Chaos on Deponia is the second entry in Daedalic Entertainment's Deponia point and click trilogy. The title was initially released a mere 10 months after the original, showing that Daedalic had already made plans to further the series before they even knew whether or not it would be a success. This review has been written with the idea that you, the potential buyer, have already finished and/or know the basic story of the original Deponia; spoilers for the first game ensue.
The sequel picks up what seems like only a few hours where the original had ended, bringing Goal and Cletus back into the picture almost immediately. The storyline sticks to the same basic plot, where Rufus attempts to escape the junkyard of his home planet by finding a way to Elysium. Further plot points are unveiled, including new information on the Organon, and the exact reason as to why they want to blow up Deponia, and what they stand to gain if they do. Wenzel is missing from this installment, but a plethora of new characters are introduced; although most of them do not stand out anywhere near as well as the original cast does. Still, most of them are enjoyable additions to the crew, and characters that were introduced later in the first Deponia see their backgrounds flourish.
As anyone who has played the original Deponia knows, these games are tough point and click adventures. Chaos on Deponia is even harder than the original, and much more confusing at times. Instead of just one Goal, now Rufus must focus on three different Goal personalities; Lady, Baby, and Spunky, all of whom must be interacted with using certain dialogue points, at specific times, to trigger events that will further the progress of the game. On top of that, there are more obscure solvents to puzzles, like putting a straightened banana into a drain, and turning down the in-game music volume at a determined point; just very bizarre, cryptic solutions which seem to plague the entire game. Likewise, there are also some rather frustrating minigames, most notably the dolphin/submarine battleship simulator. This, again, is not a game for those who do not enjoy a hefty challenge, or who do not wish to use a walkthrough.
The charm of the humor and wit within Chaos on Deponia seems to have worn thin from its predecessor, as a good chunk of it is just more of the same. As the story wears on, Rufus becomes progressively more irritating rather than humorous, and it gets tiresome hearing Goal and the rest of the crew putting him down and rejecting him constantly. Sure, he's the main hero and he's also an idiot, we as the audience understand that; it really doesn't need to be pointed out during every single snippet of dialogue interaction between Rufus and the others. On a brighter note, the voice acting is still superb and the communication between characters is well written. Daedalic have also kept in the Chorus Guys, which are an absolute fan favorite from the first Deponia.
As far as the graphics go, they're even better this time around than in the original title. The colors are more lively and vibrant; where Deponia mostly stuck to rustic browns, reds, and oranges under a bright blue sky, Chaos on Deponia steps out with lavish purples, greens, and blues, all the while keeping the grimy hues and undertones of a world encapsulated by, and built out of, junk. To convey the feeling of visual depth and activity in the scenes, there are a variety of things that move in both the foreground and background now; the water is one that I really noticed the most. As well, the soundtrack has even gotten an upgrade, which I didn't think was possible; yes, it's even better in Chaos on Deponia than it was the original game... so good that I wonder why they haven't made it available for sale.
While Chaos on Deponia is a decent follow-up to the highly acclaimed Deponia, the title just doesn't stand up to the classic; even though they were released such a short time apart. This sequel does last longer, however, especially if you're not using any sort of walkthrough to assist you; otherwise, you're looking at 8-9 hours of playtime. If you really dug the original Deponia, go ahead and grab this to further the story. However, if you're thinking of getting in to the Deponia series, just grab the classic instead; even though this game does give the backstory at the beginning. I wouldn't call Chaos on Deponia disappointing, but rather just not as charming as its predecessor.
Huzzah, druggeljug!
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