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 After the so-so experience I had with Moai Better Blues, I sat in my office chair, pondering the perils of success. You see, after the incredible premiere episode of Ice Station Santa, I was wondering whether or not they'd ever be able to surpass its awesomeness. Moai Better Blues was a bad sign, an omen of foreboding danger, that perhaps the creative team at Telltale Games might have blown their creative wad early in the season.
Because of this, I approached Sam & Max - Night of the Raving Dead with more than my fair share of trepidation. I love Sam & Max as a parent loves their favorite child, but that love means I hold the pair to a high standard. And after the trip to Easter Island took the wind out of my sails, I was reluctant to jump into Sam & Max again so soon. My heart was bruised, and I didn't want to face that pain again.
And here I am, with the game's experience behind me. Once again, I'm sad. Not because the game is bad. No, Night of the Raving Dead is good. In fact, it's a little too good. Night of the Raving Dead has it all. Horror movie references, humor that ranges from subtly sublime to supremely slapstick, dialog that's worth listening to several times, solid puzzle design, vampires with nipple rings... Raving Dead takes what was wrong in the last episode and does away with it, streamlining the adventure experience. In the process, it delivers an enjoyable experience that will leave anyone laughing, whether or not they're a fan of Sam & Max. Can the rest of the season possibly match this new benchmark?
Hit the jump. The dead have returned, and they've gone emo!
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As you start the game, Sam & Max are living out the last moments of their natural lives. The scene is a dungeon within a large castle, and Sam & Max are trapped in a cleverly fiendish trap intent upon bringing their lives to a painfully abrupt ending. Nearby is Jurgen, a quasi-trendy Eurotrash vampire with both his nipples pierced and a voice like Bruno the Fashion Reporter. But wait, we can't end the game with the death of the anti-heroes! Initiate storyline flashback!
... Ah, another leisurely day in the offices of the Freelance Police. As Max enjoys the spoils of his recent bout with deity-ness, darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood, and begin to terrorize their neighborhood. It's a zombie invasion! The zombies are attacking the city, leaving in their trail a wake of gangrene and the aroma of brains. BRAINS! YUMMY BRAINS!!
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As they investigate these newly arrived living impaired, Sam & Max find out that these brain eating creatures are all coming from The Zombie Factory in Stuttgart. It's not what it sounds like. The Zombie Factory is actually a trendy discotheque run by Jurgen, and it's a front for his operation. Jurgen is sucking the souls out of the living, creating an army of undead that he'll use for world domination and the occasional Thriller spoof on Youtube. Oh, the horror! What Would Vincent Price Do?
After my complaints about the wandering narrative in Moai Better Blues, I'm pleased to say that the storyline in Night of the Raving Dead is tightly woven, offering an enjoyable and amusing experience that never lags and is never too obtuse that you can't realize where to go next. Whereas Moai had me wandering around aimlessly, in hope of finding out where to go and what to do, Raving Dead had me spending more time thinking out the creative puzzle solutions. And while the build up to the opener's flashforward is great, it's what happens after that scene that shows you the comic genius of Telltale Games. We won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say, it's amusing.
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The jokes here are Funny with a capital LOL. Between running into a zombie Abraham Lincoln that's curious how that stage production ended to a throwaway bit referencing AOL CD's, the game will have even some of the most rigid people laughing. Watching Sam & Max interact with their own souls is easily one of the best segments within the game.
Raving Dead's puzzles are just top notch. With one minor exception, most adventure gamers and veterans of the Sam & Max series will never be stumped by a puzzle. At the same time, they're not terribly easy, either. The puzzles manage to enjoy a perfect balance, one that leaves you with the glowing satisfaction of having figured out the solution on your own while still appreciating the overall puzzle. Useless inventory items are kept to a minimum here; a welcome change, after the inventory nonsense in Moai. The difficulty curve here is comfortable as well, ramping up gently as the game progresses.
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Minigames are also back on track in Raving Dead, this time giving you a pair of interludes that are both well developed and enjoyable to play on a repeat basis. The first is your expected driving minigame, in which you must hit zombies with internet subscription CD's that you throw from a moving car (shown above). It's a wonderful little homage to Paperboy that will have you harkening back to your arcade days when you grabbed onto a pair of handlebars in the arcade. Later in the game, when you enter The Zombie Factory, you'll find a DJ station which you'll need to use in order to unlock secret passages within the Discotheque.
A special kudo must be given to the music direction here, which is wonderfully appropriate throughout the entire trip to Germany. The violin music used during some of the climatic moments enhances the overall scene, and the boss battle music at the end of the game fits so perfectly well into the sense of humor carried throughout the episode.
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Night of the Raving Dead includes some familiar faces in cameo roles. Not only do Sam & Max take a trip back to the Midtown Cowboys stage for A Very Special Episode, they'll also run across Harry Moleman, Mr. Featherly, and Agent Superball.
Seasoned Sam & Max players will find themselves finished with the game in about 3 hours time, with newcomers taking a little longer to get through some of the later puzzles. The hint system is back in full force here, and does its best to help steer lost players in the right direction without just giving them the answer out right.
Raving Dead is a polished experience that raises an already high bar set for the series. And once it's over, you're met with a sense of euphoric satisfaction, and an urge to play again. Now that, my friends, is creative talent. It's not a perfect game. It leaves you wanting more, which is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you'll finish the end credits and be left with many happy memories. On the other, you'll wonder what might have happened with just one more hour of content. But putting aside those minor complaints, Sam & Max - Night of the Raving Dead is a fantastic, funny, and fully realized episode that is by far the best episode of the second season, and is easily in the same rank as Abe Lincoln Must Die. Is it superior to the Presidential episode? That's a tough call. Sam & Max fans, get this episode quickly. It's a must own.
Final Score: 9/10
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