Reality 2.0

Infobox VG
title = Sam & Max: Reality 2.0


caption = The GameTap title card for "Reality 2.0"
developer = Telltale Games
publisher = Telltale Games
GameTap
distributor =
designer = Brendan Q. Ferguson
David Grossman
Heather Logas
Chuck Jordan
Steve Purcell
engine =
version =
released = Vgrelease|USA|March 29 2007 (GameTap)
April 12 2007 (Online)
genre = Adventure
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Teen
platforms = Microsoft Windows
media = Download
requirements = 800 MHz processor, 256 MB of RAM, 3D card with 32MB of RAM.
input = Keyboard, mouse

"Reality 2.0" is the fifth episode of season one of the "Sam & Max" computer game series.

Plot

With an internet crisis looming and a viral video game holding its players hostage, Sam & Max will need to slip into a new reality to set things right. But can the Freelance Police crack this virtual case in time to avoid worldwide system failure?

witching Realities

The duo discovers that Sybil is one of those stuck in the game, apparently as part of her new career as a "beta tester", and manage to break her from a hypnotic state. (Hitting her in the head with Jimmy fired from a cannon) Realizing she was being hypnotized, she gives up the game and lets Sam and Max use the virtual reality goggles to enter the game, though presently broken. She also tells them that "cops" have set up in a nearby store and had encouraged her to use the goggles.

Sam and Max visit these "COPS" to find they are members of the Computer Obsolescence Prevention Society, a support group for outdated computer systems (a Pong home console game system named Chippy (Pop-Up Ad Control), a portable computer similar to the Osborne 1 named Carl (Width Control), a "Bluster-Blaster" video arcade console unit whose lines strongly resemble that of Sinistar (Gravity Control), and an office telephone named Bob (Height Control)) that are trying to get as many people into Reality 2.0 as possible. They help them to fix Sybil's goggles, and give them a special pair for Max so the two can enter the Internet for themselves.

Online Adventures

When they arrive, Sam and Max find out that the Internet is modeled after the real world so that wherever they are when they take off the goggles, they end up there in real life, and vice-versa (meaning they are wandering around like idiots). They also find that objects they carry become computer counterparts while in the Internet. Furthermore, injuries they sustain the virtual world can affect their real world counterparts. The Internet, itself represented by a helpful disembodied female voice (and the head both resembling SHODAN from System Shock and the director from Ep. 2), tries to lure the two in to have fun and enjoy themselves ("and you will never want to leave...ever."), leading Sam to think the Internet itself is responsible for luring people in.

In the real world, Sam and Max discover that latest Boscotech work from Bosco (now playing the role of a half-elf, complete with a single prostetic pointy ear) is a highly virulent biological weapon (a handkerchief he used to blow his nose), so the two know if they can set that lose in the computer world as a computer virus, they would be able to crash the Internet and break its control on people. However, Bosco's asking for $1,000,000,000 dollars for it, and because of all the problems from the past episodes, he'll only take the money deposited in his online bank account, the password for which is tattooed on himself for safe keeping. Sam and Max use the virtual world to stun Bosco's counterpart, and then are able to trick Bosco into giving the password. Back in the Internet, the two find Bosco's bank (bancolavadero.com), which turns out to be part of a large money-laundering scheme, and one minigame later, they are able to divert the one billion dollars to Bosco's account. After acquiring the Boscotech virus, they return and set it loose upon the Internet. Upset about this, the Internet loses all her respect for humanity, and vows to take everyone down with her.

A Text-Only Showdown

The system crashes, but comes back up as Reality 1.5, a text adventure game. The Internet's "respect of humanity" becomes an object within the game that Sam and Max work to re-acquire and give back to the Internet. With her respect back, she releases all the people trapped within Reailty 2.0, as the virus finally brings her down. With her dying words, she implies that a "Roy G. Biv" told her to do what she did, but is unable to tell Sam and Max any more. Disappointed that they didn't get more to this "Roy" identity, the two return to their normal life, though as the game fades out, Hugh Bliss' face in the moon seems to smile and wink to the viewer.

Trivia

*When collecting some flying coins, Sam uses the phrase "Look Max, it's a-me, Sam!", a spoof on "It's a-me, Mario!"

*When Sam obtains the 2+ Sword, he raises it above his head with music in a similar fashion to "Zelda".

*When Sam enters battle with the blue slime, it parodies most RPGs, especially "Final Fantasy". The blue slime may also be a reference to "Dragon Quest" or "NetHack".

*Sam exclaims, "Look behind you, a three headed internet!" to distract Bosco at a point. This is similar to the "Monkey Island" catch phrase, "Look behind you, a three headed monkey!"

*The Internet Wizard is a reference to the 'wizards' that appear on computers to help users complete goals, such as installing software. When he says that he won't understand what gets typed, it is a reference to similar automated help features that attempt to understand problems which users type into them.

*The savegame icon (pentagon) is the same icon from .

*When Sam places a "bug" onto Carl, who controls the duo's width, turning Sam and Max 2-dimensional, Sam says, "This feels... oddly familiar", likely referencing "Hit the Road" where the duo were 2-D, and possibly the comic and cartoon series.

*Also, When Sam places the "bug" onto Bluster-Blaster , who controls the duo`s gravity , Bluster-Blaster says : " I..I fell..Pretty and witty and gaaay! " .This is a reference to the musical movie West Side Story

*The name of the bank, Lavadero, is a Spanish word for something resembling a kitchen sink used to wash clothes (a subtle pun on money laundering).

*Bosco's bank account code is most likely a reference to George's from the "Seinfeld" episode "The Secret Code".

External links

* [http://www.telltalegames.com/samandmax/reality2.0 Telltale's "Sam & Max" website]
*moby game|id=/sam-max-episode-5-reality-20
* [http://www.bancolavadero.com] Bosco's bank