Let's get one thing out of the way now - I will assume that if you are reading this review of Episode 4 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!

"It seems Chester A. Arthur and the Pope were kayaking down the Amazon one day. Suddenly a tiny candiru fish swims up the Pope's *censored* and lodges itself in his *censored*. Arthur grabs the Pope's *censored* pliers and *censored* swelled up like a melon. And the Pope says, 'Thanks! Last time that happened, McKinley wanted to *censored*!'"

The craziness from our favorite Freelance Police duo continues in Sam & Max Season 1, Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die! The commissioner contacts Sam & Max with concerns about the crazy new laws that the President is enacting, and while mandatory group hugs have no effect on Max, finding that mandatory gun registration is on the list is enough to get him on the case! The pair set out on their usual crazy adventure involving Sybil, Bosco and the Soda Poppers, as well as newer friends Hugh Bliss, Chuckles and more! Everything looks and plays the same as in the previous three episodes, with the added locations of the White House and Oval Office.

"America needs a new president in a hurry ... and a psychopathic lagomorph thing might just be our man ... er ... rabbit!"

What is great about this new edition of Sam & Max is ... everything. Each episode seems funnier and more tightly written than the last, with tons of asides and in-jokes scattered amongst the heaps of laugh-out-loud funny stuff and genuinely great adventure gaming. These are not difficult games and there is no path into unrecoverable failure; it is all just a fantastically wacky ride from start to finish. This installment continues the trend of the writing and jokes getting better each time and thankfully reverses the trend of each episode being shorter than the last. There are also new items around to click on and some of the old items have been repurposed. Of course, most things are the same, but the added variety combined with a longer playtime and the best writing yet makes for the most enjoyable overall experience of the series so far.

This episode contains a couple of items that could cause concern for ratings boards in terms of content - there is a direct alcohol use reference, as Bosco's 'truth serum' is a bottle of vodka. Also, Max gets to assuage his desire for large-scale violence in this episode more than in any other. These are both minor issues, but since this game is really intended for a teen and older audience it should not be a big deal.

Abe Lincoln Must Die! seems like it should be packed with opportunities to take shots at the political establishment, and the game doesn't disappoint in that regard - but don't go in expecting biting topical political and social commentary relevant to current events, this is all just fun stuff. There are plenty of asides and references to recent political figures (check the teleprompter cards!) and images that are just wonderful to look at again and again.

If you haven't hopped on board yet, I really suggest grabbing the Season Pack - for about the price of a new DS game you can have the entire six-episode Season 1. The only concerns are that each episode is only a few hours long and all feature a similar set of characters and locales, so that accomplishing many goals begins to become a familiar path - but since the path is different each time and the jokes are always funny, each episode feels familiar yet fresh - and you can't wait for the next one! Each episode is like a new reality ... Reality 2.0, perhaps?!

Oh, and when you're done playing Sam & Max Season 1, Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die!, be sure to check out http://www.maxforpresident.org/ for even more laughs!

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