DeathSpank Previews

Some recent hands-on previews of Hothead Games' DeathSpank have hit the Internet, should you be curious how the Diablo-style action RPG is shaping up.

Gaming Union:
The game takes place in a pseudo 2D world, as all models are in a single plane. However, when players walk back and forth, the scenery changes and objects pop-up to create a spherical illusion. All of the enemies and NPCs that DeathSpank encounters throughout the vast world also have a great deal of charisma and it makes for a story and experience that promises to be thoroughly enjoyable. The game is also said to be extremely lengthy, and while no specifics have been given, EA Partners have claimed that it will be longer than most retail products.

Bit-tech:
Deathspank freely admits to other conventions of the games industry too. Deathspank, like most heroes in most games, often finds himself running errands for people who should be perfectly capable of doing it themselves (or are sometimes even more capable than he is). The reason given? They can't be bothered to do it themselves. Deathspank's universe is, it seems, one populated by layabouts and procrastinators. The only thing that really sets Deathspank himself apart from the general populace and distinguishes him as a hero is his over-abundance of energy.

And Xbox360Achievements.org:
A well-handled progression system ensures that there's always something on the screen dropping or cha-chinging to provide a constant barrage of new spells and abilities. To simplify matters, DeathSpank is offered one of three perks - such as a boost to speed, strength or accuracy - each time he levels up, which means you don't have to fussy around dropping points into a myriad of tech trees.