Sam & Max Episode 2: Situation: Comedy review

The first episode of a series is rarely the best, so it wasn't too surprising that the point-and-click adventure Sam & Max: Episode 1: Culture Shock - while fun overall - was short, meandering and packed with uneven humor. We knew it'd get better, though, and with Episode 2: Situation: Comedy, it has. The writing is tighter, there's much more to do and the humor has edged closer to the inspired lunacy of the Sam & Max comic books. In short, the series is really starting to get off the ground.

While Culture Shock mostly took place in the dog-and-rabbit detective duo's rotting office and sleazy New York neighborhood, Situation: Comedy sends them to the local TV station to stop Myra Stump, a daytime talk-show host who's been holding her audience hostage for three days and showering them with gifts.

Of course, before the detectives can get to her, they'll have to ad-lib their way through a really bad sitcom, save their paranoid neighbor from the menace of naked, shoplifting rats and make inedible casseroles out of roofing tiles and MSG. Because apparently, just having huge firearms and police badges doesn't get you very far these days.

If you played Culture Shock, you'll have a good idea of what to expect from the gameplay in Situation: Comedy. As Sam, you'll once again wander around solving puzzles, navigating through conversations, smacking Max out of the way and helping yourself to everything that isn't nailed down.

The first episode of a series is rarely the best, so it wasn't too surprising that the point-and-click adventure Sam & Max: Episode 1: Culture Shock - while fun overall - was short, meandering and packed with uneven humor. We knew it'd get better, though, and with Episode 2: Situation: Comedy, it has. The writing is tighter, there's much more to do and the humor has edged closer to the inspired lunacy of the Sam & Max comic books. In short, the series is really starting to get off the ground.

While Culture Shock mostly took place in the dog-and-rabbit detective duo's rotting office and sleazy New York neighborhood, Situation: Comedy sends them to the local TV station to stop Myra Stump, a daytime talk-show host who's been holding her audience hostage for three days and showering them with gifts.

Of course, before the detectives can get to her, they'll have to ad-lib their way through a really bad sitcom, save their paranoid neighbor from the menace of naked, shoplifting rats and make inedible casseroles out of roofing tiles and MSG. Because apparently, just having huge firearms and police badges doesn't get you very far these days.

If you played Culture Shock, you'll have a good idea of what to expect from the gameplay in Situation: Comedy. As Sam, you'll once again wander around solving puzzles, navigating through conversations, smacking Max out of the way and helping yourself to everything that isn't nailed down.