Deadly Premonition | Red Seeds Profile | Rainy Woods (PS3 Director's Cut in Q1 2013)

[Carnivol]

Random game info (the "why should I care?"text):

Deadly Premonition (or Red Seeds Profile, as it's known as in Japan) is developed by AccessGames. It was first revealed at TGS 2007 under the name "Rainy Woods," but would shortly vanish off the radar and re-reveal itself in a slightly redesigned manner. Now called Deadly Premonition in the US and Red Seeds Profile in Japan, the game is an open world adventure/horror game which draws heavy inspiration from David Lynch material, namely Twin Peaks, but also obviously lets murder/mystery series such as X-Files be an influence.

Gameplay appears to be a mixture of survival horror and open world adventure gaming, with elements of puzzle solving, evidence gathering, shooting, fishing, time tracking, vehicle manipulation and survival horror mixed together. Combat appears to be yonder classic over-the-shoulder shooting segments, for when the baddies crawl out, with a few obvious QTEs thrown into the mix, and open world exploration of Greenvale's 8km^2 areal - where people seem to live their own little lives according to the arms of the clock.

AccessGames is a Japanese studio containing staff who've worked on many mention worthy titles of the past. On the credits list for Deadly Premonition you will find people who's names appear in both the very first Resident Evil title, various Silent Hill titles, and even some who've been involved in the Parasite Eve franchise. AccessGames' previous title was the mighty spy genre homage called Spy Fiction. Which played like a mixture of Tomb Raider meets Metal Gear Solid meets Mission Impossible. Before this, most of the staff either worked at Deep Space or Whoopee Camp. Deep Space did the early PlayStation 2 title called Extermination, which again was a mighty homage to the movie and TV industry, mainly drawing inspiration from The Thing. Whoopee Camp was responsible for the critically acclaimed Tomba! franchise on the PlayStation 1.

Deadly Premonition is set to release in the US on the 23rd of February at an MSRP of only $19.99, and is an Xbox 360 Exclusive in the US, but it will be available on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in Japan, but at a suggested retail price of 7,800 JPY (pre-tax).


Trailer Links
The TGS 2007 Rainy Woods Trailer
The November 2009 Deadly Premonition Announcement Trailer
The January 2010 Deadly Premonition Trailer
The January 2010 Red Seeds Profile Reveal Trailer

Other Videos
Agent Francis York Morgan - Profile Video
Emily Wyatt and George Woodman - Profile Video
Ingram Twins - Profile Video
Diane Ames - Profile Video
Harry Stewart and Michael Tillotson - Profile Video
Thomas MacLaine - Profile Video

Additional Links:
Official US Deadly Premonition Website
Official Deadly Premonition (US) Forum
Deadly Premonition (US) Facebook Group
Official EU Deadly Premonition Website
Official Deadly Premonition (EU) thread on RisingStarGames' forum
Official Red Seeds Profile Website
Deadly Premonition - Achievement List (may contain spoilers!)
Agent York's Twitter Account
Sheriff George Woodman's Twitter Account
Official Japanese Red Seeds Profile Website

Where to (pre-)order:
US Version:
Buy.com
VideoGamesPlus
DVD Box Office
GameStop
Amazon
YesAsia - US version
PlayAsia - US version

JP Version:
YesAsia - PS3 version
YesAsia - 360 version
PlayAsia - PS3 version

EU Version:
HMV
Amazon.co.uk
Play.com


Random Game Stuff:

Welcome to Rainy Woods...!?

I'm sorry, I meant to say;
Welcome to Greenvale!

Greenvale is a quiet fictitious town, hidden nicely within the state of Washington. It's not a large area. Covering only roughly an area of 8km^2 in size. It's a place with beautiful nature scenery, popular sights such as "Lake Knowledge", and is naturally the home of some lesser tourism and activity of an au d'natural-flavor. The town also has a clock tower, some larger mansions and estates, a small diner, and a sheriff's department. Once a small industrial town with over 6000 citizens, but now just the home to only a fracture of that number, thanks to the closure of local industry (such as the local sawmill). Those who didn't leave are mostly people who are native locals and grew up there.



Cast (as seen on the US website)

Age: Mid 30s
Your avatar. Francis York Morgan is a FBI agent in his mid 30's and specializes in profiling. York has been investigating a series of murders relating to "red seeds," which has led him to Greenvale where a bigger mystery waits to unfold. York also has a habit of reporting all information to a mysterious contact named Zach which no one has ever seen or spoken to besides York.

Click the spoiler tag to view the rest of the main cast listed on the US website.
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Age: 18
The murder victim that has led York to Greenvale. Only 18 years old, she was considered one of the most beautiful women in town, her long blonde hair being one of her more celebrated qualities. She was also known to be a very curious girl and it is believed this curiosity is what led her into the hands of the murderer.


Age: 6
Twins Age 6, they are the first to discover the body of Anna Graham. Both are very naive and believe Anna to have been a goddess of the forest. They are currently in custody of town resident Jim Green.


Age: 42
George Woodman is the Sheriff of Greenvale. He is very much the macho type but also an extremely reliable and astute officer of the law. His upbringing was largely influenced by an overly strict mother which he believes ultimately led him to becoming the person he is today.


Age: 26
Emily is the assistant sheriff of Greenvale. She is strong minded and also beautiful but hides this beauty behind a drab officer's uniform. Occasionally she will break this mold for special occasions but not often. She also appears to have a special interest in Agent York.


Age: 28
Thomas is an assistant at the sheriff's department. He is a very gentle and quiet person but also very perceptive. He is also the brother of Greenvale resident Carol MacLaine, owner of the "Galaxy of Terror" bar which Thomas occasionally works at on the side.



Age: 28
Ushah is the primary medical doctor of Greenvale and specializes in autopsies. He is considered intellectual but also very laid back. Although an accomplished doctor, his biggest interests in life are chess and eating potato chips, both of which he considers himself to be an expert at.


Age: 73
Harry is extremely wealthy yet wheelchair bound. He is also considered very mysterious and eccentric, wearing a gas-mask at all times and constantly brooding in his castle like mansion. Most of the town residents consider him to be nothing more than a mad man yet he appears to know the underlying secrets of Greenvale's past and present.


Age: 29
Diane is the owner of the Greenvale Art Museum. Her museum specializes in paintings and art related to forest life. She is very aggressive with men and dresses for success though not much more is known about her. She is also has a younger sister named Becky.


Age: 36
Nick is the owner of the popular A&G Diner and married to town resident Olivia Cormack. Nick is very silent and cannot be bothered when cooking but is still considered a decent guy. He also makes occasional trips to the art museum which many feel is very uncharacteristic.


Age: 55
Store manager of "Panda Bear," the town gun shop. He is an exceedingly skillful gunsmith and even known by people outside of Greenvale looking to sample his wares. Despite devoting himself to a career in arms dealing, he actually despises weapons and sees them merely as tools to kill. Although he never talks about it, Wesley's main hobby is collecting trading cards.


Age: 80
Polly is the owner of Greenvale's hotel. She is very lively and always outgoing but also very hard of hearing which some find irritating.

Gameplay:

A. Exploration
-You're free to explore and familiarize yourself with Greenvale and its surrounding areas, interact with its citizens and partake in local recreational activities.
-If a distance is just too far for being traversed on foot, or you're in a hurry to meet a scheduled event or appointment, there's a vehicle at your disposal (going by the website, it seems like this might pack a radio with a variety of music)

B. Investigation / Profiling
-Since you're in Greenvale for a murder investigation, and not for leisure, gathering evidence and piecing together clues is your main task.
-Interact with locations and citizens to learn more about the circumstances of things and examine crime scenes for clues.
-Putting your nose into other people's business is a classic sport! Do it!
-People have daily routines and such, everything wont lead you to a solution to the murders, but... hey... at least you're investigating something, right?

C. Combat
-When conflicts arise and talking your way out if just aint an option, you have guns. By now, people should know over the shoulder camera angles and QTEs.
-The town has a bit of a horror story/urban legend going about an old axe murder case of the past. Should you run into that guy, consider preserving your ammo and GTFO.

D. Other stuff
-You can purchase vital equipment at stores, such as tobacco.
-Should you acquire a fishing rod, Lake Knowledge might prove to be a place for a good catch.
-Stalking and investigating is dirty business! Do your laundry, young man!
-Stakeout means lack of a bathroom. Sure you wanna be seen in public with that 5 o clock? Your choice, man!
-Word on the street has it that all the cool people eat lunch with the Sheriff's department!


Some random media:
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Some old Rainy Woods stuff:

Spoiler:

show spoiler

Facebook banners:

Spoiler:

show spoiler

Facebook Ad:
Spoiler:

show spoiler

RAQ (randomly (re-)answered queries):
Q. What's the gameplay like?
A. Open World Third Person Action Adventure Survival Horror

Q. 8km^2 sounds rather large. How do I get around?
A.
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Q. I noticed I have a gun! Can I shoot something?
A. Take a pick!
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Q. I don't like shooting, is this game for me?
A. Possibly...
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Q. Is Agent York a bit of a cool guy?
A. Evidently...
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Q. What's the release date?
A. US seems to get it the 23rd of February, while Japan is set for the 11th of March. Autumn 2010 for Europe.

Q. I didn't check the box, but what's the game's rating?
A. Deadly Premonition is rated M for Mature in the US, CERO D in Japan, PEGI 18+ in Europe and BBFC 15 in the UK.

Q. Will the US or Japanese release be region free?
A. Only the PS3 version is region free, but it's Japanese only (English audio / Japanese text)

Q. What languages does Deadly Premonition have?
A. US 360 version has English audio and English subtitles, the Japanese 360/PS3 version has English audio and Japanese subtitles, the European 360 version has English audio and English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish subtitles.

Q. I'm stupid - What'd you say the price was again?
A. MSRP for the US is currently set to $19.99, EU is £24.99, and the Japanese release will be 7,800 yen (pre-tax).

Q. Remind me of where I can order this, please!
A.
Where to (pre-)order:
US Version
VideoGamesPlus
DVD Box Office
GameStop
Amazon
YesAsia - US version
PlayAsia - US version

JP Version
YesAsia - PS3 version
YesAsia - 360 version
PlayAsia - PS3 version

EU Version
HMV
Amazon.co.uk
Play.com

[rewak]

Like a cheap mans Silent Hill

http://www.deadlypremonition.com/

[Carnivol]

For those who're curious (and didn't read the news) - This is the game that was shown at TGS 2007 as "Rainy Woods". (I honestly had a moment of depression when I noticed a few days ago that the Rainy Woods site was taken offline... I thought it was canned after the whole THIS LOOKS LIKE TWIN PEAKS headline shit.)

Of course it looks like Twin Peaks. It's made by AccessGames, which is basically a relabeling of the studio "Deep Space". Combined, their list of games isn't big, but they have a bit of a movie thing going, with their previous titles being PS2 masterpieces[1] such as Extermination and SpyFiction.

Funnily enough, their staff consists of industry veterans. People who've even been with on and off with Capcom, having their names appear all the way back in the credits roll of Resident Evil 1 (The producer of Extermination was also one of the producers on Resident Evil 1). A lot of the staff on Deadly Premonition also have their names in the credits of various Silent Hill games (which doesn't really show too well in the graphics department, at least )

Anyway, the game is launching for $19.99 in the US. No clue about the rest of the world, but damn... I want it! I believe both James and randomwab are hot for it too.


[1]Subject of opinion

[YamiYumes]

It looks...interesting? For 19.99 I'd be willing to give it a shot. While the graphics look iffy, that's never really a problem for me if it has an awesome story line to go with it.

I'm just hoping there's something more to it rather than evil monsters running amok in a town though xD

[randomwab]

I've got a premonition....a Deadly Premonition....

Spoiler:

show spoiler

my premonition is that this game will be so hot all the blood will rush somewhere in my body and i could die.

Seriously though, the game looks fantastic. I was turned onto it by Carnivol after the TGS '07 trailer, and it looked like pure Twin Peaks awesome. We'd both moan at every free chance from then on about how we needed more information, and after seeing the news last night and linking Carnivol, we both almost blew out gaskets.

A lot of people were complaining about how derivative it looked, but really this isn't new, not only for this developer but for a ton of popular games, so if it's done right as it looks to be here, I don't see the problem. Other people were moaning about the graphics, but this clearly isn't a AAA title, and they clearly know this based on how they are releasing the title at basically a budget title.

My only worry is that at this price, the game might fall through the cracks, although Ignition seem like a pretty good publisher, and they seemed to do a decent job with Muramasa on Wii.

I think it's time to break out Extermination again and maybe finally play through Spy Fiction.

[The_15th]

It's over the shoulder and you have some big guns. I just lost all interest in this. Oh and you play a detective...

EDIT The graphics look fine. Why you say it's cheap? Then again, I think Halo and Gears of Wars look like steaming p.o.s.. Who am I to know anything!

[Carnivol]

I'll just leave these here...

[aris13]

ESRB rates Deadly Premonition for PS3

[Darkmoon]

...fuck no. Not fishing. I hate being made to fish. Zelda, I'm looking at you and I've got a hammer.

[Carnivol]

Heh. Wonder if the doors are still open on the PS3 version, or if it's axed entirely.
(ie. did they first pick up the title for publishing, to then axe the PS3 version for some reason... or did they pick up both, or just 360, with the PS3 version dangling in the threads of success weaved by the 360 version)


By the way, let's just dump some more random shots in here! These are all from the Rainy Woods days of 2007!

Spoiler:

show spoiler

PS: Fishing mini-games are awesome!

[rewak]

Fishing just looks out of place with the rest of it but, whatever, if it serves some purpose in the story why not? I'm looking forward to this game, hopefully it'll be released over here (or be region free)

[aris13]

A supernatural thriller starring Naomi Watts

[Carnivol]

The Ring?

[Zombie Fred]

Colour me interested. When is this out over in the UK? Extermination was a great game.

[Mr_Zombie]

The graphics are outdated, but since I saw that trailer in 2007 I've been interested in the title. And looking at those screens Carnivol has posted, the game doesn't look that bad.

[Canas Renvall]

Wow, this actually looks really good. And for $19.99, it's almost a definite buy. And I really could care less about the graphics. Might I remind you of SH2 and 3 (and 4, for that matter), people. Still scary stuff.

[The_15th]

The graphics look great. there's nothing wrong with them.

[Branden_Lucero]

the images look good but the website images made it look like shit.

[Stu]

Like a cheap mans Silent Hill

By all accounts, Silent Hill itself has only come to represent a cheap mans Silent Hill as it

[Enrico Marini]

Enrico be interested in this lightly veiled Silent Hill clone. Looks pretty interesting. Fingers crossed that its something I can sink my teeth into. If its better than Alone in the Dark it gets my approval.