The third entry in the Deponia series, rounding out the trilogy with a final hurrah. Pretty much the same experience as the other two Deponia games, both in puzzle structure and narrative. It might have the most character development out of any of the games. While it has some rather inspired moments, it also contains several jokes and sequences that range from uncomfortable to appalling. It's a toss up really. It's good enough overall that it gets a pass, but it cannot be excused of its faults.


Goodbye Deponia, or Deponia 3 as I will refer to it, dives headlong back into the cynical junk world of Deponia. Again, Rufus and his compatriots are tasked with stopping the destruction of Deponia by reaching the floating city of Elysium. Everything else is pretty much a beat for beat rendition of the first two games. The same side characters, motivations, and locales return. The only major difference would be the reveal of some of the series more mysterious elements, primarily the backstory of several of the protagonists and antagonists.

If you've played the first two games, it's more of what you know. Fun secondary characters, cynical narcissistic comedy, reasonably convoluted puzzles, and a decent bit of narrative wheel spinning. For the most part, if you enjoyed Deponia 1 and 2, you're likely to enjoy this entry as well. It's mostly a return to form, while also being a send off.


The first few acts recapture that classic Deponia style, with arguably a stronger narrative structure. You regain control of Rufus, who is just as narcissistic and destructive as he usually is, but with some added flair. For once, there is actually some shred of non-egotistical reasoning to some of his actions. Some betrayal, intrigue, fear, regret, and even selflessness are present. It gives Rufus a little bit more dimensionality than he had before.

In fact, the mid-game twist is so profound that it's actually a little disturbing to see Rufus out of character. It is done well enough that you're left wondering what the rest of the game will be like, knowing that Rufus is a bit emotionally scarred by the path he's taken.

Deponia has never been known for character development. Rufus has always been a egocentric black hole that only showed benevolence when the plot demanded it. To see him battered and beaten, actually guilt-ridden, was quite unexpected. It felt like a plausible pathway to redeeming his character. Perhaps the wheels could stop spinning long enough that we could get some satisfying character growth.

In some ways, despite the rough patches, I was actually pleased with the first three acts, as they were a fairly stable hero's journey with some minor Rufus-flavored alterations. It gets a bit Deus Ex Machina at times, but I ultimately excused it.


At this point, I wish I could just skip to the fifth act and call this game one of the strongest in the Deponia series. I can't, because the fourth act exists.

If you've ever seen any criticism about Deponia 3, it's likely because of this act. Act Four is the longest act in the game, and is overloaded with aimless puzzles and abrasive writing.


Through some shenanigans, Rufus has to race against the clock, solving three separate chains of puzzles that interconnect, despite the paths being entirely isolated. It's similar to Deponia 2's three Goals, except each chain takes place in its own hub of areas, and items are exchanged between them at certain intervals.


I got stuck in this act multiple times. You'll solve down one path until you think you can go no further, usually due to a missing item. You then jump to another chain and solve that one. Eventually, you start to lose track of what your objective was on a specific chain, and instead hop between the chains hoping to stumble on some shred of progress.

The puzzles themselves are so winding and convoluted that the logic starts to unravel. I can't simply walk into a bar, I need to sell two people into slavery to do it. I can't hand off a typewriter key to my ally, I have to convince someone they might need to commit suicide. I can't simply enter the rebel base, I have to belittle multiple women and feed antidepressants and an emetic to a baby.


Which brings up the next point, the writing in this act is all over the place. Unlike the first few acts, where Rufus was actually showing some shred of motivation and even a psychological turning point, the writing in the fourth act becomes quite grating and reductive.

In fact, its almost feels like an attempt to destroy any goodwill the first few acts had generated. There are several examples of this, the most notable being selling a black woman into slavery, or leaving orphans with an obvious pedophile, Rufus molesting said pedophile himself, multiple instances of overt sexism against women, and a running gag with a noose store advertising next to a therapist's office.

Much of this comes out of no where. There is literally no reason for this. Many of these "jokes" don't feel like anything more than first passes. It's as if they wrote down a bullet pointed list of joke topics, and instead of fleshing them out into something that could be subversive or clever, they simply dumped those jokes into the game verbatim. Why did so many of these make it past the radar?

What's even more confounding is that almost all of the secondary characters actually acknowledge how awful most of his actions are. What's the point of having a decent redemption arc over the first three acts of the game if you're just going to blow it all out the airlock in the most superficial and utterly baffling ways possible?

Why burn all of your hard-earned goodwill? Why make a act full of puzzles that are confusing and frustrating? Why write jokes that will turn away even the most sensible person?


The fifth and final act of the game picks right back up where the third act left off. It continues Rufus's character growth and mission as if act four basically didn't happen. Rufus ends up being selfless and even admirable, forgoing his usual narcissism and redeeming himself in a reasonably meaningful way.

I realized, after beating the game, that you could cut the fourth act out completely and tie act three and five together quite neatly, with almost no loss in narrative content. You'd get a succinct story front to back, without the noisy mess that serves no purpose in between.


I can't shake the feeling that Act Four feels bloated and rushed. I can only speculate that they simply overlooked this chapter, or didn't give it enough quality control. I don't want to assume this was done in bad taste on purpose. Perhaps they handed that act off to a different developer, or did that act last while also high on fumes. It just doesn't make sense.

Is it enough to condemn the game entirely? That's were I'm positively torn. I enjoyed the game, but this structural issue too large and difficult to ignore. If you play Deponia 3 and acknowledge the fourth act as "non-canon weirdness", then it's a great Deponia game. Otherwise, it borders on unacceptable.

So, I guess I have to give it a positive. If 60% of the game is good, and 40% is an astonishing fumble, then that means Deponia 3 is still a positive experience. I say this as my mouse cursor teeters between the positive and negative button.


When it's being the Deponia that we first fell in love with, it's enjoyable. When it lists off into a bizarre tangential narrative where the humor is appalling and the puzzle structure is confusing, it loses most of its charm. Despite the fact this problem child occupies a decent chunk of the game, I can't condemn the entire experience just on that section. It really comes down to a gamble. If you enjoy Deponia and its atmosphere, you will probably enjoy jumping back in. However, just realize that it'll be a bumpy ride in places, and you might end up leaving the series with a soured opinion.


Steam Curator

[b]The third entry in the Deponia series, rounding out the trilogy with a final hurrah. Pretty much the same experience as the other two Deponia games, both in puzzle structure and narrative. It might have the most character development out of any of the games. While it has some rather inspired moments, it also contains several jokes and sequences that range from uncomfortable to appalling. It's a toss up really. It's good enough overall that it gets a pass, but it cannot be excused of its faults.[/b] Goodbye Deponia, or Deponia 3 as I will refer to it, dives headlong back into the cynical junk world of Deponia. Again, Rufus and his compatriots are tasked with stopping the destruction of Deponia by reaching the floating city of Elysium. Everything else is pretty much a beat for beat rendition of the first two games. The same side characters, motivations, and locales return. The only major difference would be the reveal of some of the series more mysterious elements, primarily the backstory of several of the protagonists and antagonists. If you've played the first two games, it's more of what you know. Fun secondary characters, cynical narcissistic comedy, reasonably convoluted puzzles, and a decent bit of narrative wheel spinning. For the most part, if you enjoyed Deponia 1 and 2, you're likely to enjoy this entry as well. It's mostly a return to form, while also being a send off. The first few acts recapture that classic Deponia style, with arguably a stronger narrative structure. You regain control of Rufus, who is just as narcissistic and destructive as he usually is, but with some added flair. For once, there is actually some shred of non-egotistical reasoning to some of his actions. Some betrayal, intrigue, fear, regret, and even selflessness are present. It gives Rufus a little bit more dimensionality than he had before. In fact, the mid-game twist is so profound that it's actually a little disturbing to see Rufus out of character. It is done well enough that you're left wondering what the rest of the game will be like, knowing that Rufus is a bit emotionally scarred by the path he's taken. Deponia has never been known for character development. Rufus has always been a egocentric black hole that only showed benevolence when the plot demanded it. To see him battered and beaten, actually guilt-ridden, was quite unexpected. It felt like a plausible pathway to redeeming his character. Perhaps the wheels could stop spinning long enough that we could get some satisfying character growth. In some ways, despite the rough patches, I was actually pleased with the first three acts, as they were a fairly stable hero's journey with some minor Rufus-flavored alterations. It gets a bit Deus Ex Machina at times, but I ultimately excused it. At this point, I wish I could just skip to the fifth act and call this game one of the strongest in the Deponia series. I can't, because the fourth act exists. If you've ever seen any criticism about Deponia 3, it's likely because of this act. Act Four is the longest act in the game, and is overloaded with aimless puzzles and abrasive writing. Through some shenanigans, Rufus has to race against the clock, solving three separate chains of puzzles that interconnect, despite the paths being entirely isolated. It's similar to Deponia 2's three Goals, except each chain takes place in its own hub of areas, and items are exchanged between them at certain intervals. I got stuck in this act multiple times. You'll solve down one path until you think you can go no further, usually due to a missing item. You then jump to another chain and solve that one. Eventually, you start to lose track of what your objective was on a specific chain, and instead hop between the chains hoping to stumble on some shred of progress. The puzzles themselves are so winding and convoluted that the logic starts to unravel. I can't simply walk into a bar, I need to sell two people into slavery to do it. I can't hand off a typewriter key to my ally, I have to convince someone they might need to commit suicide. I can't simply enter the rebel base, I have to belittle multiple women and feed antidepressants and an emetic to a baby. Which brings up the next point, the writing in this act is all over the place. Unlike the first few acts, where Rufus was actually showing some shred of motivation and even a psychological turning point, the writing in the fourth act becomes quite grating and reductive. In fact, its almost feels like an attempt to destroy any goodwill the first few acts had generated. There are several examples of this, the most notable being selling a black woman into slavery, or leaving orphans with an obvious pedophile, Rufus molesting said pedophile himself, multiple instances of overt sexism against women, and a running gag with a noose store advertising next to a therapist's office. Much of this comes out of no where. There is literally no reason for this. Many of these "jokes" don't feel like anything more than first passes. It's as if they wrote down a bullet pointed list of joke topics, and instead of fleshing them out into something that could be subversive or clever, they simply dumped those jokes into the game verbatim. Why did so many of these make it past the radar? What's even more confounding is that almost all of the secondary characters actually acknowledge how awful most of his actions are. What's the point of having a decent redemption arc over the first three acts of the game if you're just going to blow it all out the airlock in the most superficial and utterly baffling ways possible? Why burn all of your hard-earned goodwill? Why make a act full of puzzles that are confusing and frustrating? Why write jokes that will turn away even the most sensible person? The fifth and final act of the game picks right back up where the third act left off. It continues Rufus's character growth and mission as if act four basically didn't happen. Rufus ends up being selfless and even admirable, forgoing his usual narcissism and redeeming himself in a reasonably meaningful way. I realized, after beating the game, that you could cut the fourth act out completely and tie act three and five together quite neatly, with almost no loss in narrative content. You'd get a succinct story front to back, without the noisy mess that serves no purpose in between. I can't shake the feeling that Act Four feels bloated and rushed. I can only speculate that they simply overlooked this chapter, or didn't give it enough quality control. I don't want to assume this was done in bad taste on purpose. Perhaps they handed that act off to a different developer, or did that act last while also high on fumes. It just doesn't make sense. Is it enough to condemn the game entirely? That's were I'm positively torn. I enjoyed the game, but this structural issue too large and difficult to ignore. If you play Deponia 3 and acknowledge the fourth act as "non-canon weirdness", then it's a great Deponia game. Otherwise, it borders on unacceptable. So, I guess I have to give it a positive. If 60% of the game is good, and 40% is an astonishing fumble, then that means Deponia 3 is still a positive experience. I say this as my mouse cursor teeters between the positive and negative button. When it's being the Deponia that we first fell in love with, it's enjoyable. When it lists off into a bizarre tangential narrative where the humor is appalling and the puzzle structure is confusing, it loses most of its charm. Despite the fact this problem child occupies a decent chunk of the game, I can't condemn the entire experience just on that section. It really comes down to a gamble. If you enjoy Deponia and its atmosphere, you will probably enjoy jumping back in. However, just realize that it'll be a bumpy ride in places, and you might end up leaving the series with a soured opinion. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/33370076/]Steam Curator[/url]