The third and final season of Telltale’s Sam & Max titles is back. The Devil’s Playhouse launched all the way back in 2010 on the PS3, but thanks to Skunkape Games, a group of early-days Telltale devs, the title lives once more. And what a glorious return it is.
When the evil Lord Skun-ka’pe — hey, that name sounds familiar — lands near the Freelance Police department that Sam and Max call home, the eccentric duo must make use of the newly discovered “Toys of Power” to stop him. Unfortunately, these Toys, which unlock a plethora of psychic powers for Max, are the very reason he has come to Earth, and he’ll spend the next five episodes pursuing them.
The game originally released on tablets with a touch interface, and that does still seem a better way to play, as navigating the environments doesn’t feel amazing. Camera motions aren’t fluid, and the thumbstick is not at all generous when it comes to navigating the screen to select what you wish to interact with.
The puzzles are a mix of classically obtuse conundrums from adventure games of yore and a more contemporary approach, making for an impressive variety across the season. The enhanced presentation sells the whole package, with greatly improved graphics that help to make the colours pop, as well as revamped audio. The whole title has a sleek presentation and is easily the best version to play.
The writing is the real star, though, with a manic joke-a-minute energy that is so deliciously, darkly comedic. A number of references are a little dated now, and a couple of jokes aren’t nearly as funny in today’s world. However, by and large, the wackiness of the narrative and minute-to-minute character interactions propel the title forward.
The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is handily able to retain its charm, all the while looking the best it ever has.
