Openly inspired by the series of David Lynch and yet endowed with a strong and singular personality, the first “Deadly Premonition” became a cult game after having experienced a very contrasting welcome when it was released in 2010. Very expected, its sequel does not disappoint not. And also: the amazing interactive film “Death Come True” by the author of “Danganronpa” and new versions of three remarkable games: “Catherine: Full Body”, “The Wonderful 101” and “The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature” .
“It is the decade that built the career of Forest Whitaker.” Crossing on his skateboard the peaceful city of Louisiana in which he is conducting his investigation, the FBI agent is inexhaustible on the filmography of the interpreter of Bird, recalling his first significant roles in the important teen-movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amy Heckerling, 1982) or in Platoon (Oliver Stone, 1986) and going so far as to promise him an Oscar soon, “maybe even for next year”. Which is pretty well seen from him since our story takes place in 2005 and Forest Whitaker will be just Oscar winner in February 2007 for his interpretation of Idi Amin Dada in The Last King of Scotland, filmed the previous year.
This curious agent is named Francis York Morgan – call him “York”, he cares, everyone does it – and he is not exactly a stranger. Ten years ago, he was already the hero of one of the not-so-numerous video games that really deserved the overused term of “cult”: Deadly Premonition. A game that, upon its release, deeply divided critics and the public alike. Many hated him, for his wobbly technique or for the quirkiness of his story, but those who liked him did not do it in half. They still talk about it today with a slightly strange smile and tremolo in their voices, and if what they say looks a little like a big joke, their tone leaves no doubt: it’s much more than that .
In the head
For those who would expect to discover a game more in line with current technological standards, the first steps in Deadly Premonition 2 might be a little difficult. Because if the game takes place in 2005, it also looks at times also to a production of that time and we can not advise too much to practice it on the Switch in portable mode rather than on a large format TV, where the modeling enough coarse of his characters and his animated disrespect are more noticeable. But basically what does the screen matter: Deadly Premonition, it is first in the head that it happens.
Like the first part, which did a lot for the reputation of its author Hidetaka Suehiro (alias SWERY or Swery65), Deadly Premonition 2 takes the form of a whodunit, but as filtered by the sick spirit of its main character who owes a lot to the Dale Cooper of Twin Peaks, major influence of Deadly Premonition. Except that where Cooper was recording memos for “Diane”, York is completely empty when he comments on the facts for a certain “Zach”. Sometimes he just calls him that, for no particular reason, on his skateboarding towards the hotel where he has stayed. And whose concierge, bellboy and chef, who bear the same name, seem to be the same person. Except that they deny it.
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Alligator
Quickly, York, who loves very much The Feline (1982) by Paul Schrader and thinks that the best shower scene in the history of cinema is in The Death Boat (1980) by Alvin Rakoff, comes to the assumption that, in order to resolve the case which interests him, it is advisable to look for a man measuring approximately 3 meters. But our hero does not lose the north anyway because, to obtain that a certain Mrs. Carpenter clears for a moment the bowling alley which she squats from morning to evening since the death of her husband and that, for a moderately clear reason, he needs to use, he will have the good idea to place in front of her house, at nightfall, an alligator figurine. And it will work – don’t ask us why.
Immerse yourself in Deadly Premonition 2is to accept that, in order to produce these kinds of situations, reason has undergone a kind of mutation. Especially since the digression, verbal (like when York, suddenly, wants to inform us of the importance, in these eyes, of the state of the toilets his evaluation of a bar or a hotel) but also playful, here is the rule rather than the exception. It is a game which, even more than by ruptures (even if it offers quite striking ones), proceeds essentially by shifts: from one idea or meaning to another which almost almost but not completely contradicts it, of a serious task to the next rather buffoonish, but presented with the same seriousness.
Dissonance
Even more than GTA (for the open world and the structure of the missions) or Shenmue (for the daily report and the passage of time, which can be accelerated by smoking cigarettes), No More Heroes from another Japanese original, Goichi Suda, that often makes think Deadly Premonition 2. But one No More Heroes who, rather than the hyperactive and neo-punk card, prefers to play that of the casual ballad, jazzy and even almost serene despite his madness. The feat of Hidetaka Suehiro and his accomplices is there: in this way of making all this craziness appear natural rather than deeply destabilizing. To make dissonance melodious and heady.
“You should dedicate all your free time to watching movies. We should even make it a law”, says agent Francis Zach (yes, “Zach”, here) Morgan at the start of the game (which, before leaving in 2005, starts today). He is not wrong, provided he also keeps some for video games. For the good, in any case, those who, without necessarily having the air, make them travel far and that you leave a little changed, say reconfigured, clearer and open, less hollow. Games like Deadly Premonition 2.
Deadly Premonition 2 : A Blessing in Disguise (Toybox Inc. / Rising Star Games / Nintendo), sur Switch, environ 50€.
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And also :
“Death Come True”
With Danganronpa, Kazutaka Kodaka has signed one of the most striking visual novels of the last decade. His latest project dates from a significantly different genre because, interpreted by real actors and closing in two hours, Death Come True adopts the form of interactive film. But with a twist because, if he regularly offers the player to make choices, they do not always have the consequence of launching the story on a new road. Sometimes, none of the options offered can also be described as “good” and the death of our character, with return to the starting point, is inevitable for an effect An endless day assumed which makes the case both less readable and more intriguing. Among the expertly mixed ingredients of Death Come True: a hotel, a serial killer, the virtual and a great love. The result is highly recommended.
On Switch, iOS and Android, IzanagiGames, around € 18. To appear on PS4 and Windows.
“Catherine : Full Body”
Already available on PS4 since last year, the revised and increased version of Catherine, subtitled Full Body , is also coming to the Switch. For those who have not yet been exposed to it, it is an excellent opportunity to discover one of the most stimulating and, at the same time, the most problematic Japanese games of recent years. Between two nightmare phases / puzzle-game who see our character climbing towers in pants with sheep’s horns on his head, we talk about love, sex, (in) fidelity and genres in a way that oscillates spectacularly between a touching subtlety and the most misogynistic and transphobic stupidity hopeless. One thing is certain: Catherine : Full Body can be visited with profit.
On Switch, Atlus / Koch Media, around € 50. Also available on PS4.
“The Wonderful 101 Remastered”
Already well advanced by Nintendo with its main hits of the time, from Mario Kart 8at New Super Mario Bros U, the reissue of the best games of the unloved Wii U continues with one of the most amazing titles by Hideki Kamiya, The Wonderful 101 , who entrusts us, not one, but a multitude of superheroes to lead, never as powerful as when they are allies. If, technically, the port is not above all suspicion, the developers of Platinum Games have managed to compensate for the absence, on the PS4 and Switch that host it today, of the second screen (touch) that the Wii U version used abundantly. The result is an action game as dynamic as daring coupled with a beautiful tribute to the series Super sentai.
Sur PS4 et Switch, Platinum Games / Just For Games, environ 45€.
“The Wanderer : Frankenstein’s Creature”
It is always a pleasure to see a beloved work land on a new playing machine likely to increase its reach. In the case of The Wanderer,which relates in a unique way the life of the creature of doctor Frankenstein and was one of the outstanding games of last year, it is the turn of the Switch to enter the dance, while waiting for the Android mobiles which are expected to follow in late August. Very neat, this adaptation is a new reason to recommend this superb game.
On Switch, La Belle Games / Arte, around 15 €. Also available on Mac, Windows and iOS. To appear on Android.
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