Hothead Games’ DeathSpank has been finished for months, and was starting to gather dust. Then in swooped Electronic Arts with an announcement that it will publish the downloadable action-role-playing game for the PlayStation 3 ($15) on July 13, with the Xbox 360 (1200 MS points) edition hitting the following day.

Originally announced as an episodic game, DeathSpank has evolved into a full downloadable title for Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. As the name suggests the game doesn’t take itself very seriously. Along with its adventure-game-style storyline and puzzles, the title also features a strong action RPG element, where gamers cut their way through swaths of enemies to gain items and level up. There’s also a local cooperative mode – perhaps something like Castecrashers. Gameplay is similar to Diablo, but with more customization, featuring hundreds of pieces of armor and weapons. Advanced dialogue options, similar to LucasArts’ popular Monkey Island series also play a significant part in progressing the game’s story. While the full game boasts over 15 hours of play, it has been designed to be played in short segments if the player wishes. It also looks quirky and fun! I for one will be ‘deathspanking’, but don’t tell my granny.