Deadly Premonition Review

Hi,

I finally had the pleasure to play this brilliant cult classic, read on to see what I thought.

"I take a look in the coffee to see if Deadly Premonition is a cult classic for the right reasons. Aren’t you excited, Zach?

Story

Deadly Premonition is set in the small countryside town of Greenvale which has been disturbed by a recent murder. FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (who likes to be called York, please) is sent to investigate.

Along with burly Sheriff George and charming Deputy Sheriff Emily, York aims to uncover this latest brutal murder – one of many in an on-going case - which he wishes to solve once and for all.

The plot is wholly engrossing, a great adventure which keeps you guessing with many twists and turns along the way. The characters help by being instantly intriguing and lovable – even if they’re lovable to hate. York is extremely quirky, adding a consistent humourous layer to the story as he talks to himself during drives and makes odd remarks."

There are many characters you’ll meet but how much time you spend with them is up to you; you’re able to have lunch with specific people or help them with side-missions and in doing so, you’ll learn more about that person. However, as much as I love the social aspect of the game, these are completely optional and aren’t needed to understand the story.

Gameplay

The gameplay works but it’s quite a clunky affair. It’s reminiscent of earlier Resident Evil games where-in you cannot move when shooting, but this aids the horror element of the game. You’re able to use guns and melee weapons but I found myself using the pistol mostly as it’s powerful and has unlimited ammo, although machine guns and shotguns work for dispersing big crowds.

The entire game is set in Greenvale but it is open-world where you’re able to visit friends and partake in side-missions; but make sure to watch the clock as you can miss deadlines. The world is intriguing but your main method of getting around is driving and sadly the driving mechanics are awful but unless you’re willing to run everywhere, you’re stuck with them. Luckily, the map makes it quite easy to navigate if not sometimes a tad confusing.

You’re able to hold your breath to hide yourself from ‘Them’, the shadow-zombie like enemies in-game, and at certain times when you face-off against the main antagonist The Raincoat Killer. These encounters will usually be followed by a chase scene where you must waggle your analog stick like there’s no tomorrow, ensuring that you press any button prompts that appear.

Graphics

The graphics are decent but it's clear that the budget didn't stretch very far; they get the job done but due to the amazing character and location design, it’s a shame that the graphics are not very refined or sharp.

There’s a noticeable dip in frame-rate which persists throughout the game and, in one instance, caused huge slowdown to the point bullets wouldn’t fire upon first click. This isn’t game-breaking but it’s undeniably something that should have been fixed for the ‘Director’s Cut’ release.

Despite this, the characters faces and bodies are full of expression, managing to still involve you in their world.

Sound

The voice-acting is superb and is, by far, one of the biggest highlights of the game; each character becomes more believable as the actors do an excellent job in bringing them to life. You will grow tired of the enemies saying 'I don't want to diiiiiiiiiie' each time they die, though, quickly wearing away any goosebumps the line had originally delivered.

The soundtrack fits in well and is one of the only games that comes to mind which features whistling as a primary instrument – and it’s extremely infectious!

Weapons sound decent and pack a bang when using firearms, and melee weapons make satisfying thuds when contact is made. Sadly, another pitnick on the driving, any vehicle you drive will make the same looping engine sound that seems to laugh in the face of your forced 50MPH speed limit.

Lasting Appeal

My first playthrough took me roughly 20 hours to complete and I focused mainly on the main story as I couldn’t tear myself away from it. There are many side-missions and collectibles to work on though – easily adding many, many hours to the overall time.

If you’re looking for a thrilling murder mystery with a unique cast and solid story, then I fully recommend Deadly Premonition to you. If you can bear with the less than stellar gameplay and graphics you’ll find yourself immersed in an undeniable cult classic – even if the developer’s ambition was much higher than the budget.

You agree readers should play it, right Zach?

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This review is available to read on maturevideogamer.co.uk

Thanks for reading,

Mitch.