I’m no stranger to the adventures of Sam & Max, in fact you may remember the last collection of episodes to get the makeover treatment, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space Remastered, which I reviewed a few years ago. Well, the final part of the trilogy is finally here, as the iconic freelance police take on their biggest case yet.
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse consists of five episodes which chart the impressive development of Max’s powerful psychic abilities. The slightly unhinged but lovable rabbit accesses these through the fabled toys of power, but there are other forces at play who want the artefacts for themselves. With that, the race to acquire the Devil’s Toybox is on.
For the uninitiated, Sam & Max are a pair of anthropomorphic private investigators who wind up taking on weird and wonderful cases, never without their unflappable bravery and off the wall humour. Both characters are brilliantly voiced and extremely well written, and over the years have more than earned their status as cult legends in the world of video games.
Their daft and often slapdash approach makes them unlikely heroes, however they always get the job done. Sam reminds me somewhat of the iconic Frank Drebin (played by the glorious Leslie Nielsen) in the way he delivers some of his lines. Even the opening to each episode evokes memories of The Naked Gun films. That should give you a good idea of the tone struck in Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse.
Originally developed by the well renowned folks at Telltale Games, the trilogy of point and click adventure games catered for a loyal fan base, and many credit them with trailblazing the episodic structure which is used more widely today. Exploring everything is key to solving each case, as well as paying close to attention to what is said as you question your suspects.
For the most part you control Sam, that is for exploring your environment and chatting to the weird and wonderful inhabitants of this version of New York and beyond. The action shifts to Max when the need arises to tap into his rather extensive suite of psychic abilities.
This is no straightforward detective game however, this is Sam & Max. The Toys of Power offer varying gameplay mechanics which are integral to the daring duo solving their case. For example, the Future Vision Goggles give Max a glimpse of what’s coming which don’t simply give away the solution, but as expected a cryptic clue which will point him in the right direction. Other Toys of Power include the Teleportation Telephone (which is pretty self explanatory), the Rhinoplasty Toy that allows Max to shapeshift into pictures of other objects and the Can O’ Nuts that comes in very handy for squeezing through tight spaces and avoiding detection.
Each different toy works really well both as a mechanic in Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, but also fits in with the slapstick sense of humour. As well as snapshots of the future, chatting to your partner will often throw ideas or suggestions on what to do next. If all else fails, dip into your toy box and see what you can do.
Alongside this you will come across numerous items during your investigations. Figuring out when and how to use these is also a key part of each puzzle. Sam is armed with his trusty gun as always, but what I love about Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is that you only use it in a handful of circumstances which makes it all the more satisfying when you do.
At times, I got absolutely stumped and you will too. Despite what, at first, may seem like small and contained areas, figuring out your next move isn’t obvious at all. Thank goodness Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse was originally released years ago, as I must confess to a few occasions where I had to seek help with what to do next.
The balance between progression and challenge is mostly spot on, although there is the odd moment where trial and error will see you through. My best piece of advice is remember what you learn when interacting with the characters, as applying that knowledge is usually the answer. Everything is there for a reason. When you have a breakthrough, the lightbulb moment of realisation is pleasingly satisfying and you’ll appreciate just how clever the game is.
As you may imagine, in a point and click adventure game storytelling is of paramount importance. As well as the clever Toys of Power mechanics, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse rips up the rulebook and has fun with each episode. As a foundation, each episode feels unique and is wonderfully written, with an infectious self-aware sense of humour led by two characters it’s impossible not to love.
For example, the sequencing gets all muddled up in one episode meaning you need to jump from one segment of the story to another, directed by what you learn and how you can apply it either in the past or future. In another episode, things get a little darker and more linear as Sam is on the warpath and it’s a brilliant change of pace. There’s a clear overarching story linking the five episode collection, but each is different to the last.
Now let’s not forget that this release of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is a remaster, so what’s new I hear you ask. Well, most obviously the game has had an overhaul in areas such as environment detailing, cinematography and bug fixes. Not only this, but the soundtrack has been remixed and the audio quality improved along with some lost content and the fabled Nutri-Specs now available as a bonus toy.
Thanks to the windy storytelling there’s a generous amount of gameplay on offer across the five episode season in Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, but of course it’ll depend on how quickly you crack each case and how much exploring you like to do. At £16.74 you can’t really complain no matter how long you’re playing for, it’s very reasonably priced.
Whether you are new to the series or looking for that nostalgia hit, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse has you covered. There are a few very small niggles, such as the occasional graphical glitch, framerate drop, directional movement confusion and persistent loading screens, but nothing serious enough to distract from your enjoyment of the game.
Now that the trilogy has once again come to an end, I have everything crossed that we will see the unlikely heroes return for their next adventure before too long. What was Telltale’s most ambitious season of Sam & Max is brought up to date with a meticulous attention to detail. Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is a madcap mystery brimming with creativity, showing there is life in the old dog (and rabbit) yet.
%20yet.%c2%a0){kind=link}