(Rated T; $8.95 per episode/$34.95 for season at TellTaleGames.com or via
subscription at GameTap.com) A GameTap/Telltale Games presentation of a game
developed by Telltale Games for PC.
"Episodic
gaming," in which chapters of a videogame are distributed one-by-one via
the 'Net, has long promised to smash the traditional model in which publishers
put a complete game on store shelves and hope for the best. Telltale Games'
newest incarnation of the "Sam and Max" franchise is the first major
attempt to make that model a reality and it's a great start. The six-episode
first season is rip-roaringly funny and should appeal to just about anyone with
a wit that's as quick as their PC.
Anthropomorphic dog detective Sam
and his rabbit-esque sidekick Max, who together make up the Freelance Police,
have taken many incarnations since Steve Purcell created them in a 1987 comic
book. The comical critters have since appeared in a Saturday morning cartoon
series and a popular 1993 computer game that was supposed to spawn a sequel by
LucasArts, but was cancelled in 2004. Members of the creative team behind the
stunted LucasArts game started their own company, Telltale Games, to use
TV-style storytelling with their beloved characters.
Unlike most games, "Sam and
Max" relies more on on smart detective work than fast and accurate
clicking. With the exception of a car racing sequence, it's a methodical
experience in which players have to figure out the right item to use or thing
to say to progress. Almost every object can be explored and many illicit a
humorous response - from a road kill calendar in the main characters' office to
a gift shop on the moon.
Lack of action could make the
game boring if the story wasn't so smart and funny. Game's wacky humor, in
which Max plays the id to Sam's ego, is akin to watching "Dragnet" on
acid. Each episode works on its own merits or as part of the season-long arc,
just like a network sitcom.
Sam & Max always start out
with a call from the mysterious Commissioner with a bizarre case for them to
solve. The overall theme of Season One is hypnosis as Sam & Max must work
to stop Prismatology guru Hugh Bliss from his mind control scheme of turning
the world into perpetual bliss. Former child stars, talk show hosts, the mob,
the president of the United States and the Internet are all sardonically
skewered. Recurring cast members and references to previous episodes reward
those who pay attention.
Top-notch voice acting and a
bright and vivid color palette make for an experience as good as most animated
series. Those with slower PC's, however, will notice lags.
In a modern videogame biz that
too rarely produces true innovation, "Sam and Max" is a breath of
fresh air. It proves that episodic gaming can not only work, but actually be
more engaging than a real television series.
Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117933455&c=1269