Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space

Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space is a remastered version of the second installment of the Sam & Max series, originally released as Sam & Max: Season Two and later renamed to Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space. The discussed adventure game was developed by the Skunkape Games team, which had previously created a refreshed version of the first part of the series.

Plot

In Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space we once again play as characters known from Steve Purcell's comics - a dog named Sam and his companion, the rabbit Max. As independent police officers, the protagonists have to face another batch of big problems. The game consists of five episodes. In the first episode, Ice Station Santa, the protagonists travel to the North Pole to confront Santa Claus and make sure that Christmas gifts reach children around the world on time. In Moai Better Blues, Sam and Max must stop the eruption of a massive volcano, while in Night of the Raving Dead the heroes try to stop an undead invasion led by a vampire named Eurotrash. In the fourth episode, Chariots of the Dogs, shopkeeper Bosco disappears under mysterious circumstances, and in the final episode, What's New Beelzebub, our cops venture into hell to bargain for the soul of a grocer with Beelzebub himself.

Mechanics

Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space is based on the scheme prepared for the first installment of the series. During the game we travel through various locations (on foot or behind the wheel of the reliable DeSoto convertible), we talk with characters and solve clever puzzles. Various mini-games add variety to the adventure. But when we can't push the action forward, production gives us subtle hints. As we progress, we gain various improvements for our vehicle, as well as stickers with which we can decorate its hood.

While working on the described remaster, the developers focused not only on the audiovisual layer, but also on the mechanics. The game allows us to go back to already completed chapters to get the missed stickers. We can find out how many we are missing by taking a look at a special poster. Moreover, the control has been improved, with a better driving model and weapon aiming. All this is complemented by easter eggs absent in the original.

Technical aspects

Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space features refreshed graphics. All the textures have been improved, the lighting has been significantly enhanced, the appearance of the characters has been changed (making them more similar to the comic book originals), and the synchronization of the characters' lips with their spoken lines has been improved. In addition, Bosco's (played by Ogie Banks) dialogue was re-recorded, and the soundtrack was enriched with eight new tracks.