I can’t believe it, Zach.
Nintendo just made another gaming dream come true this week when they announced that cult classic, Twin Peaks-inspired Deadly Premonition was coming to the Nintendo Switch. And as amazing as that was, the real news was that Deadly Premonition 2 was in production, and would be coming to the Switch as a launch exclusive.
If you have never experienced Deadly Premonition, now is the perfect time to grab it on the Switch. Deadly Premonition centers on Agent Francis York Morgan, who has come to the quiet Northwest town of Greenvale to investigate the murder of a young woman. Her death has revived rumors of the return of the “Raincoat Killer,” a serial murderer who shows up when it rains, which it happens to do in Greenvale quite a bit. More victims start piling up, putting York and the local police in a race against time to catch the killer before he or she strikes again. Deadly Premonition is heavily inspired by Twin Peaks in terms of story, and the gameplay is a mix of genres, pulling from games like Resident Evil, Grand Theft Auto and Silent Hill. You explore the open world of Greenvale, interview its townspeople, and engage in story missions, side quests and minigames while trying to find out who the killer is.
The game doesn’t look particularly good, the controls are not great, and it can be buggy at times. But that actually just adds to the charm. Some of the dialogue in the game is among the best ever–it’s genuinely hysterical. And despite the technical shortcoming, it’s a very ambitious game. I’m very excited about DP2, because I think we may get to see some of those ambitious ideas more fully realized in the sequel. While we wait for that though, I am more than happy to relive the original on the Switch.