Sam and Max have come back to the PC to finish up their second season, and Telltale Games has pulled out all the stops with this episode to make it the best of all the new Sam and Max games released.

After being abducted, turned into zombies, meeting Santa and visiting Easter Island, lovable Sam and Max have ended up in the one place that they should have figured they would go at some point in their lives – Hell. Yep, our two favorite freelance police detectives have come to find themselves living above the entrance to Hell, and all the leads on Bosco lead them to the Prince of Darkness’ lair. Through twists and turns, you slowly start to unravel the true identity of the culprit behind everything that has happened over the last two seasons, and you will be shocked.

The writers of the Sam and Max episodes have always had a knack for hitting topics with great humor and sarcasm, but they really hit their stride in this episode. The whole idea of Hell being run like a business, complete with outsourcing labor just has to be seen and heard to get the full extent of the joke. Subtle touches include a landfill of cartridges from a game that was deemed terrible, and an Esperanto bookstore to show what ends up in Hell are great references of items that have been deemed horrible.

Puzzles have been another solid point in this ongoing series, and this episode is no different. While playing the game, I never really came across a puzzle I could not figure out. Every puzzle has a logical item that can be used with it, so you are never bound to get stuck. And the in-game help system works on a slider, so you can get as much, or as little help as you deem necessary.

Telltale has strived to give this season more of an identity, having you go to new and unique locations, and episode five is no different. The vision of Hell comes almost completely out of most corporate office workplaces, including twisted motivational posters and corporate workers that have been salvaged from the souls of people that Sam and Max have killed over the years.

All the voice work is at its best in this episode, with no one slouching on their performaces. Of particular note is the Devil himself. Nothing like seeing the Devil as this large ominous figure only to hear his haughty British voice talking about middle management and corporate takeovers.

If there was one complaint I could come up with, it would be that the game is a bit on the short side, but it is less of a complaint, and more along the lines that the season finished on such a high note, that I wanted it to keep going.

So if you are looking for a game that will make you laugh and work your brain all at the same time, Sam and Max Episode Five: What’s Up Beelzebub will definitely fill the bill. And if a good game is not enough to get you motivated, Telltale has put the extras disc online for anyone that has purchased or purchases a full season, so there you go. Look for it today at Telltalegames.com or Gametap. Sam and Max Episode Five: What’s Up Beelzebub gets a 5 out of 5 Aeropausonauts.