Fans have spoken, and Telltale Games, the developers of the Sam & Max episodes, listened. Without a doubt, the fourth game from the new Sam & Max series, titled "Abe Lincoln Must Die!" could be the best episode of the season.

For those unfamiliar, Sam (an anthropomorphic dog) and Max (a hyperkinetic rabbity thing) fight crime (that they don't commit themselves) as the Freelance Police. Their new series of games, delivered through either the GameTap service or by direct download, focus more on the story and character dialogue rather than difficult game play. Each game, structured like a television episode, builds up to a big season's mystery. Season 1 took Sam & Max from television studios to Toy Mafia hideouts, and now the duo hits the big time by going all the way to the White House. The president has gone crazy, passing laws like mandatory hugs and even suggesting *gasp* gun control. The duo puts their crime fighting skills to work to put end to the rampaging presidency.

Sam & Max games are known for their ease of play and roughly 30-minute playtime. Game play mainly involves clicking on objects within the scenery, talking with different characters and using the right inventory item for the correct situation. All puzzles make their solutions obvious, primarily through dialogue clues, although getting all the necessary pieces poses a challenge. Similar to Episode 1, gathering up inventory items and talking to characters involves a great deal of moving back and forth between locations. However, solving each situation only provides half the fun. The main joy of playing a Sam & Max game comes from listening to the dialogue and watching how the episode plays out.

Although Sam & Max episodes felt as if they were getting shorter, Abe Lincoln Must Die! puts everything right by including more hilarious one-liners, politically-themed comedy and a musical sequence that absolutely cannot be missed! Oh yes, and Max becomes president, but in order for that to work, Abe Lincoln really must die, which amounts to a fun surprise.

It wasn't too long ago that people speculated about an end to classic adventure games. After playing Episode 4 of the Sam & Max series, it seems quite the opposite now. The video game industry could definitely use more games like these. All hail Max.

Final Score: 8 (out of 10)

Related Links

GameTap