The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
For today’s entry, we sink our teeth into a meaty medieval fantasy romp in the celebrated hack ‘n slash, DeathSpank.
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Developer: Hothead Games
Region(s) available: North America
Players: 1-2
Hothead’s humour-heavy actioner DeathSpank doesn’t take itself too seriously, that much is abundantly clear. From our eponymous hero’s penchant for wearing a purple thong the vast array of comical distractions up for grabs, DeathSpank will give you more than a few hearty chuckles throughout, reminding you what it’s like to just unwind and have a laugh once in a while. This light-hearted feel has obviously resonated with punters, with the PS3 release notching up a not-too-shabby 107,000 units sold by the end of 2010.
Adopting a glorious fantasy feel, DeathSpank has the titular protagonist embarking on a quest for a mysterious artifact, despite the fact he actually knows bugger all about it. Still, you won’t have time to muse over its potential power, as DeathSpank offers up a myriad of side quests for your consumption outside of the main quest. Most of these are initiated by engaging in a chinwag with the locals, with much of the subsequent gum-flapping turning up some belly-aching laughs. Equally amusing are the quests themselves, ranging from conjuring up a taco spicy to attempting to convince a quarrelsome couple to reunite. Combat, naturally, takes precedence over all the nattering, and is just as simplistic in its execution as the game’s nutty narrative.
Here, DeathSpank offers up the rudimentary package of sharp-ended weapons and magic, which you can map to one of eight buttons available for easy access. While mashing away at the buttons will normally get the job done, those of you who want to inject a little more diversity into the proceedings can mix and match weapons for some health-zapping combo action. Magical-based attacks also offer up a welcome change to hacking ‘n slashing away at foes, some of which are pretty humorous in their own right. As ever, you’ll be able to gobble up loot from slain enemies to obtain fresh equipment, and there’s literally dozens of potions and spells at your disposal ensuring you’ll have more than enough incentive to come back for more later down the line.
Calving up countless enemies will eventually allow DeathSpank to level up, in turn giving you the opportunity to pimp out one of three existing attributes. Fancy giving our thong-wearing hero a kick up the backside to make him run faster? Or perhaps you’re a savage who opts for brute force in the shape of a melee upgrade? Whatever your preference, there should be something here to cater to all playing styles. Meanwhile, if you fancy bringing a mate along for the ride you can do so, with a second player hopping into the shoes of Wizard chap Sparkles via local co-op. It’s somewhat limited, however, as Sparkles has a set amount of moves and can’t snag all the loot-related goodies. Check out our review for the full scoop.
Tune in again same time tomorrow for another peak Inside PlayStation Network.