It's sandwich-makin' time

It's time to jump on your skateboard, grab your Sinner's Sandwich, and frame rate into oblivion, as Rising Star Games has announced that Swery65's tongue-in-cheek-but-also-actually-bad Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is now available on PC via the Steam Store.

As a quick refresher, Deadly Premonition 2 was the long-awaited follow-up to the notoriously goofy 2010 release, Deadly Premonition. The sequel features a dual storyline that sees put-upon investigat??or Francis Zach/York Morgan investigating a Bostonian murder in the past, while being interrogated over said?? case and its horrendous aftermath in the present. Guide our hero in past and present as they uncover the sinister psychological torment that lies beneath the surface of the sublime Le Carré.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSy6-23ihEQ

While Deadly Premonition 2 features the strange dialogue, goofy action sequences, and overall sense of compelling weirdness that is the series' trademark, it was also lambasted at launch for its myriad technical issues, some of which went beyond the realm of parody and into poor value. Unfortunately, according to reports in the Steam forums, it seems that this new port carries its ow??n weight in both new and old technical issues, (though it seems that the frame rate issues have been fixed).

In true Deadly Premonition style, it seems that this release is really just for those who have no problem dropping cash on irony, warts and all. Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch. The Steam port is b??eing sold at a discounted price until June 18?.

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Pre-pack your Sinner's Sandwich

Rising Star Games may be getting set to port rubbish adventure Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise to PC in 2021. As spotted on ResetEra, the wack and wacky supernatural thriller popped up in a financial report issued by Rising Star's parent company, Thunderful Group, suggesting that ?the Ninten?do Switch title will come skateboarding onto Steam this year.

Deadly Premonition 2 tells a dual story of investigation featuring returning protagonist Francis Zach Morgan and FBI agent Aaliyah Davis. The two cha?racters work to unearth the truth behind a weird case of occultism, located in the unnerving town of Le Carré, Louisiana. The adventure's singular plotline spans the course of a decade, with players bouncing between both the past and the present while indulging in odd conversations and sill mini-games.

The long-awaited sequel was mostly mauled upon release, with critics panning its poor voice acting, rudimentary visuals, and terrible frame-rate. While the quirkiness of the characters was enjoyable, the storyline was not quite as engaging as its predecessor. "Ha ha, it's so bad, it's good!" gets you so far, and Deadly Premonition 2 is ar??guably an unnecessary extra punchline living in a crowded market of excellent, equally-priced releases.

Still, for those who wish to take a walk on the janky side, this?? PC port will open up the bafflingly bad world of Francis Zach Morgan - alongside his friends, enemies, and sandwiches - to a whole new audience. We'll be sure to give you a heads-up when a release date is officially announced.

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The first patch popped up today on Nintendo Switch

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise got a patch today to fix bugs, glitches, the absurd frame rate, and some problematic content, but the game's post-release update plans have only just begun.

According to creator Swery, today's patch is only a partial fix for Deadly Premonition 2's poor frame rate, and the team at Toybox Inc. plans to "gradually improve it." He also commente??d on the revised script – specifically, its portrayal of a trans character that he says "might have hurt transgender people."

"The scenario where the problem occurred has been fixed," Swery said in a statement posted to Twitter. "I didn't change the important point of the story of [Deadly Premonition 2], and I was able to make changes only where I wanted to make corrections. Therefore, I am confident that fans who were worried that 'this fix may change the essence of the g?ame' will be reassured."

It's unclear if scenes or dialogue will see further tweaks in the future, but as one player put it on Reddit, the "cleaned up" lines &ndas?h; some edits, some outright removals &nda?sh; were "kinda awkwardly handled."

Another player pointed out that with this first patch applied, "York's skateboard conversations are no long???er activated automatically" and "there is now a button prompt to trigger them. Still seems to pull from the whole pool, but at least we won't have to hear 'This is the deep south' as often!"

An inverted camera option is also on the way, according to producer Tomio Kanazawa.

Having not played Deadly Premonition 2 yet but watched enough of the hilariously long opener to be stok?ed about Francis Dank Morgan, I'm happy to continue waiting while these fixes settle into? place.

@Swery65 [Twitter] [Via ResetEra]

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Bless

Folks who love Deadly Premonition the most will tell you that it's rife with technical issues, but those quirks only make it more lovable. Most fans were also relatively forgiving of the game's less-than-ideal social messaging, particularly around concepts of gender. Not to spoil it, but there is at least one gender non-conforming character in the game that??, while sometimes displayed in a sympathetic light, still plays into more than a few n?egative stereotypes. 

Many guessed that The Missing, a newer game by Deadly Premonition's creator, was an apology for Deadly Premonition in that regard. By most accounts, it does a fantastic job with trans representation. That had fans of Swery, the director of both games, hopeful that Deadly Premonition 2 would follow a sim??ilar tre??nd. Again, no spoilers, but suffice it to say most of those fans are disappointed.

In fact, the way protagonist Francis York Morgan talks about trans people – and later, to one trans person in particular, who features heavily in Deadly Premonition 2 – almost com?es off as self-parody. It's one thing when this series is intentionally or unintentionally "bad" for a laugh, but when it comes to the game's depiction of this marginal??ized population, many are not amused.

In as strong a display of empathy as I've ever seen from a game director, Swery has announced that he's p??lanning to consult with advisers, rewri?te these parts of the story, and patch the edits into the game.

That's... unheard of. Most would just apologize and move on, but it's clear that Swery really wants his game to express his earnest compassion for all people, and he wouldn't be satisfied wi?th leaving things as they are. Personally, I'm enjoying the game quite a bit, so the idea of seeing it get any new and im??proved content is music to my ears.

@Swery65 [Twitter]

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Press FK to pay respects

Never in a million years would I have thought that Deadly Premonition would get a sequel — or that I'd get to review it.

Here we go.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise (Switch)
Developer: Toybox Inc.
Publisher: Rising Star Games
Released: July 10, 2020
MSRP: $49.99

If you haven't played the original yet, stop what you're doing and pick it up. Or maybe don't. Such is the conundrum of the Deadly Premonition...series, as of this week. Like your average David Lynch film (I'm utterly abusing the word "average" with that link, my apologies Zach), Deadly Premonition isn't for everyone. I?t's weird. It's wild. It's possibly dated. T??hat mentality hasn't changed much in the sequel, for better or worse.

This isn't your typical "high polished AAA or even AA release." It never once claimed to be. This is a messy, muddy Switch exclusive: just the way a lot of us like our Swery games. But it's going to be a tougher sell this time around unless you're hyper-invested in Deadly Premonition already. No one expected that the original would be Twin Peaks in disguise. It kind of crept up on everyone, with no Nintendo Direct hype behind i??t. The game just...existed. This time, nearly everyone saw it coming, and there's expectations att??ached to that.

In my walkabout quest to navigate all this, I was lost at sea and let the trashy waters of Deadly Premonition 2 wash over me — after all, the phrase "harem of bikini queens" is uttered mere seconds i??n. There's absolutely no option but to be pulled under the current of that body of water. This surreal disconnect is doubled-down upon in the sequel with the concept of two narratives: one serving as a prequel (with the original's Francis York Morgan), and the other taking place in a more modern setting (with protagonist Aaliyah Davis). I don't need to tell you that it's a roller coaster how they wax, wane, and blend as the game progresses.

It's a very dialogue-heavy game. You'll spend a lot of time looking at evidence and chatting with suspects and townfolk. But all the while, you'll continue to get sucked into the bizarre world of Deadly Premonition. This universe has roots at this point. Lore, if you will. And a lot of York's backgro??und and motivations are explored in the sequel. 

I wholly respect this route, as it allows DP to move away from the "inspired by" motif and into its own territory. York is still charming as hell, and his insane-yet-calm demeanor is incredible to witness as it plays out; as are his opinions on film (like how, after freshly watching Michael Bay's The Island, he claimed it would set the bar for action for decades to come — he'd be a killer online critic). It doesn't have as many explosive momen??ts as the first (Swery offloaded a few narrative loads already), but they are present.

But while the story conceit takes a certain kind of patience and open-mindedness to enjoy (shots fired), the actual gameplay is much more down-to-earth. Like the original, this is an open-world joint (Le Carré, which is "just outside of New Orleans," is the setting), complete with a skateboarding traversal system and minigames dotting the landscape. This is Swery to a tee, but I also get massive Clover vibes with Deadly Premonition 2. Running around the sunny ("searing light" as Yo??rk calls it) Le Carré is equal parts tedium and joy.

Riding around on a skateboard beats the hell out of driving that car in the original, but it's still trying at the best of times. (Thankfully, fast travel is unlocked quickly enough.) The time mechanic returns from Deadly Premonition, which means a lot of waiting around,? going to sleep at your hotel, or using plenty of cigarette items to advance the clock. There's even a few good old fashioned vague scavenger hunts that are going to elicit myriad walkthroughs for years to come.

Exploration is also hampered by the finer technicalities. I wasn't kidding about things being rough! You know those "sub 60 FPS: unacceptable!" people? They're going to hate this. While the character models pop a bit due to their uncanny designs and cartoonish accents, the framerate is often all over the place, especially in portable mode and particularly outside. While moving about indoors is respectably playable, all bets are off when you hit the great outdoors. At times, it can be like watching a slideshow (I also had one crash total to boot). Toybox Inc. does?n't have the best track record for technical stability and they didn't mag??ically mend that reputation with this project.

Having played games since the '80s, this is jank I can deal with. The PS1-era was rife with these kinds of bug-ridden fairweather adventures that I had some of the best times of my life with. But you might be thinking: it's not 1995, it's 2020! And I realize that. Do not go into the sequel assuming that a decade later, Swery and his team made it a priority to eliminate jank. This is a late-stage PS2 game running on a non-slim PS2. Combat is still a broke-ass Resident Evil 4, and I'm not talking abou?t a remaster: I mean broke-ass circa 2005. When the framerate for your loading screen is more stable than the actual game, you know you're in for a wild ride.

It's a weird game to review because so many people are going to expect drastically different things. How many games force you to shave and send your clothes up for dry cleaning? How many times can you say that you hexed an old widow so that you could go bowling in the past...oh say decade or so? Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is another trip. You've been warned.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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'Zach, this reminds me of a film'

Deadly Premonition 2 is ??back ?again with another obtuse, progress-gating quest.

Here's how to snag some anaconda skins and pressed whi?te guara.

Why is it obtuse, you may ?ask? Well, th?is is one of the few missions in the game that doesn't provide objective markers.

If you look closely, however, the phrase "park" is written on the mission description itself. That park is actually right next to the church, where you'll find anaconda skins littered?? about?? the ground randomly.

Nope: you don't need to hunt and kill snakes to find them! They're just...there. You can find that location on the map below if you need further assistance.

For the squirrel quest, which is obtained along with the aforementioned hunt, you can wander around the town and look for red dots on the map: just take down squirrels and grab the loot until it's ??cleared. Now, you're ready for phase three.

Similarly, the pressed white guara (a flower! I had to Google it) could send you on a bit of a scavenger hunt if you look for it before the anaconda skins. That one does have an objective marker, but you need to finish the anaconda skin quest first: ??then it'll tell you to go to the concierge at t??he hotel.

This game!

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Hey Zach, I need some help here buddy

Leave it to Deadly Premonition 2 to make such an innocuous quest so difficult.

Here is one of the least-spoiler-filled guides of 2020. Here's how to find a can of spinach: a key quest item in a critical path story mission in Deadly Premonition 2.

Shortly into Chapter 2, you'll be tasked with collecting a can of spinach.

Why is this a huge deal? Well, it could be in any vending machine in the game, and you??'re not given any guidance as to where it's located. Here's a few tips to help nudge you in the right direction, alongside of a direct location of where I fo??und it.

After scouring the huge open world for a few hours (and completing sidequests along the way), it finally dawned on me that vending machines are actually highlighted on the map.

All you need to do is press X, head to the map screen, a?nd locate the faintly drawn brown vending machine icons. From there you can set a waypoint and locate them yourself.

Want the solution?

This is where I found my can of spinach: right below Melvin's House in the southwest corner of the map. To all the people Googling this? years from now, I hope you're enjoying this wacky a?dventure.

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If you're worried about how it runs, there's a glimmer of hope

We know what we're getting with Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise, and I've accepted that fate, but maybe some of its many technical setbacks can be overcome. I'm not asking for perfection – this is Deadly Premonition, you know? – b?ut even a slightly better frame rat?e could go a long way.

Following a bit of back-and-forth? about the game's post-launch update plans, here's the latest word.

Thank you all for your feedback regarding #DeadlyPremonition2!

We would l??ike to officially clarify that the de??velopment team are constantly working on improving the title and patches are in the works.

More news soon!

— Rising Star Games (@RisingStarGames) July 9, 2020

As publisher Rising Star Games puts it, the developers at Toybox Inc. are "constantly working on improving the title and patches are in the works." It's a vague reassurance, but a reassurance all the same. I figure plenty of you are going to show up on day one regardless. I would, but July is packed.

If you're wondering about the bowling alley, listen to this important message from Swery.

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Trouble tracks me down

The Le Carré tourism board does exactly half of a good job selling this quaint little town as a relaxing getaway destination. I was sold right up until "Everyone's as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine." The Casa Pineapple might be enough for me to throw caution to the wind.

The population is about to grow a little bit as Special Agent York comes to town. But, the population will subsequently drop as townsfolk are gruesomely murdered and fed to alligators. That's the circle of life, I guess; York shows up ?and strange killings overrun the city.

Deadly Premonition 2 is only two weeks out, launching on July 10 on Switch. We're assured so??me bonkers writing and ridiculous overacting. Apart from that, no one really knows what to expect. It's gonna be a wild ride one way or another.

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Find the Hidden Tape

We're less than a month out from the release of bonkers mystery title Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise. Thanks to a new update on the Nintendo.co.uk, more information has been revealed regarding the upcoming sequel's intriguing? "Two Cases, One Mystery" narrative.

The first case is set in 2005, (five years before the events of the original game), and sees Special Agent York teaming with the local sheriff's daughter, Patricia Woods, to investigate a grisly multiple murder case in the town of Le Carre,? nestled deep in the Louisiana outback. Meanwhile, in 2019, FBI agent Aaliyah Davis and veteran detective Simon Jones are looking into ??some strange disappearances in the heart of Boston. Could these cases and characters be somehow linked? Well, It's pretty obvious that they are, but it will be the player's task - as both York and Aaliyah - to piece together a grim mystery 14 years in the making.

Fortunately, it's not all corpses and poorly-made sandwiches, as York is able to take time out to enjoy some of Le Carre's local colour. Not only will there be a whole host of side-cases to complete, but York can also visit the local bowling alley, take a ride through 'gator-filled swampland, skim ston??es across the river or??, naturally, go skateboarding, You're through, Hawk.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is something of an anomaly. With any new release, expectations are hopeful that the final product will turn out awesome. But the Deadly Premonition name now carries with it a certain, well, crappiness. As such it almos??t feels like developer Toybox may have to intentionally find a sweet spot between being Terrible/Good and Terrible/Terrible. Is that harder than simply making your game "great?"? Possibly. But either way, all eyes will be on this very strange sequel come launch day.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise launches on Nintendo Switch July 10.

Deadly Premonition 2 details stor??y, characters, and activities [Gematsu]

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Before and after

Fill the thermos with piping hot joe, we're in for some long summer nights. Come July, we're back on the case, trying to solve more bizarre serial murders that stretch across America and across time.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is set for a July 10 launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch at a price of $50. The follow-up to 2010's legendary (and, uhh, divisive) Deadly Premonition, this entry acts as both a sequel and a prequel. The present-day story has FBI agent Aaliyah Davis hot on the trail of some murders in Boston. However, these are connected to killings committed in Louisianan town Le Carré 15 years ago. Familiar face special agent? Francis York Morgan heads up that inve??stigation.

The case-cracking goes with a side of sweet kickflips. Le Carré can be traversed while on skateboard, and customization includes "[?upgrading] your skateboard for improved speed and landing more difficult tricks." There are mini-games too which include bowling, "bayou ride," and a skateboard challenge. Get hopped up on coffee and do a 900 Christ Air over the alligator pit.

For those who missed the reveal last September, Swery is prominently involved, serving as both the writer and director. ?With that key piece of information, you know what to expect: The unexpectable??. 

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Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2020

Of all the things I never expected to see pop up in a Nintendo Direct, a sequel to the cult favorite horror mystery game Deadly Premonition is at the very top. I?t's actually hap?pening. Let's just catch our breath.

The story is a journey between the past and present ?with our old pal Francis York Morgan and FBI agent Aaliyah Davis, who will? reopen a case that takes players "back to New Orleans 14 years ago."

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is scheduled for 2020 from Toybox, and in the mean time, a port of the original game, Deadly Premonition Origins, is hitting the Switch eShop later today. Aksys Games is also preparing a physical collector's edition of Origins for North America in November 2019.

The question on everyone's mind: is Swery returning for Deadly Premonition 2? Yes! He's working o?n the sequel as "director / writer." Cue a 10-hour "Life is Beautiful" YouTube video to?? celebrate.

"A miracle has happened," Swery said in a press release. "I'm working hard day and night while also l??ooking back on the past to make sure this becomes something that doesn't change no matter how much time passes, while also adapting to and interlocking with the current era – a game that encompasses all. Please get? yourself a cup of coffee and wait for it to be completed!

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