Review: DeathSpank

Loot whores, prepare to empty thine wallets; DeathSpank is here to fuel your OCD like loot collecting mania. 

Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: EA
Platforms: X360/PS3 [X360 Reviewed]

The name Ron Gilbert may not be as widely known by gamers like say Cliffy B or even Hideo Kojima, but hear me out - the man is a legend; responsible for some of the best adventure games ever. Classics like The Secret of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion just to name a few, all bear Ron’s unique and twisted brand of humor. With that said, you know going into any Ron Gilbert headed project two things: It’s going to have great witty writing and the game-play is going to be fun. On both fronts DeathSpank delivers in spades. 

You play the role of DeathSpank; hero, adventurer and all around champion of justice on his quest to find the mysterious and powerful artifact. We don’t know what the hell the artifact is, but we do know it’s powerful and mysterious - really what else do you need to know. You’ll guide DeathSpank on a lengthy quest meeting loads of wacky characters, wise cows and slaughter a whole mess load of chickens on your journey delivering justice. 

If you’re familiar with games like Diablo then you’ll instantly know what to expect from DeathSpank. Hothead games and Mr. Gilbert have delivered a damn fine loot collecting action RPG that this generation has sorely needed. Really, where the hell are the loot games? I digress, DeathSpank is jam packed with sweet delicious loot, and not just the usual crap either! You’ll come across some weapons that are well… let’s just say coming from one of the minds behind Monkey Island it all makes perfect sense. 

Combat is fast and responsive and upgrading DeathSpank is a breeze. While not as deep as say Diablo, DeathSpank does a damn fine job giving gamers that taste of loot collecting and upgrading their characters which is immediately addicting. 

Visually, the title isn’t a slouch either. DeathSpank is a beautiful game, featuring a lovely storybook like art-style that really makes the game stand out. In a world of brown and grey games it’s damn refreshing to see a game use color and try a different artistic approach married with some solid game-play. Trust me, you’ll never confuse DeathSpank with anything else out there and I love it for that. 

For $15 DeathSpank is a hell of a good deal in gaming. Hilarious dialogue, fun combat and lovely visuals; DeathSpank is a damn fine game. One features that I was frustrated to not see included was the addition of online coop. DeathSpank basically begs to be played with friend over Live or PSN. Sadly all Hothead added was a local coop where you get to play as Sparkles the wizard (who is pretty much just a support character), and he’s no bloody DeathSpank! 

It’s a missed opportunity, but oh well. If you love loot games and love action rpg’s then DeathSpank is game you’ll definitely want to download. It’ll last you about a good 9 hours but coming from a downloadable title, that’s pretty damn solid. 

 By: Michael Torres