Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise Reviews
If you’re not head-over-heels for Deadly Premonition, or if you were hoping that a sequel wouldn’t suffer from as many technical issues as the original, then you’re probably better off sitting this one out.
Mileage is very obviously going to vary on a game like Deadly Premonition 2 and I genuinely believe that should be embraced. For all of my (gameplay) criticisms, there will be another for whom they are points in the game’s favour and to them I say, have a blast.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is as bonkers as you'd expect and fans will no doubt enjoy catching up with Agent York, but a lack of atmosphere, dull action, serious technical issues, and the creeping sense that Swery is becoming a touch too self-aware conspire to kill the fun. Deadly Premonition 2 is for the hardcores – most other folks can safely close their investigation after finishing the first game.
Deadly Premonition 2 : A Blessing In Disguise is a sequel for to the fans of the first game and them only. They endure the toughness of this episode to discover the true story behind it.
Review in French | Read full review
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise wants to revel and self-praise its own absurdist nature, but at the end of the day the actual game attached to all the strange dialogue, mechanics and gameplay is painfully frustrating.
Overall, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise is exactly the game you expected it would be. A largely broken and mechanically mediocre game that manages to somewhat redeem itself thanks to its quirky characters and engaging story. If you’re able to look past the game’s many faults, you’ll certainly find an interesting story to experience. Otherwise, you’re likely to be left totally underwhelmed.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise is a welcoming return to its strange and absurd world, but feels diluted and missing many of the flavor notes that defined its predecessor.
It's a weird game to review because so many people are going to expect drastically different things. How many games force you to shave and send your clothes up for dry cleaning? How many times can you say that you hexed an old widow so that you could go bowling in the past...oh say decade or so? Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is another trip. You've been warned.
In the end, a traditional review may be rather pointless, since the Deadly Premonition games operate on the same level as a film such as The Return of Captain Invincible (possibly the lone cult '80s film that York shockingly doesn't reference): something that operates on a completely different plane of reality than the rest of us, one where the mere notions of "good" and "bad" don't really apply.
Revisiting Deadly Premonition's unique sensibility is fun, but aggressively poor production values and shallow gameplay make it tough to stick around
Deadly Premonition 2 delivers exactly what fans have been craving for years
A diamond in the rough which rightfully will deter some gamers. Fans of the original will not be disappointed with a trip to Le Carre whereas newcomers may feel like the game is not only set in 2005, but created then, too.
Deadly Premonition 2 is a failed sequel that completely loses perspective on those elements that made the first installment special. Its history and high doses of fan service still retain enough charm to satisfy many of its staunchest followers, but many others will be disappointed to have waited ten years to receive a product that is not only inferior to its predecessor, but in large part a betrayal of its spirit.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is messy, bizarre, and ultimately exactly what it needs to be: A great sequel to a cult classic.
Deadly Premonition 2 is a great follow up to a beloved cult classic. It has an intriguing story and eccentric quirks, but feels safer on the gameplay side of things.
Deadly Premonition 2 feels like a step forward from the first game. It still has the same quirky and unusual humour, but this sequel brings with it improved combat and better visuals. It's a shame it's held back by poor performance on Nintendo Switch, but fans of the original are going to love Deadly Premonition 2, the city of Le Carrè and the story it has to tell.
Veterans of the first game won't be expecting a technical tour-de-force, but Deadly Premonition 2 still manages to underwhelm in pure performance terms. However (and this is a big however), it's a game with real character and it's very tough to dislike, even as you stutter your way around Le Carré on your skateboard. If you've ever been intrigued by the original, we'd recommend giving this a go. It's janky and derivative, yes, but it's also irresistibly wonderful and strange, and there's no other video game quite like it.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is a transcendant pile of garbage. It's both strikingly ambitious and laughably imcompetent in every regard, which is somewhat fitting given the iconic status of its predecessor. But all the campy brilliance aside, it's difficult to overlook its monolithic performance problems and decrepit approach to game design.
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise is hard to love, even by the standards set by its predecessor. In leaving Greenvale behind for a style of prequel and sequel storytelling split across Louisiana and Boston, Deadly Premonition 2 jettisons the much of what made the original charming (along with some interesting mechanics and variety) in favor of an empty town and a story that serves up tropes and bits of lore that do little to enhance or build upon what made the original fascinating. All the while, terrible performance makes it more of a slog than its uninspired ideas and pacing do on their own.