DeathSpank

Joystiq

With the exception of food, water and, if necessary, important medications, I can't think of anything more worthy of spending $15 on this week. This is a high point for comedy in games, built on a solid foundation of time-tested gameplay and bacon that everyone should experience.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Cable-TV executives may not have major networks to fear in the summer, but they should be terrified of deep, blissful time-sucks like DeathSpank.

MS Xbox World

Its funny, its well-crafted, it has more polish than most full-price games and its only 1200 Microsoft points. This is as close to a no-brainer as it gets in video games. Buy this game.

Game Revolution

DeathSpank isn't some weenie little diversion; it's a full-blown, long RPG with a huge overland map. Which at 1200 MS Points (or $15) is more bang for your buck than just about any other title out there.

Wired

There hasn’t been a funnier, more singularly creative videogame since Brütal Legend. And where Double Fine disappointed some with odd game design choices, DeathSpank does nothing but please.

Gamer.no

Quotation forthcoming.

RPG Fan

Take an idea from someone who's designed multiple amazing games, add in a team who makes games they'd want to play and loves what they do, avoid the red tape of the retail distribution process, and what do you get? A great game like Deathspank, which provides a $60 experience for just $15.

Eurogamer Portugal

DeathSpank is an absolutely brilliant product and is one of the best titles that I had the pleasure of playing.

Play.tm

There is only one way to really do justice to DeathSpank and that is to quote one of the game's characters. In the words of Annie the Orphan: "I love you Daddy DeathSpank."

GameFocus

There are so many good things in DeathSpank; the amount of loot collecting (and bacon), quests to complete (and bacon), and fantastic look and feel of the world make up for any shortcomings and give a lot of value and enjoyment (and did I mention this game has bacon in it?). If you’re a fan of action-RPGs, you will not be disappointed, and those looking for a game that will bring them into the genre need look no further than DeathSpank.

Cheat Code Central

While the game is certainly long and a blast to play, there is a lack of variety when it comes to quests.

3DJuegos

DeathSpank: Fast, humorous and vibrant. DeathSpank is a surprising downloadable hit and a marvelous and amusing Diablo clone. It’s easy to play for a few minutes only to see that two hours have gone by.

Official Xbox Magazine

It's a bit slow to get its hooks into you, but once you clear the first area and open up the rest of the absurd world that its hero inhabits, you won't want to leave. [Sept 2010]

Destructoid

As a single-player game, though, DeathSpank really shines. The addictive nature of leveling up and looting treasure chests and fallen enemies is here in spades, not to be missed by fans of the genre. It’s also one of the better-looking and most polished titles in the digital space.

IGN

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.

Gamer 2.0

DeathSpank certainly isn’t a perfect game by any means, but it does a very good job of bringing the loot RPG to the consoles with a good story that made us want to search every inch of the world that Hothead and Ron Gilbert has created.

GameShark

It’s an ace introduction to a genre that isn’t well-represented on consoles, and it’s funny and engaging enough to capture you for hours at a time… even if you’re all by your lonesome.

XboxAddict

DeathSpank succeeds at what it set out to do, it gives you some laughs, makes a mess of mobs and keeps you busy for a few hours.

Console Monster

The fantastic dialogue, beautiful setting and overall charm, whilst appealing, will struggle to remove attention from the gameplay that in most cases will be the difference between a love and hate relationship for most gamers.

GamingXP

A funny mixture between Diablo gameplay and the Escape from Monkey Island humor. A solid hack ’n’ slay adventure.

GamerNode

It won't blow you away with innovation or graphical prowess, though every aspect is enjoyable, effective, and responsive like a game should be. DeathSpank is worth it for the cheeky demeanor, simply put, but well worth it for sure.

Eurogamer Italy

Ron Gilbert delivers another sweet piece of art. Hilarious and technically fantastic, Deathspank fails to become another classic just because of its repetitive gameplay and quests design.

Telegraph

DeathSpank may not be perfect, and it may take many of its gameplay cues from other titles, but it's a fun and entertaining romp which is well worth a look.

Gameplanet

Some of the jokes can be hit or miss, and the inventory management system leaves something to be desired but DeathSpank is a well presented, highly amusing loot-crawling adventure.

XGN

DeathSpank lets gamers experience humorous dialogues, good gameplay and stunning graphics. Be sure to pick it up the next time you visit the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Gamer's Hell

What we've got with DeathSpank is really a pretty sweet deal: a lot of triple-A game for a budget price.

Everyeye.it

Brilliant and funny, DeathSpank is an interesting hack'n'slash, blessed by Ron Gilbert irony.

RPGamer

Although DeathSpank is only roughly ten to fifteen hours long, it provides plenty of bang for your buck.

Gamereactor Sweden

If you got it bad for the Monkey Island franchise, DeathSpank might just be the game for you! With great graphics and a hilarious dialouge, one just can't go wrong with this action RPG.

Vandal Online

It would be great news if the sense of humor of Deathspank spreads to other games, or at least if Ron Gilbert gets encouraged and makes more games.

GameSpot

Goofy humor and a bevy of wacky objectives make it easy to lose yourself in this action role-playing game.

GameTrailers

DeathSpank maintains a tongue-in-cheek quality throughout that mocks hackneyed game conventions even as it celebrates them. If you've played several RPGs before, you'll definitely be in on the jokes, but the never-ending fetch-quest gag isn't quite as funny when you actually have to do the legwork.

Games Radar (in-house)

If you’ve played any Diablo-style RPG and any Monkey Island-style adventure and enjoyed them, you know you’ll like DeathSpank. It’s a hilarious and seamless combination of the two genres more than worthy of your 15 bucks and a couple weekends of your time.

GamePro

Not only is it in on the joke, but it's willing to take the punchline-accompanying prat-fall and mandatory pie to the face.

Worth Playing

Occasionally, you'll be reminded that, as funny as it is, the gameplay of Deathspank is nothing special, and if you stripped away the laughs, it would be a pretty average experience.

Eurogamer Spain

A really great game, terribly funny and very addictive if you love games where character evolution is the key.

games(TM)

Both wit and genre-expectation emerge almost unscathed. [Issue#99, p.112]

Level7.nu

This is a beautiful combination of hilarious dialogue, an equally entertaining storyline and great Diablo-esque gameplay all wrapped in a beautiful and varied environments. Tons of armor, weapons and sidequests all contribute to making this a varied and lengthy experience for the asking price. Beyond a doubt one of the best downloadable titles out there today.

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

A masterful blend of genres, but with many ideas of its own. Worth the low, low asking price. [Oct 2010, p.120]

SpazioGames

Some fresh ideas in this funny and debunking action RPG. What makes it really unique is the humour, and there's a good bunch of fun to be had slaying the enemies. It lacks some deeper growth of the character and some better puzzles, but for genre lovers it's really worth every cent of its small price.

1UP

Purely as an action-RPG, it's a competent game with a few significant flaws in the name of simplicity/accessibility, but as an experience, it shines with humor and wit all over, and makes me hopeful for an improved sequel.

Gamer Limit

Judged on its humor alone, DeathSpank is a great game. However, some major problems often mar the gameplay, making it more fun to laugh with than it is to play

Gamervision

Most of the flaws are simply disappointments, and there's a good game in Deathspank, even if it isn't as good of a game as it should have been. The humor, thankfully, manages to hold strong, with non-stop jokes and constant fourth wall breaking.

Gamekult

Long, funny, original and addictive, DeathSpank manages to make one forget its little weaknesses and have a smile.

VideoGamer

DeathSpank’s mishmash of genres is definitely entertaining at first, but it never manages to live up to its appealing concept. It’s trying to combine the best parts of two beloved genres, but in doing so it creates a product that’s not as good as either.

Thunderbolt

In many ways, it’s a success in showing how comedy can be used to make once-exciting game genres interesting again, but fails to come full circle as a finished product.

Gaming Age

For one of the rare games that actually made me feel like I wasted my time after playing it, I did enjoy the ride.

RealGamer

Deathspank is a solid and eminently playable slice of RPG gaming, and fans of Diablo, Baldur’s Gate and the like might truly enjoy the opportunity to play a lightweight comedy homage to past favourites.

Giant Bomb

While it's an uneven experience, the action works well enough and the game's sense of humor hits often enough to make it come together pretty well. Unfortunately, it also gets a bit monotonous, largely due to some repetitive quest design.

Eurogamer

When the curtain falls DeathSpank feels like something of a disappointment, but there's undoubtedly a market for the end product. If you like your loot-'em-ups, and you're looking for something humorous and a bit different, this is clearly the game for you. Just don't expect it to sparkle in the way which many, myself included, hoped that it would.

Teletext GameCentral

Not as daring as you'd hope in terms of gameplay or humour, but this Diablo parody has its moments.

Gameblog.fr

Clearly, DeathSpank's main strength is in its dialog and humor. As an Action RPG, it remains a little too simple to fulfill the needs of hardcore hack'n slash fans, and some game design flaws and ergonomics mistakes render its 10 or so gameplay hours a little bit tedious and less inspired than we'd hoped. It still is a visually charming, point'n click and silly ideas enriched adventure to dive in. Its shortcomings can easily be ignored by those who like games that don't take themselves too seriously, something DeathSpank achieves with flying colors.