DeathSpank: The Baconing Reviews

We have another batch of reviews for the latest game in Hothead Games’ relatively young DeathSpank franchise, The Baconing, which keeps collecting lukewarm-to-positive critiques from the press.

Bit-tech, 75%.

The only factor that stops the violence from becoming a chore in the end is the sheer variety of enemies, which ranges from genetically-altered Gummi Bears through to Leprechaun Mafia. That and the sheer gratuity of humour is enough to make The Baconing an entertaining and enjoyable adventure on the whole, even though it lacks the frenetic moreishness of contemporaries such as Torchlight. In short, what The Baconing lacks in deep RPG systems or kinetic combat, it compensates for with the darkness of the humour. This is the only action RPG we’ve ever played where we end up avoiding combat and talking to every bystander in town, rather than the opposite.

Eurogamer, 6/10.

The result, as ever, is a fiercely likeable time-waster. But with console download services delivering increasingly brilliant games these days, DeathSpank has yet to make the transition from an entertaining diversion to something that’s truly essential.

GamePro, 3.5/5.

As a DeathSpank game, The Baconing leaves itself in something of a weird place: it seems to want to work as a standalone experience (something hinted at in its “subtitle-for-a-title” name), but its inconclusive ending does little more than set it up for the next game in the franchise. I’m sure there are plenty of gamers that’re willing to watch DeathSpank’s story unfold even further, but they’ll hopefully have more of a reason to return to the Defender of the Downtrodden’s world than the same tired combat and a few witty one-liners. The Baconing is a good game, but a lack of innovation or worthwhile improvements stop it from being a much better one.

The Gamer’s Hub, 3.5/5.

The Baconing is a very fun game, if your new to the series I’m sure as hell your going to have a brilliant time playing through this game, it’s very humorous at times, a very open world environment to explore, it has some nice RPG elements such as character customization and leveling up system. It’s one of my favorite PSN games of the year but there’s one massive flaw to the game. Ever since the first Deathspank a year ago there just hasn’t been enough changes in each game to make them worthy of a great score, each game is fun but it’s beginning to get a bit old, I played through part of the first Deathspank and some of Thongs Of Virtue and now I feel like I’ve had enough of Deathspank until the developer makes a lot of changes to the games. Overall though The Baconing is still a fun game even if you have played both Deathspanks before it, although you may find yourself quitting a bit into the game as you’ve had enough of Deathspank for the time being.

Thunderbolt, 6/10.

The Baconing’s witty, daft and fun, but also doesn’t do enough to improve on the faults of the previous entries in the series, and in some cases pushes those issues to the forefront. The bacon is now well cooked and about to burn. And yes that pun was just used, but in DeathSpank’s world, that’s all right.

Video Game Writers, 3/5.

But The Baconing is a passable casual experience, and one that the whole family can engage with. If enjoy your hack ‘˜n’ slash with a side of irreverence, and can wrangle a second player to join you on the couch, it’s not a terrible way to pass a hot summer day.

Gamercast, 4/5.

The Baconing is a welcome return to the self-obsessed world of DeathSpank, however with the combat-centred turn that the game has taken, it has made an enjoyable and hilarious game a rather hilarious chore, here’s hoping his adventures continue with a little less violence.