If you’re a fan of buddy-cop movies, clichéd puns, and slapstick humor, you’ll feel right at home in Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, Episode 1: The Penal Zone. It’s the first episode in a five-part adventure series, as the rather lengthy name suggests. In this first installment, the kooky pair of freelance investigators deals with some equally kooky characters, including the main villain, an alien named Skun’kape who lands on Earth in peace but clearly has an ulterior motive. It’s up to Sam and Max to find out the true reason for his arrival and banish him to another dimension.
Sam's a "canine shamus" and his weird buddy Max prefers to be called a "lagomorph." Sure, Max, whatever.
You maneuver the two protagonists around a slightly downtrodden, very cartoony version of New York City and use their specialties to solve puzzles, which lead you to your next task and ultimately determine the ending. Max’s psychic abilities are distinguished by a variety of classic toys, while Sam does most of the grunt work, like driving their very classy DeSoto squad car. Though the game is a point-and-click affair, you can also use the WASD keys to steer. But since the keyboard controls are inverted in Max’s psychic mode, it’s easier to simply click. Controlling Sam and Max using the trackpad is also treacherous, so laptop users should plug in a mouse before diving in.
This is Sam and Max’s first appearance on the Mac since 1995, though they’re still well-loved in the gaming world. Two series prior to The Devil’s Playhouse (Sam & Max Save the World, and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space) were popular on the PC and Xbox 360, so this Mac port might make new players feel out of the loop. Regardless, this particular series definitely has a more memorable story line than seasons past, and gamers attracted to clever stories will find it worth playing.
While the plot might seem suitable for gamers of all ages, it’s not very cohesive since this first episode is part of a long series. The story is often too involved and drags on, which can make solving the puzzles a bit tedious. Fortunately, Max’s “future vision” hint system can point you in the right direction. His jokes, however, will make you face-palm.
Sam and Max themselves also have a tough time being rendered in this virtual world--the game did not run smoothly on our Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro. The game even got stuck loading cut-scene segues. Adding insult to injury, the game’s graphics aren’t exactly cutting edge, and yet the developers recommend using a system with a dedicated video card over one with integrated Intel graphics. We should also mention that there is no key for skipping through cut-scenes, so have your patience hat handy.
If you’re a fan of the kind of cheesy dialogue and plot-driven point-and-click adventure that Penal Zone specializes in, you’ll have a blast. If not, you’ll find yourself groaning more than chuckling—especially given the technical issues.
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Episode 1: The Penal Zone
COMPANY: Telltale Games
CONTACT: www.telltalegames.com
PRICE: $34.95 for a five-episode series
REQUIREMENTS: Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Mac OS 10.5 or later
Story-driven. Memorable characters. Different endings. ESRB: Everyone 10+
Outdated graphics. No way to skip through cut-scenes.
