Let's get one thing out of the way now - I will assume that if you are reading this review of Episode 3 of the Sam & Max series that you already have some passing knowledge of the previous episodes. I still won't pull a 'Vader is Luke's father' moment that some people who hadn't seen Empire before Jedi trailers started airing experienced (sorry if I just shocked you and welcome to 1980!), but I will likely drop some names and recurring themes and other minor references throughout. It won't ruin the experience any more than my having said that Bosco would become a recurring character would have ruined the first episode for you. Please also forgive the repetition, which is necessary for getting readers who are new to the series up to speed - if you've read it all before then skip straight to the game quote further down!

For the full history of Sam & Max, check out our review of Episode 1 - but in a nutshell, the LucasArts game Sam & Max Hit the Road from 1993 was a great mixture of adventure and humor, and has become a deservedly classic milestone in gaming history. After a false start for a series revival by LucasArts and a passionate Internet campaign by the fans, TellTale Games (creators of the excellent Bone series) gained ownership of the license and got straight to work, crafting a series using their adventure builder to tell stories through a point-and-click adventure interface featuring full 3D animation. The move to episodic content was a concern, but true to their word TellTale continue to release new episodes on a regular basis, and in some ways it's better to be forced to spread the experience out rather than wolf it down in one go.

The Sam & Max games use the TellTale tool that the company has developed and perfected over the years. The emphasis is on storytelling rather than delivering buzzword compliant technology, so expect loads of dialog and options, rather than the latest version of pixel shader models. This is actually a good thing, because so many games focus on delivering a great looking experience that they fail to deliver a great gaming experience. The TellTale Tool aims to do some of both - the game certainly is great looking, but in a 3D comic book style. This means that the world looks much like something out of Who Framed Roger Rabbit; everything looks real but exaggerated. The 3D styling makes everything look modern and the characters are all nicely animated, to the point where lip-syncing matched the dialog. The goal isn't realism so much as believability - I mean, how real do you expect a detective dog and his psychotic lagomorph sidekick to be?! The realism is injected into the dialog - the voice acting is superb and gets better with each passing episode! The voice actors really bring a wonderful passion and humor to their characters that makes each of them leap out of the screen and adds tremendous depth to already great stories - and the timing and delivery of the humor is spot on throughout.

The storytelling is where things really shine - the interface just begs you to click things, talk to people and try all sorts of crazy things. Quite simply, this is one of the nicest interfaces I have ever used in an adventure game. Everything is easily accessible - options and game saves are quickly located in a screen-level drop down and the inventory system is an ever-present box in the lower corner of the screen. Little things help - saves are done nearly instantly, with each one providing a clear caption and image to illustrate exactly where you were when you saved. Interacting with items is equally easy; the mouse-capture range is adequate for discerning small objects close to each other and you simply click on things to interact. This allows you to talk, flip switches, pick up items and so on - and to use an item in your inventory on another item by simply choosing the item from the box and then clicking on the desired object to interact with. It is incredibly intuitive and friendly - and allows you to focus on laughing!

"Oh good, I've been looking for something to do since I found out that Sudoku didn't involve ritual suicide."

Come on down to the Ted E. Bear's Mafia-Free Playland and Casino ... home of the Toy Mafia - and a whole lot of trouble! Yes, the new setting for this episode is part children's theme play area and part mafia stronghold - and if you miss the likely irony from just hearing the name, the first person you meet is an obvious Mafioso, guarding the door and handing you some free tokens to get you hooked on gambling. Sam & Max Season 1, Episode 3: The Mole, The Mob and the Meatball takes the danger up to a whole new level - and makes it funnier than ever! I know I've said it before, but this episode really raises the bar in terms of tightness of scripting and humor. The jokes are very well done and there are less than obvious funny items and references thrown in everywhere.

With locations and characters that have become familiar, the duo work through a new mystery filled with familiar elements and techniques - yet it still feels fresh. I cannot stress enough the extent to which the writing just continues getting better and better, and the voice acting and animated characterizations are improving in step with the writing too. The actors have really found their rhythm in this episode and you really care about getting as much interaction with each of the characters as possible - from the career-hopping Sybil to the ever-paranoid Bosco, you relish spending as much time possible exploring their dialog trees.

Sam & Max Season 1, Episode 3: The Mole, The Mob and the Meatball is the shortest episode yet - just slightly shorter than Situation: Comedy, and it suffers from a lack of items spread throughout the game - this means that you have fewer chances to make wrong choices and get a series of humorous results. Also noticeable for the first time is that the items you encounter in standard locations have the same descriptions and add nothing new, which limits interaction even more. Nonetheless it is a must have for fans of the series, full of the wild humor and near-violence that make you love the other episodes ... and it will make you long to find out why Abe Lincoln Must Die in the next one!

Reviewed by Michael Anderson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).