Sam and Max: Episode 1: Culture Shock

Overall score:

This first episode of Sam and Max came out back in Novemeber 2006, marking the return of an adventure classic series from 1993. Originally a comic book, Sam and Max have returned to the adventure game venue all set to solve crime with a dark sense of humor and a gun...among other things. This is definitely not Humphrey Bogart, though nods to the tough guy detective genre are abundant.

The story all begins in Sam's office where the telephone has gone mysteriously missing. This marks the beginning of the tutorial section of the game where we learn about clicking on everything that has a title or mouse over--and that the game's sense of humor is not grossly vulgar, but definately for grown ups. Remember Max thinks that hanging rats out of a window to get information is an appropriate 'questioning' technique, and Sam has no problem booting Max out of his way if their paths cross.

Once the issue of the missing phone has has been solved the real chase begins. Sam and Max encounter a trio of child stars who have lost their memories of themselves, though can't stop singing the praises of Brady Culture and his eye exercise Eye-Bo videos. The hypnotic green swirls in the eyes are certainly not a clue that the Eye-Bo videos might contain hypnotic messages... By the way, everyone playing this game should use the Big Gun to shoot the One Way sign out on the street. The results are sure to amuse. Well, okay, they amused me.

Graphically this game is far from photo realistic, but it has no need to be. The style is perfect for the comic book origin, with plenty of detail and very smooth animation. The background music, mostly a jazz mix, and sound effects are also well done, matching the characters and the private investigation genre to a T.

The puzzles that come up in Culture Shock are generally clever, ranging from fairly simple to more complex. Some of the puzzles genuinely took a bit of thinking outside the box and others were more a case of getting one object or another from the right person. Occassionally there were puzzles that had to be solved in a chain, requiring one to be solved before being able to solve a second or third. There's also the ability to drive the Desoto around the city and pull people over, no end of fun there, and important to the plot too.

While there is a limit to how much replayability Culture Shock offers, with a nine buck price tag I couldn't really complain. I figure a movie costs more than that, particularly with popcorn, and no one keeps me from bringing my own candy. The later episode will be available at the same price with a final Season pack for 35$. This seems an ideal situation for folks who want to try an adventure game that doesn't require a huge investment in time or finances, but with a guarantee of more to come if you enjoy it.

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Written by JenaRey on February 02nd, 2007