DeathSpank

DeathSpank's going to thrill some as much as it will frustrate others. [Issue#62,p.101]

In many ways, it's a success in showing how comedy can be used to make once-exciting game genres interesting again, but fails to come full circle as a finished product.

DeathSpank's mishmash of genres is definitely entertaining at first, but it never manages to live up to its appealing concept. It's trying to combine the best parts of two beloved genres, but in doing so it creates a product that's not as good as either.

For one of the rare games that actually made me feel like I wasted my time after playing it, I did enjoy the ride.

Deathspank is a solid and eminently playable slice of RPG gaming, and fans of Diablo, Baldur's Gate and the like might truly enjoy the opportunity to play a lightweight comedy homage to past favourites.

DeathSpank has stylish "paper cut-outs" as characters and scenery (which are especially impressive at a full HD resolution on PC), sharp dialogue, and nice music – it only needs thought-out gameplay to succeed. The game is hardly worth a second playthrough, and that's a death warrant for any aspiring Diablo clone.

Clearly, DeathSpank's main strength is in its dialog and humor. As an Action RPG, it remains a little too simple to fulfill the needs of hardcore hack'n slash fans, and some game design flaws and ergonomics mistakes render its 10 or so gameplay hours a little bit tedious and less inspired than we'd hoped. It still is a visually charming, point'n click and silly ideas enriched adventure to dive in. Its shortcomings can easily be ignored by those who like games that don't take themselves too seriously, something DeathSpank achieves with flying colors.

While it's an uneven experience, the action works well enough and the game's sense of humor hits often enough to make it come together pretty well. Unfortunately, it also gets a bit monotonous, largely due to some repetitive quest design.

When the curtain falls DeathSpank feels like something of a disappointment, but there's undoubtedly a market for the end product. If you like your loot-'em-ups, and you're looking for something humorous and a bit different, this is clearly the game for you. Just don't expect it to sparkle in the way which many, myself included, hoped that it would.