With the release of the third and final season remaster, now is a great time to look back at every single season of the Telltale classic series Sam & Max. Are they as good as the originals? Do they improve upon them? Let’s find out with the first game, Sam & Max Save The World!
Source: Steam
Anthropomorphic dog cop Sam and his Crazed Bad Cop-Esque Rabbitty friend Max are on the case as they tackle a thrilling hypnotism conspiracy. They battle evil former child stars, talk show hosts, the mafia, national monuments, the internet, and more in a fantastic puzzle and humor-filled adventure! Due to the simplicity of the gameplay, the characters, story, and humor of the game are the main allure that will grab the player’s attention. The game makes constantly hilarious takes on various topics, like pop culture, reality television, and Scientology. The witty humor is an obvious draw for many and is one of the main reasons the series is so well-liked by many who have played it.
The gameplay itself is rather simplistic and easy to grasp for just about anyone. Playing on PC, you can use your mouse to point and click on various objects with which to interact. On the console, you use thumbsticks to move around and highlight objects. Gameplay loop mainly consists of picking up different objects and using them to solve complex puzzles and obstacles. You can also speak with characters to learn about them, gain hints on solving problems, and continue with the story. The game has accessibility options, allowing your helpful partner-in-crime(fighting), Max, to give you valuable hints if you are stuck in terms of where to go next or a clue as to the solution to a complex puzzle.
Source: GOG.com
Source: The Gamer's Lounge
Various improvements have been made to modernize Sam and Max's experience for modern players. Lighting and graphics have been significantly improved, leading to a much more pleasant viewing experience than the original. The audio has also been cleaned up and is much better than before. Also included are extended cutscenes and an improved intro sequence to every episode.
One of the more noticeable changes from the original concerns the character of Bosco. In the original series of games, Bosco was played by Joey Camen. But when the remaster was released, a new voice actor, Ogie Banks, was brought in to re-dub Bosco’s lines. This was likely a response to a controversy involving the previous voice actor being white while impersonating a stereotypical black man. Ogie’s voice acting in the remaster is fine but can be off-putting for those used to the original voice.
Overall, the first-season remaster of Sam and Max still holds up today due to its easy accessibility, charm, and story. If you’re looking for the best way to experience the first telltale adventure of Sam and Max, then the Remaster is the best way.
Sam and Max prepare for another crazy adventure, full of more supernatural villains than last time. They are also preparing themselves for their weirdest case yet, which will take them beyond time and space, from Santa Claus to the devil himself.
Functionally, there is very little difference in the gameplay mechanics and loop, which is why this segment is shorter than the last. One of the main differences between seasons one and two is the inclusion of mini-games. In the story, you must participate in a series of challenges offered by a group of characters, the C.O.P.S. To progress the story, you must complete each challenge at least once to unlock a necessary item to solve an important puzzle. Afterward, the mini-games can be replayed again to improve your score and earn new customizations to Sam & Max’s iconic car, the DeSoto. These are also optional, as an option that can be turned on to allow you to skip the mini-game if you so desire, so you can completely ignore the mini-games if you wish to experience the story.
There is very little to say here; Sam and Max Season Two keeps up the last season's energy, humor, and fun and is recommended if you enjoyed the first one.
Sam and Max return for the last time in the final chapter of their incredible adventure with Telltale Games. Trouble comes knocking when a mysterious space gorilla comes to their planet seeking the mysterious relics known as the Toys of Power. While he claims to use them for peace, Sam and Max suspect that he intends to use them for evil. As if that wasn’t enough, Max discovers that he has been granted incredible psychic powers, unlocked through the Toys of Power. As the threats continue to rise, Sam and Max are put through one of their most dangerous cases yet, which might spell the end for Sam and Max themselves.
The gameplay has been overhauled from the last game but remains simplistic and recognizable. In addition to picking up objects and using them to solve puzzles, Sam can now analyze and activate objects in his inventory. So, not that much has changed in terms of Sam. The fundamental changes come with the inclusion of Max as a playable character. With the discovery of Max’s psychic powers, Max can now use them to assist Sam in solving the cases. Max will discover new toys throughout the season that unlock a wide range of psychic powers, such as mind-reading, teleportation, future vision, shapeshifting, and more. The fun comes in using them in hilarious ways on all sorts of objects and characters.
Visually, The Devil’s Playhouse is the most colorful and visually pleasing entry in the remastered collection. New details have been added to help with consistency with the lore, fun new additions to dialogue, and improved framerates (a significant issue for the game's original version).
Sam and Max’s remasters remain some of my favorite remasters in recent memory. They are improving the visuals and gameplay, keeping what was already great about the games, and bringing them to the attention of a new audience, who have likely never heard of these guys before. If you have never experienced the adventures of Sam & Max before, I highly recommend checking out the remasters and having one hell of a ride with Sam & Max, the freelance police!