Publisher: Hothead Games
Developer: Hothead Games
Genre: Action-RPG
ESRB rating: Teen
Release Date: Available now

Humor in games is a tricky art. With comedy so dependent on timing, it can be a tough haul for a developer hoping their pixels execute that pratfall or nail the punch line every time. LucasArts, in its heyday, played host to masters of the form, with guys like Ron Gilbert and Tim Shafer producing some true comic classic adventure games. One of the nice perks to our shiny, new digital distribution age is the ability for these auteurs to find a whole new audience hungry for their particular brand of humor. While Shafer and his gang at DoubleFine have produced some bite-sized gems over the last few years (including Stacking and Trenched), Ron Gilbert joined forces with Hothead Games to unleash the clueless hero DeathSpank. Having overseen DeathSpank’s first two adventures, Hothead now presses forth – sending DeathSpank out on his first adventure, The Baconing, without Gilbert’s guidance. DeathSpank’s biggest task at hand is not how he’ll slice through the malevolent masses but rather will his sense of humor hold up now that someone else is pitching the jokes.

Despite DeathSpank’s omission from the title, The Baconing is the true continuation of DeathSpank’s journey. Having reclaimed all of the “Thongs of Virtue” in his last adventure, this title opens with DeathSpank unwittingly springing grave evil unto the land. By wearing all of the fabled Thongs of Virtue at once, DeathSpank’s folly gives rise to the AntiSpank – a malevolent force determined to strip mine the surrounding fairy-tale and fantasy environs. In order to defeat his new found nemesis, DeathSpank must journey through five irreverent lands (including a twisted take on Disney World) and toss each of the Thongs of Virtue into the Bacon Fires. Only then will the AntiSpank be weakened.

The Baconing, like its predecessors, is a Diablo-lite clone. The hero wades through throngs of enemies, hacking and slashing along the way. These constant melees often yield piles of loot which DeathSpank can keep or sell off. This is the same rinse and repeat game play that is a hallmark of the dungeon crawler form. DeathSpank can regenerate at the last Magical Outhouse he passed, allowing him to grab any loot he may have dropped after his past death. The enemies continue to pile up, leading the player to mash their buttons as they hack through the hordes. The Baconing introduces a shield to the mix which adds a slight strategic element to the game play, especially against long-distance ranged foes. Most gamers, however, will play DeathSpank as a tank, plowing forward in order to see the next wild and inventive environment. As in previous games, when DeathSpank levels up the player can choose one of three cards which will increase their attributes. It’s a streamlined leveling system that works well for the simpler combat mechanics.

While I had a good time with DeathSpank’s first adventure, I find the humor is starting to wear thin. DeathSpank displays that same smarmy charm he had in the first game, but so much of this game and its environments are wacky for the sake of being wacky. The title alone is a random non-sequitor. In my book, bacon will always be more delicious than humorous. I do get a kick out of DeathSpanks’ clueless braggart persona, cut from the same cloth as the Evil Dead’s Ash, and the world is vibrant and full of some truly bizarre creatures and locales, including a gambling mecca populated by lucky Leprechauns. That said, so many of the jokes just fall flat. Gilbert’s absence is sorely missing in that regard. That guy really knows how to tell a joke.

”>With the humor running thin, the game tries to coast on its combat and the unfortunate fact is that gamers grow weary of the loot grind if there isn’t a compelling reason to keep accumulating all that shiny, new stuff. There are some cool special weapons that are unlocked which bring some screen clearing effects (including the ability to call in a dragon for a massive strafing run) but there’s no denying that for most of the game, you are just mashing the action button and occasionally chugging down a health potion. There’s also far fewer of the traditional “adventure game” puzzles that differentiated the first title. Again, Gilbert’s absence is felt.

The Baconing tries to survive on the strength of its cult universe but it’s not enough. DeathSpank is an original character, that’s for sure, but he needs a better adventure worthy of his misdeeds. As this is essentially a casual dungeon crawler, the game sorely needs a hook beyond its fractured fairy tale backdrop. Otherwise, we’re left playing the same game we’ve played so many times before. And in DeathSpank’s case, he’s been much better than this.

Our Score:

Our Recommendation: