Deponia

Deponia is a beautifully illustrated point and click adventure with quirky puzzles, characters you will love to dislike and a great story that will probably have you experiencing feelings by the end! It was refreshing to play a PnC where the puzzle pieces were all quite find-able and the puzzles themselves made a kind of sense in their own strange way. Only occasionally did I get caught in a "use every item on every other item" situation, as the puzzles got a bit too obtuse towards the end. (I'm looking straight at you... phosphorus.) The background art is amazing throughout and the character voices and animation are good too (though at times looks a bit like it was animated in flash.) The only real fault I can pick with this game is; it is just too short... clearly created with the second one in mind, the ending will leave you wishing you'd bought more of them while they were on sale! at AU$25 a piece, it's a pretty pricey episodic adventure! All in all, I recommend Deponia! But make sure you get the whole series!

There's no doubt that this game oozes character. I like how the characters leave an impression on you, especially how they are all united in their hatred of the protagonist. Because frankly, the main character deserves it. The ambiguity of the ending is also something you don't see many storytellers use these days. However... My main issue is with the gameplay. I'm not expecting much out of a point and click adventure, but the progression relies on massive leaps in logic. Like, how was is supposed to know that I have to combine a hook with a laughing gas-filled balloon? Genuine puzzles are few and far between. Otherwise, it's a load of frustration. I want to like this game. I really do. I was invested in its world, but as I kept playing it felt more like a chore. And a game shouldn't feel that way.

Deponia had a weird start. The nicely done and colorful art is eye-catching, but the cheap animation and occasional visual glitches gave it an almost amateurish veneer. The character seemed unlikeable to the point of being obnoxious, and the poor (or at times inexistent) visual cues made some puzzles harder than they had to be, to the point of unfairness on occasion. But then, as you play along, you can't help but be sucked into this quirky, whimsical world. German humor is a breed of its own, may not be to everyone's tastes due to its bluntness, and it almost certainly does not carry across in English, as it often depends on linguistic intricacies. But I'll be damned if this game didn't make me laugh quite often. Frequently at the most inopportune or unexpected moments. I will say one thing, though, which is more of a peeve than anything else: If every other sentence, bon mot or interjection is in English, why don't the developers simply make a game in English and do without the cost of German voice acting? The music is very appropriate to the setting, eclectic and eccentric, and the story told therein is relatable and sincere in its aspirations, and prevents the main character of Rufus from sinking into the gratuitous obnoxiousness he seemed destined to. Looking forward to seeing how he develops further in the next installments. Also, some reviews here are borderline maliciously misleading. This story does have an end: It just so happens to be one that screams *sequel!*

Reminds me of DIscworld 1 in that its kinda second rate but still fun to play. I'm about halfway through, I just cheat when I'm at a loss. Getting a hint for a Lucasarts game usually reveals some sort of idea you should have been able to figure out; that's not really the case for Deponia and I find the logic is a bit too stretched and finally I'm glad I cheated rather than trying to connect gum to magnets and magnets to string or whatever. Still pretty good for any adventure gamer though!

The game has all the aspects of a good adventure game of old times but it is fresh .