Sam & Max Episode 3: The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball review

Gags, guns and genuinely terrifying bear heads light up another quickie adventure romp

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Puzzles are clever

  • +

    if simple

  • +

    More uses for Sam's gun

  • +

    No TV references - just goons

Cons

  • -

    Shorter than episode 2

  • -

    Easier

  • -

    too

  • -

    "Yo momma" jokes? Really?

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Another month, another $9 episode of Sam & Max. That's something we could get used to, so long as the quality holds up, and so far the series manages to get a little better with each installment. Sure, Sam & Max Episode 3: The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball might play exactly like the last two, with no real changes except for the puzzles, settings and plot. But the comedy's a little sharper, and the hit-or-miss stabs at pop culture have been chucked in favor of big guns, absurd gangsters and surreal slapstick.

Like in the last two episodes, you'll play dog detective Sam and his horrible rabbit pal Max, who wander around trying to solve mysteries by clicking on everything and annoying their neighbors. Said neighbors have officially gone from being new, original characters to full-on running gags; once again, tattooist-turned-therapist-turned-tabloid journalist Sybil has found a new dead-end career, and paranoid convenience store clerk Boscoe has a new beret. Which he thinks is a disguise.

You won't spend too much time with them, though, so let's move on. In Episode 3, our heroes are tapped to take on the bad guys who were hinted at in the last episode's ending: the Toy Mafia, a shady hypnosis ring whose members spend every waking moment wearing unbelievably creepy teddy bear heads. Unlike the last episode, the story here cuts almost directly to the chase, putting you face-to-face with Toy Mafia goons with little fuss or distraction beforehand. Unfortunately, this also means the story is shorter, with fewer of the neat throwaway gags and optional distractions that fleshed out Episode 2.

More info

GenreAdventure
DescriptionThe mis-matched detectives return for another go-around. This time they'll spout off wisecracks while attempting to solve a wacky mystery.
Platform"PC"
Less
Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.