Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space (2021)

Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space, 2021, original release 2008. Remaster published and developed by Skunkape,  original developed and published by Telltale Games. Based on the characters created by Steve Purcell

After the events of the Save the World, the Sam & Max series continues after the events of the first game. Max is still the president of the USA, but that in itself is merely a vessel of some jokes, nothing more.

The first episode begins like any other day in the life of the freelance police. They are minding their own business at the office when a huge killer robot attacks the neighbourhood, aiming to deliver a deadly greeting to Sam  & Max. After defeating it, the duo finds out the robot was sent to them by none other than Santa!

After beating Santa's butt, Sam & Max get whisked away to Easter Island by a wandering Bermuda Triangle. What it is doing in front of their office is anyone's guess, but they need to find a way to prevent a volcano god from destroying the place.

Episode three takes the dynamic duo to Germany to take care of the walking dead infestation. The cause of a sudden influx of the walking dead is Jurgen, a local vampire who is both an annoying poser as well as wannabe leader of the world. 

But whatever happened to Bosco? This is the case, Sam & Max wrap their chaotic detective skills with help from Flint Paper, their neighbour and a fellow detective who is also Max's idol. Bosco has been abducted by THEM, obviously, and needs to be rescued.

The finale takes place in Hell. Feeling that Bosco wasn't supposed to be dead yet, Sam & Max need to put their wits against Beelzebub himself... or maybe there's someone else far more sinister behind all the problems that have been taking place.

Beyond Time and Space continues the path paved by the previous Sam & Max entry, Save the World. The freelance police duo steamroll the judicious process, trying to get to the bottom of things in a world filled with strange things and people.  If you liked the previous game, you'll like this one as well.

As in Save the World, the remaster improves the graphical fidelity and adds support for higher resolutions. Other than that, if you've played the original, the story and the gameplay remain the same. The game is, unlike Telltale's biggest success, The Walking Dead, more akin to a proper point-and-click adventure than a make-your-own-choice story simulator.  It is, as a whole, a decent game. It's not doing anything groundbreaking, but it's a fun enough experience for at least one playthrough.

For those interested in seeing Beyond Time and Space, head to Steam or GOG. In both of those stores, you should also get a copy of the original as a bonus. You can also get the remaster for consoles.