DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue

Lore & Background

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue continues where DeathSpank ended. The title character, DeathSpank, has collected The Artifact and now searches for the six mystical Thongs of Virtue. He adventures with a companion; his cohort Steve is a ninja who was originally a criminal/villain before becoming a companion, and Sparkles the wizard from the first game can also accompany DeathSpank in place of Steve. Together they must find and collect the six Thongs of Virtue to restore peace to the land. The game is the second of a two-part series, and Gilbert described DeathSpank as being 'Act I' and Thongs of Virtue as being 'Acts II and III'.

Reader's Guide

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue received generally positive reviews from critics. At aggregate website GameRankings it holds scores of 78.50%, 79.88%, and 82.50% for the PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, and the Xbox 360, respectively. Metacritic reports similar scores, with both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions averaging 78/100 and the PC version also scoring 78/100. Critics generally praised that the game stayed true to the original while adding some new gameplay mechanics and expanding the story. However, some critics felt it was not different enough from the first game. The game sold over 25,000 units as of October 2010 on the Xbox 360, and nearly 32,000 as of end-of-year 2010; Xbox Live Arcade sales increased to over 54,000 units as of year-end 2011. The PlayStation 3 version sold almost 39,000 units. The game's humor, visual design and voice acting generally received praise, though some critics found the humor wearisome. New gameplay mechanics received mixed opinions.

Did You Know?

• The game was originally meant to be released as one giant game but was split into two because it became too big for one downloadable game.
• The game contains 33 main quests and 79 side quests.
• After defeating the final boss, the player can continue to play with money in the form of green currency rather than gold coins.
• The Xbox 360 version sold nearly 32,000 units in 2010 and over 54,000 units by the end of 2011.

Development & Release Strategy

Ron Gilbert conceived DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue as the second half of a single, unified narrative. In fact, both the original DeathSpank and its sequel were developed concurrently, with Gilbert maintaining equal creative involvement across both projects. The plan was originally to ship everything as one massive downloadable title, but the scope proved too large for a single release, prompting the team to split the content into two separate games. Gilbert framed the first title as "Act I" and positioned Thongs of Virtue as "Acts II and III," describing it as a satisfying conclusion to the overarching story. The announcement came on August 23, 2010, just six weeks after the predecessor's July 13 launch. Platform releases followed in quick succession: PlayStation 3 players received the game on September 21 via the PlayStation Network, Xbox 360 owners followed the next day through Xbox Live Arcade, and PC players on Windows and Mac OS X got their versions on November 30 and December 14, respectively, both distributed through Steam. This staggered rollout ensured the title reached every major console and desktop audience within roughly three months of its debut.

Gameplay & World Design

The playable world in Thongs of Virtue takes the form of a continuous cylinder, allowing players to traverse its terrain without encountering a single loading screen. This seamless exploration is paired with a loot-driven combat system reminiscent of Diablo, offering hundreds of distinct armor pieces and weapons to collect and equip. Story progression is heavily shaped by advanced dialogue choices that echo the branching conversation trees of LucasArts' Monkey Island series, giving players meaningful input into how the narrative unfolds. The game was deliberately structured for short play sessions, offering three difficulty tiers and a total runtime ranging from eight to twelve hours depending on the player's decisions. Beyond the thirty-three main quests, an additional seventy-nine side quests provide optional content. After defeating the final boss, the environment remains accessible for continued play, with the in-game currency shifting from gold coins to green bills. The sequel also introduces modern and science-fiction elements, including automatic firearms as ranged weapons and extraterrestrial aliens as a new enemy type, broadening the combat palette beyond the fantasy fare of the first installment.

Narrative & Story Structure

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue picks up the narrative immediately after the conclusion of its predecessor. The titular hero, having already secured The Artifact, now embarks on a new quest to locate and destroy six mystical objects known as the Thongs of Virtue, whose destruction is essential to restoring peace to the land. Ron Gilbert has described the first game as "Act I" of a larger story, with this sequel encompassing "Acts II and III" and serving as the definitive wrap-up of the two-part arc. Companionship plays a central role in the adventure. Players can team up with Steve, a former ninja who has since turned to a life of crime, or alternatively bring along Sparkles the wizard, the familiar companion from the original DeathSpank. The choice of partner adds a layer of variety to the shared journey. The story's structure, combined with the branching dialogue system, ensures that the player's decisions carry weight throughout the campaign, making each playthrough a slightly different narrative experience within the framework of the six-objective quest.

Critical Reception & Commercial Performance

Thongs of Virtue earned generally favorable reviews, with aggregate scores hovering around 78 to 83 percent across platforms on both GameRankings and Metacritic. Commercially, the title performed well: the PlayStation 3 edition moved nearly 39,000 copies by the end of 2010, while the Xbox 360 version reached approximately 32,000 units in the same period and climbed past 54,000 by the close of 2011. Critics consistently praised the game's humor, visual presentation, and voice acting, with several reviewers noting it felt even funnier and more charming than its predecessor. Taylor Cocke of 1UP.com called it "an almost identical experience, in a really good way," and Kristan Reed of Eurogamer welcomed it as a continuation that fans of part one would appreciate. However, a recurring criticism was the sequel's close resemblance to the original. Nick Tan of Game Revolution argued it "copies much from the original," while Cocke felt the rapid release came "at the expense of any big improvements." IGN's Daemon Hatfield acknowledged the familiarity but called the experience "incredibly addictive," and GameZone's Ryan Vincent felt the new setting gave the game "far more charm and personality" than the first.