I came to Deadly Premonition: Origins as somebody completely new to the franchise. I had no history with the game or its roster of characters, and knew only a little of what to expect, thanks to the trailer revealed earlier this year. Now available on Nintendo Switch for the first time, Origins is opening itself up to an entirely new audience of gamers. So, when I jumped into the rural town of Greenvale for the first time, taking control of protagonist York (and his split personality, Zach), I was immediately put on edge.
It doesn't take long for players to be forced how to learn the combat system. You're given a pistol and a quick one-two on how to take down enemy zombies, which quickly feels natural when playing handheld. I suggest popping in some headphones if you want the full horror experience, as nothing will send a chill down your spine quite like the walking dead admitting that they "don't want to die", just before you put them down for good.
The less said about the terrible driving controls however, the better. It's hard to see how much work would have had to be put in to fix these up just a touch, so it feels a little lazy and takes you right out of the setting the game works so hard to build.
Now, when it comes to the colour palette used in Origins, dark and dreary is being polite. If you want colour, then there are a whole host of other Nintendo Switch games you can pick up. This isn't the one. It's the DC Universe of the Nintendo Switch library. A dramatic and chaotic story that has huge payoff if you stick with it throughout.
Graphics are dated. This isn't a remaster by any means - just a simple port. That shouldn't be a killer for hardened gamers who want to experience the narrative; just don't go in expecting a current generation visual treat. Developers Access Games have done a fantastic job of building atmosphere and tension, and the writers have allowed for a real fleshing out of the story's lead characters. That's something that can often be lacking in a survival horror title, so it's good to see the trend bucked here.
The music included works well alongside the scares, but there are odd choices at times. It sounds particularly upbeat when you discover a new clue, which takes away from the serious nature of the crimes being investigated.
What I've seen from fans online is a little bit of confusion as to why the Switch port is the original game, rather than what is described as the "superior" Director's Cut. It's said that the former re-release had better visuals and controls, but as somebody new to the game, I cannot personally comment. From videos on YouTube however, it certainly seems that this is the case.
Still, don't let that put you off if you're able to grab the game on Switch, and experience it for the first time. It's a real testament to the horror genre; easy to see why it picked up cult status and became so popular in the years following its release, that a sequel has been confirmed to drop in 2020.
Deadly Premonition: Origins is available now on the Nintendo eShop, with a physical edition and a collector's edition from Numskull Games launching on November 22nd, 2019.
Tagged in Nintendo