Sam And Max Remastered - Playstation Review

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Sam and Max Remastered reminds us of another time. The year is 2008 and Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time has just been released and published by Telltale Games. Released on multiple formats including the Playstation 3. Beyond Space and Time was the follow-up to Save The World the original Sam and Max title.

It is fair to say that the duo were very popular and sales showed that at the time. We now have Sam and Max Remastered which features both the original Save The World and Beyond Space and Time.

The remaster is being handled by Skunkape Games, this is a studio that was founded in 2020 when Telltale Games closed its doors. The studio was brought together by several members of the Telltale Games staff.

Sweet mother of all things good and plenty

Gameplay

Sam is a sentient dog in a detective suit and Max is a 3-foot-tall violent, impulsive rabbit. Together they form a partnership and work as freelance police officers. The duo are polar opposites Sam is more inclined to talk things out calmly, however, is not a pushover. On the flip side Max is a hyperactive bunny that would rather shoot first, shoot second, or lick the criminal before checking with Sam what they were doing.

There is always that question of whether Max is actually real, Sybil touches on this in Save The World where she refers to Max as Sam’s imaginary friend.

Taking merits from point-and-click adventures Sam & Max Remastered for consoles uses the thumbstick to move around and interact with objects. It can take a certain mindset to put objects together to create a solution, for example, a coat hanger that doubles up as a tv antenna can also be used to make another essential item.

It opens with Sam & Max in their office waiting for a case to fall into their laps. It’s not long before the phone rings and our dynamic duo is on the case. A group of former childhood stars named the Soda poppers have been promoting a self-help video. The problem is that there’s a popup stand inside Bosco’s Inconvenience Store and he was never asked.

This self-help video is the masterwork of Brady Culture (no relation to us at TC) who was another childhood star who lost his rise in popularity to the Soda Poppers! Anyone who watches the video is hypnotised to worship Brady and distribute more of his videos. Obviously, a bowling ball being dropped from a height is the best way for Sam and Max to break the hypnotism!! The puzzles are often bonkers, one of the earliest puzzles requires you to give Jimmy Swiss Cheese, but you only have regular cheddar. If only the cheese had holes in it?! Sadly the only thing you have to hand is a gun…you’ve guessed it.

The internet has gained Sentience in Reality 2.0

Beyond Space and Time carries on the puzzle madness. The Soda poppers turn up at the North Pole wanting to return some lame presents to Santa, only to arrive and find him shooting at elves with machine guns. An accidental typo sends a demon to Santa instead of Satan in true Sam and Max madness!

Graphics & Audio

It is the graphics that have had a serious overhaul, you can clearly see how technology has moved forward since its initial release. It is much needed and whether you are playing it for the first time, or are returning to the series having played it previously there is something for everyone.

You can see the changes that have been made

I can’t express how good a job Skunkape Games have done with this remaster, staying true to the original source. In my opinion, it keeps that magic that was there and there is a lot of comedic value. Each game is split into 5 different episodes, these are well spaced

The same can be said with Beyond Time and Space which features after the events of the first game. Mr Spatula who is the duo’s pet goldfish is found out to be evil (of course he is!!). Mr Spatulas’ evil reign of terror is brought to a swift end when Santa Claus sends the Maimtron 9000 (a massive robot) which kills him. It is simply one of those games that just has to be played.
The soundtrack features 82 songs across both titles (46 in Saves The World and 36 in Beyond Time and Space) the quirky tunes are absolutely perfect for the environment.

Satan has had a spot of work done and looks a lot better in this makeover

Longevity

Both titles come in at around 15 hours each which makes them extremely great value especially when you compare them to bigger releases that are a lot less than that. The beauty of the episodic adventure is that you don’t have to play it in one sitting. It is ideal for those who don’t get a lot of time, those with children, or even those who have to take regular breaks.

Even if you want to play them through in one setting there is plenty to keep you entertained throughout.

Final Thoughts

When Sam And Max was announced, I was excited about returning to it after so long. Being a big fan of point-and-click adventures and episodic games this had a lot going for it. The humour throughout gave me laughs and that wasn’t always limited to the main characters. What I would love to see next is a brand-new adventure. However that is my one criticism of a number of titles lately.

It is for this reason Sam and Max Remastered receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award