One of my first computer game experiences was Sam & Max Hit The Road. It was a point-and-click PC game beautifully illustrated with endearing characters and a wicked sense of humour that kept me entertained and made me fall in love with the world of gaming. Since then, the duo have had a string of hit games, TV series, and remasters of the old games.
The third and final season of Telltale Games’ Sam & Max game titled The Devil’s Playground is finally here thanks to Skunkape Games, heralding in the return of the freelance police in a beautifully remastered adventure that looks spectacular in the modern gaming landscape.
New Moves
The evil space gorilla Skun-ka’pe has invaded Earth and is keeping Sam and Max as prisoners. The pair get hold of the Toys of Power which unlock Max’s psychic abilities and then spends the next five episodes of the game tracking down these powers and learning how to control them.
Sam is an Irish Wolfhound dog who is the reasonable, straight-down-the-line half of the duo, while Max, the white rabbit is the unhinged and often violent outburst kind of character interacts and how they can play off each other’s strengths is a large part of what makes this series so endearing.
The first two seasons of the game, Save the World and Beyond Time and Space, are all fitting with the point-and-click nature of the original LucasArts game (and its cancelled sequel) although these modern games were released for iOS devices that had a touchscreen, the shift to console versions for these remakes has left a few gaps when it comes to camera control and inventory management that probably could have had a little more time dedicated to it to achieve perfection.
The first two seasons of the game had Telltale Games using their older model of point and click, before they found success in the Walking Dead episodic series, here you can see the evolution of Telltale’s gaming mechanics, the puzzles are more challenging and each episode in the season felt like it was building to something, fuelling your need to keep playing after being left on a cliffhanger at the end of each episode.
Fortunately, all of the episodes are available to play here in the Devils Playhouse Remastered package, so there is no need to wait. Remastering a game that is 14 years old, doesn’t sound like there would be much to do, however the difference in the graphics is astounding here.
The change from moving Sam & Max from 2D to 3D from Hit The Road to Save The World was a huge leap, and the two characters benefit from being beautifully created in this new format. The next step in their evolution is here with the remasters, and while the other two, Save the World and Beyond Time and Space were great to look at, The Devil’s Playground feels polished on a whole other level.
Lookin’ Fresh
The colours of the environments are they travel through time stand out and the detail on all of the characters here look like they are fresh out of a Pixar movie. The audio as well has also had a refresh and while it may appear subtle if you haven’t played the original games, again it is something that has been modernised for this version, allowing for the voice actors’ performances to really shine through.
When it comes to Sam & Max games, the real hero aside from the puzzles, is the writing. Comedy has changed a lot in the last 14 years, and arguably this pair have always sat on the fence in the is a game for kids or adults territory, with the original game definitely for adults and then have been slowly shifting to the other side with each subsequent title from there.
Fortunately, here a lot of the jokes land for adults and is what keeps the joke a minute pace to elevate this game to not only look and sound good but have the quality and fun expected from this franchise.
Final Thoughts
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is unfortunately the end of the Telltale games to be modernised for consoles and PC. These characters have stood the test of time and are constantly being evolved and reinvented; although the VR game doesn’t necessarily count, and the less said about that the better!
Playhouse is one of their stronger outings, arguably offering the most authentic feeling Sam & Max game since the original Hit the Road release. With a modern lick of paint graphically and updated controls, it is the perfect tribute to the Telltale series we all loved.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Beautiful restoration, Updated controls
Lowlights: Camera controls can be finicky
Developer: Skunkape Games
Publisher: Skunkape Games
Platforms: Windows PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S. Nintendo Switch
Available: Now
Review conducted on PC with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
