QCF: Sam & Max Save the World Remastered

ith the closing of the original Telltale Games in 2018 leaving many fans of adventure games sad and unsure of the genre’s future, many assumed something like Sam & Max may never be seen again. And although the name of Telltale and many of its properties have new ownership, the members of the Freelance Police will have their escapades retold by the original developers in Sam & Max Save the World Remastered. For new fans and old, this collection of the six-episode first season first released in 2006 is a time capsule to what adventure games were, and what fans still crave today.

Welcome to Freelance Police Headquarters

I have often played adventure games for review on this site and picked up plenty of Telltale’s library in the past. However, I am sad to admit that my only real exposure to Sam and Max was their appearance in Poker Night at the Inventory and the sequel. I knew then that this duo was important to the genre as well as the developer and it is proven in this collection. I could tell right away that Skunkape Games wanted to do the franchise justice, so much so that they bought the rights to the license and brought in many of the original developers and composer to bring new life and features to this compilation. The game is broken into six episodes which can be played right away, and independent of each other. There is a branching storyline that connects each segment and easter eggs are littered throughout the environment referencing not only the other sections of the game but the developer’s history and lineage as well.

Conversations go off the rails often

Gameplay is the point and click that you would expect and is the only thing that does not receive a fresh coat of paint. Controlling with the mouse felt floaty for my taste and trying to run and move around the level was clunky and often lead to me clicking in the game screen not quite sure where Sam would end up. Perhaps a six-foot anthropomorphic dog normally is meant to traverse in that fashion, but it was jarring for me throughout the gameplay. The developer has made mention of some known bugs with the mouse pointer on the screen, so hopefully a future patch can remedy that grievance. The rest of the experience is solid; the voice acting is great even for a title that was released over fifteen years ago. I believe the dialogue and soundtrack were touched up for the remaster, but the lines of conversation and the dated jokes remain. Surprisingly, the banter from the early 2000’s still feels appropriate even today. Character designs are superb and take the inspiration from the original 1987 comic and incorporate it into an interactive experience that very few page-to-screen adaptations have been able to accomplish.

Updates to the game look great

The remaster also does an excellent job of modernizing the character models and animations, paying close attention to detail and lighting to make the world pop from the screen. Even though the team is using the dated Telltale engine, they were able to deliver on giving Sam and Max more energy and vibrancy as they converse, as well as the NPCs in the game. The environments are detailed and whimsical, making exploration more enjoyable to go back to. I would check each point of interest in the Freelance Police office, Bosco’s corner store and other locations just to see if anything new could be discovered or referenced. Many times, it would be a running joke, such as trying to gain the assistance of Jimmy Two-Teeth or answering a phone call from the Commissioner at the beginning of each episode. These throwbacks are what make episodic gaming successful and is why Sam & Max deserves plenty of praise for paving the way for other hits from the Telltale library and adventures games going forward.

Each episode can be played right away, or in succession

Playing through Sam & Max Save the World Remastered makes me wish I could have experienced the original at its release; this newest iteration is as enjoyable as any game of it’s genre I have played yet and I am sure it is due to the care and consideration of the original developer. It serves as a homage to the fandom of LucasArts and releases of the era as well as showing respect to what has developed in the years since. It is a casual experience that never takes itself too seriously and is bizarre and outlandish, just like the main characters / hyper violent private investigators. Even with the dated engine and antiquated controls, I can recommend checking this out for almost any type of fan. I am excited for the developer hopefully releasing remastered versions of the other Sam & Max episodic titles in the future and keeping the dream of interactive adventure games alive and well. Also, if they wanted to make another Poker Night game, I would be very much into that as well, please and thank you!