Deadly Premonition - 360

There's a good chance most gamers haven't heard of Deadly Premonition. It was quietly and unassumingly released a few weeks ago, slipping under the radar as 360 owners busied themselves with Fable III.

Now, following the release of Kinect and Call of Duty: Black Ops, there's every chance this bizarre and quite brilliant game could disappear beneath the waves without so much as a ripple.

But miss out on Deadly Premonition, and you'll be denying yourself the chance to experience one of this year's most refreshing and engaging titles.

Taking elements from games such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil and Shenmue, creator Swery 65 has also added a Twin Peaks-style backdrop and laced the experience with cheesy dialogue, incidental humour and a smorgasbord of interesting characters.

While the influences are clear for all to see, it's safe to say there is nothing quite like Deadly Premonition.

Protagonist Agent Francis York Morgan - just call him York, everyone else does - heads out to the rural town of Greenvale to investigate the brutal murder of a young diner waitress. But what awaits him is anything but your average homicide case.

The game begins with an uninspiring section which could have been lifted from any number of survival horror games. York sneaks about a rain-soaked maze, flicking switches on electricity generators and shooting backwards-bending, shuffling zombies.

But once dawn breaks and the town of Greenvale comes into view, things take a dramatic and completely unexpected turn.

Rather than a mere run-of-the-mill fright fest, Deadly Premonition blossoms into a delicious and overblown parody complete with hammy dialogue, pop culture references and a wonderful, off-beat sense of humour.

Star of the show is York, who is far from being a straight-laced FBI goon. He has an obsession with 80s movies and the murder of young females, has a split personality called Zach and takes daily advice from cups of coffee.

But to appreciate Deadly Premonition, you'll have to dig through the game's archaic array of gamplay issues. Chief among these are the game's driving sections and crude visuals.

Cars corner like buses, while trying to stay on the road is no easy task due to the slippery handling. The graphics are a mixed bag, too, with muddy textures and ropey backgrounds hard to ignore. At times it looks like a 10-year-old PlayStation 2 era game, but there are some lovely touches and places of beauty in and around Greenvale - the fishing spot near Velvet Falls is lovely, while some building interiors are well detailed.

However, despite these shortcomings, Deadly Premonition retains a charm which is absent from most big-budget titles. For a start, it's without doubt the most amusing game I've ever played - and it has nothing to do with the "so bad, it's good" mantra.

The game revels in its obscurity and takes great delight at not taking itself too seriously, with the title's music being a case in point.

Even when addressing a serious plot point or somber set piece, Deadly Premonition injects light-hearted jazz or an infuriatingly catchy whistling tune to drown out the dialogue. It never fails to raise a smile and simply adds another layer of weirdness to this fascinating game.

When York isn't zooming around town in madcap checkpoint races, picking up collectable trading cards, playing darts, drinking cocktails, chain smoking, peeking through windows and raiding mailboxes for ammo, the game meanders into dark and depressing dungeon-style crawls.

These grimy episodes are fairly pedestrian, although they do contain nuggets of evidence which are vital in piecing the story elements together.

It's also a genuinely unsettling experience when faced with the game's cover star - the red-hooded Raincoat Killer. He kicks open creaking doors with gusto and leaps at York when he least expects it. These showdowns lead to Quick Time button prompts and furious stick waggling to escape the crazed killer's clutches. Not the most refined system in the world, but it does lead to tense and frantic moments of panic.

While most games would simply fall apart due to the basic gameplay and shoddy visuals, Deadly Premonition's environment, atmosphere, cracking story and off-kilter cast of characters keep things ticking along.

Greenvale's residents are a ramshackle bunch of misfits, each one adding to the general weirdness of the town; the creepy twins who appear as angels in York's dreams, Thomas, the sensitive cooking cop who works part time in a bar called Galaxy of Terror, finger-snapping rocker Keith who helps run the general store and unhinged loon Sigourney, The Pot Lady - it's a delightful mix of weird and wonderful personalities.

As if the gripping main quest wasn't enough, 50 optional sidequests are peppered throughout the game, each one rewarding the player with unique items. These vignettes also give the player an insight into the town's residents, fleshing out their background stories and adding another layer to an already richly rewarding game.

And the madness doesn't stop there. To add to the game's strange flavour, York has to change his clothes - and get them cleaned - and shave at regular intervals. He also has to stave off hunger by chomping down pickles and crackers and grab naps to keep him focused on solving the complex case.

Despite its clumsy gameplay, archaic touches and lack of polish, there's something truly remarkable about Deadly Premonition. It's a touching, melancholic, humorous, gripping and at times disturbing yarn that succeeds in trumping games such as Alan Wake at almost every turn.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure, but those who are willing to embrace its quirks and rough edges are in for a very special experience that will live long in the memory. Hats off to Rising Star for releasing the game in the UK.

The best £20 you'll spend all year - so says Mr Stewart...

Deadly Premonition is only available on Xbox 360 in the UK. A PlayStation 3 version was released in Japan under the title Red Seeds Profile.

Resident Evil 5 - 360/PS3

HOW much enjoyment you glean from Resident Evil 5 depends entirely on how you feel about the titles that have gone before. Those who love the panic-inducing moments, when, down to your last bullet you are confronted by a horde of salivating zombies, will revel in Capcom's latest survival horror. However, those who have found the series' archaic control set-up and clunky interface a pain, will be turned off immediately.
    Rather than moving the series forward, Capcom have instead decided to play it safe and have given fans essentially the same game they've been playing for years, albeit now in shiny high definition.
    The story this time starts in the fictional shanty town of Kijuju in Africa, where a biological outbreak has turned the residents into tongue-lolling zombies. Series fans will be giddy with excitement to discover the central character is Chris Redfield, the square-jawed protagonist from the series' 1996 debut. Joining him on the journey to get to the bottom of the terror sweeping the streets of the African town is Sheva Alomar. And while she can be something of a hindrance while playing the game solo, everything works a little better when two players join forces - either in local co-op, or online co-op.
    In single player, she often stands doing nothing while you are overwhelmed by the red-eyed undead. However, when a second player is introduced to the action, strategies materialise and the reassurance of a helping hand make the experience much less frustrating.
    I've already mentioned the archaic control system and it really does detract from the game. The main problem is you can't move while aiming your weapon. This leads to all sorts of problems when you're faced with a mass of festering flesh running towards you. You simply have to stand your ground and try your best.
    I understand this lack of movement adds to the feeling of panic, but EA's Dead Space lets you move when aiming while still managing to keep its panic-inducing gameplay intact.
    On the plus side, the pacing throughout the cinematic adventure is top notch, and Capcom have maintained their usual high production values. From the well animated characters and the cracking cut scenes, to the lighting effects and variety of locales, Resident Evil 5 is a visual treat.
    Ultimately, it's Resident Evil 5's co-op mode which saves it from becoming just another run of the mill survival shooter, but it's hard not to shake the feeling that Capcom could have done so much more with this latest entry in the popular series.

Dead Space - PS3/360

Taking elements from games such as Resident Evil, BioShock and Doom 3 and fusing them with sci-fi films Alien and Event Horizon, EA's Redwood Shores studio have come up with this belter of a survival horror game.

Dead Space puts you in the boots of Isaac Clarke, a space engineer who, along with a handful of colleagues, travels to the giant mining ship USG Ishimura to investigate why the hulking Planet Cracker-class ship has fallen strangely silent.

Upon docking with the Ishimura, it becomes apparent something has gone horribly wrong and when aliens attack and split up the team, Isaac finds himself all alone.
Utilising the tools of the engineering and mining trade as makeshift weapons, Isaac sets off to discover just what happened to the Ishimura and its crew and attempt to restore power to the ship.

Being a survival horror title, there are lots of dingy corridors, badly lit medical bays and unnerving flashing lights - and of course, aliens hiding in air vents.

The aliens - Necromorphs - are a gruesome bunch and these multi-limbed monstrosities come in many guises, from giant lumbering freaks to fast-moving mutants. The most efficient way of dealing with them is to fire at their limbs. Fortunately, you are equipped with a Stasis tool, which slows time, giving you time to set your aim for a more accurate shot.

As Isaac creeps around the Ishimura he'll find dozens of recorded messages and text logs from the now absent crew. This helps flesh out the background to the fairly generic storyline - and has the added bonus of 360 Achievement points or PS3 Trophies if you find a certain amount.

Workbenches are scattered around the ship, which can be utilised to upgrade Isaac's weapons and spacesuit. There are also a healthy amount of shop portals to find, where you can buy new weapons, ammo, stasis packs, medi packs and new suits.

The journey through the ship is a tense and atmospheric affair thanks to the fantastic graphics and the incredible audio work. Dead Space's visuals are wonderfully polished, and not once did I encounter any graphical gliches or slowdown during my playthrough. There were times, especially on the last level, when I stopped just to look around at the fantastic use of light and colour.

While the graphics are excellent, the audio work is the best I've heard in a game. The metal frame of the ship creaks and groans, scampering footsteps shatter the ghostly silence above you, dead crew members whisper in the background and metal pipes clatter in the distance. It's quite unsettling, especially if your playing through a decent audio set-up.

There are also some wonderful moments when Isaac enters zero gravity. These sections allow you to jump from floor to ceiling in a single bound and are enjoyable interludes from the claustrophobic corridors. The same can be said when Isaac enters the vacuum of space. The sound is muffled and, to add even more tension, your air supply drops at an alarming rate. Add in a few alien attackers, and things can get frantic.

The inventory screen is incredibly well implemented, and there's no need to pause the game. With the press of a button, your items and weapons appear in front of you in hologram form. It's a great system as it doesn't take you out of the experience.

I completed Dead Space in around 12 hours, and I'll definitely go back for more - if I get the chance. It wasn't the hardest of games to complete, but there were challenging moments. For the best experience, I recommend you play late at night with a decent set of headphones plugged in for an unforgettable experience.

Images courtesy of EA