Heroic Do-Gooders and Vanquishers of Evil!
I stand dutifully before you bearing knowledge of a video game so imbued with badassery that Lord Von Prong himself would cower in fear at the very sight of it!

I bring you …
DeathSpank!

And if that wickedly righteous trailer isn’t enough to whet your appetite for the formidable awesomeness that this game possesses, then perhaps the following review (will allow you to grasp just how overwhelmingly mind-blowing this digital adventure really is!

The Story.

You are DeathSpank — wielder of not only a vast arsenal of creatively destructive weaponry complete with colorful descriptions, but also the rightful owner to a deviously purple and magical Thong! Yes, that’s right. The source of your power comes from this mystical undergarment of resplendence!

As for your heroic quest?
Why, it is to blindly follow the orders of Sandy, your red-haired and mysterious colleague, into the clutches of comedic evil in order to retrieve the “Artifact” (a valuable item of importance so significant and relevant to the plot line of this game that you don’t even know what it does)!

But fear not!
You aren’t the type of hero who minds the details. In fact, you are far too busy dispensing ass-kicking justice by smiting those standing in the way of your triumph and leaving a bloody trail of carnage in your wake!

… While snacking on nachos and pizza on the side.

Gameplay.

What do you get when you combine a little Diablo with a big pinch of Monkey Island?

Well, DeathSpank, of course!
This comically bizarre Action RPG is jam packed with side questing, level grinding, fiend bashing, potion guzzling, poop collecting (seriously), and treasure looting galore. Not a moment is wasted in dreary anticipation of your next crusade, because every second of your journey offers a laundry list of missions and projects to complete (33 main quests, and 79 side quests, with a total of 12 Trophies to score on the PS3).

This is a game of multitasking that keeps you constantly busy. Everything from your Quest Log (quests are listed in categories from “Unimportant Things I Need to Do” to “Important Things I need to Do”), to the Custom Weapon-Mapping for your controller allows you to prioritize everything according to what suits your flavor. DeathSpank will keep you so entertained that by the time you finish, your only complaint will be that you wish it had been longer (I finished in about 10 hours)!

It works like this.
Run around smashing things, blowing stuff up, slaying monsters, and casting spells with your inventively bizarre collection of weapons and armor designed to help you achieve Artifact-bearing glory. You can equip anything from Chicken Cannons & Stinky-Orphan Assembling Whistles, to portable Black Holes & Hellfire Summoning trinkets. And if that’s too much for your danger-loving brain to handle? Then don’t worry. DeathSpank also has your basic hack and slash selection of swords, hammers, and magic-saturated melee weapons to satisfy your archaic need for nostalgic havoc.

Here’s how the combat happens.
You map your 4 favorite weapons to the buttons on your controller (ideally, a combination of the strongest melee or ranged weapons), use them in a creative order to build your Justice Meter, then release pure annhilation on everything within your general vicinity.

You can also customize your armor (which changes the way DeathSpank appears in-game!) or brainlessly allow the system to automatically equip the strongest items in your inventory, thus leaving you with more time to deliver pure ownage across the land.

And if you feel like gaming with a homie? Sit him on the couch next to you and have him hop on a second controller for co-op mode! He’ll play as the devious wizard, Sparkles, casting spells to aid you in combat while occasionally healing you when you’re too pussy to carry on alone (though no, you can’t upgrade and equip him, and no, there is no online multiplayer).

Visuals.

The world of DeathSpank is staged across a huge map ranging from a sea of undead skeletons and ghosts, to a practically hallucinogenic-inspired unicorn kingdom littered with killer gingerbread men and leprechauns. The art style is a mix of 3D and 2D design that comes across a little like a grim pop up book, and is executed fluidly enough to keep your eyes sweeping the scene for hidden treasures.

Sound.

With a lead character whose voice reminds you of an Old Spice commercial and a cheesy soundtrack to go along with it? Of course the dialogue and voice acting in this game are a little over the top. But it wouldn’t be right to downplay Ron Gilbert’s signature silliness, and every fiber of DeathSpank follows through with the flavor of his games.

Conclusion?

This is one of those games that will make you like gaming again. And if you’re one of those rare breeds who have never picked up a controller? Definitely start out here! Light-hearted, “fun”, and just silly enough to keep you interested, Ron Gilbert scores big with this underwear inspired tale of heroism. My vote for DeathSpank?

THUMBS UP!!

Some questions for you! :-)
Have you played DeathSpank? And if not, do you plan on it?
Also, should I do more videogame reviews? Possibly video reviews instead? :-D What do you think? Eheheh. If I get my hands on a Macbook, you will DEFINITELY see some of that!

Also, I’m planning on starting a gaming clan, so if you’re interested, please let me know below or by sending me an email! You can even reply to me on twitter (woot)! If I receive enough feedback, I will follow through. Let me know if you’re down! Otherwise, it’s just wasted effort.

still reeling from SDCC,
XOXO Cheri XOXO

DeathSpank was developed by Hothead Games and published by EA for the PlayStation 3′s PlayStation Network and the Xbox 360′s Xbox Live Arcade on July 13 and 14. It cost $15.