History Videogame / Deathspank

''[=DeathSpank=]'' is a two-part ActionRPG designed by Creator/RonGilbert, developed by Hothead Games, and published by Creator/ElectronicArts. It is centered around IdiotHero Extraordinaire [=DeathSpank=], self-proclaimed "Hero of the Downtrodden, Dispenser of Justice and Vanquisher of Evil". The first half, ''Orphans of Justice'' (or simply just ''[=DeathSpank=]'') has our hero on a quest to obtain [[MacGuffin The Artifact]], and later, rescuing orphans from Lord Von Prong. The second part, ''Thongs of Virtue'' has [=DeathSpank=] traveling to various locales to defeat those corrupted by the Thongs of Power. Both parts were released in 2010, first on UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, and then on [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] and UsefulNotes/Xbox360.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Subverted. [=DeathSpank=] hates Sandy for bossing him around on his quest. It's also mentioned that he still has a "Girls have Cooties" mentality by Lord Von Prong.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathspank_afda__2406.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Justice For All!]]

''[=DeathSpank=]'' is a two-part ActionRPG developed by Creator/RonGilbert of the ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series and centered around IdiotHero Extraordinaire [=DeathSpank=], self-proclaimed "Hero of the Downtrodden, Dispenser of Justice and Vanquisher of Evil". The first half, ''Orphans of Justice'' (or simply just [=DeathSpank=]) has our hero on a quest to obtain [[MacGuffin The Artifact]], and later, rescuing orphans from Lord Von Prong. The second part, ''Thongs of Virtue'' has [=DeathSpank=] traveling to various locales to defeat those corrupted by the Thongs of Power. Both parts were released in 2010, first on UsefulNotes/PS3, and then on [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] and UsefulNotes/Xbox360.

A sequel known as ''The Baconing'' was released in August of 2011 for the three aforementioned platforms. Taking place after [[spoiler:[=DeathSpank=] killed Sandy]] and established the land of [[{{Egopolis}} Spanktopia]], [=DeathSpank=] must once again save the world, this time from [[EvilCounterpart The Anti-Spank]], created when [=DeathSpank=] wore all of the thongs at once.

!!The game features examples of:
* AGodAmI:
** [[spoiler:Sandy]]
** A more benevolent version occurs in ''The Baconing''. [[spoiler:Deathspank is officially declared the God of Orphans.]]
* AnachronismStew: And how! One of the quests has you buying a cellphone for a particularly insufferable Orphan and when talking about movies with some {{Punch Clock Villain}}s [=DeathSpank=] decides to just [=BitTorrent=] the film on his own time. Thongs of Virtue however moves onto a somewhat more modern setting.

* ArtifactOfDoom: The Thongs Of Virtue. There were supposed to be 9 of them, but only 6 were made due to [[ExecutiveMeddling executive meddling]]. Thus, they became corrupt. They are:

* AutomaticCrossbow: Your main ranged weapon. Thongs of Virtue replaces it with guns.

* BagOfSpilling: Thongs of Virtue starts with [=DeathSpank=] being captured and put in a P.O.W. camp, presumably with his stuff looted.
* BigBad: Lord Von Prong in the first game. [[spoiler:Sandy for both games.]] The [=AntiSpank=] in The Baconing.

** In ''Thongs of Virtue'', Deathspank and other characters occasionally call out their character types.

* {{CoOp Multiplayer}}:
** A second player can enter the game as Sparkles the Wizard, sharing the same lifebar as [=DeathSpank=]. The sequel has Steve Von Prong, ninja and son of Lord Von Prong.
** And there's Tankko the Warrior in the DLC.
** ''The Baconing'' introduces Bob from Marketing as well as Roesha, One Bad Mutha.

** When you die you're sent back to the nearest outhouse and without a handful of your money... that you can get back by returning where you died to pick it up. Since the enemies don't respawn if you don't change maps... The only downside to dying is that you come back with a small amount of health, and whatever you were fighting will have full health again.
** The ending of ''Thongs of Virtue'' reveals that this is one of the powers of the Thong of Justice. [[spoiler:For [=DeathSpank=] to truly die, he has to legally relinquish it's power.]]
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The Cleaver of Cleaving, the Bladed *something* Of Blades, etc.
* DestructiveSaviour: The intro of The Baconing shows [=DeathSpank=] defeating evil monsters, all the while getting the {{Distressed Damsel}}s killed, either [[GrievousHarmWithABody intentionally]] or otherwise.

* FighterMageThief: Deathspank, Sparkles, Steve.
* ForGreatJustice: Dispenser of Justice. And he will not stop boasting about it.

** The Sequel "The Baconing" picks up on that tradition. The game has a high chance on crashing at the penultimate boss fight and corrupting your savegame. No Fix is known for that. Yeah, it looks like Hothead Games really hates their customers. Even worse, the penultimate boss [[MarathonBoss takes forever, which is treated as a gag.]]

* GottaKillThemAll: Thongs of Virtue is about [=DeathSpank=] taking down those corrupted by the Thongs of Power.
* HeelFaceTurn: The Leprechaun Mafia, a minor group of villains from the first game, appear to be allies in ''The Baconing'', [[spoiler:to the point that their Don makes Deathspank an honorary leprechaun.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:An option in the ending. ]]
* HeroicComedicSociopath: An interesting partial example, Deathspank is obsessed with altruistic ideals and heroism, but he is also a confounded imbecile with a skewed moral compass. He will accept quests from genuinely evil people (Such as The Wizard and the Barnacles) at the drop of a hat as long as they have a quest marker above their head.
** [[spoiler: And after a day of acting as an orphan's father, complete with a heartwarming montage, he ignores her feelings and stuffs her in a bag (though the fact that the girl was also a brat who previously made him buy a series of fancy crap for her probably didn't endear her to him).]]

* HubCity: The similarly named towns of Pluckmuckle and Le Beau Cuckle serve this role in the first two games.

* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler:Sandy. And not just her. All Thong wielders, even Deathspank to a lesser extent, are all using corrupt version of their virtues.]]
* LanternJawOfJustice: [=DeathSpank=] has such a jaw, and is obsessed with justice.

* LevelGrinding: Even players who complete every single quest are unlikely to reach the level cap of 20. If you want the achievement, you're gonna have to spend an extra half hour killing Unicorns, the only enemy that gives significant XP at that point.

** ChekhovsGun: It turns out that the artifact was actually a power source / crafting ingredient that could be used to forge a legendary piece of armor... but since they already created six pairs of armor and needed millions of similar artifacts to make one, it was useful but pretty much vendor trash on its own. In The Baconing, you find caches of artifacts that are being used as power sources and sacrifice them to undo the curse planted on five of the armors (Deathspank was stupid enough to wear all six pairs at once).

* MultiMeleeMaster: Up to [[strike:four]] ''eight'' weapons can be equipped at a time, each mapped to different buttons.
* MultipleEndings: [[spoiler:The ending of Thongs of Virtue either has [=DeathSpank=] sacrifice himself to Sandy or fights her, putting an end to her madness. According to the canon set by ''The Baconing'', [=DeathSpank=] killed Sandy.]]

* OneGameForThePriceOfTwo: A sequel is coming out! ...less than two months after the first game was released. You don't say.

** The Primp VIP achievement/trophy in Thongs. If you open the chest in her brothel before viewing all 20 of her costumes, it's gone because Madame Primp will become hostile. The game saves as soon as you open it, so quitting out via dashboard wont save you. Also combines with [[GuideDangIt guide dang it]] because you don't know Primp will attack you, and the fact that it's in plain sight, begging you to open it while Primp is changing costumes doesn't help.

* SequelEscalation: Of a sort. The original game had a medieval fantasy theme, the second game introduced modern era aspects, and now ''The Baconing'' is set to bring ''futuristic scifi'' to the table.

** The Baconing ends with [=DeathSpank=] [[spoiler: commandeering [=AntiSpank=]'s time machine and going into the past.]]

* StealthInsult: Lord Von Prong's opera singing can smash a hourglass and is his strongest attack, able to paralyze Deathspank.
* TwentyBearAsses: Pretty much every mission except for boss fights and the slight handful that involves a puzzle. Forgivable because they can by and large be completed in three minutes, and their humorous tone.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory:
** The games always start with a message stating that they're based on a true story.
** At the end of each game's credits is a message admitting they aren't.
* VerbalTic: Lord Von Prong might burst into a SOOOOOONG!
** Amusingly, he fully controls it in the final battle, not bursting at all during the dialogue right before, but using it to [[ThatOneAttack stunning effect in the battle itself.]]
* WickedCultured: Lord Von Prong is both of these things to a ridiculous extent. He kidnaps orphans just to bait Deathspank, and uses ''opera'' to murder him.

''[=DeathSpank=]'' is a two-part ActionRPG in the vein of ''{{VideoGame/Diablo}}'', developed by Creator/RonGilbert of the ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series and centered around IdiotHero Extraordinaire [=DeathSpank=], self-proclaimed "Hero of the Downtrodden, Dispenser of Justice and Vanquisher of Evil". The first half, ''Orphans of Justice'' (or simply just [=DeathSpank=]) has our hero on a quest to obtain [[MacGuffin The Artifact]], and later, rescuing orphans from Lord Von Prong. The second part, ''Thongs of Virtue'' has [=DeathSpank=] traveling to various locales to defeat those corrupted by the Thongs of Power. Both parts were released in 2010, first on UsefulNotes/PS3, and then on [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]] and UsefulNotes/Xbox360.

* VendorTrash: Anything you don't need goes to the Grinder in your inventory, which reduces items down to money.