Deadly Premonition / Red Seeds Profile (previously "Rainy Woods")

[Eight Rooks]

Just started it, it's incredibly amusing.

Spend the whole time wondering if they're taking the piss or if they genuinely wrote the dialogue thinking it was atmospheric and serious.

It's both. Yes, that is possible.

Just felt like saying it again - while the basic plot points in D.P. are little different from your average airport novel, the way in which the story is told, the characterisation is developed, much of the acting and the way in which the story ends are genuinely amazing. Not 'so bad it's good'. Amazing.

It ranks as some of the best writing in a game I've ever seen, and in terms of emotional impact it's up there with Silent Hill 2 and Planescape: Torment.

At the same time, it's also hilarious. The diner scene is properly funny, for example, not simply 'Oh, you wacky Japanese developers!' funny because it's fantastically written and acted and there's a beautifully succinct reason York behaves the way he does. A significant portion of the script is silly, awkward and over the top, I'm not arguing that. But much of it is genuinely brilliant, and it frustrates me how many people (not specifically you, smurf, just saying) will dismiss it out of hand.

[JazzFunk]

Have put a good 16/17 hours into this so far, haven't really been progressing the storyline that much, I've more been searching for the little things and have also been attempting to learn the landscape, little sections of it are now anchored in my subconscious, I am getting 'alright' at certain bits of the game area, I've partially got my head around the place without resorting to the awkward map (I like this feeling), learning to be a taxi driver in that land.

Discovered the Milk Barn was finally open (all my prior days have been rainy ones, where nigh-on every shop was closed), finally bought a fishing rod and bait, have fished a fair bit, got many fish, several sickles and a couple of trading cards.

Got nine or ten sidequests completed/in progress (been just practically visiting every character on the map). Kind of got my head around the way this works(ish), loved the

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darts game

, aced it on my 2nd attempt, plus it's a pretty well-executed darts game(!)

Proper LOLd at the end of

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'Delivery Man Q'

, where York still believes the

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'health food' explanation for the red powder

.

Given how slow and considered and the talky bits are (they aren't just 'cutscenes', they are things you actually will want/crave to witness) it is obvious the creators took an immense amount of care with the 'comedy' aspect of this game, it might've been programmed by Japanese peeps attempting to ape a surreal American vibe, yet they've pulled it off like mad, this warped creation has an amazingly natural surreal comic timing but also has this incredible gravitas when needed to propel the 'serious' aspects of the storyline.

In game progress terms, I've concluded the chapter/episode at the bit after the

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autopsy investigation

which has this

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chess puzzle

that is *RIDICULOUSLY* obvious but perplexing because it's REALLY OBVIOUS and is thusly un-obvious for a couple of minutes(!) And after that, there's a survival horror bit, did that, I'm at the start of the next stage, in normal life.

I'm finding the nights in this pretty scary, Alan Wake does the same thing in a much more technically majestic way, yet this is *way* scarier. I wasn't expecting the

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10ft-high glowy red-eyed devil dogs

, not with my patrol car on 10&#37; petrol, I was proper ****ted-up.

I'm *still* occasionally baulking at some of the minor yet unnecessary crap in this game, the loadtimes when 'peeking', the 'red leaf effect' when summoning up the map, yet I'm slipping into accepting even these constant, minor frustrating faults, it just *is* with this game, isn't it?

This is a game that you get married to, warts n' all.

[Sketcz]

Ace write-up, Jazz. Keep posting, it's almost as good as replaying it.

I had the Korean PS3 version, but I'm guessing it's the same for the English Xbox 360 version: there's a list of missions which can be accessed from the map/options screen, right? This should help with 100&#37; it without too much fuss.

Also, I'm guessing you know the super easy trick regarding car fuel, right?

Also, what do you think of the soundtrack? Is it just me or does the title theme have a Simon & Garfunkel vibe to it?

Also, don't forget to collect your FBI paycheque from the hotel every two days or so. It pops up in your room like a piece of mail.

Also, clean shaven or hobo-detective? Which are you?

[charlesr]

Flies all the way.

The US xbox version had the mission list, so I presume they all do.

[fuse]

Also, clean shaven or hobo-detective? Which are you?

I took a picture of my York

[JazzFunk]

Ace write-up, Jazz. Keep posting, it's almost as good as replaying it.

I had the Korean PS3 version, but I'm guessing it's the same for the English Xbox 360 version: there's a list of missions which can be accessed from the map/options screen, right? This should help with 100&#37; it without too much fuss.

Also, I'm guessing you know the super easy trick regarding car fuel, right?

Also, what do you think of the soundtrack? Is it just me or does the title theme have a Simon & Garfunkel vibe to it?

Also, don't forget to collect your FBI paycheque from the hotel every two days or so. It pops up in your room like a piece of mail.

Also, clean shaven or hobo-detective? Which are you?

Cheers S, a bit late back from work so am gonna pump a few hours into this bast of a game before bedtime (

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park's open now so I can get that final bone!

).

Don't know the gas trick but might give it a Google, hope I'm not spoiling anything, with all the driving you do these cars sure run out of petrol a bit too quickly (anything to do with

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giving George the rare flower

, haven't done that yet?)

Title theme is definitely a bit 'Scarborough Fair', folky and madrigally at the same time, my main fave is the 'whistling' music which really adds atmos, perfect 'detective fishing music'. Got to say I AM getting a bit tired of the driving music, though, it often seems a tad too bombastically crude when it's going through its "60s spy" phase (the big horns make it sound like a car chase from Hawaii 5-0.)

Got my paycheck the last time I went to the hotel but it's one of those elements I'm trying to integrate into my habits when playing the game, there is simply so much to keep track of!

As for my York, he's clean-shaven but must be minging (didn't realise about the flies, thought they were flying round York because it was a hot day, not because I hadn't cleaned or changed his business suit for ages, that's excellent. )

[Mayhem]

If you want to change the car music, go over to the General's scrapyard, do a couple of "find the item in the area" tasks and then

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you can buy many of the other cars featured in the game. They all have different features and specs, and in-car music. You can even get your original car repaired for $5000 via the General once you've paid Jack enough money; which is worth it because it has infinite damage

.

[JazzFunk]

^Cheers Mayhem, was definitely expecting to eventually gain a different car or upgrade at some point (given how the speedometer is at sub-50% to begin with) but was not aware you'd get to buy them all and 'customise' the music.

I actually thought the driving music was the main ingame tune, and I'd never be able to escape it. I was mentally comparing it at work this afty, to Final Fantasy 7's 'Battle Fanfare' tune, which I think is one of the greatest, infinitely relistenable ingame tunes I've ever heard:



I came to the conclusion that the 'driving tune' is somehow not quite in the same league as that particular piece of music. I *demand* this game to supply me with that, for I believe it has the capability!!!

PS: Bit pissed off with myself, not really managed to do much, bar revisiting the first two '

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otherworld' quests

, clocking them both easily (

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the infinite wrench is an excellent weapon!!!!!

) and not really getting much more than a

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trading card from the hospital one

. Also managed to get the trading card

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in the fenced-off area outside the hospital

(though I Googled it, shame on me ).

[Sketcz]

The fuel trick is simply to keep a stock of flares. Run out of fuel, leave the car, fire a flare, and a new car spawns nearby with full tank. I must admit I only ever did this once, because I kept her topped up, so I might be missing something - but I don't recall there being any penalty. I'm fairly sure the flares act as a refuel anywhere item.

They can be bought from the store, can't they?

[Mayhem]

Yes, they can. But I never ran out of fuel or used a flare. There were always enough spare cars around for me to switch as need be

[losersclub]

I need to play through this again as i missed so much stuff the first time around, i got so interested in the main storyline that i was too eager to see where it went and didn't bother with a lot of the sub quests!

[JazzFunk]

^I'm kind of playing it the polar opposite way to how you did it, I'm being extremely anal about gathering as much detail as is humanly possible (which has led to LOADS of driving and staking folk out). I'm itching to get back to the main storyline, craving the cutscenes and plot development but have a seriously obsessive need to try and sort out the 'other stuff' 'lest I miss it, the obsession is starting to destroy the flow of the game a tad, I think I need a brief moment of meditative self-analysis to quell these insane urges(!)

The fuel trick is simply to keep a stock of flares. Run out of fuel, leave the car, fire a flare, and a new car spawns nearby with full tank. I must admit I only ever did this once, because I kept her topped up, so I might be missing something - but I don't recall there being any penalty. I'm fairly sure the flares act as a refuel anywhere item.

Actually, I wasn't aware that was a 'trick', I totalled my first cop car not long after I got it, used the flare and instantly got a brand new, fully-fuelled car back, I've done it a fair few times. My mind kind of misses certain connections at times, at that point with the

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devil dogs

I had several flares, bought n' found, already in my inventory, I was just too duncey to actually use them! (I've just gone back to the hotel and maxed out my flares, courtesy of Polly).

Again, another intermittent night of giving quality time to this, I think four hours+ per session is the right way to play (been trying to get my head around some free, impenetrable-to-start-with DVD authoring software).

Seems some of 'The Knowledge' is getting buried pretty deep within my subconscious, am often finding I'm not pausing and checking the map anywhere near as much as I did, kind of reminds me of when I first started work (in a *massive* hospital), was a proper bastard to get my head around at first but once it sinks in, it proper embeds itself.

Still on the bit where the park opens, I'm delaying starting the story mission proper, checking everything else out first. Did the '

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flowe

r' mission and got the

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radio

(didn't really get the impression that

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Sheriff George would be living with his mum!

). Just had another excellent lunch with Thomas, George and Emily, George told a

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terribly bad joke about the food, something about two-legged beasts, my York took time to register the components of the joke, Aspergers-style, then guffawed longly and disturbingly afterwards, somewhat unsettling his fellow diners

. A glorious moment.

Drove past the diner and suddenly spotted the

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gasmask wheelchair guy

(how often do you ever get to combine those words within a single sentence??!) getting

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pushed into his limo by his Smithers-style protege

. Got out of the patrol car, almost close enough to 'Talk' but the animation sequence had already started, so had to flare a cop car up in case I'd 'lose' him (it's my very first physical encounter with

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Gasmask Wheelchair

).

Right now, I'm tailing that c*nt like mad, he's probably heading for the mansion but you can never be certain with this game. He's kind of reminding me of

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Mason Verger from Hannibal

, don't know if he's supposed to or not but I am liking that vibe.

PS: Am I spoilering too much? With a game like this, it's a hard thing to truly define.

EDIT: That

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bastard Gasmask Wheelchair/'Harry' went off the edge of the map, I lost him, obviously he WASN'T heading for the mansion

!!!!

[Sketcz]

You aren't spoilering anything for us, though you might do so for yourself.

More than one person I know managed to work certain things out from obsessively documenting every element of Greenvale. Sometimes you have to pull back!

I think it's important not to burn yourself out. Keep an eye on the mission list which shows what chapters they can be done in - if you've cleared all or most, then it's time to move on with the story.

[fuse]

In terms of self-spoilerisation, do NOT read the text on the playing cards until you've finished the game.

[JazzFunk]

Didn't have much chance to post any impressions last night as I'd embarked on the fairly lengthy

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lumber mill

survival horror bit, took me a fair bit of time, plus immediately afterwards I replayed the

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otherworld section to get the trading card

, which I ploughed through quite easily in *much* less time.

Speaking only of the survival horror bits, don't know how frustrating the later combat in this is but I'm playing it on Normal and I'm finding it pretty easy to play, getting quite confident with shooting/clobbering (

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infinite wrench

+ run > hit twice > victory) It's got that satisfying 'splatch factor' combat feeling of Resi 4 but the survival horror bits have an atmos that's more a cross between Silent Hill 1/2 and Forbidden Siren.

Obviously, to those who've played through this, the

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lumber mill

features the first BIG combat encounter with the

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Raincoat Killer

. On the bit where you first NEED to

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hide, I got killed a few times either through trying to 'stealthily' escape when he'd passed the wardrobe I was in, or through not holding the 'hold breath' button down

(though this actually reminded me of that particular function, I'd forgot all about it, now I will always remember what LT also is for!). Found the

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death sequence kind of stylish/sinister at the same time, the way he theatrically, robotically 'stalks' around and executes you with his axe, like some hoodie Terminator, coupled with that blast of mad jazz, plus his costume is well-snazzy!

(also got killed a fair few times during the

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QTE bit where you finally drive him away

and finish the mission).

(Also, a small point, but as I drove to that mission, I noticed the

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driving controls become reversed

for a few seconds or so, assume this was intentional?)

Anyway, gonna put a few more hours in now, I can relax and take in some more of Greenvale without that scary stuff for a bit.

PS: @ Sketcz: I worded that sentence a bit wonkily, I was more thinking am I overusing spoiler tags a bit too much?

PS: @ Fuse, I haven't read any of the trading cards yet but have amassed quite a few so far, desperately craving to read them but am valiantly resisting the temptation!