Sam & Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered (Xbox One)

Are you up for more Sam and Max? Because the Freelance Police is here again, or maybe they just never went away. Awoke after 14 years of hibernation, the iconic duo is storming most of the current platforms, with the notable absence of PlayStation. If you loved Save the World remastered, the direct sequel is a must have and a no brainer purchase.

Yes, Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered it is as good as the first, and it shows the care of the developers for the franchise. The point and click fans who did not have the luck to live through the golden era of Lucas Arts, certainly remember of Telltale Games. Unfortunately, the similarities between the two well-known developers do not stop with both being synonymous at one time or another with the adventure genre, but also their fate is shared.

After 14 years with games of varying success, Telltale Games is also a memory. They have been contested by many, for their approach that diluted point and click adventures into almost walking simulators. On the other hand, there were just as many fans of the interactive narrative experiences based on some famous franchises such as The Game of Thrones, The walking Dead, Batman or even Borderlands.

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The new Sam and Max games remained more firmly rooted in the point and click traditions, having more complex gameplay than just dialogue choices and quick time events. Maybe that is why Skunkape Games, the ones responsible for the Sam and Max remasters, had somewhat larger chances for success: the base material was already prepped and just needed some care and love.

This is true especially for Beyond Space and Time, the original already having Full HD graphics. Also, seeing the success of Save the World, they went overboard with the dark humor, building an adventure that takes political correctness and jettisons it in the cold and empty space, where no one cares about it. Beyond Space and Time takes everything that made Sam and Max peculiar and turns it up a notch.

The story of the game makes it a perfect choice for those seeking titles to fit the festive mood of December. The two not exactly sane heroes will have to face a Santa Claus that after a very unsuccessful seance, ends up possessed by demons. From the North Pole inhabited by oppressed and exploited elves, the story gets only crazier and will take the players into a zombie factory in Stuttgart and even to the deepest circles of hell.

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I'm fairly certain that, just like Save the World, Beyond Space and Time Remastered offers a superior experience. The same new directorial approach yanks the game in the modern times and makes the entire experience smoother and more enjoyable. The only major change are a few new mini games, that fit perfectly with the already existing gameplay elements.

The magic of the developers worked again, and Sam and Max Beyond Space and Time Remastered is a big leap ahead visually. The improved textures, lights and camera angles result in a more cinematic experience. The new camera angles are also making it easier to navigate the game, especially with a controller. The trade-off is that some elements are no longer interactive, or it take some effort to highlight and interact correctly.

The performance of Ogie Banks, the new voice actor of Bosco, is spot on, and the fans of the original game will be happy to hear the beloved jokes have been left untouched. The only thing they modified is the soundtrack where they added a couple of new tracks, that works well with the already existing structure.

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