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To get it out of the way: having never indulged in dog and rabbity thing adventures prior to this, I don't know how this episode of Sam and Max compares to the rest of the season. As a stand alone product, "Reality 2.0" is confusing and annoying in some parts, pretty funny and quote-friendly during the rest. It's also altogether surprising, verification that episodic games can be bright and polished.
"Reality 2.0" (the fifth episode this season) starts with the MySpace generation's most dreaded scenario: the Internet and television shutting down. Meanwhile, a virtual reality MMO is sweeping the city, absorbing players into its Second Life-ish void. Sam, the dog detective, employs himself to solve the problem. Alongside is his partner, Max, a cute, brain-fried rabbit with a penchant for non-sequiturs and random anecdotes, who also happens to be President of the United States.
If video games want to be taken seriously, they need to observe our world... and have something to say about them. And these Sam and Max episodes give hope.
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There's significant references to previous episodes (as far as I can tell, Max's induction into the Oval Office occurred in the prior episode) which takes acclimatizing for new players. Sam and Max's closet is filled with contraband from other episodes. Old faces pop up frequently. And Sam can eavesdrop on people with a literal bug: a cockroach that attaches to people which sounds like a less shrill, more gruff R. Lee Emery. It's weird, and it's in your inventory from the beginning without exposition.
Though the world of Sam and Max pirouettes along on absurdist logic, the comedy still hinges on the oldest humor trope: the jokester coupled with the straight man. Max's brand of humor (a bit vulgar, a bit unexpected, a bit British) wouldn't be half as funny without the presence of Sam's deadpan Dragnet attitude. (Though Sam has a subtle caustic streak that breaks out now and then.) The fact that Sam can tolerate, even riff on Max's babbling without batting an eye is funny in its own right.
Because the spotlight is shared between two very different characters (honestly, I'd take a single, rounded hero like Guybrush Threepwood any day), some jokes and conversations drag on and on. You want to hear the wonderful voice actors tear through the lines with wit and vigorous grace. And sometimes you'll want to start hitting the skip button and finish off the rest of the enormous dialog tree.
However, I'm convinced that if video games want to be taken seriously, they need to observe our world -- our current needs, desires, successes, and failures -- and have something to say about them. And these Sam and Max episodes give hope. Series creator and ringleader Steve Purcell sees video games as more than a medium to replicate, or even inform the violence and depravity we see in the real world. Purcell's willing to tackle our pop culture and politics. Though I'd like to see him do it more concretely with specifically named targets, he also does it with more verve and humor than anybody else. Most importantly, it's done in a way that's timely, entertaining, and not submerged beneath Kojima-esque pedantries.
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