

character design.

the car-chase minigame has you tailing

rats and pulling over innocent drivers.

9

culture shock

$9 or $35 for a season pass,

http://www.telltalegames.com, ESRB: NR

8

situation: comedy

$9 or $35 for a season pass,

http://www.telltalegames.com, ESRB: NR