Deadly Premonition, discover the strange hidden nugget of video games despite rather mixed Steam reviews!

Gaming has had its fair share of quirky titles from titles like Binary Domain to Shadows of the Damned to the new Wanted: Dead game. None hold the weight in my eyes like Deadly Premonition does. The weird factor of this little town of Greenvale has a grip on my memory like Twilight Zone does when I sit at three in the morning and it pops on my cable. Greenvale is a small town in the middle of the woods that draws the most mysterious of people in. Small towns are riddled of petty crime where the neighbors know everyone and everything that happens. Characters gossip about each other on who each person truly is and what their pasts hold for them. Then, there is our crazy main character who goes by the name of Agent Francis York Morgan or York. York is brought to the small town of Greenvale to investigate the murder of a young girl and gets caught up in all that the quaint town has to offer. All of this is bundled into what I consider the greatest murder mystery game of all time. While the game initially received terrible reviews, many praised its story and the complexity of the characters. I am here to explain what makes this “terrible” game so good.

One of Agent Francis York Morgan’s many facial expressions.

Francis York Morgan is one of the most memorable main story characters I have had the pleasure of coming across. His witty banter and ability to solve any mystery in front of him while dealing with inner demons creates for a character that has incredible depth. Upon entering the town of Greenvale, York is immediately suspicious of all around him, including the police he works with to unravel the mystery. It seems as if he puts up a front to interact with the townsfolk in which he is generally not interested in. What actually interests him is the front that people use to hide their actual emotional details, covering up their faces with deceit and lies. York, being experienced in crime and oddities, along with serial killers, uses these skill sets to carve his way through the alibi of each townsperson. If York is ever interested in a conversation besides one with Emily, it is his own. By it being his own, I mean that Agent Francis York Morgan speaks to his alter ego, Zach. Now, I could go ahead and explain who Zach is but that would ruin the fun. I much prefer you go play it after reading this.

What seems comparable to the size of GTA V, in which you can buy GTA V accounts here, is the town of Greenvale and the buildings you can enter. Of course it isn’t nearly as detailed and clean as Los Santos, but the town boasts the sleepiest vibe you’ll ever feel from a video game. The dark brings on creatures into York’s world, as trees and shadows fill into the rural homes of those who inhabit the area. Every townsperson who lives in a far away building seems to be as weird as they sound. Along the way, York meets people from the likes of a cemetery gravekeeper who loves his job due to its loneliness, all the way to a rich millionaire who knows of the secrets that the town holds. The spectrum of what Greenvale covers comes with more surprises than lulls, opening the player up to a world of curiosity and stand-out character. As a matter of fact, I would put this world as one of my favorite towns from a video game ever. Some may say that that’s giving too high of praise for such a low-budget title, but I truly love the Twin Peaks-esque style that it brings. The mystery encapsulates everything that the game is about, while the town brings that mystery into living color.

The dialogue of the game is atrocious in the best way possible. York’s witty humor and hobby of watching movies shines through in some of Xbox 360’s and Playstation 3’s greatest cutscenes in a game. There is an entire scene where Agent Francis York Morgan interacts with a person from the town who recommends he try a certain type of weird sandwich combination. York goes on to order the combination in the diner while talking to his colleague about the strange nature of the ingredients in the sandwich. Upon eating his first bite, York goes into a frenzy over how incredible the taste is, baffling the viewer and his colleague in how he could like such a vile concoction of ingredients. As bad as the writing and some of the voices may be, it allows us to grow close to the characters and their charm for local culture. Especially York. When driving around Greenvale, York will often input facts about his favorite movies to fill the dead air created by long trips. Not only do we get random odd facts about films but we get to delve deeper into Zach and York’s mind on why they are the way they are. Let’s not forget the famous quote in which York says, “Do you feel it, Zach? My coffee warned me about it”. He quite literally sees fortunes, futures, and the past in his morning coffee. Amazing, isn’t it?

Lastly, the story plays out in a way that almost nobody expects. The strongest part about this game is the story it tells to the unsuspected player. I got recommended this title by my brother who searches for “hidden gems” of games and I couldn’t put it down. I also can’t find many other games with as great of stories as this one. The legend of the “Raincoat Killer”, how murders are happening, and who it could be all elopes into a heck of a ride. We are taken through an emotional rollercoaster of death and rebirth, in which nobody would see what happens towards the ending.

“The Raincoat Killer” in his natural habitat, laying in wait for a victim.

Agent Francis York Morgan is a curious character in a town that feels home to many of us. Greenvale feels like it could be where I used to live and where others may currently live now. The safety and oddity of small towns in which everyone knows each other and murder fills the lip of all townsfolk who have their own suspicions. Few games create the tension and pure dread of horror that Deadly Premonition has. We even received a sequel that I personally thought was fantastic after a couple of patches. However, nothing will ever beat the original in my eyes, and I highly recommend you try it out if you haven’t. Keep reading Eldorado.gg for all hidden gems and finding the best marketplace to buy items, accounts, and more on.