Review: Deathspank

Sometimes the right game is a question of what mood you are in or how much time you have to play when you pick up the controller. Do you have the time to dive in and immerse yourself in the latest RPG epic, or maybe you’re not sure if an adrenaline session with your favorite twitch shooter is really smart at the end of a day when sleep beckons. Happily, Deathspank is the action-adventure solution for your gaming needs — an ideal bite-sized experience of chuckles and blood. When you need a refreshing palate-cleanser, Deathspank is the game for you!

The brain behind Deathspank is Ron Gilbert, best known for his work on the Monkey Island series, and with this new game Gilbert has taken his warped sensibilities into fertile territory. Going beyond the leisurely point and click pace of the Monkey Island–style of adventure game, Deathspank is a hack-and-slash loot game that will rise or fall on how fun it is for the player to repeatedly wade into mobs of enemies, suck up the pretty pretty loot, and then run off to the next quest. After all, if the core game mechanics suck, it’s hard to appreciate the shiny coat of humor paint on a game that’s otherwise a rusty lemon.

Fear not! Deathspank gives you the ability to approach combat to suit your own style. Both the loot and the simple leveling system allow you to progress your ranged and melee combat abilities and find your own balance between the two. Furthermore, whether you choose to play it hardcore, on hard and squeezing out every drop of damage from your “Justice!” power meter, or casually on easy and mashing buttons, Deathspank serves up the same sense of whimsy at whatever level of challenge you desire. Death is only a minor inconvenience, and if you forget a vital piece of quest loot, a short trip to a handy Lost & Found will set you right. Quest got you stumped? Break open one of the fortune cookies you’ve picked up in your travels, and you’ll get a nudge forward. None of the achievements or trophies are tough to get, though most of these rewards will come only after you have completely explored the map and chewed through the side missions (which took me a hair under ten hours).

There is a story behind Deathspank, but don’t expect it to make any more sense than Deathspank himself. Why the name? Why does he wear a purple thong? Who cares! Every character, every quest, every bit of loot is simply another opportunity for a joke that runs the gamut. Puns, wordplay, bawdy humor, poop jokes, in-jokes, and more — it all comes thick and fast, and it leaks into the menus and the tutorials. If you don’t take the time to look through your inventory, or burn through the main quest on a beeline for the ending, you’re cheating yourself.

Maybe all of it won’t be to your taste, and maybe the cheese-tastic humor will have you groaning at times, but that’s part of the charm of Deathspank. How can you not like a game with loot like a Demon Poop Hammer, a Chicken Gun, or Fire Axe 2: Fire Harder? The art style supports the humor with its mash up between stylized fantasy and wacky animated cartoon (think Ren & Stimpy). The voice acting is up to par as well, though the voice of Deathspank goes above and beyond the call of his paycheck. Pitch perfect with an overly pompous delivery, Michael Dobson gives Deathspank a lovely touch of ego and obliviousness.

Breaking up the continuous combat and loot cycle, simple puzzles hit you from time to time. These are not difficult brain teasers, and generally the solution should present itself though a modest bit of logic, or running across the vital bit of loot, or both.

Though the game is quite comfortable as a single-player experience, you can also enjoy some couch co-op with a friend or loved one who wants to help Deathspank in his heroic quest. Playing as Sparkles, his dorky wizard sidekick, your companion can help you with a limited assortment of healing or combat spells, but don’t expect the full can of whoop-ass that Deathspank wields. Sparkles is meant for your kid, or your girlfriend, who might not otherwise have the ability or interest to play a more complicated role.

There is a whole lot to like about Deathspank, and only minor criticisms. The humor is best enjoyed in bits and pieces, as trying to slog through a multi-hour Deathspank session may get a bit tiresome. Managing your combat may get a bit chaotic at times — figuring out who you are targeting can get a little confusing (and at times bits of the scenery can obscure you and/or your target!). The loot is interesting, and though there is a handy method for literally grinding unwanted loot into cash, I did find myself wishing for a little more assistance, like an auto-sort button. I did not encounter any significant technical issues beyond an occasional slowdown (for only a second or two), and that only popped up a handful of times throughout the entire game.

Deathspank is a delightfully quirky game that strives to give all players a maximum of fun for their gaming dollar, and it’s a top-notch example of a small-scale downloadable game. I look forward to the next Ron Gilbert game, and with any luck, we won’t have to wait long. Deathspank is highly recommended!

Deathspank
Hothead Games
Xbox Live Arcade (also available on the Playstation Network)
1,200 Microsoft Points ($14.99)