When initially released in 2010, Deadly Premonition was hardly a box office smash. Releasing quietly onto Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, the game by iconic and wacky Swery65 received mixed reviews, but now having been re-released on Nintendo Switch and with a sequel on the way, could Deadly Premonition 2 be the shot in the arm that the games industry needs?

It’s surreal to consider that we’re facing a sequel in 2020, especially considering Swery himself labelled the title less than an ‘economic success’ during an interview with Polygon in 2013, but in an odd nature befitting the bizarre cult classic, a sequel was announced earlier this month during a Nintendo Direct showcase.

Despite mixed reviews on sites such as Metacritic (where the game currently sits on a lacklustre 68) Deadly Premonition holds a soft spot in many gamer’s hearts due to wacky references, surreal plot arcs and memorable, emotionally connective characters, such as the gas mask wearing entrepreneur Harry Stuart, or the wisecracking, pop culture referencing Francis York Morgan himself?

With a sequel on the horizon for such a small budget alternative title, however, it begs the question, will Deadly Premonition 2 be the title that leads to a resurgence in the A and AA market that seems to have vanished from the shelves of today?

Remastered versions of classic games like the brilliant Resident Evil 2 and the fun yet infuriating Crash Bandicoot collection have been reported as having enjoyed success in the current market, leading publishers to jump on the remaster bandwagon.

Titles such as MediEvil (YES!) and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening are now arguably as anticipated as new releases, so could we potentially see a return by publishers to lesser priced, smaller budget titles if Deadly Premonition 2 succeeds in drawing back interest?

Deadly Premonition 2 is planned to release in 2020 on Nintendo Switch, so we’ll have to wait until then, which means we’ve got plenty of time to revisit the eerie town of Greenvale to meet the residents in the meantime!