This is not an uncommon sight in D4...courtesy of tumblr!
Swery is at it again. After the cult hit Deadly Premonition (a truly weird game that you need to play to understand, or at least attempt to), he has returned with quirky vengeance! As with Deadly Premonition, D4 has personality to spare, overblown and melodramatic in the oddest ways imaginable. Never have I experienced a game quite like this. However, quirks and an intriguing mystery cannot make up entirely for the lack of fully-developed gameplay systems, which is one area D4 fails to enthrall. David Young, a former detective in the Boston Police Department, is searching for his wife's murderer with the help of his former partner and his uncanny ability to use mementos to travel back through time and space. If that sounds a bit far-fetched, that's because it is. In fact, it's one of the craziest games I've ever played. To give away more of the story would ruin its bizarre impact.
This reminds me...where is the Xbox One's real baseball game?! And no, RBI Baseball doesn't count! Super Mega Baseball IS fun...screenshot courtesy of Nerds on the Rocks.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics are of the cel-shaded style, colorful and relatively simple. They aren't going to give your HDTV or Xbox One a major workout, though they are still palatable. They add further to the game's charm. Animations are a bit rigid, and the small environments aren't rendered in such detail that you'll stop to marvel at them. It isn't hardware-stretching, but I still enjoyed the flavor the visuals added to the absurd story. You'll see some insane things happen in this game, and the graphic novel-esque art style is a nice change of pace. There are fun little details in each level, and believe me when I tell you that you'll venture to find each one in all its strange glory, "next-gen graphics" be damned.
On the sound side of things, D4 is real solid. The voice actors do a fine job delivering the strange lines and melodrama, being as over-the-top as needed. For example, protagonist David Young has a stereotypical Boston accent that just adds another layer of absurdity to the story. The music is an eclectic mix of light pop songs and compositions. Effects are also suitably captured in the sound department. The sound design keeps the weird streak going. Try not to laugh as David and his partner inhale enormous amounts of food during serious discussions.
On the sound side of things, D4 is real solid. The voice actors do a fine job delivering the strange lines and melodrama, being as over-the-top as needed. For example, protagonist David Young has a stereotypical Boston accent that just adds another layer of absurdity to the story. The music is an eclectic mix of light pop songs and compositions. Effects are also suitably captured in the sound department. The sound design keeps the weird streak going. Try not to laugh as David and his partner inhale enormous amounts of food during serious discussions.
Gameplay
This is the part of the game that has the least to offer, in a technical sense. Any actions completed during the course of the story are quite simple. Move the left stick, mash the A button, click both trigger buttons at the same time, and select objects of interest in small environments. Wash, rinse, repeat. Most of the gameplay is comprised of examining various objects in the environment and running through bits of dialogue with the eccentric cast of characters. It's most similar to a traditional adventure game, though perhaps a bit more on rails. The interactions with these characters are probably the best parts of the game, particularly the meals you have with your former partner in David's apartment. There are also a few small mini-games scattered throughout, as insignificant as they may be, like a classic pipe puzzle and a phone quiz on aeronautics.
The most engaging parts of the game outside of getting to know the cast of characters involve action sequences in the form of absurd, extended quicktime events. Using a mannequin's leg to smash a baseball back towards an assailant on an airplane suspended in a reconstruction of the past is just one of many absurd moments in the game, and one of the many reasons I enjoyed the game. Probably my favorite parts of the game were the meals with your partner. The escalation in the amount of food consumed and the methods that are used are comical, and I even laughed audibly at David's treatment of his clam chowder. How rare! To give away any more about the goings-on in the game would be a disservice to you, the gamer. The weird discoveries you make as you work through a wacky yet violent world are the game's strongest parts.
I honestly couldn't get as involved as I would have liked, however, since the game systems in place don't involve much more than pointing, clicking, and moving. The quicktime events are exciting, and the aforementioned mini-games are interesting, but sliding the right stick to open a book only holds my attention for so long. I feel similarly about the Telltale Walking Dead and Game of Thrones series (haven't played Borderlands just yet). I really enjoy the immersion in the story, but I often prefer games with more substance in the gameplay department (something like Witcher 3 or Red Dead...games with compelling stories and engaging, active gameplay systems). That's not to say I didn't enjoy D4; my big gulp runneth over with the wealth of oddities in the game! It's a nice antidote to the glut of shooters on consoles (which I also usually enjoy, actually...). Note: The game can be played using the Kinect, but I used the controller. It worked perfectly fine, though maybe some people out there may want to dust off their Kinect camera lens and get down! Or avoid a cat-woman spitting out mice.
The game is an overwhelmingly odd adventure, one that let me down due to its short length and lack of gameplay outside the realm of simple button presses. Trivia about food is fun, but tidbits of info on Boston chowder does not make for the most compelling game...especially if it's not Cooking Mama! It just felt a bit too linear for my tastes, considering your actions in the game don't create an effect on the outcome of the episodes. In this way it is far different from the various Telltale adventure games, for example, which are all about split-second decisions that have ripple effects across multiple episodes. By sheer force of personality, however, D4 manages to draw you in, as long as you are willing to go along for the ride. Until next time, ride the wave. Safely, of course!
Graphics: Cel-shaded and simple. The animation isn't ultra-polished or top-tier, but it doesn't harm the experience. In fact, it makes the occurrences even more gonzo.
Sound: Solid voice work and an interesting selection of music. Over the top, but that's the point.
Replay Value: Thus far there are only a couple of episodes to play through, taking around 3-4 hours to complete. There are collectibles and extra cases to complete, and each time you complete an episode your stats are compiled for you to see, but the game still only has a few hours worth of value. There are more episodes coming soon (apparently), and it's certainly worth $15 if you want a weird experience.
Entertainment Value: The game is overflowing with a distinct brand of charm that can't be ignored. As long as you know the weird and wild story requires "quicktime" reflexes and suspension of disbelief, you'll have a delightfully deranged time.
Any questions that need answering? Well that's what google is for!! But if you have any specific questions about any game you can think of, let me know.
.....or are they?
The most engaging parts of the game outside of getting to know the cast of characters involve action sequences in the form of absurd, extended quicktime events. Using a mannequin's leg to smash a baseball back towards an assailant on an airplane suspended in a reconstruction of the past is just one of many absurd moments in the game, and one of the many reasons I enjoyed the game. Probably my favorite parts of the game were the meals with your partner. The escalation in the amount of food consumed and the methods that are used are comical, and I even laughed audibly at David's treatment of his clam chowder. How rare! To give away any more about the goings-on in the game would be a disservice to you, the gamer. The weird discoveries you make as you work through a wacky yet violent world are the game's strongest parts.
One of many quicktime events.
I honestly couldn't get as involved as I would have liked, however, since the game systems in place don't involve much more than pointing, clicking, and moving. The quicktime events are exciting, and the aforementioned mini-games are interesting, but sliding the right stick to open a book only holds my attention for so long. I feel similarly about the Telltale Walking Dead and Game of Thrones series (haven't played Borderlands just yet). I really enjoy the immersion in the story, but I often prefer games with more substance in the gameplay department (something like Witcher 3 or Red Dead...games with compelling stories and engaging, active gameplay systems). That's not to say I didn't enjoy D4; my big gulp runneth over with the wealth of oddities in the game! It's a nice antidote to the glut of shooters on consoles (which I also usually enjoy, actually...). Note: The game can be played using the Kinect, but I used the controller. It worked perfectly fine, though maybe some people out there may want to dust off their Kinect camera lens and get down! Or avoid a cat-woman spitting out mice.
The real way to eat hot dogs, courtesy of PC Gamer.
The game is an overwhelmingly odd adventure, one that let me down due to its short length and lack of gameplay outside the realm of simple button presses. Trivia about food is fun, but tidbits of info on Boston chowder does not make for the most compelling game...especially if it's not Cooking Mama! It just felt a bit too linear for my tastes, considering your actions in the game don't create an effect on the outcome of the episodes. In this way it is far different from the various Telltale adventure games, for example, which are all about split-second decisions that have ripple effects across multiple episodes. By sheer force of personality, however, D4 manages to draw you in, as long as you are willing to go along for the ride. Until next time, ride the wave. Safely, of course!
7.5 out of 10
Sound: Solid voice work and an interesting selection of music. Over the top, but that's the point.
Replay Value: Thus far there are only a couple of episodes to play through, taking around 3-4 hours to complete. There are collectibles and extra cases to complete, and each time you complete an episode your stats are compiled for you to see, but the game still only has a few hours worth of value. There are more episodes coming soon (apparently), and it's certainly worth $15 if you want a weird experience.
Entertainment Value: The game is overflowing with a distinct brand of charm that can't be ignored. As long as you know the weird and wild story requires "quicktime" reflexes and suspension of disbelief, you'll have a delightfully deranged time.
Any questions that need answering? Well that's what google is for!! But if you have any specific questions about any game you can think of, let me know.
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