Episodic Game note: This review is for the first of a ’season’ of five games, each shorter than a typical game but also costing less. As they are released over the next several months, they will come together to tell the full story of this season. This review is based on the PC version, but releases for other systems including iPad, PS3/PSN, and Mac exist and should be generally identical in content.

Sam & Max has been Telltale’s flagship adventure series since the beginning, mixing franchise’s quirky humor and social parody with the ’point and click puzzle solving’ game play of King’s Quest, Day of the Tentacle, and so on, though it owes more to the latter in style since you can’t really lose in a Sam & Max game. Long-time fans will be pleased to know that while this debut episode of the latest season has some problems it is for the most part worth your time, and newcomers might find this a decent though not ideal starting point. Much of this episode’s plot revolves around dealing with intergalactic warlord Skun’ka’pe, a malevolent ape seeking the power to conquer the universe and exploit its denziens for his benefit. He’s a new character, so while previous series knowledge will definitely help you follow some story points it isn’t strictly necessary and you could jump right in.

The core of the experience remains intact, using the game’s routine of talking to a cast of zany characters, gathering items, and solving bizarre puzzles as a means of telling a story; a very silly story, but nonetheless the plot and humor are the real attraction here and not the actual game mechanics. However, season three adds a twist in that Max gains psychic powers. Chances are a fan’s reaction to that news is either "Whoa, awesome" or "That could turn bad in a hurry", but for the most part this new game mechanic is handled well.

While Max’s exact powers differ throughout the episode, they add a new layer to many puzzles. One very early example (it comes up within just the first few minutes of play, so I do not feel it is a particularly bad spoiler) is the ability to teleport to any phone whose number Max knows; he may not be able to walk to a certain location, but if he can just teleport to a phone near where he wants to be then that’s good enough. That is admittedly a basic example but it’s fair to say that the writers did a good job keeping these powers from getting out of hand; they really add to most puzzles, rather than being a disaster. There are a few cases where it isn’t immediately obvious you should be using Max’s new abilities, but for the most part once you get used to the idea the episode should flow smoothly.

A few other changes have been made, such as conversations now being done by just picking out a quick summary of the topic rather than the exact line you wish to speak. The inventory system now works differently, and while all its old features are intact you may find yourself having to combine items not just to solve a puzzle, but to discover new locations that are mandatory to advance the plot. Most significant of all is the new movement system, which uses a mix of ’drag clicking’ your mouse or WASD keys, though a gamepad is also supported. This had to be intentional, given season 3 ports for the PS3 and iPad exist and it seems likely the season was designed with several systems in mind.

Like with many episodic adventure reviews, there is only so much to be said in this article unless one wants to go into significant plot spoilers, which would ruin half the point. It suffices to say that the writing is still quite funny and takes jabs at all sorts of topics, Max’s new psychic powers have been well designed so that they enhance most puzzles rather than ruining the experience, and the episode is comparable in length to those of previous seasons’; this one should last around two to four hours depending on how quickly you understand things.

In making these changes to the series’ game mechanics, Telltale has made a clear move to prevent diminishing returns. By mixing the franchise’s warped humor with some new mechanics that make Max more relevant in many puzzles, they have staved off some of the repetition that might otherwise set in. While there were a few interface quirks and other minor problems that I hope will be addressed in future episodes, The Penal Zone starts season three off right and it will be interesting to see where things go from here.