Now that Deponia: The Complete Journey is out, point-and-click adventure fans (or those interested in becoming one) have no excuse to miss out on the zany adventures on the junk planet of Deponia. The Complete Journey gives you the complete trilogy and a whole lot more, all in one package.
Yay, we’re going back to Deponia!
Nothing’s changed at all in the storyline of Deponia, Chaos in Deponia, and Goodbye Deponia. The story focuses on Rufus, who wants to get away from the junk planet of Deponia as soon as possible and make off for the heavenly realm of Elysium. Achieving this goal proves more difficult than he imagined, particularly due to the fact that the player character seems to possess exactly the right character flaws to bring all his half-baked plans to ruin. He’s clumsy, arrogant, naive, selfish, overbearing, and reckless – but in his own special way, absolutely likeable. Of course, it’s no surprises that in trying to leave his homeworld behind, he manages to foul things up royally, and pushes the patience of his fellow citizens to the very limit. Rufus blunders about, meeting various friends and acquaintances, but also attracts the attention of Organon, an organization that oppresses the citizens of Deponia, squashing any attempt at resistance or escape. Playing a decisive role in all this is a beautiful Elysian named Goal who literally falls from the sky.
The Deponia trilogy fits together really, even if the finale won’t satisfy everyone’s tastes. Altogether, the whole exciting adventure runs about 35 to 40 minutes, including gameplay, funny cut scenes, and quirky dialogue. Despite the threat posed by the antagonists, the prevailing tone of the game is positive, and chock full of coarse humor. Clever references to movies, TV shows, games, and all manner of pop culture work really well – if you can catch them, that is. Somewhere in the series, for example, you’ll run across a certain mustachioed Italian plumber and his friends.
Hooray for point-and-click perfection!
In terms of gameplay, Deponia hearkens back to the heyday of point-and-click adventure games. You guide Rufus through his environment using the mouse – click the left mouse button to interact with objects and characters and the right mouse button to look at or investigate them. Click to mouse wheel to open your inventory, where all the items you’ve collected are organized in a practical manner. It can also be opened by dragging the mouse to the edge of the screen. You can combine certain items with one another, and others can even combined with the environment itself. Conversations with other characters are multiple-choice, allowing you to choose from a list of various dialogue options. All of this is whimsically explained in a playable introduction narrated in such a way that even newcomers to the genre will be able to quickly grasp the mechanics of the game.
Rufus always has something to say, and he comments on everything. Most of it sounds like nonsense at first, but you’ve got to learn how to read between the lines, because a lot of times this is where you’ll get the answer to the puzzle you’re looking for. These complex and challenging riddles in all their glorious absurdity are the thing that really makes Deponia. What seems at first like a hopeless search for the “Plasma Exchange Whoop-dee-doo Mammoth-fur Relay” turns into one of the most memorable parts of the game. It starts when an annoyed NPC gives Rufus something to do to occupy his time, but it ends up developing into an ingenious series of puzzles. All in all, this particular predicament requires an extraordinary amount of brainpower. The dialogue also contains its fair share of puzzles, such as figuring out how to mimic the dialect of the person you’re talking to. There are also various mini-games scattered throughout the main game, like when you have to set a course for a rocket.
Hooray for bonus content!
In addition to three full-length games, Deponia: The Complete Journey comes with a whole bunch of bonus content. The thick cardboard box contains a guidebook, a sticker sheet, a reversible poster, and other extras. There’s a total of five disks, all packed together in a way that can make it a bit tricky to get one out without scratching it. The game DVDs include the entire Deponia trilogy with commentary tracks by the developers and the voice actors for Rufus and Goal. There’s also a variety of entertaining puzzles, and the “papercraft” folder contains printable models of Deponia characters. A bonus DVD is packed full of videos and artwork, and the soundtrack files are spread across the other three CDs. A downloadable patch takes care of any technical bugs in the retail version, though I can’t say I was able to detect any major problems during the test period.
Hooray for absurdity!
The colorful, comic-book style graphics, which were already fantastic in the original releases, have been nicely freshened up. Character animations are fluid as the comical figures move through detailed landscapes full of trash and junk, and the game avoids recycling the scenery too much. The diversity of a world where disorder and chaos reign is overwhelming, and the combination of items, often visually neglected in this genre, is beautifully portrayed, and not infrequently a bit over the top. Characters’ gestures and facial expressions ensure that you can always tell how they’re feeling. And the game runs really well even on computers well past their heyday.
Hooray for awesome sound!
In terms of sound, even though it’s been out for a few months now, Deponia continues to set a high standard. Actors miscast or sound effects falling flat? Maybe a musical track doesn’t quite fit a scene? Nope, not here – everything in this game works great together. The voice acting is excellent, and even supporting roles are cast very well.
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"Altogether, the whole exciting adventure runs about 35 to 40 minutes"
Do you mean hours? If not that means each game only lasts just over 10 mins?!!?