Originally released as five monthly episodes in 2010, The Devil's Playhouse was Telltale's final Sam & Max season, closing out the trilogy that established the studio as the pioneers of episodic gaming. This final entry to the trilogy has now be released by Skunkape Games, loving remastered with a fresh coat of paint like the previous two entries, and I can tell you they definitely saved the best for last!
Before I jump into my review of the final Sam & Max adventure, you can check out my video review of the first game below, and read my review of the second game in the trilogy HERE.
If you have never heard of the Sam & Max games before, they were based on the 1980's comics about a pair of anthropomorphic vigilante private investigators that were created by Steve Purcell. The adventure games created by Telltale Games were released in seasons with episodes releasing every month. Whilst it was a novel process at the time and really put Telltale on the map, there was nothing worse than waiting a whole month for the next few hours of gameplay to be released. Imagine waiting for the next episode of your favourite TV show, but it was monthly instead of weekly! Thankfully these new remasters combine all the episodes into singular complete story releases!
The plot of the season is rather amusing to explain but I will try my best. Sam and Max, stumble upon an ancient relic—the “Toys of Power.” These little wonders grant psychic abilities to whoever wields them. Max, being Max (which means he’s about as predictable as a caffeinated squirrel), taps into these powers. Suddenly, they’re teleporting, precognitively predicting chaos, and dealing with eldritch horrors. Oh, and did I mention evil space gorillas? Yeah, those too. It’s like a cosmic game of charades, but with more explosions and fewer coherent clues. Episode three then kicks off with a noir vibe. Sam finds himself in an alternate reality where he’s the hard-boiled detective. His mission? Figure out what happened to Max’s brain. Yes, you heard me right—Max’s brain has gone on vacation, leaving a “Gone Fishing” sign in its place. The puzzles in this episode require more leaps of logic than a kangaroo on a trampoline. Sam grills suspects, interrupts conversations, and generally channels his inner Sherlock. It’s a brain-twisting blend of humour and mystery-solving, with a dash of absurdity for good measure.
As the plot unfolds, Sam and Max learn that General Skun-ka’pe (yes that does sound rather similar to the developer of this release doesn't it), an alien from space, seeks the Toys of Power for himself. He poses a threat to the city, and it’s up to our intrepid duo to stop him.
The game looks and runs better than ever, thanks to a whole host of improvements. Lighting has been improved, the graphics have been sharpened, there is now lip-synching to the character models as well as updates to the cinematography and music. The city environments also feel much grander and detailed than on the original release too. There was also a PS3 exclusive item - The Nutri-Specs that added several extra jokes to the game, and these are now available on all platforms too! The game follows the classic point-and-click adventure formula: explore quirky environments, chat with even quirkier characters, and collect items to progress through the story. There are a good amount of puzzles to wrap your brain around, and you will need to use Max’s new psychic powers at points to help you progress, be that by looking into the future, reading minds or teleporting. Also don't worry if you're not usually good at puzzles, the game can actually detect when you are stuck and will provide subtle hints to help you move forward without the need for a walkthrough or video guide!
Conversations with other characters are where the game truly shines. Sam and Max have a snarky retort for every situation. You’ll choose dialogue options from branching trees, and trust me, there’s no “boring” option. Whether you’re interrogating a mole-man, negotiating with a sentient cheese wheel, or discussing existential dread with a talking cockroach, expect witty one-liners and absurd exchanges.
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is definitely a case of saving the best until last. With its slight changes to the format that was found in the previous two seasons. Skunkape have crafted an absolutely loving remaster here and you can feel all the effort and care that's been put into it. If you ever enjoyed the classic Telltale Games, then this is a must buy, and if you have never tried a Sam & Max game, then you should grab this and the previous two games in the series (also handily available in a discounted three game bundle!). TOTAL SCORE: 9/10
Sam & Max: The Devils Playhouse is available right now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S via backwards compatibility. The game costs £16.74 and can be grabbed HERE. The game is also available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation and PC via Steam.
I played the game on Xbox Series X for this review. A copy of the game was provided so big thanks for that!
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