Sam and Max Episode 5: Reality 2.0 Review

Posted by Mark E. Hengst II April 02, 2008

With the first four episodes in the books, one would think I would have immediately devoured the last two making up the first season of Sam and Max. Yet, here I am, almost one year later, just now submitting my review for Sam and Max Episode 5, which I will for brevity’s sake refer to as Reality 2.0 from here on out. The reason for my gap has much to do with needing to update my PC hardware, as well as being a bit burned out by the adventure gaming genre in general. Fear not; my batteries are recharged and I am back to bring you reviews of the last two Sam and Max season one chapters.

For those unwilling or unable to go back to my previous Sam and Max reviews, I will quickly recap. Episode 1 was an entertaining re-introduction to the Sam and Max experience and game world. It was a unique title, and it brought the irreverent and clever humor of Sam and Max back to the gaming world after a lengthy hiatus. The following two chapters were nearly identical to the first two in terms of length, content, pacing, and puzzle structure, and I began to become annoyed with how familiar everything felt. Abe Lincoln Must die was the first episode that made use of the feedback gamers had been submitting since the release of Episode 1 and it was a highly entertaining game and easily the best that had been released.

An episodic title like this really cannot be rated in the categories of graphics and sound like your average title, as they are identical to those rated in the previous four episodes. Suffice it to say, the game continues to have a solid cartoon-like graphical style that lends itself well to the adventure game style. The voice acting and sound effects remain solid and continue to help make the game an entertaining experience, especially given how much of the comedic value of Sam and Max comes from the dialogue and comedic timing and delivery of said dialogue.

Without spoiling it much, Sam and Max are dispatched to discover what crisis is causing all sorts of issues with computers across the world. A quick check in their own neighborhoods makes it apparent that yet again people are being hypnotized, this time by an advanced virtual reality simulation known as Reality 2.0, designed to be superior to actual reality in every conceivable way. It is up to Sam and Max to infiltrate Reality 2.0 and bring it down one way or another.

This is the first of the new Sam and Max episodes to really take this game into a more modern era, that of the modern game space. In Reality 2.0, we would see the wit of Sam and Max directed at Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), as well as towards the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG). Bosco provides an immense amount of humor in this episode, and I am certain that most gamers will see humor in his chosen path. There are even a few nods towards platforming games and traditional turn-based RPGs and text based adventures that make the gamer in me wax nostalgic.

In Reality 2.0, you are reunited with the usual series regulars, Sybil and Bosco, and, of course, a certain furry friend. You are also introduced to three new and highly entertaining characters, the C.O.P.S. The C.O.P.S. characters are so well done, and the sound effects and voice acting for them easily steal the show from nearly every funny element or character introduced in the series since the first episode.

I hesitate to elaborate much further as it’s a short, story-centric game, and I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot for those who are eager to pore through the game without having the story spoiled for them. I also have to mention that continuity continues to be a strong aspect of the game, as Max is still President of the United States at the start of the game, although nobody seems to care much anymore, perhaps adding a true-to-life quality to the game experience.

Sam and Max is clearly an adventure game that is geared more towards older gamers, as the humor is a bit more clever than it is slapstick, although it certainly has its slapstick moments as well. Reality 2.0 really made me laugh a lot as it was fun to see the games that I have played over the years lampooned in an intelligent manner. I found the puzzles to be challenging but workable and, with the exception of one puzzle, fairly well-reasoned. It seems all adventure games have at least one puzzle that just requires ridiculous amounts of inventory clicking until the solution is found.

Reality 2.0 maintains the 2-3 hour gameplay length, which makes it just a bit longer than your average movie and at 8-9 dollars not necessarily a bad deal. Much like a movie, this is likely a title you will play and then not touch again for years, if ever.

"...Reality 2.0 is easily the best of the episodes released to date."

Sam and Max Episode 5: Reality 2.0 is easily the best of the episodes released to date. It has a solid, very funny, and highly entertaining story, as well as some of the best puzzles included to date. The introduction, however briefly, of different gameplay types is a welcome addition and the type of thing that elevates this game above its predecessors. The overall hypnosis plot is fully in the spotlight now, and it will be interesting to see how the season ends next episode.

For 8-9 bucks, I think this game is a worthwhile purchase whose entertainment value outweighs its linearity and lack of replay value. If you have played through the previous four episodes, then you owe it to yourself to work through Reality 2.0.

Pros