Chaos on Deponia Review (PC)

good
key review info
  • Game: Chaos on Deponia
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: N/a
  • Reviewed on:
Adventure time

Chaos on Deponia is an adventure game that uses a tried and true formula, derived mostly from the first game in the planned trilogy, in order to appeal to those who have already become fans.

The game also tries to expanding upon it in order to attract new fans and set characters and story up for the final game, which will conclude the story of Rufus and Goal.

The game is developed by Daedalic, a video game studio from Germany, and the first one arrived earlier during this year, which means a finale might be available in 2013.

Broadly, the game achieves its first goal without major problems, but fails on the second. A player’s enjoyment of Chaos on Deponia will depend largely on how they feel about obscure puzzles and about their appreciation for the cast of characters and their attitudes towards each other.

The story of the game starts off with main character Rufus managing to drag companion and love interest Goal back to the trash planet of Deponia, which causes the robot to split her core into three personalities, each with distinct needs and interests.

The rest of the game sees Rufus and a supporting cast of characters try to put her back together, while also fending off resident bad guy Cletus and preventing the world from blowing up.

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Launch ready
Trash world
It’s similar as a concept to the plot of the first Deponia and it’s puzzling why the developers have not chosen to push the series forward by doing something different with their exciting premise.

The trash planet of Deponia remains the star of the game and it is clear that the developers have put a lot of thought into its design and characters, with a lot personality for each of the locations visited and characters that will probably elicit a chuckle on first sight.

Unfortunately, the puzzles are a little too obscure for the standards of modern adventure games and there’s a lot of moving around before solutions start to coagulate in the player’s mind.

Even weirder is the fact that Chaos on Deponia relies a lot on language, despite the fact that the developers are German. One section of the game asks the player to evaluate a character’s verbal impediment before delivering a speech that's simple enough for him not to mess up.

The newly introduced characters also seem to be a little forgettable and even Rufus becomes a bit tiring, especially after a significant event linked to his past seems to lack an actual impact on his personality.

There’s also a weird undercurrent of malice in the new Deponia game and the bright jokes at the start of the game are balanced by some mean observations later on, especially some directed by main character Rufus at his supporting cast.

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Tough start
Dog day
Chaos on Deponia remains one of the most beautiful adventure games of the moment, with a strong mix of personal style and bright colors that manage to make the world seem alive and even give the characters an extra layer of niceness, and the animation is strong throughout.

The game is also pretty good in the sound department, with voice acting that’s mostly suited both to the personalities of the characters and to the overall tone of the game, but the music seems a little too subdued for its own good and there are slip-ups when it comes to offering subtitles.

In conclusion, Chaos on Deponia seems to suffer from a slump that’s seen in many other middle games in an adventure series, something that will probably not matter to those who are dedicated to seeing how the story ends, but will mean that a limited number of new fans are interested in the game.

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story 6
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 9
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 7.5
Editor's review
good
 
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