![]() ![]() This results in enemies who are introduced as insurmountable bosses but eventually fill the role of mere nuisances later on. New enemies are always properly calibrated to challenge DeathSpank when he first encounters them, and then die quickly and satisfactorily when DeathSpank runs into them again after improving his combat skills. We’d like to thank Ron Gilbert for “lightning” up the Action-RPG genre.Ĭombat is largely intuitive and adjusts well to your hero as he levels up. The result is an increased sense of anticipation for new conflicts, particularly when new opponents are introduced towering over the next hill, evoking a sense of “Oh crap” every single time. The terrain is constantly arched as if the world the characters inhabit is cylinder-shaped, which allows new locations and enemies to always be revealed over the next ridge as opposed to somewhere just off in the distance, conveniently eliminating pesky draw-in issues. The environments are memorable and distinctive, even as they ape familiar territory from other, arguably grander games. Even ignoring the jokes, DeathSpank is a delightful videogame. But like great satire it works both as an amusing commentary and as the subject of that commentary. When asked to retrieve a missing brother, DeathSpank manages only to return with a significant portion, but it’s his head, and that’s the most important part, right? Right?ĭeathSpank doesn’t have much to say aside from poking fun at the conventions of the genre, so it would be a stretch to call it great satire. ![]() Many of these slave drivers get what they deserve for hiring a man who solves all of his problems with egregious violence. DeathSpank accepts these quests much in the same way a personal assistant would pick up their boss’s dry-cleaning: with grim acceptance, and only because it’s in the job description. As with many games of this ilk, the supporting cast of DeathSpank has a ridiculous propensity to ask a mass murderer with a heart of gold (alloy) to perform menial tasks outside of his skill set. Gilbert’s sense of humor shines through in even the most monotonous quests, as when DeathSpank’s quest for Red Demon Horns yields only white ones, forcing him to find a way to dye his collection red in order to complete the sidequest on a technicality.īong’s Potion Shop: The One-Stop Shop for All Your… Oh, I get it.ĭeathSpank’s lack of enthusiasm for sidequests is the game’s biggest running joke, aside from his “Dudley Do-Right” speech patterns and general tendency towards being stupid. In order to acquire “The Artifact,” for example, he’ll have to collect magical ingredients for a witch. You play as DeathSpank, a cartoonishly heroic hero of the land who has spent his career righting wrongs, completing sidequests and most importantly searching for “The Artifact,” an item of such immense power that DeathSpank (voiced by Michael Dobson, earning his paycheck with a hilarious performance) can only pronounce it with emphasis on all but the puniest syllable: “THE ART-i-FACT!” The story picks up near the end of DeathSpank’s epic journey as he finds himself on familiar scavenger hunts to appease those standing in the way of his goals. What other videogame about magical thong underwear, Dickensian medieval orphans in desperate need of cell phones and the collection of unicorn poop would dare pretend to be “based on a true story”? This week it’s DeathSpank, an extremely likable but rather insubstantial Action RPG in the vein of Champions of Norrath and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance but with one key difference: DeathSpank has a wicked sense of humor. Ron Gilbert’s Newest Game is Silly, Pointless and a ‘Must Buy’Ī scant week after Monkey Island 2: Special Edition pointed-and-clicked its way back into our hearts after almost 20 years, designer Ron Gilbert shows up on our doorstep bearing new gifts. It’s not just a name, it’s a test: If you can say “DeathSpank” without giggling, you’ve failed. Platform: Playstation Network (version reviewed), Xbox Live Arcade ![]()
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