The opening sequence teases you with four different abilities, including one that transforms Max into different objects like a bazooka, but players only end up only using two powers for the rest of the game. The future vision glasses get the most action, but there are many creative uses for the teleporter.
There's no doubt that Max will be adding to his arsenal of abilities in future episodes. The Sam & Max experience is generally short and sweet, and The Penal Zone is a great start leading up to the next chapter.
PopMatters: The story begins at the end, where suddenly Sam and Max must save the world from the evil alien gorilla General Skun-ka’pe by using Max’s newfound psychic abilities and a series of legendary psychic toys to send Skun-ka’pe back to the Penal Zone. Then we jump back in time to the beginning, starting a race against time and ape to find the toys first.
The Gamers Temple writes: "As The Penal Zone opens, our heroes Sam and Max are trapped in a cage on the bridge of a starship bombarding their city. At the ship's control is the gorilla-like alien General Skunkape (pronounced Skun-ka-pay), who cackles with glee as each salvo is released, while his bride Stinky sits nearby trying to alleviate her boredom with an impromptu manicure. Can Max use his psychic powers to save the day? Wait a minute ... what?"
Telltale Games have created a charming little adventure – a rare low budget gem tucked away amongst the PSN dross. It’s like Broken Sword meets Ratchet and Clank meets the Carry On films, and it’s as playable as it is hilarious. The short lifespan is a bit of a dampener, but if you’re looking for a refreshingly original title to get the grey matter ticking over and your funny bone tingling, then you could do a lot worse than having a good old play with the Penal Zone. Ahem. Roll on Episode 2.
