Least favorite episode of Season 3

edited September 2010 in Sam & Max
Well, you know the drill.
With http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=371807# already being present obviously we can't NOT have an opposite one. It seems from the people's posts that 303 or 301 will win though, but it will still be interesting to see the results.

Yes, I *can* make a thread. It just takes 3 turns or something.

Comments

  • edited August 2010
    I can't choose! They're all equally good.
  • edited August 2010
    Go on Caeska. Vote. Show us all how much you despise one of the episodes.
  • edited August 2010
    303 was not as good as the others.
  • edited August 2010
    Beyond the Alley of the Dolls.

    Not as fun to play, not as enjoyable to watch, not as well written, doesn't make me like the cliffhanger to 303 any more, visual glitches and the Monkey Kombat of the series: Dimensional Destabaliser.

    I don't know why everybody loves it so much.
    It's still good, but hardly the pinnacle episode of Sam & Max as some refer to it as.
  • edited August 2010
    Dimensional Destabilizer? Monkey Kombat?

    How could you even come up with that conclusion? You mean just because it's generated randomly? Well, game's giving enough hints so savor some time for trial and error. I mean, that was just cold and unfair.
  • edited August 2010
    Looking over my post I was kinda harsh i guess! Sorry! Didn't mean to come off like that. :o

    The destabaliser is a good puzzle CONCEPT, but it just seems like a timewaster when it gets to it. I may be one in a hundred on this though. I was streaming this episode live a few weeks back and spent a large amount of time on this puzzle, expecting it to be the same solution as before. So yeah, a lot of the issue is that it's randomly generated and that sometimes the hints (post-its) didn't show up in the game either due to a visual glitch. So yeah, sorry for sounding so "cold", I love 99.5% of Telltale's material, but this puzzle kindof lowered my overall opinion of the episode. I gave this episode 7 out of 10. Every other episode gets 9s and 10s! :)

    Come on stream watchers, help me out here! :o
  • edited August 2010
    The destabaliser is a good puzzle CONCEPT, but it just seems like a timewaster when it gets to it. I may be one in a hundred on this though.

    I also thought Beyond the Alley of the Dolls was the weakest episode, but not just because of the destabiliser puzzle (which I didn't even realise was a puzzle - I chanced upon the correct combination on my first try).

    Aside from the fantastic finale, I just didn't think the episode had a lot going for it. It was full of returning characters, smaller and emptier versions of returning areas, weaker writing than the rest of the series, and not many puzzles or plot revelations either.

    It wasn't a bad episode, not by a long shot, but compared to the other four fantastic episodes...
  • edited September 2010
    I loved them all, but if I really MUST choose..

    ..it might be The Tomb of Sammun-Mak for me. Nothing wrong with the episode in general, but that Baby Amelia annoyed me to no end.. for some reason. Guess I'm not into smart babies (women). :D
  • edited September 2010
    I liked them all, but 303 was probably the weakest.
  • edited September 2010
    Looking over my post I was kinda harsh i guess! Sorry! Didn't mean to come off like that. :o

    The destabaliser is a good puzzle CONCEPT, but it just seems like a timewaster when it gets to it. I may be one in a hundred on this though. I was streaming this episode live a few weeks back and spent a large amount of time on this puzzle, expecting it to be the same solution as before. So yeah, a lot of the issue is that it's randomly generated and that sometimes the hints (post-its) didn't show up in the game either due to a visual glitch. So yeah, sorry for sounding so "cold", I love 99.5% of Telltale's material, but this puzzle kindof lowered my overall opinion of the episode. I gave this episode 7 out of 10. Every other episode gets 9s and 10s! :)

    Come on stream watchers, help me out here! :o

    I missed that stream, but honestly I figured out that puzzle pretty quick. It's not that much trial-and-error if you use maxes powers when Sam comes out.

    PUZZLE SOLUTION SPOILERS
    You have to read his mind, if he is thinking of bugs thats good
    When he came out was the a flash of light? If so, good
    Use future vision, if you see giant Max eat him were almost there
    Is Sam laughing? If so you've solved the puzzle.

    Now, if some of things are wrong change ONE dial, go through the steps and see what has changed. Now you know what that dial does. it's pretty simple really.
  • edited September 2010
    I really hated 303. I found it very boring and overly frustrating in comparison to the others.
  • edited September 2010
    The-J23 wrote: »
    It's not that much trial-and-error if you use maxes powers when Sam comes out.
    That's... kind of the point. If you expect to solve it without that, well, I have no idea what you're doing playing adventure games.

    Although I guess it could explain why one would hate that puzzle, but then it really is your own fault...

    Also, I never got any note-it's... ever.
  • edited September 2010
    303 was great in the first two acts, but the 3rd and 4th acts were mediocre at best. They felt like something from the first half of Season 1. Sammun-Mak was a good villain, though.
  • edited September 2010
    Beyond the alley of the Dolls for me.
    The final confrontation saved (some of) the day, but it was too late: I got already bored before getting there. :(
  • edited September 2010
    303, but only because I have to choose a least favorite. It was still a good episode, but I didn't enjoy the second half as much.
  • edited September 2010
    Don't hate me for this, but 304 and 305 were really a letdown. I really had the idea TTG just let the story go a random course and the puzzles weren't that good either. The Season didn't make much sense to me. I did enjoy all of it, but not as much as Season 1 and 2 and TOMI.
  • edited September 2010
    Say what?
    I haven't played 305 yet, but so far 304 has by far been the best of the season.

    Anyway, 302. The ending was mostly bleh, it was the most glitchy episode, and it was a little too easy.
  • edited September 2010
    I REALLY hate to say this, but 303, I loved the first two halves, the Noir feeling and the museum were brilliant, but that whole Sammun-Mak world thing just ruined it.
  • edited September 2010
    For me, it would have to be 302. I know a lot of people liked it and found it interesting and I did like the puzzles in it. However, I didn't really like any of the other characters in it (except Jurgen and Baby Amelia) and I found Papierwaite bland in the episode. The plot also seemed obvious from the beginning (I spotted the toybox thief immediately tbh) and I also thought Papierwaite's motives were suspicious from the start. But I still loved the episode as I loved the whole season and They Stole Max's Brain would probably have been my least favourite (the badge section WAS HORRENDOUS) if it wasn't for the scene upon entering the planetarium and the final boss battles which were just blew my mind.
  • edited September 2010
    I'd go with 305. It's the only episode this season I didn't finish in one go. It's just way too boring.
  • edited September 2010
    I'm getting close to beating 305 and I'm liking it a lot. You guys are weird.
  • edited September 2010
    it is the penal zone
  • edited September 2010
    I'm sticking with the second half of 303. Also, does anyone else feel the same way, to me, 301 - 304 have a very different vibe, the whole actual Devil's Toybox arc I guess, it's introduced, shown the origins and then explained in those episodes. But for 305, it feels like Sam & Max did in like Season 1 and 2, with characters appearing everywhere, etc.
  • edited September 2010
    I don't think I could really pick one, even if I did it would just be splitting hairs.

    Same for choosing a favourite, it's like picking a 99.999 over a 99.997.
  • edited September 2010
    In story terms, probably 301, just because not much has happened at that point.

    In gameplay terms, I'm really sad to say 305. It was an amazing episode overall, but it had almost no puzzles whatsoever. It was just insanely easy. I did really enjoy playing it though.
  • edited September 2010
    It's REALLY close between 301 and 305. They're both terrible games held up by production and narrative values alone.
  • edited September 2010
    I'd have to say 303, mostly due the second half of the episode (Sammun-Mak's new reality). Sure I liked the final fight, but overall having to go around with an brainwashed sam was pretty annoying and very much made the lack of jokes seem pretty noticeable. Another proof Sam & max work better tougether as comedy rather than just one at a time (Luckly, 305's strong writting saved it from having the same fate as 303)
  • edited September 2010
    305, definitely. The story felt rushed and often kind of cheap. Big character developments would occur unearned, out of nowhere, for plot's sake.
    Max for some reason deciding to do a selfless act, conveniently appeasing his superego and deus-ex-machina-ing away the Big Bad of the whole series? Really?!

    So, if Sybil's water had broken in 301, and Max had decided to arbitrarily sympathize with her for some reason, all of this would have been prevented? Nothing I did all season actually contributed to this resolution??

    This, combined with the heavy-handed treatment of
    Max's sacrifice/death,
    and the arbitrary, hollow
    death of Sal*
    made the whole episode leave a bad taste in my mouth. It makes me think Telltale had better stick to the zany comedy-jokes, as their attempts at drama in this episode were kind of cheap/cheesy/unearned.

    Aside from the narrative laziness, it seemed like a lot of the puzzles were rather rote, and one-note relying on items dropped in places by the inventory fairy. Let's see, I need a video projector, a camera, and a time bomb...say...here's a video camera, a projector, and a time bomb! Perhaps the most egregious example is the final puzzle, where a single room, with more or less a single possible action, uses a single item that has miraculously appeared in your inventory for this scene for this purpose. I'm not even sure why they bothered pausing the final cut-scene to allow this perfunctory moment of 'interaction.'

    I really really liked this season, and was pretty geared up for this episode, with the whole Max-monster and everything. Sad to say, I was pretty disappointed with the whole resolution.
    *Aside from the tonal and narrative problems with Sal's death, I also was kind of irritated that this episode brought back a bunch of tired Season 1 characters and killed off one of the funniest new characters introduced this season.
  • edited September 2010
    Beat 305. Very close to being the BEST of the season, though I think 304 edges it out slightly. Anyone saying it's the WORST should be shot.
  • edited September 2010
    lmeeken wrote: »
    So, if Sybil's water had broken in 301, and Max had decided to arbitrarily sympathize with her for some reason, all of this would have been prevented? Nothing I did all season actually contributed to this resolution??

    Sybil would never have even been there with Sam and Max in the first place if they didn't go through all the things that they did.
  • edited September 2010
    I had to think of WHY it was The Penal Zone first, because I wasn't that keen on the first half of 303.

    *I'm not that into Sci-Fi.
    *I'm not that into starting at the middle, even if the before is explained.
    *I had to use it as a tutorial to get used to all the new changes to the game.
    *My overused graphics card likes to freeze durring cutscenes; did that in the last episode too.
    *Skunkape is a character I'm not going to miss next season; I liked the signflipper more than him.

    I still like it better than Moai Better Blues, & even MBB wasn't bad; it just wasn't my favorite.
  • edited September 2010
    I say The Penal Zone. Now I know it's the first episode and it has to explain the origins of Max's new powers & Sam & Max didn't even know of the existence of the toys or the Toybox until now, but it seems that it was just another normal episode and the psychic toys are just a new hint system. It's just Sam & Max stopping a villian bent on world domination. Like the previous seasons. While still phenomenal, it shows little to no exposition of the Devil's Playhouse besides the toys, Skunkape's motivation, & the ending. Hell, the Penel Zone wasn't used anywhere else.
  • VainamoinenVainamoinen Moderator
    edited September 2010
    SPOILER WARNING!!!!!

    I don't get it. Most people vote The Penal Zone as least favourite, even though I consider it the strongest TTG series opener ever.

    My entirely subjective Final grades:
    301 Penal Zone 8/10
    302 Sammun-Mak 9/10
    303 Max' Brain 8/10
    304 Alley Dolls 7/10
    305 City Sleep 6/10


    "The City that dares not Sleep" had a good start. Bringing back a host of characters just for a glimpse, that was a nice idea just at the right time. Sybil came back, I liked that also, I had hoped for Satan and was not disappointed. I first felt the short intro to be exactly what I wanted, but I eventually missed many things. Would they at least care to explain why Papierwaite is still alive? How Momma Bosco got her hair back? What happened to Sal in the clone-factory pit he fell into?

    The rest of the episode felt unfinished and rushed. Dark Alleys aren't exactly my favourite place to be adventuring around, the recipe riddle design was far too obvious, and the actual get-into-Max part really not that different from the proceedings inside a certain Manatee. Using bodily fluids to get out? SEENIT! Using a record-player? SEENIT!

    Length of an episode is always very subjective, so I won't comment on that... but I do harbour a rather extreme opinion towards 305.

    The whole episode felt pasted together, that means: I think a lot of things planned were cut later. Nothing to actually do in cactus form? Only one psychic power to be used? Only one of the slides for the projector to actually have a meaning? Only one of the records to actually have an effect? We don't get to see the Narrator operating on Max's tumor? No final changing of words between Sal & Stinky? Stinky never really getting her bad girl monologue? Aren't there a host of future visions to be explained, first of all Bluster Blaster in Space? Where the hell is Nefertiti and the whole of the all-too-important Molepeople movement? I don't get it. 15 more days "in the works" would have fitted this episode so much better.

    The death of some well-known characters could have been staged with far_more_drama, but instead felt like a yawning designer's "Yeah, let's finish these off as well then". The ending in particular... well, I'm not against Deus Ex Machina endings per se (Steve Purcell used them in his comics to hilarious effect), but when you're aiming for some emotionality in a continuous storyline, you end up bewildering and disappointing your customers. I consider the implementation of this technique at the actual ENDING OF THE SEASON to be misplaced, an outright wrong decision.
  • edited September 2010
    How Momma Bosco got her hair back?
    Elf tears.

    SERIOUSLY, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR DAYS FOR SOMEONE IN THIS BLASTED FORUM TO ASK IT, AND FINALLY! THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
  • edited September 2010
    SPOILERS the whole way through here.






    I think my least favorite was 305 simply because it felt rushed.

    I felt like I was being asked to accept too many facts too quickly with too little explanation - add the time traveling max into the mix and I felt like I had stepped into a LOST plot.

    Particularly in the clone room where Flint Paper fought off hordes of gorillas. "oh by the way here's everything about Girl Stinky in a rushed direct exposition format" I didn't like that at all. I also felt like it ended abruptly rather than coming to a climax. I did not expect the crying puzzle to be the last and it made the episode feel short even though I have the same played time in on it as I do on Beyond the Alley of the Dolls.

    I also felt like they wasted Max's death - killing him and rolling the credits is really a gimmick they can only pull once - but he didn't even die meaningfully - but rather abruptly and surprisingly, as a dramatic offnote, much like other revelations in this episode.

    Although perhaps it could be previous episode disappointment weighing on me.
    304 got my hopes up high. Charlie Hotep was a creepy plot twist that I didn't see coming. The atmosphere was amazing throughout the episode. I enjoyed the statue of liberty puzzle. The revelation of the mysterious Doctor Norrington. 304 was the best of the season in my eyes.
  • edited September 2010
    Falanca wrote: »
    SERIOUSLY, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR DAYS FOR SOMEONE IN THIS BLASTED FORUM TO ASK IT, AND FINALLY! THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
    I think it kind of got over-seen due to "How did Papierwaite survive?", but yeah... what the ? In one week?

    Kind of surprised of all the 302 votes...

    As for 303, it feels like I am (with LikaLaruku) the only one who prefered the egyptian part over the noir part. Sure, it was all "Rhinoplasty as solution for everything", but that was better than what the noir stuff coughed up. Still the worst episode IMO.
  • edited September 2010
    Falanca wrote: »
    Elf tears.

    SERIOUSLY, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR DAYS FOR SOMEONE IN THIS BLASTED FORUM TO ASK IT, AND FINALLY! THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
    Wasn't there a wig shop somewhere around? I swear I saw one of the buildings in the episode with "wig shop" written on it.

    Puzzle-wise it's either 303 or 305 for me, even though I still liked them a lot both of those episodes were way too easy. Overall though, I'd say 303, I didn't like the Sammun-Mak world that much.
  • edited September 2010
    I say The Penal Zone was the worst, everything just improved from there.
  • edited September 2010
    Rating the episodes:

    301 - 7/10
    302 - 7/10
    303 - 9/10
    304 - 9/10
    305 - 9/10

    And overall order from best to worst: 305, 303, 304, 301, 302

    But they are all extremely close to me...
  • edited September 2010
    I found 301 to be the least interesting and enjoyable game. Part of the problem may be that I played that game when it first came out on the Ipad (because I couldn't wait any longer for Sam and Max and the fact that it was already out in the world made it a gazzilion times worse) so it was really glitchy and had constant tecnical problems. Even so, although I plan on replaying it to check if it actually amazing, I don't think it compares to the other games.
    303>304>305>302>301
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