Absolutely massive step up from the archaic Maniac Mansion. Day of the Tentacle barely feels like a sequel to that one beyond a few characters. The concept of exploring three different eras of time and using the items you obtain through each time period is great, if only a bit overwhelming. I'm sure I could have cracked it open for the most part (aside from that skunk puzzle because what) =, but I went to a walkthrough relatively early on and don't necessarily regret it. These games are less about puzzle-solving and more about the dialogue for me, and this one does not disappoint. I said in my Monkey Island write-ups that I found the voices a bit annoying and it took me out of the experience, but here the voices are essentially perfect. All three playable characters have unique ways of interacting with the world and providing some hilarious dialogue. I especially loved Hoagie, who's entire arc is just trolling the United States. Dude literally destroys the entire concept of the American flag. I bet the boomers got triggered back in the 90s or actually they probably didn't care because this shit only started mattering to people once social media came into existence. I'm all for finding creative ways to shit on the United States and I'm allowed to say this because I live in Indiana and it's still better than at least 10 other states. What the hell? Anyway, the game is basically just non-stop entertainment if you use a walkthrough and allow the pacing of the writing to work it's magic. I imagine it's far more annoying if you are actually smart and figure the skunk puzzle out on your own. 4/6