As a DLC title for both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, DeathSpank's projected playtime of 12 to 15 hours might seem modest to some, but it's of little consequence when considering the game offers relatively deep character building, many weapons and upgrades, and Gilbert's penchant for hilarious dialogue trees. In one conversation, the title character was enjoying the nostalgic musings of an aged warrior only to find out that the old man has gotten senile, confusing dragon-slaying with cat-kicking. Clearly the game presents countless opportunities for poking fun at RPG conventions, and while my 20-minute session revealed moments of laugh-out-loud parody, the story showed a lot of originality without relying on constant genre homages.
