Bacon always sounds good, but it sounds even better when DeathSpank is involved, right? His new adventure, The Baconing, will be here this summer, with vast improvements to make things crispier and tastier than ever.
It was hard to miss DeathSpank‘s two games from last year, even if they weren’t in your typical genre of choice. The top down hack and slash adventures parody just about any fantasy franchise imaginable, delivering hilarious punch line after punch line, while providing plenty of quests, loot, and silly weapons to play with. The Baconing intends to deliver all that and more, with tons of new characters, items, and quests, and the promise of improved combat to accompany it all.
The game starts with DeathSpank in a city called Spanktopia, where he sets out on a quest to find the Fires of Bacon. Before he leaves Spanktopia, he’ll have to fight off the Minorque, one of four new bosses that will impede DeathSpank’s progress towards his final destination. Luckily for him, he’ll have new allies, such as Bob from Marketing (let’s hope he’s played by Martin Lawrence!), who will accompany DeathSpank and wield special powers such as “Laser eye beams; Eat dead bodies to restore health; Eat live bodies as an additional attack option.” Sounds like Bob has been trapped in a cubicle for entirely too long.
Huge improvements to the lackluster combat of the former games will be made, primarily so that the hack and slash style doesn’t get so old, so quick. 80 new weapons will be available to spice things up a bit, and enemy AI will be improved to include flanking maneuvers, as well as enemies healing each other. A cover system has been implemented too, which should hopefully result in players using a bit more tactics to win fights, rather than just diving in axe first. Specifically, Hothead Games states the following:
Enjoy the feel of countless gameplay improvements to the combat system. Dizzy enemies with the shield bash, deflect ranged weapons back at enemies and use devastating charged attacks to send a message to foes. Players will feel more in control of the battle situations than in previous DeathSpank games, providing gamers with opportunity and choice when engaging the enemies which stand in DeathSpank’s way.
These improvements should make Ron Gilbert, the original creator of DeathSpank happy. Despite not being involved in this particular project, he voiced his opinion at the end of last year about how he’d like to see more tactical combat in the game, drawing comparisons to that of Dragon Age: Origins. While it’s incredibly unlikely to see that much of an overhaul, it sounds like a great way to keep the game entertaining beyond the joke filled script.
Besides the 80 new weapons to find, there’s also supposed to be plenty of new areas to explore, such as The Forbidden Zone, The Forest of Tomorrow, Barnacle Lake, and of course, Spanktopia. Along the way about 70 different characters will be encountered, many of which are new, which will probably be integral for completing more than 100 new quests in the game (as well as delivering more hilarity).
Currently the game is slated for release this summer on the PSN, but no exact date or price have been given. Considering the pricing of the past two games ($14.99 USD), it would seem reasonable to expect a similar price range. No photos or videos of the game have been released either, but as we’re on the precipice of summer, they’re sure to make a debut soon. Of course, PlayStation LifeStyle will sling those your way, as soon as we’re done with our fill of deliciously greasy bacon. Are you ready to spank the evil power of the thongs again in The Baconing?
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