Keza MacDonald: ''Hidetaka Suehiro – or SWERY, as he prefers to be known – has had the chance to do what very few game creators get to do: go back to his game after the critics have had their way with it, and make it better. Not THAT much better, admittedly, but then making Deadly Premonition too much better would rather undermine its shonky charm.
The original Deadly Premonition was at once one of the best and worst games I’d ever played back in 2010, an entrancingly bizarre suburban horror-adventure at turns undermined and enhanced by comically dreadful driving and shooting, extraordinarily weird characters and a story that’s totally compelling despite the fact that it makes almost no sense whatsoever. It’s often said that it’s the video game version of Twin Peaks, and it certainly has that destabilising, post-structuralist Lynchian thing going on. I still can’t quite decide whether it’s intentional.''
In anticipation of his upcoming collaborative project with Suda51, Hotel Barcelona, we had a chance to throw a few questions to White Owls CEO Swery.
Loved the first Deadly Premonition despite its jankiness. Bought the second but never finished it but I need to go back someday. Interested in this, hopefully it’s good. edit: I didn’t realize it was releasing this month and they have a physical copy for 29.99$. F it I will buy it knowing very little about it.
Is Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise a worthy successor to the cult-hit that was the first game?
Five projects? Get new details on Deadly Premontion 2, The Good Life, a "top secret" mobile game, and more from the one-of-a-kind Swery!
Yeah, me either. Will be interesting to see if it can recapture the weird appeal of the first one.
That's cool about DP2, I enjoyed the original mainly because of the Twin Peaks vibe but damn it was as rough as a badgers arse. More of the same but less janky sounds good.
If you really love Twin Peaks and David Lynch I think you would believe that Deadly Premonition doesn't work unless it has a good amount of jank. Twin Peaks the Return came out in 2016 and it still leaves modern special effects to the curb for a more handmade, practical feel. Down home yet surreal and existential.
I hope DP2 has a heavy helping of Twin Peaks as much or more than the first. So far it doesn't look that way. I'm concerned.
I loved Deadly Premonition! Such an odd wonderful game. Really happy it's getting a sequel!
