Sam & Max Episode 202: Moai Better Blues

But given the extreme budget pricing, the laugh-per-dollar ratio is astounding.

Of all the episodes so far, Moai Better Blues comes closest to hitting the bizarre, pulp-fiction-y tones of the original Sam & Max comics, with a bigger emphasis on random spurts of cartoon silliness and fewer desperate stabs at hit-or-miss wackiness.

While there’s only two or three hours, tops, of gameplay in Moai Better Blues, it turns out to be a less is more situation: it’s always fun, always funny, always teasing the brain for solutions to puzzles in a short, single-sitting burst.

Each subsequent episode in this new season obliterates expectations with even more unfathomably ridiculous plot twists and endearing characters. The gameplay stays pretty much the same throughout every episode, but the content continues to improve.

The puzzles are not terribly hard but a few of require a little thought, though help is available if you desire it.

Sam and Max may have dated graphics, wonky lip-syncs, and a play style that hasn’t been seen in almost a decade but the game consistently becomes more than the sum of its parts.

Moai Better Blues is, as we’ve learnt to expect, a funny and witty Sam&Max adventure. The total change of environment makes the gameplay refreshing. The game’s not flawless, though. Some of the sidecharacters are a little bit boring and some of the jokes don’t hit the spot at all. But fear not, the game is still really enjoyable. [Feb 2008]

With the experience of Season One under their belts, the developers have been able to launch Season Two in full stride and that momentum has carried through to the second episode.

The writing is getting tighter with each pass and the folks at TellTale really seem to know what they want from the series and where they’re going with it, and I’m happy to be along for the ride!

If anything, the smaller scale means that there's no filler here. Everything you come across is pure comedic content. Moai Better Blues never loses its focus so you'll get as much enjoyment out of its two-hour length than the three or four hours you spent playing some of the previous episodes.

In terms of overall quality though, which is the aspect which really counts, Moai Better Blues is easily in the same league as Ice Station Santa.

The episode also features trickier puzzles than some of the past games, which makes the new hint system all the more worthwhile. Although there were moments of confusion, we were still entertained by the newest adventure.

Moai Better Blues is a gorgeous game to look at and listen to and a unique, enjoyable experience as a whole.

They've packed Sam and Max's world with so many great characters, locations, running gags and plot points that they seem to feel like they have to cram them all into every episode.

Compared to other Sam and Max adventures, this is a short one. There are fewer locales to check out than usual, but that lets it tell a nicely condensed story that amuses well before it frustrates (and free hints are better than no hints, anyway).

The increased writing quality, cunning puzzles and Telltale's self-referential ability to know when the game is slipping into self-parody makes Moai Better Blues a marked improvement on the last one.

This episode is lean and character-packed, continuing the themes of portal transportation, more wacky situations, and riotous and outlandish humor.

Don't miss it, Sam & Max turn on the charm once again and dish out plenty of wisecracks in this crazy adventure in the sun. It's short and sweet and a lot of fun.

A snappy sophomore effort makes Moai Better Blues a good continuation of the excellent Sam & Max Season Two. Faults like short gameplay time stunt the episode a little bit, but the witty plot and dialog make up the problems.

Moai does manage to disguise the triple-puzzle rut of the series better than the other episodes. [May 2008, p.89]

It's more of the same but still better than the last episode, because Moai Better Blues offers more demanding riddles than its predecessor "Ice Station Santa" and the weirdest story since "Abe Lincoln must die". But it would be better still if it were at least as long as the other episodes. It's over far too soon.

I believe this episode to be a little superior to Ice Station Santa in the smoothness of the story and the good integration of puzzles.

The imaginative setup is deliciously inspired, yet Moai Better Blues stands as one of the weaker entries in the Sam & Max series. [Apr 2008, p.62]

If you can overlook some disappointing plotting and a lame story then you'll find this to be a solid adventure game with enough laughs to hold you over until the next episode.

Some of the dialogue had me laughing hysterically and some of the puzzles had great payoffs. I may sound negative, but it is just because of my expectations.

Better, but eight episodes in, it needs to be even better still. [Mar 2008, p.87]

The main problem though is that this one features too much aimless wandering, and nothing like enough danger or excitement. [Mar 2008, p.109]

A fun, entertaining, but unfortunately disappointing entry in the Sam and Max series. It retains the great writing of the other episodes, but its considerable lack of difficulty and completely lackluster ending make this episode the worst in the series thus far.