Brought to you by Daedalic Entertainment, Deponia is the first installment of a point and click trilogy. Amidst the top reviews on Steam right now, I will start this review out by saying that this game is NOT for those who do not enjoy stupid humor along the lines of Futurama, and/or those who cannot appreciate a challenging point and click title; or for those who do not understand that guides exist, for those of us who still enjoy point and clicks... but ultimately suck at them (yep, that last one is me!).
To this day, I have never been let down by Daedalic, and fortunately Deponia is no exception to the rule. The game is an outstanding throwback to old cartoon point and clicks from the late 90's and early 00's, with its intentional frame skipping animations, bright and colorful scenery, and vibrantly detailed character personalities. The whole thing screams "childhood" for those of us who grew up in the era of Windows 95 and 98, and perhaps that nostalgia is what we really cling to with this title. However, that isn't to say that the entire experience isn't enjoyable; Deponia is simply the first entry of a trilogy, and while the story isn't exactly riveting, it does a good job of setting up for the remaining two entries.
Players will take on the role of Rufus, a lovable idiot who really does have the best of intentions, but fails constantly to properly execute any plans that he may have. He honestly reminds me of Fry from Futurama, with his quirky dumbness and heart of gold that is led astray by him succumbing to whatever he desires; for instance, a lollipop over the better grade brain implant needed for his girlfriend. Rufus lives on the planet of Deponia, in the town of Kovaq, which is nothing but a junk heap from horizon to horizon. Rufus desperately wishes to escape the landfill, to the planet above Deponia called Elysium, and the game starts off with him on his first attempt to get there. Along the way, gamers are introduced to a hefty range of entities, including an Elysium woman named Goal; whom Rufus of course sees as his way to escape Deponia. Most of the other personalities within the game have just as much depth as Rufus and Goal, although some of them fall to the wayside as well.
Aesthetically, Deponia is an incredibly stunning game; from the many vibrantly colored scenes, to the well animated cutscenes. Every scene that the player will visit has a radically different appearance, and it's easy to get sucked into the junkyard that surrounds you. Not only are the visuals pleasing, but the soundtrack is one that you will not grow tired of quickly. Speaking of the soundtrack, between chapters there is a hobo who sings amusing songs; it really is one of the highlights to the game, so much so that it carried on throughout the franchise. It really is the absurd, stupid humor of the Deponia franchise that has caused it to become so popular over the years, and the singing hobo is just one great example of it.
The actual gameplay of Deponia is tough, and it has caused many people to give up on finishing the game. It's really one of those "take a wild guess" at what to do next point and clicks, but luckily in this advanced age of the internet and technology, many guides are available to assist when you inevitably get stuck. For those who don't believe in guides, you will have many hours of figuring out some complex conundrums ahead of you. For those of us who take the easy way out, you will pretty well solve everything in around 6-7 hours. For an extra added difficulty, once you complete the game once, you are able to playthrough again under the Druggeljug setting if you so wish; where every single word in the game is replaced with Druggeljug... this includes items, scenes, cutscenes, dialogue, and dialogue options.
Even though Deponia has a somewhat lackluster ending, it's important to remember that this entry is the first within the trilogy, and it is simply here to set up the remainder of the story. Despite its complexity, it's an incredibly immersive and wonderfully executed point and click title in both story and gameplay. The characters are memorable, the setting is unique, the humor is scattered in all the right spots, and Daedalic will have you hungering for more by the end of the game. Like I said at the beginning of the review, if stupid humor and complex problem solving are not your things, you're better off finding a different franchise to invest in. For the rest of us, there is the Deponia series, and it's one that I highly recommend.
Review for Advanced Users:
Druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug. Druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug, druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug.... druggeljug. Druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug! Druggeljug, druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug. Druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug druggeljug.
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