Screenshots :.
Sam & Max Ep2: Situation Comedy
PC
Matt
30-03-2007
"Never trust a man with a flat head.."
"SitCom Sam and Max style"
Excuse me for repeating myself from my comments on Sam and Max Episode 1 here, but it is great having these guys back on our screens, it really is. The joy of hearing Max come up with his slightly warped comments, watching the relaxed nature of Sam’s investigating and meeting the bizarre array of characters you find during your adventures brings back warm, fuzzy memories of visiting the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, Gator Golf and the Mystery Vortex.
Ripping myself reluctantly back from 1993, what we are offered with this, the second episode of the brand new series of Sam and Max games from Telltale Studios, is a fresh slice of bite size point-and-click gaming. Famed television chat show host Myra Stump has gone insane and held her live audience captive for the last three days, and it’s up to everyone’s favourite canine and lagomorph duo to resolve the situation.
What’s certainly noticeable about Situation Comedy when compared directly with the previous instalment in the series - Culture Shock - is that the humour has been ramped up a notch, with jokes hitting home more often and prompting the kind of guttural laugh that’ll confuse and slightly scare anyone within earshot of your PC at the time. It seems like the folks at Telltale are learning to push the boat out more and more as each episode goes along, and some of Max’s quips and blunt retorts are truly priceless.
Things aren’t quite as fresh as you’d possibly be hoping for, though. As with Culture Shock, Bosco and Sybil’s stores are venues you have to visit often for tasks, which is a little disappointing. Thankfully the one new venue you do get to explore in Situation Comedy is rather large and has a number of different rooms to solve puzzles in, meaning you’ll spend a good amount of time there rather than retracing the steps you made in the first episode.
One major criticism of the first episode was that the puzzles were a little on the easy side. The problem that Telltale find themselves with having gone for episodic nature of the series is that each episode as a result must be completely self-contained, putting a limit on how arching and twisting puzzles can be. Whilst Situation Comedy finds a few of the tasks taxing, you still get the feeling that perhaps Telltale need to bump the complexity up a little if they’re going to really tax even modest mouse-wielding sleuths.
Still, taking into account the great value which the series brings at a price of somewhere between £3 and £4 per episode, these problems are minor niggles by comparison. The two episodes so far have left room for improvement, sure, but we shouldn’t forget that this is very much a new project that will grow with time. The one thing you certainly cannot level at the series up to this point is that it’s been not worth the cash.
So, for your £4 you once again get yourself 3 hours packed with chuckles and laughs. If you’re after a taxing, complicated adventure packed with twists and turns then obviously this isn’t going to be your bag, but for any of the remaining fans of Sam and Max who still haven’t taken the plunge quite yet, dive in – the water’s just great.
Ripping myself reluctantly back from 1993, what we are offered with this, the second episode of the brand new series of Sam and Max games from Telltale Studios, is a fresh slice of bite size point-and-click gaming. Famed television chat show host Myra Stump has gone insane and held her live audience captive for the last three days, and it’s up to everyone’s favourite canine and lagomorph duo to resolve the situation.
What’s certainly noticeable about Situation Comedy when compared directly with the previous instalment in the series - Culture Shock - is that the humour has been ramped up a notch, with jokes hitting home more often and prompting the kind of guttural laugh that’ll confuse and slightly scare anyone within earshot of your PC at the time. It seems like the folks at Telltale are learning to push the boat out more and more as each episode goes along, and some of Max’s quips and blunt retorts are truly priceless.
Things aren’t quite as fresh as you’d possibly be hoping for, though. As with Culture Shock, Bosco and Sybil’s stores are venues you have to visit often for tasks, which is a little disappointing. Thankfully the one new venue you do get to explore in Situation Comedy is rather large and has a number of different rooms to solve puzzles in, meaning you’ll spend a good amount of time there rather than retracing the steps you made in the first episode.
One major criticism of the first episode was that the puzzles were a little on the easy side. The problem that Telltale find themselves with having gone for episodic nature of the series is that each episode as a result must be completely self-contained, putting a limit on how arching and twisting puzzles can be. Whilst Situation Comedy finds a few of the tasks taxing, you still get the feeling that perhaps Telltale need to bump the complexity up a little if they’re going to really tax even modest mouse-wielding sleuths.
Still, taking into account the great value which the series brings at a price of somewhere between £3 and £4 per episode, these problems are minor niggles by comparison. The two episodes so far have left room for improvement, sure, but we shouldn’t forget that this is very much a new project that will grow with time. The one thing you certainly cannot level at the series up to this point is that it’s been not worth the cash.
So, for your £4 you once again get yourself 3 hours packed with chuckles and laughs. If you’re after a taxing, complicated adventure packed with twists and turns then obviously this isn’t going to be your bag, but for any of the remaining fans of Sam and Max who still haven’t taken the plunge quite yet, dive in – the water’s just great.
8/10
