Well, here it is, folks…the last in the Sam and Max line. You've been up and down the same block a few times now, you're older and you're wiser, and you've got a much more crowded closet. But there's something different, something not quite right…
The Moon.
That's right. Sam and Max will be taking their second trip to the lunar surface in this last adventure but, due to new developments in Sam and Max technology, no paper bags are required. Now Sam and Max can stroll unencumbered around the lunar surface as they attempt to unravel the mystery happenings on the moon which involves rainbows, making people vomit at will, and magic tricks. If you want to find out what that all means you'll have to just see it for yourself.
Telltale Games has stuck with the traditional point and click system that have been a hallmark of the previous games, but they have instituted a new system where you can ask Max a hint if you're stuck and, honestly, this will happen to you as you play through the game. I can personally attest that this has worked at least once that I know of in the game, but other times it's just good for a laugh. I'd say that works out both ways for the gamer at large.
Telltale has also kept, but enhanced, the ability to make the most life threatening situations that our two heroes get involved in, at the same time, humorous enough so they end more terribly funny then freaky. An example of this is in the previous title where, when the Internet is busily filling out online polls before it expires and takes Sam and Max down with it (or her?) the game shifts into a text based game which not only provides those of us with that cuddly warm feeling we received so many times from games like Starfall, Ballyhoo, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy but also provided some necessary comic relief during this climatic event.
I didn't even have to wear my Peril Sensitive Sunglasses. Brilliant.
This episode is still short, so for those of you who prefer a more involved game, you should try another game but for those of you who like a game that will mean spending an enjoyable several hours being very amused and entertained then try this latest, but hopefully not the last, episode in the Sam and Max series.
Gameplay-7 = Well, there's not much I can say here that I haven't said already in the previous titles of this series that I've had the good fortune to be able to review. You point, you click, and the character moves about the map in response to your bidding. There's no chase scene in this episode, though, so the mechanics of the mouse as a driving controller won't be discussed here. And that, apart from the occasional use of the escape key for certain situations, is the lot.
Graphics-8 = I have to raise the score here because, really, Telltale put on a bit more flash for this game then the others. That occurs at the end, though, but the well designed yet cartoonish designs and the well rendered environments are still nothing to sneer it at.
Audio-8 = The voice cast retains it's usual excellent quality, especially with the performance of the man playing Hugh Bliss, who contrasts between surreal goody two shoes-esque and an alarming but hilarious appearance of menace that flows from between one and the other with surprising ease. The actors performing the roles of Sam and Max also hold up to their usual level of excellence and, in some cases, exceed it. This is certainly one of the game's strongest points.
Value-8 = If you like adventure games then you absolutely cannot go wrong with this. When you consider how fun the game is, even though I admit it is quite short in duration, then you have here the perfect game to play when you need to unwind or just need to kill a few hours at something that doesn't involve the legions of the undead, orcs, or trying to get meaningful emplyoment.
Curve-7 = To sum up all I can say is that this is a game that, while short,, will keep you amused and entertained through the start to the finish. Some of the puzzles do take some thought and occasionally some wild guesswork to complete, but apart from one or two tough spots the game is a must buy for anyone who likes point and click adventure games.
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