Deadly Premonition (Formerly know as Rainy Woods) is a very difficult game to describe. It was originally planned for a 2008 release but complications due to its striking similarity to the David Lynch television show Twin Peaks caused it to be delayed. Deadly Premonition requires a special mindset to fully understand what makes its so great. In other words, it’s an acquired taste. From a “normal” point of view the game would be trash due to the graphics alike the last generation of games, stiff controls and sketchy voice acting. But ladies and gentlemen, that is what makes this game so damn fun. So many things are wrong in this game but that’s what makes it work.

You play as Special Agent Francis York Morgan (Just call him York, everyone else does.) Actually it’s tough to describe. While you do control York’s movements, you’re often given control as Zach for your opinion. Zach is York’s imaginary friend who resides in his head. Yeah, York is crazy. You as the player respond and listen to York as if you were Zach. This adds a strange element unseen in any other game. York is truly a memorable character with his awkward smiles, his misunderstanding of other’s emotions and his ignorance to what is appropriate diner talk. York is an FBI agent that is lured to the small town of Greenvale because of the murder of a woman (York’s preferred type of case). Your partners are local law enforcement sheriff George, deputy Emily and deputy Thomas. The characters just scream cliche. You just feel like you have seen them before. George is a hard-ass cop who does not appreciate the FBIs involvement in his home town. Emily is a kind women who does not seem like cop material but does it for greater good of her town. Thomas is probably my favorite of the three. The game tosses you some not-so-subtle hints about Thomas’s sexuality by his great cooking skill, his floral themed desk accessories and his timid nature during talks. All of the characters in Deadly Premonition are oddities.

Deadly Premonition is an open world horror game that sort of feels like a mixture of Silent Hill, Shenmue and No More Heroes. The entire town of Greenvale is open. There are loads of side quests, fishing mini games, collectible cards and other secrets lying around. There’s even another possible murder. York is man who loves his coffee, and his sleep. So of course there is a tiredness and a hunger meter you must maintain or else York will start to lose health. No worries though, they do not to be maintained to such a degree as to cause inconvenience. York will eat and sleep according to story sequences so very little attention needs to be given to the meters. There are loads of items to gather for your man York. A large assortment of food can be found all over Greenvale from turkey sandwiches with cereal in them to donuts. You never have to eat the same thing everyday. Coffee; which is vital to any FBI agent keeps York alert and in the story gives him life advice. He is a card ain’t he?

The enemies in Deadly Premonition are fairly plain looking but their movement and attacks will leave you dumbfounded. Not so much zombies but possessed humans, they will walk at you…backwards. The most disturbing and most original attack I have ever seen in my long years of gaming is in this game. It seems the enemies of Deadly Premonition love to tickle you…from the inside. Any chance they get, a backward leaning enemy will try to shove their entire arm into York’s mouth. The game is just full of WTF moments. While not equipped with many lines the poor souls will yell things along the lines of “I want to die!” in a very deep elongated voice. Like most of the audio in the game it will stick with you for a long time. The soundtrack is repetitive and awkward. One theme plays nearly every time there is dialog among characters. While it should be annoying, it turns out to be hilarious. Even if the current dialog is about brutal rape and decapitation. I found myself either humming or whistling to the soundtrack every time.

Now just because the game is enjoyable I won’t ignore its obvious faults, which from a technical standpoint are aplenty in this title. The controls are stiff. Aiming weapons seems a bit too constricting, as if the developers wanted to add weight to them. Melee weapons aren’t much better, but at least you can walk while wielding them. York suffers from ‘Resident Evil syndrome’. He just can’t seem to multitask using his legs and shooting. As for the graphics, they are pretty bad. Environments and objects are blocky and textures are at a low resolution. The draw distance is also mediocre. The town is pretty empty most of the time as well. An occasional car can be seen driving by or a significant character doing their dailies but the streets are pretty deserted. It looks like it was meant for the PlayStation 2. Yet somehow all of these faults don’t detract from the sheer awesomeness of the title.

Still I struggle with the words to fully describe Deadly Premonition. Something that should equal terrible and outdated somehow becomes a horror game masterpiece. The story, strange characters and the huge chunk of awkwardness that seeps from this game makes me love it. It’s not often that price is talked about in a review but Deadly Premonition is a budget title that I would have gladly payed full price for. For just $20 you’re looking at twenty hours of one the strangest and most original games in a long time. This is a must have title.

So says Mr. Stewart.

+ One of the strangest games ever.
+ A strange but interesting story.
+ Just $20.
- Outdated graphics and controls.

In a recent job posting by Climax UK we see that the company is looking for a Narrative Designer to guide the very same team that made Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

The job description is looking for someone who has a passion for the horror genre and can successfully convey solid story telling. So love for the horror genre is a must and a massive emphasis on story telling and its Climax.While the project will be for “next gen” consoles its safe to assume they mean the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (Sorry Wii). The true next gen consoles are a long way away.

With the critically acclaimed success of Shattered Memories and Climax’s interest in returning to Silent Hill we can reckon that this title will be Silent Hill Next. We have contacted Climax for response.

Source (gamesindustry.biz)

Akira Yamaoka may have left Konami after more than ten years to seek new experiences but he will return to the Silent Hill franchise if asked. Many assumed that because he left Konami he would never be able to work on another one of their games. Which is definitely not true.

“But if the team of Silent Hill asks me to work on the title,”I would like to provide brutal music for them.” he tells Kotaku.

Akira and his new partner Suda 51 are going to bring their talents together at Grasshopper manufacture to bring us that collaborative title with Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami but this may not be their only title. Akira also mentions how he wants to eventually do some work for a children’s game and not be solely labeled as a horror game guy. Kuraymi is also mentioned as not even being in development yet Suda 51. So horror gamers, we are left with good news and bad news. Akira will return to Silent Hill if need be, and Kuraymi may not be that mega horror title. Either way Akira, Suda and Shinji are amazing people in the video game industry and are bound to make a fantastic title horror or not.

Source (Kotaku)

Resident Evil 5 wasn’t the best game in the series for horror fans, but can Capcom please us die hard horror fans with the latest downloadable episode for the action fest? Is Lost In Nighmares a slice of what made the Resident Evil series the most well know survival horror franchise? Find out after the jump.

Lost In Nightmares takes place during a flashback scenario with Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine infiltrating a semi-copy of the very same Spencer estate that started it all in so many years ago. While the mansion may not be as expansive as before it does succeed in bringing you back to a state of nostalgia for those who played Resident Evil 1 or REmake. The content comes in at just under two hours long for a price of $5.

Don’t expect this to be more action porn with the same type of enemies’ non-stop. For the most part LIN is mostly puzzle solving with a semi-return of the classic zombie, also a new menacing creature that could have been an constant threat a-la Resident Evil 3’s Nemesis but it ended up being just one of many like it. The weapon assortment has been vastly decreased to a pistol, shotgun/machine gun and a revolver/sniper rifle. What weapons you find change per play through, while ammo for your bigger guns is also harder to come by which is an essential feature to a survival horror title.

This content made me happy and upset at the same time. Why? Because Capcom proved that it still has what it takes to make the Resident Evil series scary again and this content seems to tease us with that fact. The mansion looks better than ever; despite its cliche ambiance. I couldn’t help but want another Resident Evil remake using RE5’s engine. The (T/G)-Virus deserves its rightful place as the lead virus in the series.

To get the full experience of this chapter play it on the hardest difficulty, there are a few surprises in store. If you bought Resident Evil 5 and enjoyed its’ more action oriented gameplay but still missed the true survival horror experience then please buy this content. But be warned you will shed a tear when its over, so many years waited for just two hours of classic Resident Evil horror.

+ Brings you right back to what made Resident Evil amazing.
+ Its’ not action porn.
-Pretty short.

Seems like Capcom let this little DLC slip from any press release. Nothing substantial, but for you fans that love collecting virtual figures of video game characters you’re in luck. The DLC brings newcomers Rebecca Chambers and Barry Burton from earlier Resident Evil games; you know, the actual scary ones. The content is only available on Xbox Live. Seeing as how all of the new RE5 DLC will be a few days behind on the PS3 this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

P.S. Yes my HDD’s name is “Super Sexy Sunshine”. Wanna fight about it?

Microsoft’s annual Xbox convention has brought as a massive amount of news on Dead Rising 2. First and foremost we have a release date. The game will be released this summer! An August 31st release for North America and September 3rd for Europe. Very sudden but also very welcome.

Then there is the Xbox 360 exclusive Dead Rising 2: Case Zero mission that will be released before the game. It will be a playable prologue to Dead Rising 2 which will introduce us to our new protagonist Chuck Greene and link the original games events to the sequel. No pricing or release date has been given at this time. To see the new weapon creation system in action check the screens after the jump.

Click screens to enlarge.

Well look-e here. Looks like Capcom was serious about this whole “Reunion” thing. Rebecca Chambers (Resident Evil 0) and Barry Burton (REmake) are making a come back in the upcoming Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. Both Barry and Rebecca’s costumes are from their Gamecube adventures. Rebecca is a girly girl and she really shows it off in her finishing moves while Barry is a tough guy cliche complete with 1 liners and a beard. The 2 will be part of the Mercenaries Reunion pack DLC or bundled with the Gold Edition. Whether they come together in the same pack is unclear. Look for the first pack February 17th.

Hit the jump for multiple screens and the 2 trailers.

See that little greenish pic up there? Well thats something Visceral wants us to spend days trying to solve. Over the next 2 weeks they will continue to further reveal just what that tiny little pic is showing. All we have so far is that that may be Mr. Clark in the middle surrounded by green necromorph snot. Maybe Issac is inside a big baddies nasal cavity. Only time will tell. So keep an eye on Dead Space 2’s official Facebook page. While we stare at it…for hours…

Update: And now for round 2. The previous image was a zoomed view of what we now see. We see teeth and saliva, so its pretty safe to assume this is a mouth of some sort of necromorph, we’re guessing a worm. Lets see if we are right.

Update 2: Another image, another round of “WHAT THE F**K IS THAT?!” We still go with the wormy body idea, but you can now see what was once its eyes and possibly nose. We still can’t tell what this necromoph was before it was changed but its safe to say this thing will hardly resemble its original form. This is the 2nd to last pic. Next week we will finally see the full figure. Until then, ponder away and cry inside.

Update 3: Well here is the final image guys. Yes, I was wrong. It was not a worm… Even so, this new necromorph is still pretty ugly. He sort of shares some traits with Resident Evil 3’s Nemesis. They both share that sever cleft lip thing. So what do you guys think? Is this new necromorph not as good as previous? Is it scary or just goofy?

Source (DS 2’s Facebook)

Akira Yamaoka, the man behind the wonderful sounds that have accompanied every single Silent Hill game has now moved to Grasshopper Manufacture. The game company behind No More Heros and Killer 7. Suda 51, the acclaimed developer behind these games has always been an admirer of Akira and now he will be working along side him for their next game which is to be a horror title. Probably Kurayami. The game will be in the hands of Suda, Akira and Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. Yeah…..Epic. What ever these guys create is bound to be the weirdest and most horrifying game ever released. We are itching to see it come to fruition.

Source (1UP)

Dead Space : Extraction is a on rails shooter for the Nintendo Wii and while being pretty under the radar the game turned out to be a fantastic experience. With platform defining graphics, great gameplay and an engaging story. DS:E is a must have for Wii owners. Hit the jump to see our interview with Visceral Games’s Steve Papoutsis, executive producer of Dead Space: Extraction.

HD: It has been nearly five months after the release of Extraction, how do you feel about the reception the game has received from both fans and critics?

SMP: It’s been exciting to see how people have reacted to Extraction. Critically we are pleased with what people are saying about the game and happy that folks think it fits in well with the rest of the Dead Space universe.

From a fans perspective there has been lots of speculation around the game,its story, and characters. That’s been super cool.

HD: Compared to Issac in Dead Space, the characters in DS:E had a much more vivid and surreal experience when under The Marker’s effects. Was this a choice to freak out players more or did the effects of the marker differ with McNeill,Weller and Eckhardt ?

SMP: It was a mix of both. We wanted to show players what Dementia might feel like and going with the first person perspective gave us a chance to play around with some neat effects. As the story in Extraction unfolds you can see how the Dementia effects the various characters in the game.

HD: The game was just an adrenaline fueled thrill ride which felt like a grade A horror film. Frankly, the games story and presentation outmatched any recent horror film. How hard was it to find the right balance of gunning and narrative?

SMP: Thanks for the kind words. The team did a fantastic job of pacing out the gameplay and mixing in the story elements. We really wanted people to feel like they were playing a movie and I think in the end the game hits the mark. As far as pacing in general we needed to make sure we kept the action going but still had time to build the horror and suspense that players expect from a Dead Space game. Making any game is full of trial and error but the team was so motivated to make a great Dead Space experience that things just wound up flowing together nicely without a lot of tweaking.

HD: Lexine Murdoch is immune to The Markers effects and that immunity seems to pass over to anyone in her immediate vicinity. Is she the only one immune or are there others like her? We can’t recall Hammond ever complaining about delusions.

SMP: Without giving away to much Lexine in fact was special as you discover during the game. It is very possible that there are other people like Lexine but that is not expressly defined in Extraction. Hammond in the original game had a lot going on but certainly was also experiencing his own bouts of Dementia.

HD: If there was one thing you could have changed from the final product, what would it have been?

SMP: Hmm, I would have liked to have one more boss in the game. We had a design for one that I really liked but we wound up not being able to get it done to the right quality level and removed it from the final game. I would have also liked to tweak the cover a bit….

HD: Now this question you had to expect. What was with that ending?!

SMP: LOL! What do you mean? I don’t want to give any spoilers for players that have not played the game yet, but if you listen carefully there is a hint about Dead Space 2 in there.

Thanks for the interview and I hope we get to speak again soon about Dead Space 2.

Thanks to Steve Papoutsis, Melissa Ojeda and all of Visceral Games for the interview.