Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock Demo

Telltale Games are definitely masters when it comes to creating intricate storylines, rich characters and convoluted scenarios to blend all those elements together. However, the studio also happens to own a secluded and run-down apartment somewhere in a bad neighborhood, where they house the creators of the Sam & Max franchise and keep them from messing with the civilized society.

Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock is the first installment in a series of short, but memorable bursts of wit and genius in the point-and-click adventure genre. The games in question are not designed to provide you with rich insight into the human consciousness, the meaning of life, or the perils of fighting for what you believe in. Instead, they aim to have you laughing hysterically once every thirty seconds and then feel awful about yourself for the rest of the minute.

The plot involves the two heroes posing as the Freelance Police again as they tackle yet another pointless, but gruesome case that threatens the safety of the neighborhood. This time, a band of former TV child stars is causing a lot of trouble around town and it is up for Sam and his disturbed friend Max to put and end to their crime spree. Naturally, things turn out to be a tad more complicated than that, since a much darker force is at play behind the seemingly random acts of violence displayed by the hoodlums.

The best part of the game is definitely the dialogue, because a great deal of effort went into making sure that each line uttered by the characters has the potential to make you laugh, cringe or nervously exhale while your eyes scour the room to see if anyone is listening. Sam can be the voice of skewed reason most of the time, but Max's thoughts are always tainted by dismemberment and filth, which certainly works wonders for the dialogue between them.

As far as the actual gameplay is concerned, the point-and-click click mechanics are about as classic and straightforward as they can be, since all you have to do is click on the objects you are interested in and the characters will examine them, or at least make a witty remark involving their purpose, history or appearance. The puzzles are by no means complicated, but they are clever and satisfying, especially since they usually involve unconventional ideas, such as making Swiss cheese out of regular cheese by shooting at it with a revolver.

In the end, Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock is definitely a game worth trying, even if you are not a particularly big fan of adventure games. The humor is clever, the situations are hilarious and the characters stick with you for a long time, even if they might pop into your mind when you least want them to.