Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space Episode 1 iOS Review

Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space is an iOS port of 2007’s point-and-click adventure series from the masters of the genre Telltale Games, makers of Back to the Future, Monkey Island, and Puzzle Agent. Did the twosome successfully make the transition to your iDevice? Let’s find out.

For the uninitiated, Beyond Time and Space is the second season of Sam & Max, Steve Purcell’s lovable dog and rabbit detective duo. Sam is the straight-laced pooch in a suit and Max is his wise-cracking rabbit sidekick. Together they fight the evils of the world, often with humorous dialogue and jabs at pop-culture. This is a review of Episode 1, with the other four episodes that complete BT&S arriving later. If you’re worried about playing through Season Two of Sam & Max without experiencing the first season, don’t be. For whatever reason, Season One isn’t available on iTunes and although the stories are loosely connected, they can be enjoyed independently.

The plot of Episode 1 “Ice Station Santa” begins with an ancient pagan god sending Sam & Max a murderous war robot as a present. If that sounds crazy to you, then buckle up because that’s only the beginning. Along the way you’ll meet a cast of characters that includes a boxing rat, some sweatshop elves, and the aforementioned robot who only speaks in pop lyrics. That’s just a fraction of the zaniness but I don’t want to risk spoiling any of the fun as it’s best to experience it naturally. Just know that the story is as solid as we’ve come to expect from Sam & Max.

As with all Telltale iOS games, the controls have been expertly migrated to the iPad / iPhone and couldn’t be more intuitive. Dragging your finger across the screen moves Sam where you want him to go and tapping on an object interacts with it. It’s a simple interface, point-and-tap, and to quote Apple “it just works”. An icon at the bottom lets you quickly cycle through interactable objects further simplifying things. You won’t have to fight with the control scheme to enjoy this game.

Also stress-relieving is the fact that it’s impossible to die in Sam & Max. Exploration and experimentation is the heart of the gameplay and you won’t be penalized for it. Any challenge comes from solving the puzzles and situations the characters get into using your mind to advance the adventure. This gives the game a laid-back pace based on trial and error. Don’t let that fool you into thinking that Sam & Max is easy, it’s not. Often you’ll cycle through every item in your inventory trying to figure out what to do next, wondering what could possibly be done. When something finally works, you feel like the smartest man alive. That’s a huge part of it’s charm, it makes you feel like a genius. An adjustable hint system is provided in case you’re completely, though I recommend leaving it on the default setting and toughing it out.

Visually, Beyond Time and Space is gorgeous, looking strikingly like an interactive cartoon. In fact, I had someone ask me what I was “watching” while playing this game. It’s that impressive. The voice acting is also stellar with Max delivering comedic lines at the rate of a machine gun. In addition to the story, Episode 1 also features a ‘Whack-Da-Ratz’ shooting mini-game (based on Whack-a-Mole) and a Sound Board with funny lines of dialogue. Both are entertaining enough, but not likely to take up much of your time once you’ve finished the game.

The Verdict
Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space is another outstanding point-and-tap adventure from Telltale. What it does, it does perfectly. If you’ve played any of the other Sam & Max games then you know exactly what to expect, a hilarious, off-the-wall adventure full of lively characters and devilish puzzles.

If you’re new to this series then this is a fine place to start. iOS devices are practically custom-made for these games and it’s ideal for stop and start mobile gaming. While Telltale typically charges more than the usual rock-bottom iOS prices, they’re worth every penny as you’re getting a polished three hour experience worthy of your time.