Sam & Max Episode 6 Bright Side of the Moon Review

Eight months ago the great dog-rabbit duo of Sam and Max returned to thrill gamers with 6 episodes of Season 1. The first episode, Culture Shock, started off quite well, with the 2nd episode remaining fresh. The 3rd and 4th episodes hit the borderline of boredom through repetition. The games were still quite enjoyable but you ended up visiting the same locations and interacting with the same characters and solving the same sort of puzzles. Things picked up once again with the 5th episode and the first season of the return of Sam and Max ends on a high note with episode 6: Bright Side of the Moon.

In fact, it would not be too much of a stretch to say that E6 has hit all the right spots that made the original (Sam and Max Hit the Road, 1993) game such a classic. E6 has Sam and Max going on a trip to the moon to find out what Roy G. Biv is doing. In case you do not know of Roy G. Biv then you have not been paying attention to the episodes so far.

Once on the moon Sam and Max will have to confront a gift shop owner (Gift shop on the moon? Yes!) and a conscientious security guard that is guarding Biv’s headquarters called the Blister of Tranquility. These are not new characters to season one. In fact once you go inside the Blister of Tranquility you will come across many characters from the previous 5 episodes. Sybil and Bosco make a comeback, the former in a new profession and the latter in a new disguise. Sybil is now waiting on her application to become the Queen of Canada. Get ready for some obvious jokes that are still funny. Bosco, the paranoid man in disguise, is now in the guise of his own Momma. Not since his British performance in episode 2 has Bosco been so perfect. His voice acting is impeccable even though the dialogue is predictable.

In typical James Bond villain fashion, Roy G. Biv has this master plan that Sam and Max have to stop. Once you have foiled Biv’s plan you still have to undo the damage that has already been done to dear old mother Earth.

The humor hit a new high with Episode 5: Reality 2.0. The writing was absolutely brilliant and Bright of the Moon gets even better. As with all adventures, things begin out quite normally and snowball into a humorous mess of the sort rarely seen in games nowadays. Max is more loveable for his sadist thoughts and violent tendencies. Near the end of episode 6 the game gets truly funny as all of Max’s vices are taken away from him. Not figuratively but literally. They take their own physical from outside of Max and have a life of their own. You can even engage them in dialogue. Just try and you will be laughing yourself silly. For those who can catch subtlety in humor you will note that the really funny part is poor Sam getting distressed over a Max free from all vices.

There are many gags to enjoy including Celine Dion’s picture on Canada’s trillion dollar bill. The real fun of episode 6 is in these funny moments that have nothing to do with playing the game. The humor has nothing to do with solving a puzzle or finding the right thing to say. It is a natural part of the game and there is no point in revealing any details here as that will only spoil the fun.

This does not mean that the game play or the story is not good. As mentioned earlier, episode 6 is closest to the 1993 original and everything holds together wonderfully while dragging the game to new levels of absurdity that one cannot help but appreciate and enjoy. The puzzles in episode 6 are more interesting than previous episodes because they are not one-shot affairs. The puzzles now tie in with one another. Solve one and later in the game the earlier solution will help solve the current puzzle. This creates a better sense of connection and flow in the game play. There is no puzzle placed in just because the game needs puzzles. If there is a puzzle then there is a reason for it and the reason is clear. This makes playing episode 6 more rewarding. You can even get access to items by solving puzzles that you can give to other characters so they can go about their tasks. In return they will give you some item that you need to proceed with and finish Season One.

The puzzles are still very linear so you do not have to worry about looking up walkthroughs or getting frustrated. Game developers always claim that their puzzles are logical and with a bit of thinking anyone can solve them. However, in my experience there is a tendency to say that of all puzzles because the creator of the puzzle already knows the logic that will solve it. It is always pleasant to come across a game where this statement holds true. Bright Side of the Moon does indeed involve puzzles that anyone can solve with a bit of thinking. The various puzzles actually build on one another so if you pay attention you might actually find them too easy. Many of the puzzles in episode 6 have an insane touch that again adds to the humor of the game.

A game like Sam and Max relies on voice acting to make the characters real and though there are no complaints for the previous 5 episodes in that regard it must be stated that every voice actor in episode 6 is perfect. There is a certain touch required when delivering humorous lines and all the characters show that off with the right subtlety. The musical score remains more or less in the same rut as with previous episodes but again there are no grounds for complaint. As for Sam and Max, the voice acting has matured and reached its pinnacle. You can almost feel the voice actors immersed and lost in their respective characters.

The graphics in Sam and Max were not meant to rival those in high end shooters but they were adequate for the game and served their purpose. There are no changes to be expected from the graphics engine in episode 6. The exterior locations on the moon are meant to be dull and gray and not very exciting. It is the interior locations that are designed very creatively with the Blister of Tranquility being the best location seen so far. Most of the characters and locations are overly familiar from previous episodes and the moon setting makes for a nice change.

Conclusion

Bright Side of the Moon is among the best episodes of Season One and makes for an excellent conclusion. The very best of course is Reality 2.0 but it does not lead by much. The only gripe with the last episode is that it does not feel like a climax. Do not expect Sam and Max to go out with a bang at the end of Season One. This is a good game and thoroughly enjoyable but without the drama of a proper climaxing sequence.