Tech Blog

[#1]

It was in my coffee this morning, Zach. I saw it clear as day. I poured the milk in and there it was--you were going into a shop and purchasing a copy of the recently released thriller video game, Deadly Premonition. Because you read about it on the Future Shop Tech Blog and couldn't resist. Oh, and there was more. The game was so awesome your head exploded. A deadly premonition indeed.

Okay, so probably after reading that you're wondering what I'm smoking. The answer is nothing, because smoking is a filthy habit, and even though Francis York Morgan (star of Deadly Premonition) seems to be smoking all the time, I'm pretty dead set against it. But here's the deal, straight up. If you can find a copy of Deadly Premonition , an Xbox 360 game recently released by Ignition Entertainment and developed by Access Games, you should buy it without hesitation.  It probably won't set you back more than $25 (hopefully $20) because it's been released at a budget price.

Now! There are some things I have to note. Deadly Premonition is set in the small town of Greenvale, where the mysterious murder of a young woman brings an FBI agent to town to solve the crime. If that sounds like Twin Peaks, that's... probably because the game was clearly heavily inspired by the David Lynch series (in fact, when it was originally previewed, it was so heavily influenced that it featured dwarves in a red velvet curtained room). With such an unusual inspiration, the game is extremely quirky. This isn't a Silent Hill or even a Resident Evil (even if combat sequences seem to be inspired by the design of recent Resident Evil titles.) It's a game where your character discusses 80s movies with his imaginary friend (Zach) while driving around town. A game where you can shave in the police station kitchen. A game where you can read your fortune in your coffee and then eat a can of pickles.

It's sort of bonkers. And great. As I said though, there are a few things I have to note. I mean, first up, it's $25 or so, so you should know you're getting sort of a budget experience. There's a lot to Deadly Premonition (I've played it for hours and hours, and am only a few chapters in) so it'll last you, but the graphics are pretty awful and murky (trees are literally two polygons) and the character animation is sort of... weird. The controls are terrible. York aims his gun like he can only move his shoulders, not his elbows, and he drives that way too (be prepared to do nothing but swerve across the road like a drunk man.)

It's sort of bad, actually. The action sequences have a very "someone told us there needed to be more shooting in this game" way about them that means you spend really far too long fighting the same enemies over and over again, and it'll test your patience, because the joy in the game is exploring the town and chatting with the weird locals.

To say more would really spoil it, I think, because it's hard to explain away how fantastic the game is despite its awful controls and bad graphics without taking away from what makes it so great in the first place, the sense of uniqueness, the sense of surprise you get when each new weird and funny thing happens. Pick it up. I'm not going to say you're not going to regret it, because you might. Either you'll hate every second of it, or your head will explode from the awesomeness. I know which I saw, Zach.

[#2]

LOL, I'm way too curious about this game.  From the trailer, does the protagonist have a shave line through the front of his hair?  Also, what's up with the upside down bloody peace symbol?

This game looks bad, awful even, yet I think I'll pick it up.  I'm really into those grindhouse types that are overly bad on purpose.

Worst part of the trailer?  When the car spins in control.  It's like the game is intentially playing on tired movie cliches.

[#3]

That should say "intentionally".  For some reason I can't seem to edit my comment, d'oh!