The first post-launch patch for Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise has arrived, beginning to address the game’s frame rate issues. However, a promised ‘fix’ for transphobic content in the game has been called out by players for not going far enough to address the launch version’s issues.
In a tweet, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro, the game’s director announced the first patch, and said there were more to come:
Good evening everyone.
We updated 1st patch!! Still continue to fixing another task.
Please enjoy the journey in Le Carre!!#DeadlyPremonition2 pic.twitter.com/IPkiE4KepP— Hidetaka SWERY Skywalker (@Swery65) July 21, 2020
Last week, Swery apologized for transphobic scenes in the game after receiving feedback from fans, promising to rewrite one particular scenario where a transgender character is misgendered and provide a sanity check by “a team that included diversity” for other transphobic content. In a new statement from Swery, he notes that “the scenario where the problem occurred has been fixed. I didn’t change the important point of the story of this work, and I was able to make changes only where I wanted to make corrections.”
However, players have already noted that the alterations made to the scene appear to amount to a single altered line of dialogue, with much of the complained-about content – which includes misgendering and deadnaming a transgender character, Lena – remaining intact post-patch.
This Twitter thread from journalist Laura Kate Dale digs into what has, and mostly hasn’t, been changed in the patch. “It really does just feel like Swery basically removed that one line where York “Gotcha” deadnames Lena, and said job done. Beyond that, the game is barely touched,” Dale explains.
The patch has also addressed the game’s less-than-desirable frame rate. We reviewed Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise, scoring it a 5 and noting that the game’s stuttering frame rate is “the real serial killer.”
“Regarding frame rate improvement, we plan to gradually improve it,” Swery’s statement continues. “This patch is only partially fixing of frame rate, but we are preparing the next patch after this, ASAP.”
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Deadly Premonition 2 Patch Addresses Frame Rate, But Players Unhappy With Transphobic Content 'Fix'