Deathspank

Only a quick post today. I have spent most of the day finishing up the interface for TRAUMA. I was still able to check out an important game release. It’s Deathspank! A hilarious Diablo-esque hack & slay action RPG.

I got only the trial version yet (backlog) but I enjoyed it A LOT! The game is incredibly attractive. It comes with a beautiful, cartoony visual style without resorting to obvious cell-shading. It has witty writing and excellent voice acting. It feels very much like a mixture of Diablo and Monkey Island.

I noticed lots of cool details about the way the interface and game mechanics works together. For example, I love how leveling up was implemented. Instead of working your way through a spreadsheet of stats (boring!) you can select one of 4 trading cards. Each card improves one aspect of your character. Your character stats are simply a screen with all the cards you’ve collected.

One thing I found a bit disappointing is the character of Deathspank himself. He doesn’t seem quite as lovable as the other characters. Especially visually he doesn’t seems very memorable. But that may very well be because I haven’t spent too much time with him yet.

By all means, go and check out the game! It’s out on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade. At least get the trial. I think it is a refreshing and very well-made game that deserves attention. I will certainly do my best to make room for it in my backlog!