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Review: Sam & Max Season 3 Episode 2 – The Tomb of Sammun-Mak | PSNStores

Review: Sam & Max Season 3 Episode 2 – The Tomb of Sammun-Mak

Posted by on May 27th, 2010 | 2 Comments | Tags: ,

Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Release Date: May 18th, 2010
Availability:
Price: $34.99 | £19.99 | €24.99 (Season Pass)
Demo: No
Players: 1
Rating: Teen

What I liked:

  • Hilarious dialog (once again)
  • Unique story telling
  • “Nature’s Miracle”

What I disliked:

  • Seemed slightly shorter than the first episode
  • Framerate issues still there

Warning: This review contains minor spoilers from the first episode

I loved the first episode, but does this second outing make you wanna show up for another round?  Short Answer: Yes.

Episode two picks up where episode one left off, the fellas uncovered a mysterious tomb in the basement of their apartment building… Their very own. Turns out the skeletons they find are of their great-grandfathers, Sammeth and Maximus. After an introduction, Sam and Max find a strange projector and reels of film showing their ancestors’ adventure of finding the Devil’s Toybox. The game also throws in two new “devils toys” for Max to use: Psychic Ventriloquism and the Can of Nuts as well as the psychic ability of Astral Projection.  Along with Max’s new abilities, the game adds a new gimmick to the mix with an assortment of Mole Curses that your protagonists can be hexed with. These add another level to puzzle solving which definitely keeps things fresh.

At first I was surprised that I had the entirety of the game right in front of me, and that they were all accessible at once. This turned out to be one of the most unique story telling devices I’ve encountered.  Using the Astral Projection ability, you are able to jump around these reels, and use knowledge gained from one to solve puzzles in another. It was brilliant. Just like before, many of these puzzles made me scratch my head, but I was still able to complete the game without consulting a guide, so stick it out.

This episode seemed a bit shorter than the first. This is kind of a bummer, but I don’t judge my meals by how long it takes to eat them. Though slightly shorter, everything is so intertwined and neatly put together that it makes the game feel that much more rewarding. Music and graphics are on par with the last outing, though once again, I encountered framerate issues at certain parts (mainly reel 2). It also seems like it always takes a second or two to load up Max’s psychic abilities. I was hoping this would have been ironed out since Episode One, but alas, it remains. Characters this time around are just as bizarre and hilarious as last time, ranging from Kringle and his elves to Baby Amelia Earhart. Each character you talk to have their own ridiculous dialog. Just like the previous installment, I found myself trying to use every option for speech so I could hear (and laugh at) everything. This remains one of the few games that I can say has absolutely excellent voice acting.

Once again, I had a great time with this, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Episode Three. Despite the framerate chugging, I’m still giving this a 5. It was only evident in one of the scenes and it didn’t deter enough from the experience. It’s a damn rewarding experience at that and just a plain fun time.  Why haven’t you bought the season pass yet?

Click Here to purchase Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse from Amazon.com