DeathSpank: Orphans of Justice is a parody of fantasy RPGs, the first in DeathSpank trilogy. It features a comically cartoonish visual style and deconstructs the genre's cliches and stereotypes. The game's main designer is Ron Gilbert, best known as the creator of The Secret of Monkey Island and other LucasArts adventure games.

Plot

The titular DeathSpank is the game's main protagonist. He is a larger-than-life masked champion of goodness on a quest to save the world. His goal is to find The Artifact, an object so mysterious that nothing is known about it: neither its shape nor its purpose. Nevertheless, DeathSpank and his companion, the bearded and robed wizard named Sparkles, believe this McGuffin to be critical. And so does their antagonist, the evil Lord Von Prong, who also searches for The Artifact. DeathSpank is one step from finding the elusive Artifact, but it slips away at the last moment. To complete his quest, DeathSpank needs assistance from local people, who, in return, send him on multiple side quests.

Gameplay

According to Ron Gilbert, DeathSpank is a cross between Monkey Island and Diablo series. The game combines elements from action-RPGs and visual adventures. The combat system is essentially the same as in Diablo. The protagonist can obtain and use various types of weapons and armor and perform comb movements. There's also the Justice Meter that grows when DeathSpank defeats the villains. When it reaches the maximum, it buffs DeathSpank with a temporary power-up.