After some initial cut-scenes (which have some crazy voice-mix throughout – turn on subtitles), you'll quickly be thrown into survival mode. The first thing you'll notice is the graphics are at times atrocious. At others, they are passable and occasionally quite good. Next, will be the realisation that the combat – 3rd person, with cross-hair aim, like Resident Evil 4 – is very basic. The aiming is clever in that torso lock-on doesn't do as much damage as a free-aim head-shot and additionally increases your stress levels until you eventually collapse exhausted, but unfortunately this doesn't rescue the combat from mediocrity. Enemies are especially repetitive, but hey, that's "real life" – the Rebel Alliance probably got bored of shooting stormtroopers after a while. Quick-Time Events pop-up every now and then, especially in scary moments, some of which do succeed in getting the pulse racing.
Once back into the "light" side of Greenvale, the adventure begins in earnest and York is encouraged to spend as much time exploring as possible by the side-quests, some of which are essential to maximising enjoyment, with prizes being the ability to warp to visited locations, car upgrades and better weaponry/infinite bullets. Keep an eye on the availability of the quests in each chapter via the map screen, though – some are only available at particular times of day/in specific weather and in certain chapters.
Oh yes, and the map: what a tragedy. There is a crippled zoom mode, but fully zoomed out is still agonisingly close, made even worse by the map spinning round to match your direction, making learning where everything is quite frustrating. The driving model is another eyebrow raiser – what were they thinking? It's like playing the original Test Drive and very twitchy, but whilst the driving model is basic, it's more the speed-cap that's a bit frustrating. A speed limit of 55mph is strictly enforced in the police cars. Fortunately, the cars are just a method of getting around the town rather than critical to gameplay. Purchasing upgraded cars is a must! However, do spend a little time driving around rather than warping in each chapter, because whilst driving, York will talk to whoever is in the car with you about all sorts of topics and it's addictive stuff. Like chatting and reminiscing with an old friend. Additionally, you'll notice things that are worth stopping for, and if you miss them, York will prompt you. Exploring is neatly focused by flagging possible places and items of interest with glowing "bubbles", making it easy to know what to observe or search and what to pass by, both indoors and out – very good.
Accompanying York on his journey through Greenvale is his alter-ego "Zach" who he constantly chats to, even in front of other people as if it's totally normal. Also accompanying him are various theme tunes for both people and situations. The music is mostly sublime, but there isn't quite enough of it to prevent some of it becoming over-used. Deadly Premonition easily takes the award for Most Inappropriate Usage Of "Amazing Grace", though. During the murder investigation, you'll have the opportunity to meet the town's populace and spend a lot of time just listening to what they have to say and trying to figure out whodunnit – all the clues are there, but it twists and turns fiercely enough to throw you off the scent, so pay attention!
To beef things out a bit, York can perform various everyday tasks, some of which are essential, like sleeping and eating (and drinking coffee), filling up with petrol, smoking lots (to pass the time) and phoning back to the office with updates (save game). Other tasks are just there for fun – changing and cleaning your suits (you'll quickly become Lord of the Flies if avoided), shaving, fishing (but not always for fish!), and peeking through windows (which incidentally raises your heartbeat – a nice touch).
From the moment you first meet him, it's clear York is a special character. When all's said and done, unlike film where you sit back for a passive ride, in Deadly Premonition, you are York, and after a while (if you get on OK), you will form an amazing bond with the lead character. You will feel his pain and joy and genuinely worry about him. Similarly, you get to know the other characters to a level never seen before in a video-game. This honour of having the best characters and characterisation is achieved by the mind-boggling attention to (often seemingly random) details and back-stories. The gorgeous voice-acting and unusual poses and expressions from the motion-capture are icing. The script reinforces the brilliantly revealed plot. It deals with some very adult themes and symbolism, with people and objects being much more than they appear at first glance, with seemingly incidental Lynch-style cutscenes often containing vital pieces of info. Whilst some of the concluding elements are a bit over the top, overall, it's nigh on perfect. If you really get into it, you may be deeply affected. You'll certainly laugh a lot and, more importantly, spend time thinking about it afterwards.
If Deadly Premonition had been blessed with better combat, graphics and driving, it would surely would have been proclaimed by all as the best game ever, although some might say that just by featuring a jazz bar called "Galaxy of Terror", it should take that title anyway. As it stands, it's an acquired taste but, if it clicks, will provide an emotional roller-coaster that you'll remember forever.
P.S. In a bit of a departure from our normal style, I'm going to state that I haven't enjoyed the overall experience of a video-game (in the action-adventure genre) as much as this for years. I can imagine you'll either love or hate it and there will be very few players left in the middle. A real score would probably be 7/10, but the score below fits the light-hearted comedy of the game much better, and we all need to lighten up occassionally. I hope this review tempts a few people to pick it up given its budget price.
Pros:
- Best Plot Ever
- Best Characters Ever
- Emotional Journey
Cons:
- Graphics
- Driving
- Combat
Score: 11/10
My Google + Profile