Several technical issues blemish this otherwise charming investigative-curio.
The game would have been a lot more interesting and atmospheric if there had been no gun-fighting sections. That sounds like an unusual speculation, but apparently this had been the developer's original intention before some advertising exec suggested it wouldn't sell well without guns - what a hero. With the fighting aspect came the whole gun collection/dollar 'score' element of game-play, which simply diluted the impact of the story for me.
It would have also felt more rewarding if the side-quests provided clues or leads that padded out the background - this could have brought the various areas in the town to life and rendered them far more memorable than they were. Equally, this would have made the 'real-life' map style all the more charming; instead, it leaned toward awkward.
Minor spoilers hereafter.
My main issue with this game was that you were unable to significantly affect the plot with your actions - having this ability would have encouraged me to play through the Deadly Premonition universe at least a full second time, especially if following a particular course of action changed the ultimate outcome. It would have been particularly interesting -and plausible, given the scope of the game and its inhabitants- if following one aspect of the case could only come at the expense of neglecting another.
On the whole though, I was impressed by the game's ability to draw me into the story - I did ponder over it outside of play-time, as the developer reportedly intended their audience to do. The general illustration of the environment was also fairly impressive, considering the budget restricting it.
There were several puzzles which provided little explanation for themselves, although I thought this forgivable as they amplified a general state of confusion and mystery which complemented the nature of the plot. The dream-like states into which agent York enters throughout the course of his investigation were a welcome concept, which provided the developers with the ability to introduce unnatural and often disturbing encounters that enlivened the game-play, whilst maintaining the sensation that the agent had roots in reality. The gradual blending of his two personal 'realities', though, led me to question which circumstances belonged in which reality, and ultimately as to whether the agent had lost/was losing his sanity along with all that that would entail. As I played through the game, I often shifted my suspicions between suspects, and even questioned the culpability of the protagonist - this was, in my opinion, the greatest strength and most enjoyable element to this game.
It is worth remembering that this game was produced with limited resources, and taking that into account one wonders what it could have been if it had been given the appropriate support. Regardless of such restrictions, I would happily recommend it to any fan of the horror-genre, and consider it amongst one of the most thought-provoking and immersive I've played in some time. However, despite the entertaining story, I found myself repeatedly regretting its execution, along with several arcade-style portions of the game which spoiled the experience it did have to offer.
I anticipate future games from this production team, and would certainly be happy to let them prove themselves using a larger budget and the feedback from this project.