Wednesday, May 08, 2019

"Deponia" Review


A wacky farce that starts off in a ludicrous manner and only ratchets up the silliness level afterward, "Deponia" is an eclectic, underground cult hit that fans hoped so hard would get a rerelease that they apparently manifested it into being.

Seven years after its initial release on PC -- and three after it was ported to the PS4 -- "Deponia" shifts to Switch, bringing along its bombastic animation style, enchanting storytelling and invigorating senses of humor and style.

Playing as the hero Rufus, who seeks to impress his lady love, Goal -- yup, it's that type of humor -- you find the plot zipping you off to one unlikely location to the next. The point-and-click puzzle solving is occasionally frustrating, yet rarely discouraging.

The key impetus to keep going is to enjoy more of the sight gags and ribald dialogue, which is inspired by over-the-top satirical stylings of Matt Groening and Douglas Adams.

Although time hasn't been kind to much of the structure -- expect plenty of choke points, lazy menu traversal and rickety pacing -- but the humor remains timeless.

From the first few moments with the game, you'll be able to tell whether "Deponia" isn't for you, or whether you're hooked for the long haul. Should you be privileged enough to join the latter group, you'll get a taste of the heedless, chuckling glee of being a member of the exclusive "Deponia" club.
Publisher provided review code.

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