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Let's get one thing out of the way now - I will assume that if you
are reading this review of the sixth and final episode of the first
season of the new episodic Sam & Max series then you already have
some passing knowledge of 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 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
boy, a pet Unicorn! I shall call him 'Horny'!"
When
we left Sam & Max at the end of Episode
5, they had resolved the issues brought up by Reality 2.0 -
but it was clear that a final showdown loomed on the horizon. Joining
our heroes once more, we find that Sam is pensive and preoccupied,
while Max is just his usual "grade-A sociopathic masochistic" self.
The loose ends need to be tied up, and if there was any doubt, the
phone rings...
The
action in this episode is fast and furious from the very start right
up to the end. The general feeling throughout Episode 6 is that
even after having everything plotted out, the writers just started
tossing in random jokes, references and asides that they still had
left over from previous episodes. The writing remains tight and
sharp, but they allow for more of a rapid-fire joke style this time
around, where you are hit with five jokes at once and perhaps three
make you laugh - well, actually, most of the time all five are pretty
funny! The episode is still rather short, but there is a ton of
fun to be had and a sense of joyous overload throughout (yes, even
compared to the other episodes). There are new settings and interesting
new challenges, plus just about every character we've met thus far
makes a glorious return. Make sure you stay through the credits
too, because there are some little treats along the way, as well
as a reminder of some of the excellent stuff you have seen along
the way during the whole season.
Just
like every other episode, Sam & Max Season 1, Episode 6: Bright
Side of the Moon is filled with tons of one-liners, bad puns, obscure
references and all sorts of really great stuff that comes non-stop.
All of the technical stuff is fantastic - there is also some new
music that really stands out, while still being completely appropriate.
After enjoying the credits, I sat and thought for a while - I thought
about how I had gotten about twenty hours of extraordinarily high
quality gaming for far less than the price of a normal PC game,
of how much I enjoyed each and every episode and really cared about
seeing what was going on with each of the characters, and how I
truly can't wait for Season 2. I really can't think of any higher
praise I can give than that…
Reviewed by Michael Anderson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).
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