Because of declining sales and the fact that Lucasarts decided to 'ax the cleverness division' (thank you, Yahtzee!), adventure games have been nearly extinct for some time. In the last year or so however, they seem to be close to coming back to life thanks to Steam, because Psychonauts and Dreamfall both are on the system. And it's not just Steam, either- Indigo Prophecy has been puling its weight as well. But the genre has been waiting with bated breath for the return of Sam & Max.
Sam (the dog) and Max (the lagomorph) are the creations of one Steve Purcell, who now works with Pixar. They started off as a comic book series, and eventually conned their way into a highly successful Lucasarts adventure game and an animated TV show. They eventually disappeared, and despite fan protests against it, their next Lucasarts game was cancelled. Finally in 2005, after about five or six years without being seen, a small company called TellTale Games worked with Steve to create a webcomic about the duo, got the Sam & Max license back from Lucas (now the Star Wars company), and finally got a new game to call their own.
Perhaps 'game' is a misleading term, though. This new Sam & Max adventure is less one game and more like six half-games. TellTale is a leading experimentor with regularly updated episodic gaming (Valve.... you missed the point.), and released all six of these episodes across the months, and are now finally available in one package for the first time in stores, on Gametap, or on Steam.
Because of the game's episodic nature, the episodes are mostly self-contained affairs, strung together by a similar problem- hypnotism. This ends up playing perfectly into the unlikely detective pair's hands, as their brand of witty and surrealist humor works perfectly with the theme. But the shortness of all six episodes leaves you wanting more.
The game's asthetic appeal is less about technical firepower and more about artistic design. It looks fairly basic for a PC game, especially when compared to older games, like The Sims 2. It has a strong artistic styling, but the graphics whores may not be able to get past the lack of light bloom and sepia tones.
The writing for adventure games is what usualy carries the day, and the episodes are a slightly mixed bag. All 6 episodes have their moments, but some are stronger than others. In particular, Episodes 4 and 5 are the strongest laugh inducers of them all, while Episode 3 is a little bland. On the plus side, Bosco's a riot in every episode.
The voice acting gets better the further you go in the episodes, especially in the case of Sam, who showed consistent improvement, and Max, whose VA had to be replaced after Episode 1 for health reasons and the new guy finally started nailing his character during Episode 3. The music is an instrumental jazz almost all the time, and is a blessing in disguise- it's not great, but having an awesome soundtrack might detract from the jokes.
The puzzles in the series are fairly nonsensical, and there will be points where you'll be asking, 'What the fuck am I supposed to be doing now?' These points are mostly few and far inbetween, with Episode 3 and the first half of 6 being the worst offenders (a hint system has apparently been implimented in Season Two). But they feel very rewarding when you solve them, and they usually have a humorous conclusion.
One of the constant problems with almost every episodes is the reuse of locations. You will always visit and revisit Bosco's, Sybil's, and the office every episode. This wouldn't be a really big problem is you could move faster than a snail. Sam can't run in Season One, no matter how fast you click. This apparently has been fixed in Season Two, but it's still an annoyance.
The game has some issues to be sure- the slow movement, the short length, and the lack of graphics come to mind- but the humor, story, and gameplay makes up for it. It's no Psychonauts (so GOOD), but this is one game I wouldn't mind playing again.
It's available for $30 on Steam, and about $20 in stores. Here's what I recommend. Download Steam- Episode 4, one of the best of the Season, is available for free- go play it. If you like it, then buy the entire series from Steam. If you don't like it, well, at least you didn't spend any money.
And for those of you who are curious, here's my personal take on each episode...
Culture Shock- This was the first one, and it kinda shows. The humor is a little sketchy at times (celebrity worship- literally), and the ending puzzle can be a bit confusing. But it was a good start to the series, and it gives a good impression. A close 5th place.
Situation: Comedy- Episode Two had a much better script thanks to it's subject matter (TV), but the sitcom spoof can induce a 'WTF DO I DO' moment. The best of the first half of the season. 4th place.
The Mole, The Mob, and The Meatball- Weak. Most stories seem to lag in the middle and Season One is no exception. This is where a large number of 'WTF' puzzles are, especially in the casino. The script is very hit or miss here, and it's mostly a miss. You might like it more than I did if you're into mafia humor. 6th (and last) place.
Abe Lincoln Must Die!: This is where TellTale finally got it right. It's not everyday you get political humor in a game, but this Episode doesn't sweat it. The script here is arguably the best of the Season, and has some very clever jabs at the government. Who doesn't want to see Max as President? The only real thing that keeps this episode from being near perfect is the debate- while well written, the solution is a bit complex. Tied for 1st place- and available for FREE off Steam.
Reality 2.0: Everyone who knows the Internet and video games will love this episode. The parodies of more famous games are plentiful, and there's a homage to the old (and I mean OLD) adventure games at the end that may or may not kill you. The script is strong with this one. Tied for 1st place.
Bright Side of The Moon: Surrealism FTW. If you've played all the episodes up to this point, then there's NOTHING I can say that will stop you from enjoying it. Everyone comes back for one last hurrah, the villain is revealed, and a good time had by all. The puzzles are a little confusing, but they're supposed to be this time. Bosco is at his finest here- just ask him 'Do you have any...' for some hilarious reactions from Max. 3rd place by a mile.
Sam (the dog) and Max (the lagomorph) are the creations of one Steve Purcell, who now works with Pixar. They started off as a comic book series, and eventually conned their way into a highly successful Lucasarts adventure game and an animated TV show. They eventually disappeared, and despite fan protests against it, their next Lucasarts game was cancelled. Finally in 2005, after about five or six years without being seen, a small company called TellTale Games worked with Steve to create a webcomic about the duo, got the Sam & Max license back from Lucas (now the Star Wars company), and finally got a new game to call their own.
Perhaps 'game' is a misleading term, though. This new Sam & Max adventure is less one game and more like six half-games. TellTale is a leading experimentor with regularly updated episodic gaming (Valve.... you missed the point.), and released all six of these episodes across the months, and are now finally available in one package for the first time in stores, on Gametap, or on Steam.
Because of the game's episodic nature, the episodes are mostly self-contained affairs, strung together by a similar problem- hypnotism. This ends up playing perfectly into the unlikely detective pair's hands, as their brand of witty and surrealist humor works perfectly with the theme. But the shortness of all six episodes leaves you wanting more.
The game's asthetic appeal is less about technical firepower and more about artistic design. It looks fairly basic for a PC game, especially when compared to older games, like The Sims 2. It has a strong artistic styling, but the graphics whores may not be able to get past the lack of light bloom and sepia tones.
The writing for adventure games is what usualy carries the day, and the episodes are a slightly mixed bag. All 6 episodes have their moments, but some are stronger than others. In particular, Episodes 4 and 5 are the strongest laugh inducers of them all, while Episode 3 is a little bland. On the plus side, Bosco's a riot in every episode.
The voice acting gets better the further you go in the episodes, especially in the case of Sam, who showed consistent improvement, and Max, whose VA had to be replaced after Episode 1 for health reasons and the new guy finally started nailing his character during Episode 3. The music is an instrumental jazz almost all the time, and is a blessing in disguise- it's not great, but having an awesome soundtrack might detract from the jokes.
The puzzles in the series are fairly nonsensical, and there will be points where you'll be asking, 'What the fuck am I supposed to be doing now?' These points are mostly few and far inbetween, with Episode 3 and the first half of 6 being the worst offenders (a hint system has apparently been implimented in Season Two). But they feel very rewarding when you solve them, and they usually have a humorous conclusion.
One of the constant problems with almost every episodes is the reuse of locations. You will always visit and revisit Bosco's, Sybil's, and the office every episode. This wouldn't be a really big problem is you could move faster than a snail. Sam can't run in Season One, no matter how fast you click. This apparently has been fixed in Season Two, but it's still an annoyance.
The game has some issues to be sure- the slow movement, the short length, and the lack of graphics come to mind- but the humor, story, and gameplay makes up for it. It's no Psychonauts (so GOOD), but this is one game I wouldn't mind playing again.
It's available for $30 on Steam, and about $20 in stores. Here's what I recommend. Download Steam- Episode 4, one of the best of the Season, is available for free- go play it. If you like it, then buy the entire series from Steam. If you don't like it, well, at least you didn't spend any money.
And for those of you who are curious, here's my personal take on each episode...
Culture Shock- This was the first one, and it kinda shows. The humor is a little sketchy at times (celebrity worship- literally), and the ending puzzle can be a bit confusing. But it was a good start to the series, and it gives a good impression. A close 5th place.
Situation: Comedy- Episode Two had a much better script thanks to it's subject matter (TV), but the sitcom spoof can induce a 'WTF DO I DO' moment. The best of the first half of the season. 4th place.
The Mole, The Mob, and The Meatball- Weak. Most stories seem to lag in the middle and Season One is no exception. This is where a large number of 'WTF' puzzles are, especially in the casino. The script is very hit or miss here, and it's mostly a miss. You might like it more than I did if you're into mafia humor. 6th (and last) place.
Abe Lincoln Must Die!: This is where TellTale finally got it right. It's not everyday you get political humor in a game, but this Episode doesn't sweat it. The script here is arguably the best of the Season, and has some very clever jabs at the government. Who doesn't want to see Max as President? The only real thing that keeps this episode from being near perfect is the debate- while well written, the solution is a bit complex. Tied for 1st place- and available for FREE off Steam.
Reality 2.0: Everyone who knows the Internet and video games will love this episode. The parodies of more famous games are plentiful, and there's a homage to the old (and I mean OLD) adventure games at the end that may or may not kill you. The script is strong with this one. Tied for 1st place.
Bright Side of The Moon: Surrealism FTW. If you've played all the episodes up to this point, then there's NOTHING I can say that will stop you from enjoying it. Everyone comes back for one last hurrah, the villain is revealed, and a good time had by all. The puzzles are a little confusing, but they're supposed to be this time. Bosco is at his finest here- just ask him 'Do you have any...' for some hilarious reactions from Max. 3rd place by a mile.