The dog and hyperkinetic-rabbity thing are back!

I’ve been a Sam and Max fan since the original Telltale game came out for PC, it was my first dive into an episodic game and I didn’t regret it. The first season was a blast and the later seasons continued to improve each time, I’ve been waiting for years for some glimmer of some Sam and Max news but had given up hope until out of nowhere, a Remastered version of the first season has hit the Xbox One.

This isn’t just a simple port either, the whole game has been reworked. You can actually move Sam with the analog stick instead of moving a cursor and tapping a button to get him to go a certain direction, while objects you can interact with are highlighted when selected. It’s so much easier to select and get around now that it’s worth the price alone.

The game has Sam and Max go to a number of locations like the White House, the Internet and even the Moon. It’s a crazy game with conspiracies, a robot statue of Abe Lincoln, annoying child stars and even a parody version of the song “War, what is it good for?”. The puzzles are old-school in this point-and-click adventure, but that’s why I loved it in the first place. I’m glad to see that they haven’t messed with the formula.

The series has also had a noticeable visual upgrade, widescreen support and a performance boost. There’s a bunch of new music tracks from the original composer and a few subtle changes as well. The second season is getting a Remastered version soon, so hopefully The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered will come to fruition, along with hopefully a new season?

The Verdict

It’s great to see Sam and Max return after a seriously long hiatus, I just hope this is the first step in a full revival for the crime-fighting duo.

Score: 8.5