Deathspank - Reviews @ VideoGamer, IGN, Eurogamer

Ron Gilbert's Deathspank has been released on XBL and PSN and here are three early reviews from major sites.
VideoGamer says the game doesn't quite "gel", with the mix of Diablo and Monkey Island feeling "diluted". The score is 7/10 and here's a sample:

Quests are usually more entertaining in concept than execution. Part of the problem is an overreliance on the dreaded fetch quest, and while the game channels the spirit of Gilbert’s adventure heritage by adding in plenty of bits where you combine and use items from other quests to progress further, the game still depends far too heavily on trundling over an area collecting spoils from downed foes over and over again. DeathSpank might be doing it with a sense of humour, but an ironic send-up of the tedious fetch quest is still a tedious fetch quest.

IGN is more positive, with a score of 8.5/10. As with all these articles they praise the art style but the quests remain a disappointment and the coop mode is criticised. Here's the summary:

If you like sweet loot, hacking things to death, looking at beautiful landscapes and laughing at good writing, you might want to pick up DeathSpank. However, although the game shines in many areas, it does have its flaws. Questing can turn into a noticeable chore, and I would have gladly substituted some of the “go fetch” missions in favor of some more brainteasers. Still, DeathSpank is a fun adventure worth exploring.

Eurogamer says "something of a disappointment", with a score of 6/10:

It's partly the difficult balance of pastiche. If whatever you're sending up isn't observed extremely acutely, and your mockery doesn't differ significantly enough from the lampooned material, then the result is often just as hackneyed and predictable as what you're trying to parody.
Such is the case with DeathSpank, which takes the pomp and earnestness of the Western RPG as its rather easy target, throws in a few words like 'thunderstomp', items such as 'chicken-lips' and the odd sabre-toothed donkey - then slips instantly back into repetitive fetch-quests and button bashing combat, losing any satirical edge by aping its subject too closely.

More information.

Pretty lame that they dropped this for the PC. I guess us PC gamers aren't good enough!

I should has been out on PS3 the 13th, but it's no where to be seen

Originally Posted by darkling
Pretty lame that they dropped this for the PC. I guess us PC gamers aren't good enough!

It is coming on PC too.

Yes, they are improving the PC version. Cannot wait for the high quality port with PC friendly UI and video options.



EDIT: BWAHAHAHAHAH!

The comments about repetitive fetch-quests are turning me off.

Originally Posted by Tuco
It is coming on PC too.

When was that announced? The FAQ says PS3 & XBox only.

I watched a video of this with dialog between an orphan girl and the main character, where he buys her a pony, etc. The dialog and voice acting seemed slow paced and plodding which killed any humor it might have had. It desperately needed quicker pace and better direction. Really unimpressive. And that's a clip they released to promote the game!

A whole game of lame comedy like that combined with fetch quests and Diablo hack and slash is a complete turn off for me.

I don't think it was intended to be "lame comedy". Rather satire, imho.

Well of course it wasn't intended to be lame. But lame it is, at least in the clip I saw.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
I don't think it was intended to be "lame comedy". Rather satire, imho.

Yeah, but if you do exactly the same things you're trying to poke fun at, it tends to fall flat.

I'm going to DL the trial version of this game now.

I bought I yesterday on PS3, it's all right. It's not a big game, but rather a small beautiful game, the humour in it, is quite like monkey island, except the “hero” death spank is quite annoying to listen to. The art style is great, and all in all it’s quite well don, well worth the money, remember it only cost 1/5 of a “real” game, and is as long as some of them.

Originally Posted by Dhruin
Yeah, but if you do exactly the same things you're trying to poke fun at, it tends to fall flat.

I understand what you mean.

I'm enjoying the game so far. I happily paid $15 for it after playing some of the trial version. I like the humor and dialog, and the art style is very striking. I'm only Level 4, so whether I will continue to play and enjoy it, I don't know, but so far I am.

The only negative, and the thing that I can see wearing me out, is the combat. It feels weak and repetitive, just button mashing. Maybe this will change as I level up and become more familiar with the combat system.

You know what? I'm a serial gamaholic, so I'll bite. I'll go for the trial first. That's the great thing about those trials; you can unlock the full game without much hassle, and if I remember right, play right where you left in the trial.

By the way, any jRPG fans out here might want to try Resonance of Fate. Not a very new game (March), but it has a pretty interesting (and hard—at least I think so at the moment) combat system.

Originally Posted by Thaurin
You know what? I'm a serial gamaholic, so I'll bite. I'll go for the trial first. That's the great thing about those trials; you can unlock the full game without much hassle, and if I remember right, play right where you left in the trial.

Unfortunately, not the case here. When I unlocked the full version, they started me over. No big deal, but just so you know.

Looks kinda fun, the environments and artwork look really quirky and cool.

Originally Posted by xSamhainx
Looks kinda fun, the environments and artwork look really quirky and cool.

Yeah, the art style itself is worth $15.

Good game.