Genre: Point-And-Click Adventure
Release date: March 1, 2016

At the end of Goodbye Deponia, Rufus jumped off the Elysium ship in order to save Goal and all the citizens of Deponia and Elysium. Rufus is a narcissist anti-hero who sacrificed himself in one last selfless act. This ending was very controversial because it has an artistic flair, while many players preferred a happy ending with Goal and Rufus riding off into the Sunset. Where does the story go from there? The answer is back in time. Join me as I take a look at Deponia Doomsday, the fourth episode of the Deponia series.

If you’re new to the story; Deponia is a junk planet where Rufus lives. The planet is devoid of resources, and it is difficult to survive. Elysium is a utopian spaceship orbiting Deponia, and Rufus wants to escape from Deponia to Elysium. The first episode of the Deponia games revealed that Elysium is a spaceship built by Deponians who plan to find a new place to live. Elysium is to be powered by blowing up Deponia. In the end, Rufus prevents that explosion.

At the start of Doomsday, Rufus wakes up, and we discover all his previous adventures were just a dream.  He is still trying to get off Deponia to Elysium however. This time Rufus has built a hot air balloon and must pack up his girlfriend’s fine china for the launch. While doing so, Rufus meets a time traveler and this latest adventure gets started.

In this game you’ll meet a lot of characters, both old and new. Rufus is the same character you’ve grown to love [or hate]. He’s selfish, indulgent, and oblivious about his destructive power. He has little concern for consequences of his actions. Toni is always good for a sarcastic jibe about Rufus’s incompetence. Goal is a sweet Elysium, and the perfect foil to Rufus.

In this game, you’ll travel to and from the future. You’ll get to see Elysium in its glory and Deponia at its worst. You’ll also find a town that exists outside of normal time and meet multiple versions of Goal, Rufus, and a colorful cast of characters, both old and new.

In the beginning of the game I enjoyed my return visit to Deponia. However, some of the mid-game puzzles were tedious, and slowed my enthusiasm. I fought through it; and once Rufus arrived at the land outside of time; I couldn’t stop playing. The pace kept up, and the puzzles were engaging, fit with the plot, and I had a lot of fun. This is a game where a lot of times I thought it was over, but then it kept going and going.

I love the graphics in this series. These games are a model that all current adventure games should follow. The style is cartoony, but I prefer them that way. The game world is alive with platypus that pop out of tires, bugs that crawl on the screen, and monkeys in trees. These little touches make it a treat to wander and explore.

The sound design was on par with earlier Deponia games. The singing narrator from earlier games is back for the intro. I still find his voice a bit gruff and hard to understand, but I think that’s part of the charm. The rest of the voice acting was great. The music was enjoyable; and the sound effects suited the environment.

The puzzles were a mixed bag. They are solvable, but aren’t always intuitive. Unfortunately, moon logic abounds. This was the biggest drawback to the game. At certain times I felt like I was clicking everything on everything else while waiting for something to happen. One puzzle that made me smile from the beginning of the game involved getting a bottle brush from a jug player in the bar band. Since we’re dealing with time travel, the item is fairly easy to get before you need it. Then you go back in time, lose the item, and the puzzle to get it is completely different. It’s a clever gotcha moment put in by the devs. They got me!

If Monkey Island were to be made today I think it’d come out very similar to the Deponia series. The games have all the aspects you love, and hate, from the old school adventure games. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Although many hate the ending of the the third game in the Deponia series, I liked the artistic nature of it and Rufus’s sacrifice. This game takes the first ending, and deepens it with additional context. The Internet seems to have a lot of complaints about the ending to this entry, but I still loved it.

If you like the earlier Deponia games, there’s a lot to love with Deponia Doomsday. If you like Monkey Island, then check out the full Deponia series, including this game. If you’re unhappy with the ending of Goodbye Deponia, then prepare for the best disappointment of your life. This is your chance to change everything. I recommend you take the chance .

+ Great Cartoony Graphics + Funny Characters   – Puzzles are sometimes obtuse