SirLemming
05-10-2007, 09:37 PM
Well, season 1 of Telltale (http://www.telltalegames.com/)'s episodic Sam & Max games has come to a close with the release of episode 6, Bright Side of the Moon. I finished it today, so here are my thoughts, and hopefully some of you will post yours (you HAVE played it, haven't you?!):
Culture Shock - The first episode has both the disadvantages of being first and the advantages of being the first new Sam & Max game in over 10 years. It was a joy to see them back again. Some of the puzzles were a bit easy, the length was a bit short, and the environments weren't too inspiring, but it was overall very fun and humorous. The voice acting wasn't 100% great yet, but it was still above-average.
Situation: Comedy - We got a nice new environment in this one: the W.A.R.P. TV studio was more interesting than the street corner of Sam & Max's office. Of course, that environment was still there. We also got a new voice actor for Max, who was just about as good as episode 1's actor, although some of the re-recordings of old lines fell flat. This episode was a bit shorter than the first, but it kept things interesting all the way through. The comedy level was about the same.
The Mole, The Mob, and The Meatball - Funnier, wackier, and edgier than the previous episodes, but unfortunately much shorter and way too easy. The formula also started to wear thin here: Sybil's new job, Bosco's new item, trilogy of puzzles to solve toward the end, etc. Still great fun while it lasted, and the voice acting was pretty much perfect by now. The environments also continued to get more interesting, and the final scene was a nice payoff.
Abe Lincoln Must Die! - Possibly the funniest video game ever made, including Sam & Max Hit The Road. It was also longer and more challenging than any of the other episodes (except episode 6). It got a little bit repetitive going between the office and the White House, but other than that it was a blast from start to finish -- especially the finish. Anyone who's played it knows what I mean when I say there's something very unexpected near the end...
Reality 2.0 - Not as side-splittingly funny on a laugh-per-second basis as the previous episode, but it more than made up for it with extremely creative environments and the most consistently fun , diverse gameplay yet. It also had a distinct feeling of menace and "adventure" that made it more dramatically satisfying than some of the other episodes, and reminiscent of the classic adventure games of old.
Bright Side of the Moon - A highly satisfying finale with great humor, several surprising plot twists, and the most difficult puzzles yet. There are definitely a few head-scratchers here, including the final puzzle, which is satisfyingly tough to figure out. And the environments are pretty amazing.In case you couldn't tell, I love this series and can't recommend it enough. Sam & Max fans should be locked up in prison if they don't buy these, and everyone else should buy them too. With season 2 more or less guaranteed, I'm starting to wonder why I ever lamented LucasArts' cancellation of the sequel they had in mind...
I also must give kudos to Jared Emerson-Johnson and the performers of the game's soundtrack. It's amazing that they put out such top-quality stuff on a monthly basis.
Also, the contents of the season 1 bonus disc (http://www.telltalegames.com/store/samandmax-season1-disc)have just been announced, and they sound pretty sweet. I don't know yet how it compares to the yet-to-be-released retail version.
Culture Shock - The first episode has both the disadvantages of being first and the advantages of being the first new Sam & Max game in over 10 years. It was a joy to see them back again. Some of the puzzles were a bit easy, the length was a bit short, and the environments weren't too inspiring, but it was overall very fun and humorous. The voice acting wasn't 100% great yet, but it was still above-average.
Situation: Comedy - We got a nice new environment in this one: the W.A.R.P. TV studio was more interesting than the street corner of Sam & Max's office. Of course, that environment was still there. We also got a new voice actor for Max, who was just about as good as episode 1's actor, although some of the re-recordings of old lines fell flat. This episode was a bit shorter than the first, but it kept things interesting all the way through. The comedy level was about the same.
The Mole, The Mob, and The Meatball - Funnier, wackier, and edgier than the previous episodes, but unfortunately much shorter and way too easy. The formula also started to wear thin here: Sybil's new job, Bosco's new item, trilogy of puzzles to solve toward the end, etc. Still great fun while it lasted, and the voice acting was pretty much perfect by now. The environments also continued to get more interesting, and the final scene was a nice payoff.
Abe Lincoln Must Die! - Possibly the funniest video game ever made, including Sam & Max Hit The Road. It was also longer and more challenging than any of the other episodes (except episode 6). It got a little bit repetitive going between the office and the White House, but other than that it was a blast from start to finish -- especially the finish. Anyone who's played it knows what I mean when I say there's something very unexpected near the end...
Reality 2.0 - Not as side-splittingly funny on a laugh-per-second basis as the previous episode, but it more than made up for it with extremely creative environments and the most consistently fun , diverse gameplay yet. It also had a distinct feeling of menace and "adventure" that made it more dramatically satisfying than some of the other episodes, and reminiscent of the classic adventure games of old.
Bright Side of the Moon - A highly satisfying finale with great humor, several surprising plot twists, and the most difficult puzzles yet. There are definitely a few head-scratchers here, including the final puzzle, which is satisfyingly tough to figure out. And the environments are pretty amazing.In case you couldn't tell, I love this series and can't recommend it enough. Sam & Max fans should be locked up in prison if they don't buy these, and everyone else should buy them too. With season 2 more or less guaranteed, I'm starting to wonder why I ever lamented LucasArts' cancellation of the sequel they had in mind...
I also must give kudos to Jared Emerson-Johnson and the performers of the game's soundtrack. It's amazing that they put out such top-quality stuff on a monthly basis.
Also, the contents of the season 1 bonus disc (http://www.telltalegames.com/store/samandmax-season1-disc)have just been announced, and they sound pretty sweet. I don't know yet how it compares to the yet-to-be-released retail version.