Sam & Max: Season One

The Good
I played Lucas Arts Adventure games throughout the 1990s. Sam and Max, much like Guybrush Threepwood, helped to define the point and click, adventure gaming genre.

Now, after a bit of a hiatus, the dog and rabbit detectives are back! This time they are solving a mystery on the Xbox 360. The first episode has our quirky, free lance sleuths coming face-to-face with a wacky cult of former child stars, lead by a goofy guy stuck in 1973. Woowsers!

The player takes control of Sam & Max as they explore the city, speak with various locals and solve inventory puzzles. If you are familiar with Lucas Arts Adventure games, you will quickly figure fit right into this episode.

The game play mechanics are responsive and user-friendly. The game features some bright and colorful, cartoony graphics, with some amazing voice talents. All in all, this is one of the funniest adventures on the Xbox 360 available. A must play for adventure game fans.

The Bad
Sam and Max is a fun adventure game, but it's not without its flaws. I notice the occasional, minor, glitches in the game. Nothing serious enough to hault gameplay, but the glitches are noticeable and can sometimes hurt the delivery of jokes.

The entire package features six episodes - with an ongoing story, as well as the plot of each episode. The quality of the episodes ranges greatly. While number of them are bad, some of them feel like they could have been a bit more developed.

The first episode is one of the best, but the episodes set in a local TV station and a mafia-run game room both feel like much more could have been said and done with the concept.

Frankly, I wish that all of the episodes were longer. I realize that shows how fun the game is, but I cannot help it: when I finished all six episodes, I wanted more!

The Bottom Line
Sam and Max: Save The World follows the point and click, adventures of two quirky, detectives who face off against new age cults, hypnotized talk show hosts, mafia thugs, virtual reality villians, dead presidents, and more wackiness. It's funny, well designed and harkens back to the golden age of adventure gaming. I would recommend buying the entire game, all six episodes.