One of my favourite genres from my gaming youth is point and click adventures, and most notably among this genre was the iconic Monkey Island series. Witty, well written dialogue and a fictional location full of unique characters to fill out the world. Now making its first appearance on Xbox One after having a successful spell on PC, is Chaos on Deponia. Featuring main protagonist Rufus. A smart mouthed, over confident, Rufus who has ideas above his station and is probably a little bit deluded, but thankfully he’s voiced well, and on a mission and has brought a varied cast with him.
Rufus is a unique and overly confident man, who only happens to listen to his own opinions, and rarely does it work out for him. The supporting cast quickly realise this and just seem to let him get on with it, as he’s a “I know best” character. In the real world, Rufus is the sort of person, who’s narrow minded and high opinion of himself, would see him quickly ostracised from any group of people, yet in Chaos on Deponia, it’s highly amusing to watch it all go horribly wrong for him. As with all other characters, it’s a well written script with some fantastic voice acting in a world where everything has fallen apart around him, and he needs to save the day.
The game world is set on the floating black market, where all sorts of seedy and eccentric individuals dwell. From a Platypus enthusiast, to a depressed poet, and a good amount more, Chaos on Deponia offers an addictive and intriguing adventure for Rufus, as he sets off to rescue and repair Goal. A female android who’s memory has been damaged and split into 3 distinctive personalities. Each section of the black market is highly detailed, with over half a dozen areas to discover and people to interact with, not to mention objects to collect and use further down the line.
One big part of the game is the humour, and much like Monkey Island before it, not only does it rely heavily upon it, it also works too. From Bozo who despairs at Rufus constantly, to Goal who reacts depending on the personality set, to his father who not only accepts Rufus as a disappointment, but also lets him know without any reservations. It does seem that Rufus has quite the reputation and happens to be oblivious to the situation at the same time.
The art style is highly detailed with plenty to cast your eyes upon during your time with Deponia, and animation reminds me even more of Monkey Island which is a huge influence for the genre over the years, and a far cry from Daedalic’s previous point and click release, The Pillars of the Earth which came out in August and is a must have in my books. But enough of that for now.
For the asking price, Chaos on Deponia is worth every penny, and if you want a fun adventure with an eclectic cast of characters, interactions, and top voice acting, then look no further. I’d be happy to see the remaining titles ported to console in future, as I’m sure many others would be eager too.
Overall, Chaos on Deponia is a worthwhile purchase and if you’re a fan of the genre, you won’t be let down with the quality. The only real downside is that some puzzles may seem a bit obtuse at first, but with some trial and error involved in solving said puzzles, you’ll advance soon enough. Don’t be afraid to try anything and everything, even when it comes to interacting with the characters as you may uncover a nugget of information that you may have previously overlooked.
Overall Score 9/10
Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Release Date: 6th December 2017
Price: £15.99
File Size: 1.89GB
Xbox One copy provided for review
Available on Xbox One PlayStation 4 & Steam