Sam & Max episode 5: Reality 2.0 Review (PC)

The best yet?

If you have not seen this series before you may like to check out our reviews of the other episodes:
Sam & Max Episode 1: Culture Shock
Sam & Max Episode 2 : Situation Comedy
Sam & Max Episode 3: The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball
Sam & Max Episode 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die!

If you have been following these reviews you will by now know what the Sam & max games are, but for those that haven’t been following, they are a series of episodic adventure games based around a dog and a rabitty thing who are freelance police, and their investigations of various far fetched crime capers.
This, the penultimate episode of the first series focuses on a strange phenomenon causing the internet to stop working all over the state.
Sam & Max are sent to investigate these surges, and find a virtual reality world controlled by goggles that can be fully explored by the player (its like 2 games in 1!!!). This is in my opinion the funniest of the Sam & Max games I have played (all except episode 4), and also the longest. It is still however relatively easy for anyone to complete, and shouldn’t prove too challenging for even the simplest of players. The game can really be divided into 3 parts, so I will review it as such.

Part 1 – Finding reality 2.0

Well in this part you are looking for the source of the surges causing the internet to shut down in most of the state. This turns out to be an alternative reality created and upheld by a group of superseded and depreciated electrical products that are overlooked by society. These include (wait for it.) an arcade machine, a typewriter, a telephone and a machine that. well, beeps. Sam and max have to find some way into this alternative reality in order to shut it down. This section is reminiscent of the first 2 episodes, focusing mainly on the neighbourhood. It is well scripted but the sound quality could do with a bit of work, some of the recordings of Sam’s voice are very echoic. The graphics are what you would come to expect from this style of game.

Part 2 – Shutting down reality 2.0

When Sam & Max get into reality 2.0, it is basically a virtual version of their neighbourhood, everything is in the same location but it seems like a new and refreshing take on the game. A computer program resembling Myra from situation comedy (episode 2) is guarding a post box that spreads mail (or anything else) anywhere you desire around the virtual world. Sam’s entire inventory is changed into digital versions of the objects I.E. his big gun becomes a ray gun, and the listening bug becomes a computer bug. So. as Bosco is selling biological weapons in the real world, they will become a computer virus in reality 2.0, but first you have to find enough money to buy a wooden long-sword of intense longness from him. This is my favourite part if the game, as you are allowed to alter the laws of gravity in order to find coins. After this, you must channel $10,000 to bosco’s online account from other online accounts, which uncovers a large money laundering operation (presumably more on this next episode).

Part 3 – Reality 1.5, or how I learned to stop the internet killing all of humankind

Well, after planting the virus into the network, the internet looses all respect for humanity and decides to destroy everyone and everything plugged into the network. Sam and max have to stop this. This section resembles DOS, using writing on a black screen to describe the action, and giving Sam & Max a number of options. In this section you have to find the respect for humanity, and give it back to the internet. This is another refreshing take on the game, but you will get tired of this style very quickly.

Overall, this is the best of the Sam & Max games I have played so far, and I really recommend it to anyone interested in the previous games. It is both hilarious and inventive, whilst still being suitable for all ages. This game has something for everyone.

Available form 29th of March from www.gametap.com then general release from 12th of April at www.telltalegames.com

Diamond Y Award

5 / 5