[PC] The Baconing Review

[UWCrash]

The Baconing Review

Title: The Baconing
Platform: XBLA, PSN, Steam(PC), Mac Appstore
Developer: Hothead Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
ESRB: T (Teen)
MSRP: $15, 1200MSP(XBLA)
Editor: Ryan 'UWCrash' Kern

What's Hot: Good humor and voice work, although not for everyone

What's Not: Frustrating combat system; music a little repetitive

When my fiancée saw me playing The Baconing and asked what it was called, her first response to the title was “Like Kevin Bacon?” I assured her that this was at least loosely based on the pork foodstuff and not the star of Footloose. However, the thought of a survival-horror title with Kevin Bacon as the antagonist did send a chill down my spine.

The Baconing is the third in the series of games starring DeathSpank, the witless “Hero to the Downtrodden” (of which he will constantly remind you) and keeper of the Thong of Justice. In the last installment DeathSpank tracked down the five other Thongs of Virtue, ridding the world of evil. In the ensuing boredom, he attempted to try on all of the undergarments at once. The result was The Baconing, which created an evil incarnation of him, the AntiSpank, who could only be defeated after destroying five of the six Thongs in Bacon Fire (from which they were initially created). Along the way to rectify the problem you’ll face off against a variety of foes including Cyberorques, terrifying Gummi Bears, and gangster Leprechauns.

This could summarize the entire game.

Admittedly, this was my first foray into the DeathSpank universe. I entered with the expectation of some beat-‘em-up action and crude humor based on the official website, and for the latter I was well-rewarded. From the cockney orphans standing around the gates of Spanktopia to Zeus and Thor standing atop the Valhalla Heights Retirement Community, the writing in this game is top-notch and had me chuckling throughout. Better still, all of the characters are voiced, even the nearly-mute clones who only say “Yarp,” and this really shines during DeathSpank’s interactions with some of the major characters. There are also a few returning characters from the previous DeathSpank games, so veterans of the series should see some familiar faces. Clearly there’s some history with the Mayor and Wise Cow as well as many other characters that show up through the games conclusion.

Zeus hasn't held up well in his old age.

The art-style here is somewhat reminiscent of a pop-up book: character models are 3-D while buildings and terrain are 2-D. This mixed well with the tone of the game, but did lead to a few quirky instances of getting stuck on or trapped between an enemy and terrain. As I said, the voice work was well-done, and in addition the music fit the game’s mood. However, some of the tracks felt a little repetitive by the end of the game. There were also some truly torturous, repetitive songs sung by DeathSpank while sailing on the pirate ship in the game’s fourth chapter.

Speaking of pirate ships, one quest has you collecting Seamen.

However, between all of the witty dialogue and thong-burning cutscenes lies the game’s glaring flaw: the combat. Basic moves include melee (with an assortment of weapons), ranged (a crossbow with varying ammo), a shield block, and a Justice Attack which may be launched from specific weapons when you fill the Justice Gauge. The problem here is that most enemy attacks, even on “medium” difficulty, are extremely punishing. Some enemies can take more than a quarter of your life with one swing, and when four of them surround you, it doesn't end well. There is a combo system which rewards you for alternating attacks between different weapons, but enemies are free to wack at you while you build your multiplier making it almost entirely useless. This was quite disappointing as I would have really enjoyed bashing in some skulls with the assortment of circular saws, drills, hammers, swords, and severed unicorn heads I was given as melee weapons. A few of these (drills, hammers, and saws) had Justice Attacks I would occasionaly use, but ultimately the ranged Justice Attack that rained down a fiery air strike was generally superior. Fortunately the only penalty for dying, and if you’re not playing on easy you will die, is losing a bit of cash and running back from the nearest Outhouse.

Even the armor was telling me the end was near.

Along with the assorted weapons there are also 20 different armor sets, each having a different level requirement. They’re nice cosmetic changes which look appropriate to the zone in which they drop, but statistically they only offer a small armor and HP bump (and in the case of wristwatches, a small elemental resistance). The level cap is 20, along with the appropriately-named “Game Ending" armor set which requires level 20. There is some slight character customization available with each level-up, as you are given a choice of one of three Hero Cards to upgrade (see below). Continuously choosing the same class of card will leave you with fewer choices come end-game as each card type does have a limit. I largely played the game solo, only taking the “sidekick” card when it was the only option presented.

The six hero cards you can choose from.

There is co-operative play available; however, it is local-only and will require some form of controller for those playing on PC. There are four different playable sidekicks, each with unique moves. I was able to convince my fiancée to jump in for the game’s finale as Bob From Marketing, a hammerhead shark who can dive underground, consume corpses to restore health, and shoot enemies with his laser-beam eyes. DeathSpank and the sidekick share a health pool, but the killing blow can only be made against DeathSpank, so having a completely inexperienced player jump in did not present a crippling handicap. The only real problem is that co-op is not split-screen, and the playable area is relatively small. This would cause DeathSpank to “pull” the sidekick quite a bit. Those considering a purchase on PC/Mac should also be aware that I found no way to use a X360 controller to control DeathSpank and was only able to use the keyboard/mouse while playing alone.

The Baconing is a decent title if you’re interested in the continuing adventures of DeathSpank or are just looking for a few hours (6-8) of crude humor. Just be aware that outside of a couple interesting boss fights, the bulk of combat will leave you with more frustrations than enjoyment. Don’t hesitate to drop the difficulty to easy at the first sign of annoyance. Solid writing and voice-work throughout will make you glad you did.

Score: 3 out of 5 CoGs


Ryan says, "Good for a laugh if you enjoy some juvenile humor or if you find it on sale. However, it's a game about destroying mythical thongs in bacon fire. If you don't find that the least bit amusing, be assured you can skip this one."

*Note - Review based upon the PC version of game

[Ghostbear]

I have not played the first two, they sound funny, but probably not for me.

[Karak]

Man I love these games and have enjoyed the Baconing a great deal. Thanks for the review!

[menage]

Yep. Love em. I'm 60 % through and finished both others. This I might say is even funnier the the last one. A great deal has to the voice acting though, I love how the guy talks. Everythings a positive with him.

[Spigot]

I love the games too. I just finished the second and while I own The Baconing, I'll probably wait until around Christmas to work through it. You need some time to breath between the games.

Nice to hear that this game keeps up the tradition of quality writing and silliness of the series.

[Spigot]

I love the games too. I just finished the second and while I own The Baconing, I'll probably wait until around Christmas to work through it. You need some time to breath between the games.

Nice to hear that this game keeps up the tradition of quality writing and silliness of the series.