DeathSpank
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Published by

Electronic Arts, Inc.

Developed by

Hothead Games, Inc.

Released

Jul 13, 2010

Platforms

Macintosh, PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360

Genre

Perspective

Gameplay

Setting

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Description

DeathSpank is an action role-playing game by game designer Ron Gilbert. Described by Gilbert as 'Monkey Island meets Diablo', DeathSpank combines the humorous characters and setting of Gilbert's previous games with hack & slash, loot-heavy action gameplay.

Beyond the expected action RPG mechanics of slaying monsters and collecting weapons and armour, DeathSpank can also acquire Weapons of Justice. By striking enemies with combinations of different weapons, a "justice meter" fills. When filled, powerful attacks specific to each Weapon of Justice can be unleashed. A massive boot-hammer stuns all nearby enemies, the Cleaver of Cleaving strikes all enemies in radius, etc. Weapons and other items (healing and buff potions, food) can be mapped any controller face button or D-pad button.

DeathSpank features over 100 quests, a majority of which are optional sidequests. Conversations with NPCs use a dialog tree similar to many classic adventure games. Often conversations will allow the player to take wild tangents that are funny, but largely unrelated gameplay challenges. Some of the quests involve solving adventure game-esque puzzles, where non-combat items in the world can be found, combined and used in specific locations or with specific characters.

The story begins with the eponymous hero seeking for a powerful artifact known as "The Artifact." Coming very close to finally completing his quest, The Artifact is stolen away at the last minute by the minions of a wicked tyrant, Lord Von Prong. But it is soon revealed that a Von Prong actually desires DeathSpank's purple Thong Of Justice. He has kidnapped the local orphans and, as a Hero to the Downtrodden, DeathSpank must rescue them.

DeathSpank's art style uses a cylindrical "rolling world" with lots of pseudo-2D artwork to create the feel of a pop-up storybook. The world is populated with a number of horrible monsters, from the sneaky greems and chimeric bearalope, to the brutal orques (no relation to orcs) and the dreaded biclops. The game also features local co-op, where a second player can join at any time. They play as Sparkles the Wizard, a sidekick to DeathSpank with a fixed set of abilities.

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Screenshots

DeathSpank Windows Outhouses - An outhouses serves as a checkpoint and as a transportation device (don't ask) for Deathspank, who here has just finished some important hero business.

DeathSpank Windows Dialog with the Demon Witch - Veterans of <i>Monkey Island</i> may recall some nostalgic humor familiarities here.

DeathSpank Windows First Battle - A horde of skeletons is no match for the hero Deathspank and his chicken drumstick! Er. Not that chicken drumstick...

DeathSpank Windows Game Start - Surrounded by goblins, what remains of the heroic defense is the leftover blood and a yearning for a chicken drumstick.

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Promo Images

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User Reviews

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Critic Reviews

IGN	PlayStation 3	Jul 13, 2010	8.5 out of 10	85
4Players.de	Xbox 360	Jul 20, 2010	81 out of 100	81
Level (Sweden)	Xbox 360	Sep, 2010	8 out of 10	80
Brash Games	Windows	Nov 11, 2010	8 out of 10	80
PlayStation Official Magazine - UK	PlayStation 3	Sep, 2010	8 out of 10	80
GameStar (Germany)	Windows	Nov 10, 2010	71 out of 100	71
GamersGlobal	PlayStation 3	Jul 14, 2010	7 out of 10	70
GameCola.net	Xbox 360	Jul 26, 2010	7 out of 10	70
Eurogamer.net (UK)	Xbox 360	Jul 13, 2010	6 out of 10	60
Giant Bomb	Xbox 360	Jul 21, 2010		60