What started off as a joke between Monkey Island veteran Ron Gilbert and Grumpy Gamer's Clayton Kauzlaric in an online flash comic, evolved into a genre bending dungeon crawler of epic proportions. Deathspank was conceived as a parody of over-the-top action heroes with the most ridiculous name possible. He grew into a persona of his own, and became the star of a new action adventure title.
After a series of rejection from publishers, Gilbert finally found success in Hothead Games and development on his new creation begun. Deathspank had originally intended to be a series of episodic games, but was later changed to one full affair. Gilbert explains this decision by saying the world and story grew too large to be a linear episodic experience. He added, "Deathspank would just impatiently play all episodes at once anyways." Game play is described as a mixture of puzzle and adventure game with traditional action RPG combat.
The story begins with the character Deathspank finally finding a treasure he has been seeking his entire life entitled "The Artifact". Things don't go as planned, and the item is stolen. Our hero gets sidetracked and other zany adventures ensue. Deathspank considers himself a "dispenser of justice, vanquisher of evil, & a hero to the downtrodden" although in actuality he probably causes more harm than good. He feels much like the Don Quixote of gaming. All of what makes for great comedy.
When I first glanced upon this game on the PAX exhibition floor, I first noticed the unique art style. The world is a forced 3-Dimensional rolling surface with everything populating it on 2-Dimensional planes. It gives the viewer the feeling of playing a pop up book that's sitting on a constantly turning wheel. The textures all resemble water color illustrations which really make locations in the world stand out.
The action adventure elements of the game play are all blended together masterfully which makes a rich experience for all. Players will have full customization over gear, spells, and abilities. You have the standard killing beasts and collecting loot with melee and ranged attacks. The game also features an ability system that gives you full control over special moves (one example being a flurry of chickens being shot directly from Deathspank's arm). There are also plenty of sidequests that are completely optional, and undeniably funny. The game play is a seamless blend of genres integrated for an amazing fresh experience.
Deathspank is in development for XBLA and other unannounced platforms. The official site lists the release date as "Soonish". Players can even talk to the hero himself by calling the "Deathspank Hero Hotline" toll free at 1-866-631-1574. Give it a try, it's hilarious!
Official Site: deathspank.com/
