The Baconing Review

The Baconing is the third instalment in the Action-RPG-Adventure series. A game managing to borrow from three genres and pretty much failing at each one. Ouch.

In this part, the hero Deathspank has worn the six(?) thongs of virtue all at once which has somehow caused a disturbance in the force, causing an Anti-Spank to erupt.

As you can guess the humour in it is absurd, filled with cultural references and often completely (and yet satisfactory) over-the-top. It's also the game's greatest (and only) redeeming feature. Although, graphically the game is quite beautiful as well, with a great change in scenery and colour with levels in a jungle, a barnacle lake all rendered cartoonishly breathtaking. Unfortunately it is not enough. Which is a shame as the game offers quite a few hidden gems that will make you burst out laughing: A leprechaun maffia, A demented Zeus berating you to "get off his lawn" to a tongue-in-cheek reference to the game-industry itself, and so many more.

Deathspank humour at its finest

Leprechaun Maffia-themed armour

Although the game only lasts about 8-10 hours there is a reason the review is so late. That's mostly due to a very repetitive gameplay and tedious fightingsystem. The game's fighting consists of constant mouseclicking on the foes. And there's your other reason this review took so long. You start to get arthritis in your fingers from clicking away hours and hours on end .... The game is a natural habitat for a WoW-clicker. And before you start fanboyishly disagreeing. Yes there's blocking, a "fury" bar and grenades. But it doesn't offer enough of a change in pace. Even the grenade system is flawed as you can only throw right ahead of you with no aim. 

This could have been so easily remedied by using fun feats and skills or gadgetry with (hilarious) drawbacks. But no, levelling up offers more weapons (Kek, the same ones) and some unimaginative feats such as "move faster" "do more damage", ... In fact the game even managed to make your co-op henchmen have more fun than you. That's quite impressive to pull off.

I don't understand how a game that tries to be funny, fails so hard and ends up making levelling the most boring thing whatsoever.

I wanted to like this game, but unfortunately instead of popping out new parts in the series as if state benefits depend on it, Hothead would do much better trying to make the fighting and gameplay more innovative and rewarding, instead of a chore. Turning the game into an adventure struggling from one joke to other.

 As it stands now The Baconing is much like a one-trick pony. Stay for the comic dialogue, avoid everything else.

I'm still not complaining too much however, for I became:

We'll need a bigger cradle

GOD OF ... ORPHANS