by theygamesHow do you even begin to make a sequel to something like Deadly Premonition? It’s a challenge I wouldn’t even know how to start, with the risks of getting it wrong far, far too high. The original game was a Twin Peaks-esque masterpiece that melded a sense of place with lashings of wonderful weirdness, and despite some pretty big problems it all somehow worked. The sequel, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise hasn’t quite hit all the highs of the original, but at a new historical low price I have to wonder – does it matter?
Deadly Premonition 2 puts you in the often-smelly boots of FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan as you investigate a murder both in the present and the past. What ensues, much like the previous open-world game, is a Lynchian exploration of small-town America. If you’ve ever watched Twin Peaks and found yourself wanting some damn fine coffee, you’ll be right at home in Morgan’s skin.
This second game never received the accolades the first game did. Probably one of the biggest drawbacks at the time was the game’s performance, as it struggled to run on the Switch with reviews reflecting that. Now on PC as of 2022 it’s a smoother experience, with many of the rough edges sanded off in the intervening years, leaving fans the chance to enjoy the game with fewer bugs and technical hitches.
For me at least, some of those rough edges are why I loved the original so much and their absence does sting a little. The original featured tons of driving in-between locations, now you hop on a skateboard and it’s a more involved and probably better affair, but I do miss the long esoteric chats in my vehicle. Similarly, the game’s soundtrack is a richer, more varied set of tunes but part of what made the first game such an enduring classic is its insistence of putting a whistling earworm right into your head.
Deadly Premonition 2, much like its predecessor, is an odd beast made up of disparate mechanics that separately don’t work, but together form something far greater than the sum of its parts. It won’t go down in legend like the first one did but it may still find a way to curl up and make a home in your heart.
You can grab Deadly Premonition 2 with 75% off until Thursday July 25, which takes its price down to a new historical low of $9.99 / £8.49 down from $39.99 / £33.99. Head over to Steam to take a look for yourself to see if this wonky wonder will become your next favorite unsung masterpiece.
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