New Sam and Max Game Announced During Gamescom

During Gamescom Opening Night Live 2020, a teaser trailer for a new Sam and Max game was revealed. The trailer provided very little information, but host Geoff Keighley confirmed on Twitter that the new title will be a VR game, as opposed to the point-and-click adventures the duo are most closely associated with. It also seems that players will not control Sam or Max, but rather a new character, instead. Given the VR format, this does make a bit of sense as players will be better able to see the manic escapades of the titular freelance police. The game is being developed by Happy Giant.

For the uninitiated, Sam and Max first made their debut in a series of comics created by Steve Purcell in 1987. The characters are a pair of private investigators that take on a number of bizarre cases. In 1993, LucasArts published Sam and Max: Hit the Road, a point-and-click adventure on PC that is often considered one of the greatest games of all-time. Following the success of Hit the Road, Sam and Max briefly starred in a cartoon on Fox Kids in the 90s, as well as a series of adventure games published by Telltale in the 2000s. The last of those released back in 2010; after more than a decade, the characters will finally return!

It will be interesting to see how fans react to Sam and Max’s return. While the characters have maintained a faithful following since their debut, VR gaming tends to be rather niche. The costs associated tend to be fairly prohibitive, and many gamers find the equipment to be nausea-inducing. Since this new game also seems to be in a very different style from Hit the Road, longtime fans might be less enthused. Of course, VR does offer more immersive experiences, and a Sam and Max game could take great advantage of that.

Either way, developer Happy Giant seems to have its work cut out for it! As of this writing, specific platforms have yet to be revealed. Until more information is revealed, fans will just have to be happy with the brief teaser that was released.

Are you excited for the return of Sam and Max? Are you a fan of the characters? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!