An egotistical lead character, lots of zany randomness, uber-colourful environments and whack-a-mole gameplay — the DeathSpank series definitely sits in the “love/hate” category, and The Baconing is certainly not going to be to everyone’s taste. The simple rule is, avoid this if you didn’t fancy the last two games or if you cringe at the thought of random humour. Otherwise read on.

DeathSpank is an undeniably unique, and therefore worthy, PSN franchise. There are few Diablo styled adventures on the PS3, and fewer with a colourful palette and a sense of humour. It’s certainly a refreshing alternative to the dark and morbid fantasy that usually dominates the genre.

However, we are on our third iteration in just over a year, and the format is starting to feel a little over familiar. It doesn’t help that there have been few changes since last summer. The combat has received some minor tweaks, but it largely feels the same, the quests haven’t changed much either. It’s important to remember that these aren’t bite-sizes adventures. They are substantial, and DeathSpank fans have dedicated over 20 hours to this format, and the prospect of spending another 10 hours bashing monsters in the same way must be less appealing to fans as it has been in the past.

This, of course, isn’t an issue for newcomers, who are discovering DeathSpank’s quirks for the first time. While it ties in with the larger DeathSpank story, it’s a very frivolous story and there’s no need to feel apprehensive about jumping in cold. In fact, the DeathSpank prefix has even been dropped from the title, which indicates a focus on drawing in new fans, as opposed to satisfying existing ones.

Crackling bacon fires and thongs are a sizzling combination.

DeathSpank hasn’t changed much from his last adventures either. He’s still an odd cross betweenJohnny Bravo and Bruce Campbell, still loud with a tendency to make obvious puns, but his dialogue still draws plenty of laughs from us.

READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW AT PS3 ATTITUDE