One more cool thing about Greenvale is its terrific road system made up of plenty of nicely paved streets and is fairly light in terms of traffic. It’s a good thing this little town’s roads aren’t as busy as some bigger metropolitan areas around the country, as it would be much harder for FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan to get around and gather clues in his attempt to shut the book on that Red Seeds Killer case file. Of course, it’s also REALLY easy to be distracted by Greenvale’s other sights such as the A&G Diner’s excellent espresso, The Swery 65 Bar and its quality selection of beers and spirits and of course, a certain pretty girl who also happens to be in law enforcement. If this weren’t a murder case, it would be some sort of spring fling fueled by caffeine, pie and alcohol with a few smooches and hugs for good measure. But that sort of idyllic daydreaming can be troublesome with a ritualistic killer on the loose who’s got no compunctions about dispatching anyone he sees fit to if they get in his way…

(Cue dramatic music) To be continued…

The good thing about dropping into the formerly sleepy until those bizarre killings took place town called Greenvale is you don’t even need to have a REAL driver’s license, folks. That and the nicely improved driving controls are just ONE of over 100 great improvements to Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 from Rising Star Games on April 30, 2013. Featuring updated HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, game-expanding DLC and MORE, you’ll want to spend hours driving around exploring every street in your hunt for clues to stop that mad killer or helping out any citizens who need a bit of assistance.

Hmmm… I was wondering earlier today if Game Director Swery 65 actually drives a car in Japan or is he a public transportation sort of guy? Not that it matters, mind you – it’s just that the driving mechanics in the first version of the game were notoriously wonky to some critics and gamers. Granted, once you got used to them, they weren’t that bad. I actually kind of think this was part of the plan, as the game plays with its players on a few core levels from its visual style to smashing expectations of what a lead character in a game can be. York’s certainly a memorable main character loads of new players won’t soon forget. Of course, this just means more well-dressed cosplayers at the next big convention all York-ing it up and making Swery smile even more so than usual…

Welcome! It’s another Saturday night in Greenvale and yep, that pic above shows it’s slow once more at the Swery 65 Bar. Generally, the joint is jumpin’ as the Fats Waller song goes, but the recent Red Seeds Killer case has made the place turn into a tomb after a certain hour. While it’s bad for business from a tourist perspective, it’s great for the small town’s core drinkers who end up spending more money on slow nights getting their drink on and welcoming anyone who strolls in with a free beer or shot. If it weren’t for the bodies piling up, you’d almost want o show up at the bar every night, like on that old TV show with the catchy theme song that went something like this:

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

(“Cheers” lyric: © Gary Portnoy/Judy Hart Angelo)

Of course, I’d imagine that any sitcom set in Greenvale would have a grimmer opening theme or even odder, something particularly amusing in tone, as despite the axe-wielding killer stalking the woods, the sleepy town has a cool style all its own that keeps it going…

You’ll get to check this out for yourself soon enough when Rising Star Games’ Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut hits retail on April 30, 2013. Featuring over 100 improvements from the original version, updated HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, DLC and more, once you step inside this strange new world, you won’t ever want to leave. Well, except to get some real food, a beer or two and maybe use your own bathroom. The Swery 65 makes a good enough stop for a virtual drink and maybe some darts and pool, but those digital nachos aren’t the freshest thing on that limited menu…

I’d say those cheesy nachos are the sole thing wrong with the bar, as owner (and Game Director) Swery 65 runs a tight ship. The last time around, he didn’t expect so much traffic, so ther were a few bugs and other issues that had the user ratings all over the map as some people didn’t appreciate the quirky atmosphere and dated decor. Taking all that into account, he’s cleaned up the joint quite a bit and while it looks a lot better with all that extra polish, he made sure to keep just enough of the old flavor that fans of that nostalgia will be coming back and really liking that they see and taste.