Review: DeathSpank (XBLA)

DeathSpank was a ridiculously ridiculous experience. That's right, it was so ridiculous, I had to say it twice. I don't feel like I actually enjoyed playing DeathSpank, but I also couldn't stop playing it and finished everything (yes, everything) in just a few days. What does this mean? Am I incapable of feeling anymore? Have I become a broken man, who is no longer capable of love; doomed to walk the earth alone forever, and ever, and ever? Well, my friends, come on this journey of a review and we can find out together. I will also try to be a tad less dramatic.

It really is a weird feeling to not know if I kept playing a game because I enjoyed it, or because I tend to be slightly OCD when it comes to action-RPGs. It would seem that the latter is the better choice since I can't come to a conclusion, but at the same time I loved a lot of this game. DeathSpank is absolutely beautiful and features fantastic writing. At the same time, I found the voice acting mostly obnoxious and annoying, and the combat was repetitive.

I am going to start with what I love, if only because I still don't know how I feel about DeathSpank as a whole. Without question, my favorite aspect is the visual look and style. It may not be able to hold up on a technical level, but this is one of the best looking games I have played in a while and I would love to see other games rip off the pop-up book style. Not only is the style amazing -- it leaves me hazy and is prettier than Princess Daisy -- but there are many areas that all look significantly different and really show off the engine.

Such a beautiful, beautiful game. I only wish the voice acting was as beautiful... hell, I'd take bonable.

Along with the visuals, I would have no problem "going steady" with the writing. There are some hilarious jokes and little references to other properties that really made me smile. It is undoubtedly a joy to read the dialogue, but then comes a problem: it is not (always) a joy to listen to it. DeathSpank's voice got old fast and many NPCs got old even faster. This is obviously a very subjective feeling, but the voice acting really ruined the game at times. I could have muted the voices, but knowing they existed made it impossible (for me) to do so.

Now that I have fallen down the rabbit hole of unpleasantness, I will move onto the gameplay. DeathSpank is an action-RPG similar to games like Diablo and all of that jazz, but it does nothing from a gameplay standpoint to stand out; it simply stays level and never does anything to tip the scale in a positive or negative direction. The real killer is the repetitive nature of quests. I would laugh at first -- many times a quest/quest-giver will make fun of itself -- but you can only tell the same joke so many times before it loses its luster. Action-RPGs also tend to rely heavily on loot, but even that felt lacking. Loot would fall, but I never felt like there was a world of loot and it never felt special. I do have one love: the inventory system. Loot is "sold" via a hand "grinder" that is always in your inventory, which makes a heavy bag much lighter with ease.

If you like action-RPGs, you will probably enjoy DeathSpank. If you like the humor of Ron Gilbert, probably best known for his work on the Monkey Island series, you will probably enjoy DeathSpank. I happen to love action-RPGs, Ron Gilbert, and long walks on the beach; however, even after writing all of this, I cannot come to a definitive conclusion. The best I can do is this: do I regret buying/playing DeathSpank? Absolutely not, and that is the best I can do. This is also a must-buy if you happen to have lucid dreams of chicken genocide.