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Sam & Max Episode 3 - The Mole, The Mob and The Meatball |
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
Episode No. 3 in Telltale Games' continuing Sam & Max point-and-click adveriture series sends our favorite dog-and-rabbit detective duo undercover to infiltrate the "Toy Mafia," a crime organization made up of 1930s-era mobsters who wear creepy, giant teddy-bear heads and yield to the whims of their Marlon Brando-esque Don.
Of course, this typically oddball plot paves the way for corny dialogue, but unlike in previous episodes, it's effortlessly funny—even sharper and punchier, and just a bit more grown-up. The only recurring joke ("Does the carpet match the drapes?") is actu-
ally kind of lame, but the rest of the game is hysterical: every puzzle provides a good punchline, with the solutions never seeming illogical or tacked-on. Because the design goes out of its way to avoid the contrived puzzles that make most adventure games drag, the solutions themselves often feel a bit too easy. Like we've said of previous episodes, it's "adventure-gaming lite"
And, once again, the characters and locations feel rather limited. Series regulars Sybil and Bosco return (coincidentally tied up in the Mafia's dealings), and your time gets divided between Sam and Max's usual street block and the Toy Mafia's equally small head quarters and casino. Exploration and variety take a backseat to the constant stream of jokes (an unavoidable trade-off, given the series' episodic nature). Everything else is unmitigated and unapologetic fluff-the joy is in Sam and Max's wit, after all-and seasoned adventure garners might find the game too simple to really sink their teeth into.
Author: Jenn Frank
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