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Deadly Premonition is a budget game that was released in Europe almost 5 months ago.
As already mentioned, it is a budget title, and as such, it cannot boast of the spectacular investments typical of AAA next-generation productions: so, no ultra-realistic graphics, no motion capture, no seamless loading, and above all, no ultra-intuitive and well-tested control systems. Worsening the situation, like a sword of Damocles, the title conceived by Swery is weighed down by a very long development time (it was originally intended for its first incarnation on PS2) and various legal matters due to an excessive resemblance of the title to the famous TV series Twin Peaks, from which it clearly draws inspiration.
The picture so far presented might not inspire much hope, yet we too often forget that the total is more than the sum of its parts, because Deadly Premonition is not only damn entertaining and successful, but it turns out to be one of the best video games the human mind has conceived, worthy of being compared to timeless classics like Another World or Metal Gear.
But let's proceed in order.
The title is, at least on paper, a traditional survival horror: we will play as FBI agent Francis York Morgan, called to solve the mysteries surrounding a small and quiet American town, Greenvale, shaken by the brutal murder of a girl. From here onwards, as a good federal agent, we will discover that the spiral of violence and death gripping Greenvale shares many elements with the modus operandi of a macabre local figure: that of the raincoat killer who until then seemed to belong only to local legends.
From the very first moments, we will have a chance to understand the dual nature of Deadly Premonition. First of all, the more classic one, as a third-person action horror, heavily inherited from the now overused Resident Evil 4. Camera over the shoulder, aim and shoot. The types of enemies are so few they can be counted on one hand, yet they are quite distressing in their design thanks to the "crawling" movements of these humanoid figures, which, although not standing out in terms of polygon count or animation quality, are quite horrific in their simplicity.
Occasionally, to break the monotony of these shooting sessions, we will also be called upon to solve simple puzzles or hide from the raincoat killer by closing ourselves in lockers, holding our breath, or getting caught up in daring escapes with quick-time event mechanics that nod to the Clocktower series for PS2. However, this is not enough to make these shooter-like sections enjoyable or bearable as the various devices are poorly executed (especially the sessions with the raincoat killer due to a decidedly old-gen technical aspect) and above all, the control system is frustrating and cumbersome like few others.
Let's say then that the horror sections convey a palpable sense of anxiety more for the frustration they can cause than for the quality of their execution.
But it is also true that these are only a small part of the multifaceted and versatile nature of Swery's title. During the day, once we have overcome the challenges posed by the supernatural forces that stir in Greenvale at night, we will be catapulted into a true free-roaming experience. We will be completely free to roam the streets of Greenvale, get lost in its venues, go fishing, refuel (!!!), interact with suspects, collect clues, wander in search of collectibles, regularly feed ourselves, or take a nap (yes, there is an indicator for hunger and sleep) and perform errands for local citizens who will often know how to reward us.
We can, therefore, state without hesitation that in these sessions, given the care taken, the freedom, and the variety of things to do, Deadly Premonition assumes the characteristics of a Shenmue with a horror twist, since a dialogue with an NPC will hardly be meaningless, but instead, it will fit perfectly into the stylistic and narrative framework of the production, adding background to the main plot or revealing some peculiar traits of the character without losing internal coherence.
And it is precisely the internal coherence of Swery's work that allows it to be hailed as a masterpiece: the game captures the player for 15 or more hours with a plot full of twists and with well-characterized characters with dialogues and cutscenes that at times caress the nonsensical, at others the grotesque, giving the entire title a surreal imprint, as the player never knows how seriously to take the atmosphere the game aims to create (for example, we must regularly remember to refuel, eat, and sleep, simulating real life acts, and when we fish, we find ourselves solving a slot-machine-like mini-game that simulates nothing of real fishing, or we are even forced to follow clues for solving the case that our alter ego - agent York - reads in the coffee cup...).
The particular structure of the gameplay of this game - split into two distinct parts - only serves to once again reveal its schizophrenic nature: a huge pastiche that has repercussions not only on the gameplay as such but even on the storyline, as it frequently oscillates in its development among thriller/horror/B-Movie/comedy, yet demonstrating a truly enviable character and internal cohesion, giving the ending and the entire game a symbolic interpretation similar to Lynch's films from which it draws inspiration.
Ultimately, Deadly Premonition is a true breath of fresh air in the field of survival horror, an exciting, long-lasting, and original work.
Swery creates an excellent mix of genres and stylistic canons in which none of its elements give up their individual identity while forming a global schizoid and anxiety-inducing picture.
Highly recommended.
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