{"id":4751,"date":"2013-05-14T20:19:22","date_gmt":"2013-05-15T03:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shshatteredmemories.com\/greenvale\/?p=4751"},"modified":"2015-11-19T06:47:43","modified_gmt":"2015-11-19T06:47:43","slug":"deadly-premonition-the-directors-cut-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.shshatteredmemories.com\/greenvale\/deadly-premonition-the-directors-cut-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Review"},"content":{"rendered":"
Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut<\/em> is a Playstation 3 re-release of the polarizing 2010 Xbox 360 title that follows FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan as he investigates a shocking small town murder. The original was released on both Xbox 360 and Playsation 3 in Japan but only the former was sold in other regions. Even with its limited release, a cult following developed over the years thanks to word-of-mouth advertising and high profile<\/a> play-throughs<\/a>. Thanks to the existence of this unexpectedly devoted fan base, Swery was presented with an opportunity to finally bring the title to Playstation 3 for regions other than Japan. This re-release not only gave Playstation 3 owners access to a previously exclusive title but also gave Swery an opportunity to address some of the issues that plagued the original release. The Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> promises an updated game play experience with revamped controls, new lighting and texture work, brand new cut scenes, and downloadable content to enhance your stay in the town. Being a huge fan of the original, there was no way I could pass up an opportunity to play the enhanced version of one of my all time favorite games so I\u2019m sure it won\u2019t come that much of a surprise that even with some unexpected technical hiccups I really enjoyed revisiting Greenvale in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em>.<\/div>\n

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\nReady to return to Greenvale Zach?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Deadly Premonition<\/em> is often cited as a game meant for a previous generation of consoles due to outdated controls, low resolution textures, and limited animations; in fact, it is often jokingly referred to as the best Sega Dreamcast game \u201cthat never was.\u201d Given the graphics quality in the original, expecting a drastic graphical overhaul for the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> release is unrealistic, but even though the overall style and models of the original remain pretty much the same, the upgraded textures and the improved lighting add an unexpected level of visual polish not seen in the 2010 release. I think what I was most struck by is how Greenvale finally lives up to its name with its vibrant, inviting, and lush greenery. The trees are fuller, to the point where some side paths – easily visible in the original game – are slightly obscured due to the added foliage. Another seemingly minor change \u00a0with major impact is the remodeling of the bushes<\/a> that line Greenvale\u2019s streets. In the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> they no longer look like vaguely green boulders scattered around the town; you can actually make out individual leaves and branches. Between the increased foliage and the removal of the purple filter, the overall effect is that Greenvale looks less muddy and brown<\/a>, and more like the small, wooded town it\u2019s meant to be.The improvement to the game\u2019s environments can also be seen on the new lighting and additional textures on the town\u2019s architecture. The new lighting is most noticeable on key buildings like the Sheriff Department<\/a>: the additional glowing exterior lights near the entrance makes the location seem more warm and inviting. But even more compelling are the improvements to the store signage and the wall art around town and indoors: they look more vibrant and, thanks to use of higher resolution textures, many have turned from illegible blurs to decipherable content. The shop signs and walls now have more detailed line work<\/a> and the buildings show varying shades of color that were either nonexistent<\/a> or hidden under the purple outdoor filter of the original. Admittedly, there\u2019s still repetition of buildings, like the six Mash Bros Markets on any given street but, overall, I think the new details make the town seem a little more lived in and definitely provide more to feast your eyes on than before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"green\"
\nGreenvale has never looked so green!<\/span><\/p>\n

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The new texture work around town isn\u2019t the only visual improvement: many of the character models, menus, and items have been given fresh new details. Most noticeable for me personally was the model work on Anna Graham and the Shadow enemies; the new texture work on Anna Graham<\/a> in the opening cut scene actually made her look somewhat attractive and the open sores\/rips\/scratches on the Shadow enemies<\/a> made them appear more menacing and corpse-like. But the modeling improvements go beyond a few characters, even the game HUD, loading<\/a> screen item images<\/a>, and in-game collectible trading cards<\/a> in Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> have had facelifts.Unfortunately, the improvements aren\u2019t universal; some areas went noticeably untouched and instances of low resolution textures crop up throughout the game. For example, during the cut scene where York takes the master key from the hood of a police cruiser outside the Great Deer Yard Hotel, a definite improvement can be seen in the textures of the hotel\u2019s exteriors, but the accompanying note is still low resolution and blurry<\/a>. But, even with the resolution inconsistencies, I was still very pleased with the overall improvement in the game\u2019s graphics.<\/p>\n

The original release of Deadly Premonition<\/em> is often criticized for its awkward and outdated controls; in response to that criticism, the re-release has completely redesigned, more intuitive controls. While the game is easier to control overall, there are a few changes that I feel are awkward for players of the original game (although it could be that I\u2019m just so used to the original control scheme I couldn\u2019t overcome my muscle memory): aiming the gun with the right analog stick instead of the left and the brake (L1) vs. boost (L2) arrangement for driving. The awkwardness of aiming with the right analog stick was definitely a muscle-memory issue, but the brake\/boost placement actually made the game more difficult because it caused me to second guess my response every time a turn appeared ahead of me; I definitely prefer the driving controls of the original. Both of these problems would have been easy to solve if the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> provided richer control customization; unfortunately, customizing the analog sticks and driving controls aren\u2019t allowed. Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> does offer an option to use the Playstation Move controls, but I don\u2019t have Move so I can\u2019t comment on its implementation.<\/p>\n

What surprised me most about the new control scheme of the game was the removal of York\u2019s 180-degree turn. At first, this omission seemed unhelpful because the strategy I used to defeat Wall Crawlers in the original hinged on turning quickly and shooting them down after dashing underneath them. \u00a0But, honestly, given how easy all the enemies die overall in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em>, the absence of the 180-degree turn wasn\u2019t a hardship. Wall Crawlers now have slower attacks and allow plenty of time to make a traditional turn to shoot.<\/p>\n

With all the changes I didn\u2019t like, one control change I did like was not needing to hold down a button to speed the presentation of text, which appeared line-by-line at a crawl in the original. In the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> the text appears quickly by default; no need to hold down a button!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"anna\"
\nAnna looks better than ever!<\/span><\/p>\n

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While the new control scheme did simplify gameplay, I feel that removing the original difficulty settings was a change for the worse: disposing of enemies is far too easy. In fact, I would say it\u2019s now unnecessary for players to bother finding the higher power weapons in the game because Shadows can be defeated with a few shots in the head using the default 9mm Infinite Handgun FBI Custom. Really, the only time I ever felt York was in any sort of danger was during the Raincoat Killer quicktime events where one wrong button push can result in instant death. I know combat isn\u2019t the focus in Deadly Premonition<\/em> but the neutered difficulty in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> makes combat, well, boring now that it offers no real challenge. I really wish that, instead of abolishing the difficulty levels, they had simplified the Easy difficulty and left the original Normal and Hard difficulty selections as they were so players like myself, who enjoy the challenge of the original, could still have the option to bump up the difficulty.Another big UI change in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> is the lack of fixed camera angles. Being able to move the camera freely and look at the environment is a big positive and useful when you find yourself fighting in tight corners. I had a lot of fun panning and zooming-in the camera to get a closer look at posters and other details around Greenvale and this ability made my return that much more immersive. Unfortunately, there\u2019s one instance where the fixed camera was dearly missed: the \u201cLily\u2019s Part Time Job\u201d side missions. \u00a0During these missions you are required to push three crates into position on three separate floor plans. In the original, the camera stays in an isometric view of the storage room so you can see all the boxes and where you need to move them at the same time. In the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> this overview shot is shown only for a few seconds before the camera returns to the normal over-the-shoulder view. The end result is that you have to make most of your moves from your memory of the floor plan. The mission isn\u2019t that much harder to complete, but I definitely prefer the fixed camera in this particular situation.<\/p>\n

The one UI change I really would have liked to see that wasn\u2019t in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> is the ability to zoom out the map. The map UI is one of my chief complaints about the original game and I know I\u2019m not alone in wishing it was fixed! So, fair warning, if you don\u2019t \u00a0already know your way around Greenvale things may be a little confusing for a bit. Fortunately, the map in Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> has one slight improvement that makes navigation a tad less frustrating for newbies: the small GPS map in the left corner of the screen now has the ability to enlarge and overlay the screen in real time<\/a> so you know the names of the surrounding areas and which way you are moving on the map. This makes navigation a little easier since the map now moves with you on-screen. That said, there is a downside: the feature is tied to the quick map button and while in this view you cannot scroll through the map. This means that unless the place you need to find is within the immediate vicinity of the GPS screen, you will have to click through multiple menus before you can scroll through the areas you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

While I consider the annoyances of the new controls and camera superficial, I was really sad to see frame rate and audio stuttering in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em>. Given that this re-release was supposed to fix the technical issues of the original, it was surprising to see that brand new ones had taken their place. Depending on who you ask, these technical hiccups can be considered either minor annoyances or game breaking issues<\/a>. Personally, I found them to be the former rather than the latter and, overall, my experience of the game wasn\u2019t diminished by the stuttering.<\/p>\n

I experienced frame rate drops mainly while shooting Shadows in the head and occasionally during the item pick up screen or while exploring certain areas of Greenvale. I also noticed stuttering during a few of the in-game cutscenes, but it wasn\u2019t a constant issue. Overall, I wasn\u2019t bothered by the dips in frame rate because they were intermittent, short-lived, and, more often than not, occurred during insignificant moments of the game so my gameplay wasn\u2019t hindered in any way. What I did find annoying was the audio issues that seem to plague the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em>. Not only are the sound balancing issues from the original still present, but now there are new glitches thrown into the mix. \u00a0Most noticeable is the echoing that\u2019s sometimes present during conversation and the stuttering of the background music – especially when the game is paused or on the start screen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"little_girl\"
\nThe new cutscenes featuring a little girl and her grandfather have little bearing to the Greenvale investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019m sure those who already own the original Xbox release are wondering about the additional content and if it\u2019s worth it to buy the game again. The story plays out just as did in the original release; the new cutscenes featuring a little girl and her grandfather have little bearing to the Greenvale investigation. Personally, I don\u2019t think a few extra cutscenes will be worth a $40 purchase so I would only recommend getting the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> if the improvements in the game graphics, controls, and future DLC entice you. With that said, as a fan, I really enjoyed the new scenes and I think the extended ending in the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> provides a much more satisfying resolution than the original (it even brought a few tears to my eyes). My only complaint is that Swery and company missed a perfect opportunity to include new side missions and dialogue.So overall do I think you should purchase Deadly Premonition: the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Hell yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the reasons I love Deadly Premonition<\/em> is the storytelling; in my opinion, it tells one of best stories in this console generation. Despite its technical shortcomings, the depth and charm of Greenvale\u2019s residents and the rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout York\u2019s investigation is nothing short of amazing. Francis York Morgan may be the protagonist, but during your stay in Greenvale it\u2019s hard not to grow attached to every resident you meet.<\/p>\n

So, yes, even with the framerate\/audio hiccups and small control annoyances I firmly believe that the story alone is worth the purchase. Overall, the improvements outweigh any minor issues I had and the additional cutscenes, especially the ending, definitely gives the advantage to the Director\u2019s Cut<\/em> over the original release. If you love a good crime drama with a dash of the paranormal, B-Movie theatrics, and a story full of heart, you\u2019ll be missing out if you don\u2019t give Deadly Premonition<\/em> a try.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Comparison Shots<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t