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Sam & Max S01E02 - Situation: Comedy
Talk show host, Myra Stump has seemingly lost her marbles and is holding her studio audience hostage. Freelance police, Sam & Max is tasked with getting to the bottom of Myra's strange behavior and freeing the poor audience. Of course, in typical Sam & Max fashion, the way they go about doing this is anything but orthodox.
As a big fan of the dog and rabbit duo, I enjoyed the first episode of their new adventures despite it never reaching the lofty heights of their 90s debut. Fortunately, the episodic nature of the series means that fans did not have to wait too long for the next case. This whole episode is centered on the absurdity of television and to crack the case, Sam & Max have to become stars themselves. The episode once again opens in the freelance police's office which hasn't changed much. A trip down to the inconvenience store reveals that Bosco is now attempting a fake British accent but the location is still pretty much the same. The same goes for Sybills shop which is now a tabloid instead of a tattoo parlor. Seeing all these recycled areas can invoke a sense of deja vu but luckily it is not long before you are off to the WARP studios where most of the action takes place. I wasn't too pleased to run into the "Soda Poppers" again (aging former child stars from the first episode) but fortunately their roles are a lot smaller. There are only a few new characters in this episode and they are not very memorable but at least they fit into the wacky Sam & Max universe. Since this is a point & click adventure, the puzzles are the most important aspect which is why veterans might be a bit disappointed. With the limited amount of locations and small inventory it didn't take me very long to figure out what to do where. At least this cut down on needless frustration as none of the puzzles are obscure or illogical. The characters you speak to tend to be a little obvious with their hints however. For the most part you'll be participating in typical television shows in an attempt to prove that you are worthy of appearing on Myras show. There's a sitcom, cooking show, talent show and gameshow for you to cheat your way to the top. These sections are entertaining but all too brief. Weighing in at just over two hours I was able to complete the entire episode in just one sitting without having to resort to any guides. The quality of the voice acting is once again of a very high standard although it sounds like Max has a new actor lending him his voice. The difference is negligible however and I doubt too many players will even notice. The story is mostly self-contained so if you did not play the first episode you won't be left in the dark. I do however recommend that you play the episodes in the order that they were released so that you can fully appreciate all the joke sand references. The humor is done very well and quite a few lines had me laughing out loud. Sam's dry remarks and Max's psychotic retorts are done really well and none of the humor feels too forced. The visuals remain largely unchanged and since it is all running on the same engine I doubt future episodes are going to look any better. As I mentioned, the recycled locations are a bit disappointing but to be expected I guess. At least the game should be playable on just about every computer as the requirements are not too hectic. While I would still love to see a 2D Sam & Max title, the 3D visuals are at least bright and cartoony. Even though it is quite short and a little lacking in the challenge department, I had fun playing Sam & Max - Situation Comedy. Most of the entertainment comes from the witty banter between the two partners and their take on their surroundings so hopefully future episodes will expand on this. Some more locations and more challenging puzzles will be welcome too. This episode definitely has me excited to check out the next so as episodic games go I would say that it is a success.
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System Requirements
TAGS: Sam & Max, Season 01 Episode 02, Situation: Comedy, Myra Stump, WARP TV Studio, Freelance Police
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