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This thread has been linked to the game 'Deadly Premonition'.
Niche appeal is a strange thing. With it, the most divergent of titles can skyrocket out of blatant obscurity and into the hands of a cult following. Deadly Premonition is one such game. A budget release, brought to Europe amid flurries of fan support, Access Games' survival horror is an underground hit. Yet behind it's Lynchian, eccentric charisma, is Deadly premonition a one-off success, or simply a passable oddity?
It's budget foundation is immediately evident. Devoid of flash, Deadly Premonition is dated and clunky, both aesthetically and in-game. A throwback to early examples of the genre; your character moves with arthritic fluidity through a backdrop of caustic camera angles. Early combat is conjointly trite; lumbering enemies are idly despatched in a functional over-the-shoulder affair. It isn't particularly atmospheric, and it's entirely unchallenging. That said, stick with the game past it's irksome opening and it quickly becomes uniquely compelling; an experience filled with personality. It's here where you realise that behind the rough edges lies a whimsical adventure which, although lacking polish, creates an ambition that is genuinely laudable.
Main character Francis York Morgan (call him York), is a screwball FBI agent who is sent to a small town in rural America. There, a close-nit community is living in shock after a local girl was found viciously murdered. The locals speak of legends and fairy tales; a figure who is seen whenever rain fall over the town. York is brought in to uncover the killer, and ultimately the mystery of Greenvale town itself. What is notably interesting about Deadly Premonition is the way in which the protagonist behaves. Talking to himself via a personality known only as 'Zach', York narrates his thoughts and feelings directly to the player (or to 'Zach'). This works well to ensure connection to what is otherwise an oddball character. York sees visions in coffee cups; spouts one-liners with eccentric drollery, and has dreams so bizarre they defy explanation. That said, beneath it's absurd and oft satirical nature, Deadly Premonition features a curiously compelling narrative. Character relationships are unusually developed, and the Twin Peaks-esque mystery plot soon reveals itself to have surprising depth. What follows is a twist-heavy story which is just as intense as it is hilarious. A truly unpredictable and gripping journey, it's hard to reach it's final moments without being inspired and, more importantly, moved.
In fact, the world and story of Deadly Premonition is the one thing which holds it together. Strip it from it's characters and jocose personality, and the core gameplay is outmoded and distinctly unrefined. Combat never evolves beyond a basal aim-and-shoot; waves of enemies fill the screen taking copious rounds of ammo to down. It's without doubt the game's weakest point; so much that the experience would hardly suffer if combat was absent entirely. Later 'boss battle' encounters are better though; fought with QTE's and lengthy chases, favouring running instead of fighting. Usually however, the game is open and exploration heavy; with story sequences having you search for clues within various town locations. Outside of the main event, episodes of 'free time' reveal a free-roaming world where side quests can be tackled at your own desire. The town is fairly large, and although it's mostly just open road, the ability to explore is worthy of a mention. Cars can be used to get from A-to-B, and whilst driving is cumbrous and seemingly archaic, it serves it's purpose without complication. In fact, it soon seems evident that what feels like ponderous build quality could very easily be consciously designed. Indeed, when the game is at it's best, it pays ironic homage to it's genre and inspirations; a tongue-in-cheek admiration to the history of it's peers. It may not be polished or even complete, but it's quirky personality is more than enough to forget it's contrarily clunky nature.
This is also true with the game's aesthetics, though perhaps less tolerable for some players. The world is obdurately low-res, with one-dimensional backdrops fuzzily displayed before a cast of simple character models. It isn't terrible, yet animations and basic textures are a far cry from it's larger profile cousins. That said, when immersed in the fanciful charisma of the game, the graphical quality can just as easily add to the feeling as take away from it.
The sound direction is markedly similar, with out of place melodies loudly serenading the most unwarrantable of scenes. Noise levels are often erratic, with bellowing music drowning out character dialogue, and repetitive tunes playing endlessly during cutscenes. The music itself is not especially bad, it simply feels like an aberrant addition to what is essentially a potent narrative. Voice acting however is generally good, and environmental ambience, whilst nothing specifically creditable, is by and large without cause for concern.
Ultimately, Deadly Premonition is a game hard to recommenced to an audience wider than it's established niche. It's story is doubtlessly it's greatest achievement, a witty and intriguing experience laced with satirical allurement. Apart from this however, the anachronistic gameplay is clearly hit-or-miss, and the bizarre nature of the game's direction is certainly not for everyone. That said, those who are interested could do far worse than pick up Deadly Premonition, a game which, for the right person, is sure to leave you thoroughly satisfied.
7/10
It's budget foundation is immediately evident. Devoid of flash, Deadly Premonition is dated and clunky, both aesthetically and in-game. A throwback to early examples of the genre; your character moves with arthritic fluidity through a backdrop of caustic camera angles. Early combat is conjointly trite; lumbering enemies are idly despatched in a functional over-the-shoulder affair. It isn't particularly atmospheric, and it's entirely unchallenging. That said, stick with the game past it's irksome opening and it quickly becomes uniquely compelling; an experience filled with personality. It's here where you realise that behind the rough edges lies a whimsical adventure which, although lacking polish, creates an ambition that is genuinely laudable.
Main character Francis York Morgan (call him York), is a screwball FBI agent who is sent to a small town in rural America. There, a close-nit community is living in shock after a local girl was found viciously murdered. The locals speak of legends and fairy tales; a figure who is seen whenever rain fall over the town. York is brought in to uncover the killer, and ultimately the mystery of Greenvale town itself. What is notably interesting about Deadly Premonition is the way in which the protagonist behaves. Talking to himself via a personality known only as 'Zach', York narrates his thoughts and feelings directly to the player (or to 'Zach'). This works well to ensure connection to what is otherwise an oddball character. York sees visions in coffee cups; spouts one-liners with eccentric drollery, and has dreams so bizarre they defy explanation. That said, beneath it's absurd and oft satirical nature, Deadly Premonition features a curiously compelling narrative. Character relationships are unusually developed, and the Twin Peaks-esque mystery plot soon reveals itself to have surprising depth. What follows is a twist-heavy story which is just as intense as it is hilarious. A truly unpredictable and gripping journey, it's hard to reach it's final moments without being inspired and, more importantly, moved.
In fact, the world and story of Deadly Premonition is the one thing which holds it together. Strip it from it's characters and jocose personality, and the core gameplay is outmoded and distinctly unrefined. Combat never evolves beyond a basal aim-and-shoot; waves of enemies fill the screen taking copious rounds of ammo to down. It's without doubt the game's weakest point; so much that the experience would hardly suffer if combat was absent entirely. Later 'boss battle' encounters are better though; fought with QTE's and lengthy chases, favouring running instead of fighting. Usually however, the game is open and exploration heavy; with story sequences having you search for clues within various town locations. Outside of the main event, episodes of 'free time' reveal a free-roaming world where side quests can be tackled at your own desire. The town is fairly large, and although it's mostly just open road, the ability to explore is worthy of a mention. Cars can be used to get from A-to-B, and whilst driving is cumbrous and seemingly archaic, it serves it's purpose without complication. In fact, it soon seems evident that what feels like ponderous build quality could very easily be consciously designed. Indeed, when the game is at it's best, it pays ironic homage to it's genre and inspirations; a tongue-in-cheek admiration to the history of it's peers. It may not be polished or even complete, but it's quirky personality is more than enough to forget it's contrarily clunky nature.
This is also true with the game's aesthetics, though perhaps less tolerable for some players. The world is obdurately low-res, with one-dimensional backdrops fuzzily displayed before a cast of simple character models. It isn't terrible, yet animations and basic textures are a far cry from it's larger profile cousins. That said, when immersed in the fanciful charisma of the game, the graphical quality can just as easily add to the feeling as take away from it.
The sound direction is markedly similar, with out of place melodies loudly serenading the most unwarrantable of scenes. Noise levels are often erratic, with bellowing music drowning out character dialogue, and repetitive tunes playing endlessly during cutscenes. The music itself is not especially bad, it simply feels like an aberrant addition to what is essentially a potent narrative. Voice acting however is generally good, and environmental ambience, whilst nothing specifically creditable, is by and large without cause for concern.
Ultimately, Deadly Premonition is a game hard to recommenced to an audience wider than it's established niche. It's story is doubtlessly it's greatest achievement, a witty and intriguing experience laced with satirical allurement. Apart from this however, the anachronistic gameplay is clearly hit-or-miss, and the bizarre nature of the game's direction is certainly not for everyone. That said, those who are interested could do far worse than pick up Deadly Premonition, a game which, for the right person, is sure to leave you thoroughly satisfied.
7/10
Wow a fairly positive review of this game. I've only seen a few that pretty much trash the game with a few cleverly chosen (wierd) scenes, but you were able to side-step away from that and try to make it into a good point.
I'm not really into survival-horror games, but I like the indepth mystery/free-roam that you mentioned. Because of that I can't really talk about the context of the review, but more the style. I am now going to sound rather wierd to a few people, but you know a piece of writing is good, if you can hear the person talking in your head when you're reading it.
I'll leave it as that, if it even makes sense...Great review, and can't wait for the next one!
I'm not really into survival-horror games, but I like the indepth mystery/free-roam that you mentioned. Because of that I can't really talk about the context of the review, but more the style. I am now going to sound rather wierd to a few people, but you know a piece of writing is good, if you can hear the person talking in your head when you're reading it.
I'll leave it as that, if it even makes sense...Great review, and can't wait for the next one!
Niche appeal is a strange thing. With it, the most divergent of titles can skyrocket out of blatant obscurity and into the hands of a cult following. Deadly Premonition is one such game. A budget release, brought to Europe amid flurries of fan support, Access Games' survival horror is an underground hit. Yet behind it's Lynchian, eccentric charisma, is Deadly premonition a one-off success, or simply a passable oddity?
It's budget foundation is immediately evident. Devoid of flash, Deadly Premonition is dated and clunky, both aesthetically and in-game. A throwback to early examples of the genre; your character moves with arthritic fluidity through a backdrop of caustic camera angles. Early combat is conjointly trite; lumbering enemies are idly despatched in a functional over-the-shoulder affair. It isn't particularly atmospheric, and it's entirely unchallenging. That said, stick with the game past it's irksome opening and it quickly becomes uniquely compelling; an experience filled with personality. It's here where you realise that behind the rough edges lies a whimsical adventure which, although lacking polish, creates an ambition that is genuinely laudable.
Main character Francis York Morgan (call him York), is a screwball FBI agent who is sent to a small town in rural America. There, a close-nit community is living in shock after a local girl was found viciously murdered. The locals speak of legends and fairy tales; a figure who is seen whenever rain fall over the town. York is brought in to uncover the killer, and ultimately the mystery of Greenvale town itself. What is notably interesting about Deadly Premonition is the way in which the protagonist behaves. Talking to himself via a personality known only as 'Zach', York narrates his thoughts and feelings directly to the player (or to 'Zach'). This works well to ensure connection to what is otherwise an oddball character. York sees visions in coffee cups; spouts one-liners with eccentric drollery, and has dreams so bizarre they defy explanation. That said, beneath it's absurd and oft satirical nature, Deadly Premonition features a curiously compelling narrative. Character relationships are unusually developed, and the Twin Peaks-esque mystery plot soon reveals itself to have surprising depth. What follows is a twist-heavy story which is just as intense as it is hilarious. A truly unpredictable and gripping journey, it's hard to reach it's final moments without being inspired and, more importantly, moved.
In fact, the world and story of Deadly Premonition is the one thing which holds it together. Strip it from it's characters and jocose personality, and the core gameplay is outmoded and distinctly unrefined. Combat never evolves beyond a basal aim-and-shoot; waves of enemies fill the screen taking copious rounds of ammo to down. It's without doubt the game's weakest point; so much that the experience would hardly suffer if combat was absent entirely. Later 'boss battle' encounters are better though; fought with QTE's and lengthy chases, favouring running instead of fighting. Usually however, the game is open and exploration heavy; with story sequences having you search for clues within various town locations. Outside of the main event, episodes of 'free time' reveal a free-roaming world where side quests can be tackled at your own desire. The town is fairly large, and although it's mostly just open road, the ability to explore is worthy of a mention. Cars can be used to get from A-to-B, and whilst driving is cumbrous and seemingly archaic, it serves it's purpose without complication. In fact, it soon seems evident that what feels like ponderous build quality could very easily be consciously designed. Indeed, when the game is at it's best, it pays ironic homage to it's genre and inspirations; a tongue-in-cheek admiration to the history of it's peers. It may not be polished or even complete, but it's quirky personality is more than enough to forget it's contrarily clunky nature.
This is also true with the game's aesthetics, though perhaps less tolerable for some players. The world is obdurately low-res, with one-dimensional backdrops fuzzily displayed before a cast of simple character models. It isn't terrible, yet animations and basic textures are a far cry from it's larger profile cousins. That said, when immersed in the fanciful charisma of the game, the graphical quality can just as easily add to the feeling as take away from it.
The sound direction is markedly similar, with out of place melodies loudly serenading the most unwarrantable of scenes. Noise levels are often erratic, with bellowing music drowning out character dialogue, and repetitive tunes playing endlessly during cutscenes. The music itself is not especially bad, it simply feels like an aberrant addition to what is essentially a potent narrative. Voice acting however is generally good, and environmental ambience, whilst nothing specifically creditable, is by and large without cause for concern.
Ultimately, Deadly Premonition is a game hard to recommenced to an audience wider than it's established niche. It's story is doubtlessly it's greatest achievement, a witty and intriguing experience laced with satirical allurement. Apart from this however, the anachronistic gameplay is clearly hit-or-miss, and the bizarre nature of the game's direction is certainly not for everyone. That said, those who are interested could do far worse than pick up Deadly Premonition, a game which, for the right person, is sure to leave you thoroughly satisfied.
7/10
It's budget foundation is immediately evident. Devoid of flash, Deadly Premonition is dated and clunky, both aesthetically and in-game. A throwback to early examples of the genre; your character moves with arthritic fluidity through a backdrop of caustic camera angles. Early combat is conjointly trite; lumbering enemies are idly despatched in a functional over-the-shoulder affair. It isn't particularly atmospheric, and it's entirely unchallenging. That said, stick with the game past it's irksome opening and it quickly becomes uniquely compelling; an experience filled with personality. It's here where you realise that behind the rough edges lies a whimsical adventure which, although lacking polish, creates an ambition that is genuinely laudable.
Main character Francis York Morgan (call him York), is a screwball FBI agent who is sent to a small town in rural America. There, a close-nit community is living in shock after a local girl was found viciously murdered. The locals speak of legends and fairy tales; a figure who is seen whenever rain fall over the town. York is brought in to uncover the killer, and ultimately the mystery of Greenvale town itself. What is notably interesting about Deadly Premonition is the way in which the protagonist behaves. Talking to himself via a personality known only as 'Zach', York narrates his thoughts and feelings directly to the player (or to 'Zach'). This works well to ensure connection to what is otherwise an oddball character. York sees visions in coffee cups; spouts one-liners with eccentric drollery, and has dreams so bizarre they defy explanation. That said, beneath it's absurd and oft satirical nature, Deadly Premonition features a curiously compelling narrative. Character relationships are unusually developed, and the Twin Peaks-esque mystery plot soon reveals itself to have surprising depth. What follows is a twist-heavy story which is just as intense as it is hilarious. A truly unpredictable and gripping journey, it's hard to reach it's final moments without being inspired and, more importantly, moved.
In fact, the world and story of Deadly Premonition is the one thing which holds it together. Strip it from it's characters and jocose personality, and the core gameplay is outmoded and distinctly unrefined. Combat never evolves beyond a basal aim-and-shoot; waves of enemies fill the screen taking copious rounds of ammo to down. It's without doubt the game's weakest point; so much that the experience would hardly suffer if combat was absent entirely. Later 'boss battle' encounters are better though; fought with QTE's and lengthy chases, favouring running instead of fighting. Usually however, the game is open and exploration heavy; with story sequences having you search for clues within various town locations. Outside of the main event, episodes of 'free time' reveal a free-roaming world where side quests can be tackled at your own desire. The town is fairly large, and although it's mostly just open road, the ability to explore is worthy of a mention. Cars can be used to get from A-to-B, and whilst driving is cumbrous and seemingly archaic, it serves it's purpose without complication. In fact, it soon seems evident that what feels like ponderous build quality could very easily be consciously designed. Indeed, when the game is at it's best, it pays ironic homage to it's genre and inspirations; a tongue-in-cheek admiration to the history of it's peers. It may not be polished or even complete, but it's quirky personality is more than enough to forget it's contrarily clunky nature.
This is also true with the game's aesthetics, though perhaps less tolerable for some players. The world is obdurately low-res, with one-dimensional backdrops fuzzily displayed before a cast of simple character models. It isn't terrible, yet animations and basic textures are a far cry from it's larger profile cousins. That said, when immersed in the fanciful charisma of the game, the graphical quality can just as easily add to the feeling as take away from it.
The sound direction is markedly similar, with out of place melodies loudly serenading the most unwarrantable of scenes. Noise levels are often erratic, with bellowing music drowning out character dialogue, and repetitive tunes playing endlessly during cutscenes. The music itself is not especially bad, it simply feels like an aberrant addition to what is essentially a potent narrative. Voice acting however is generally good, and environmental ambience, whilst nothing specifically creditable, is by and large without cause for concern.
Ultimately, Deadly Premonition is a game hard to recommenced to an audience wider than it's established niche. It's story is doubtlessly it's greatest achievement, a witty and intriguing experience laced with satirical allurement. Apart from this however, the anachronistic gameplay is clearly hit-or-miss, and the bizarre nature of the game's direction is certainly not for everyone. That said, those who are interested could do far worse than pick up Deadly Premonition, a game which, for the right person, is sure to leave you thoroughly satisfied.
7/10