   Playing the Fool  Bookmark and Share Wednesday, Sep 22, 2010
Successful video game comedy often depends on whether the player
is willing to be the butt of the joke.    DeathSpank, one of the
few unapologetically comedic games in recent years, utilizes the
player’s willingness to follow the game’s rules for comedic
effect.  While DeathSpank is full of dialogue jokes, puns, and
visual gags, its humor also stems from systems structured to
antagonize the player.  The game takes typical Action-RPG genre
conventions like side quests and item collection and implements
them in ridiculous ways that force the player into absurd
situations.  When DeathSpank meets the aptly named Talking Tree,
it asks him to find a copy of The Giving Tree, setting off what
seems to be a standard fetch quest.  Rather than let the player
bask in the glow of a job well done once the quest is finished,
the tree continues to ask DeathSpank for more favors, most of
which involve collecting vintage rock albums and posters that
suit its groov