Deadly Premonition

Overview

Deadly Premonition (known in Japan as Red Seeds Profile) is a third-person open-world psychological horror game developed by Access for the Xbox 360 (worldwide) and PlayStation 3 (Japan only). It was released in North America by Ignition on February 23, 2010, in Japan by Marvelous on March 11, 2010, and in Europe by Rising Star on October 29, 2010.

Set in the fictional American town of Greenvale, the story follows FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan as he investigates a series of brutal ritualistic murders while uncovering the rural town's deep, dark secrets. Along the way, he encounters a variety of locals (who have differing attitudes regarding the investigation and his bizarre demeanor) and is regularly ambushed by the mysterious Raincoat Killer (as well as many supernatural creatures).

The game quickly developed a cult following, and is known for its unique story, absurd humor, and eccentric protagonist (as well as its strong similarities to the American serial drama Twin Peaks). Giant Bomb recorded two parallel commentated playthroughs (Endurance Runs) of the game: one featuring Vinny Caravella and Jeff Gerstmann, and the other with Brad Shoemaker and Ryan Davis. Along with enhanced ports and re-releases, the game later received a direct sequel in 2020.

The PS3 version received an enhanced re-release by Rising Star and Toybox, titled Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut for the English version and Deadly Premonition: Red Seeds Profile - Complete Edition for the Japanese version. It was released by Rising Star in both Europe (on April 26, 2013) and North America (on April 30, 2013), and by Toybox in Japan (on March 12, 2015), and features new story content (in the form of new cutscenes, including an extended ending) as well as a vastly improved control scheme, sharper visuals, downloadable content, stereoscopic 3D support, and PlayStation Move support.

After a successful Steam Greenlight campaign, the Director's Cut version of the game was ported to the PC on October 29, 2013 as a digital release (with the European version also receiving a retail release by Mastertronic on November 15, 2013). It is the first version to adopt the "Deadly Premonition" branding for the Japanese version. It was later ported to the Nintendo Switch as Deadly Premonition Origins on September 4, 2019 (released by Rising Star in North America and by Toybox in both Japan and Europe). It later got a retail release, with the North American version released by Aksys and the European version released by Numskull.

Gameplay

Most of Deadly Premonition takes place in the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective. Players control Francis York Morgan (or other characters in certain chapters) as they navigate around town, searching for clues. Moving the left stick controls the player's movement while moving the right stick controls the camera. (In rare occasions, the camera is fixed in a particular location) Holding down the X button causes York to move faster (slowly filling up his Pulse Gauge in the process). Holding down the X button and pressing down on the left stick causes York to perform a quick 180-degree turn. Holding down the left or right bumpers cause York to strafe left or right. Pressing the Y button toggles York's flashlight (though he doesn't seem to be physically carrying any flashlights).

Certain objects and items can be interacted with (using the A button) or observed (using the B button). Observing objects often gives a text dialog indicating what it does (though sometimes it's necessary to proceed through the game). Interacting allows York to pick up items (if he has enough space in his inventory), go through doors (which can be opened faster by running while interacting), push boxes and use objects. Items can also be automatically placed into York's Toolbox by pressing the Y button.

Hunger, Fatigue, and Hygiene

Deadly Premonition utilizes hunger management and fatigue management systems. Along with Health and Pulse gauges, York also has a Hunger Gauge and a Sleep Gauge, which both slowly depletes over time. If the Sleep Gauge is fully depleted, the Hunger Gauge depletes quicker. If the Hunger Gauge is fully depleted, the Health Gauge starts depleting. Eating food items such as lollipops and cans of pickles restores some of the Hunger Gauge, as well as eating at certain establishments in Greenvale. Drinking coffee or root beer restores some of the Sleep Gauge, as well as sleeping in beds. (which also restores the Health Gauge and advances the time)

Along from managing hunger and tiredness, the game also has a hygiene management system. Hygiene isn't indicated by a gauge or a meter. Instead, it's indicated on York's character model. Opting not to shave results in York growing an awesome beard (with no negative effects), while not sending clothes to the dry cleaners causes flies to gather around a smelly York (hindering bonuses that appear during normal gameplay). York starts with three suits, which can be changed and sent to the dry cleaners by interacting with suitcases. He can also find other suits by completing side quests, with some suits also giving bonuses (for example, wearing the Passion Red suit boosts York's maximum health).

Driving

Navigation and exploration of Greenvale (the game is open world) involves driving cars. Early in the game, York obtains a "Master Key" item, which can be used to operate police cars. Later in the game, York can purchase faster, better-handling cars from the Greenvale Scrap Yard (including York's own car, which must be repaired). Each type of car has different speed, brake power, handling, and power. Driving different cars also plays different piece of music, while driving some cars give bonuses to York (such as York's car, which regenerates his health).

Holding down the right trigger accelerates the car, while holding down the left trigger activates the car's brakes (when the car is moving forward) or accelerates the car in reverse. Holding down the B button activates the handbrake (for quick turns). Holding down the X button activates the sirens (only on police cars) while boosting the car's acceleration and top speed. However, using the sirens slowly fills up York's stamina bar. Pressing either bumpers change the camera angle to one of three angles (including a first-person perspective of York). Pressing the A button while stopped causes York to exit the vehicle, while pressing the A button while driving (at certain times) causes York to talk to the other passengers (or Zach). The D-Pad is used to toggle windshield wipers and turn signals, pressing the Y button toggles headlights, and pressing the left stick activates the horn.

While driving, Gas and Endurance meters show up on the bottom-right corner of the screen. The Gas Meter slowly depletes as York drives, and can be replenished by driving to a gas station . If the Gas Meter is fully depleted, the car will stop functioning. The Endurance Meter depletes as York bumps his vehicle into other cars, walls, and obstacles, and can be replenished by driving to the gas station and letting Gina the Rose (or her husband Jack the Raging Bull) wash the car. If that meter is fully depleted, the car will catch on fire. Failure to exit the car quickly causes the car to explode, killing York.

Combat

During certain parts of the game, York finds himself in places affected by the "Other World", an unexplained phenomenon (that only York sees) in which dangerous supernatural enemies exist. In these places, the atmosphere turns dark and grungy (often times including a rainstorm), and the player will be attacked by Shadows (corpses "possessed" by evil spirits, which cannot see but can hear human breathing).

York must enter these areas in specific parts of the story to progress, but the outdoors of Greenvale are also infected by the "Other World" between midnight and 6:00 A.M. In the latter scenario, York will also be attacked by ethereal birds and giant dogs. York can temporarily hide in dumpsters at this time to escape the beings (in which the Pulse Gauge rises, forcing York to abandon the dumpster when the gauge reaches maximum).

York has a variety of weapons to deal with Shadows, including ranged weaponry (ranging from pistols to rocket launchers) and melee weaponry (ranging from knives to katanas). Ranged weapons have finite ammunition (and must be reloaded) while melee weapons have finite durability (and must be discarded after it breaks). Pistols have unlimited ammo, and players can find other weapons with infinite ammo or infinite duration by completing certain side-quests.

The traditional Shadows move slowly towards York (sometimes warping around to mess with his aim), sometimes in freaky stances, and either attacks with their current weapon or by grabbing York in a freakish way (both ways draining his health).

Profiling

When investigating crime scenes or suspicious areas, York will come across clues and evidence tying the setting and recent events that occur there; the actual profiling is a series of non-interactive slideshows that are partially blocked out by white noise. Each profiling section consists of a set number of clues and are represented by key icons on the screen. After each clue is retrieved, players have the option to profile the crime scene again for bonus points, and each round of profiling removes more of the slideshow's white noise.

Side Missions

Throughout the game, players can partake in the game's fifty side missions ranging from beating a high score in a darts to driving an old lady home. Upon completion of a side mission or a set of related side missions, the player is rewarded with items such as trading cards. However, some of the more intensive tasks offer greater rewards. For example, finding an unnamed flower for George Woodman will grant access to the Radio, a device used for fast travel.

Cars

Main Characters

Special Agent Francis York Morgan

A peculiar FBI agent who specializes in profiling serial killers based on minor clues. Prefers to go by his middle name. Slightly crazy and nonsensical, he often refers to and consults a mysterious entity named "Zach" by verbally expressing his inner monologue. He smokes and hardly flinches during uncanny situations. He often references old pop culture; for example, he has a conversation about Tom & Jerry during the prologue. He acquired some of the scars on his face on his assignment prior to the Greenvale murder, in which he apprehended a Catwoman wannabe who laced razor blades along her fingernails. He is very particular about his coffee, believing he can perform a type of divination from the "symbols" in the milk cloud. His name was "David Young Henning" in the original version of the script.

George Woodman

Born and raised in Greenvale and later became the Sheriff. He has an obsession with small town justice and fitness. After the murder, he is reluctant to let York work on the recent murder case and prides himself on his upkeep of the local police department. He has two dumbbells called "Arnold" and "Sylvester", named after famed action movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. During his childhood, he suffered physical abuse from his mother and received "tree punishment", a method in which his mother swung a tree branch and scarred his back.

Emily Wyatt

Moved to Greenvale when she was in high school and later became the Deputy Sheriff of the town. She often serves as a mediator between York and George, and is more willing to comply with some of York's more unconventional investigation methods; York, upon meeting her for the first time, thinks she's "easy on the eyes". While her sheriff's uniform doesn't overtly sexualize her, there are moments where players are teased with reveals of her body. During a specific part of the game, she becomes a playable character.

Thomas MacLaine

Born in Greenvale, he is the other deputy under Sheriff George Woodman's charge. He's timid and a bit of a klutz, however he is an excellent cook and makes a dynamite biscuit. He tends to add comic relief to the game's proceedings. He helps his sister, Carol MacLaine, run the "Galaxy of Terror" bar in the evenings after he gets done with police business. He is also curiously well-versed in flying squirrels and other rodent trivia.

Anna Graham

The first victim of Greenvale's murder case. Her body was found tied to a tree and discovered by the local woodsman and his two sons. Her name is a play on the word "anagram".

The Raincoat Killer

A superstition of Greenvale who supposedly appears during rainy days to murder a resident of the town. York encounters the killer numerous times throughout the investigation and manages to evade continued attempts on his life. Evidence from Harry Stewart ties the Raincoat Killer to events in Greenvale kept secret by the government. During one of the game's chapters, he becomes a playable character. Only tangentially related to the New Raincoat Killer, the murderer who brings Francis Morgan to Greenvale.

Forrest Kaysen

A travelling tree sapling salesman who is a regular visitor to Greenvale. Everyone seems to know him but he is usually seen with the twins Isaac and Isaiah Ingram. He is never seen without his dog Willie. SWERY seems to be fond of this character as he also appeared in Spy Fiction as a scientist.

Minor Characters

Gina the Rose

Dressed in sexy cowboy attire, Gina runs the "Heaven and Hell Gas Station" in Greenvale. She's always saying suggestive things like "Let me know if you want me to pump it." when York stops for gas. She will also wash his car, which magically repairs all damage for a fee. Multiple car washes unlocks a special car wash video. Many of the Greenvale townsfolk come to the gas station to have Gina wash their cars when her husband Jack the Raging Bull isn't around.

Story

The game's story is divided into episodes which are then split into chapters. Each chapter usually revolves around a pivotal moment of the game and often involves a single revelation or investigation twist. When loading a save file, the game will play a brief cutscene that outlines the key events of the previous episode.

Prologue, Chapter 00: York AND Zach

After a woodsman and his two grandsons find a dead body in the forest of Greenvale, FBI Agent Francis York Morgan is sent to investigate the crime scene and profile the identity of the killer. The main story starts off in a dream sequence, in which York (everyone calls him that) finds himself in an outdoor area filled with trees, red leaves, living room accoutrements and angelic analogs of Isaach and Isaiah, the twins that discovered the dead body. The mysterious scene quickly shifts to York driving to Greenvale, having a conversation about the psychological profiles of Tom and Jerry with his imaginary friend, Zach, with whom he constantly discusses his situation, sotto voce, in order to not be overheard by nearby people. On his way into town, he nearly runs over a person and gets into a car accident that lands him in the thick of a forest.

He begins making his way to Greenvale on foot and runs into numerous zombie-like creatures identified as "mysterious shadows", whose existence is never explained or even confirmed. Also, York has a brief encounter with an axe-wielding man in a raincoat, but manages to escape and finds his way out of the forest. On the way into town, he runs into Deputy Sheriff Emily Wyatt and Sheriff George Woodman on the town's outskirts. George, with a loathing for "corrupt" city officers, is reluctant to let York (who he refuses to call that) anywhere near the case.

Episode 1, Chapter 01: First day of investigation

The first episode starts off in another dream sequence, in which York finds himself in the same outdoor living room as before. This time, however, one of the doors leading outside is open and he has a brief encounter with a child. Here, he runs into a lone mysterious shadow and learns that holding his breath will prevent the monsters from seeing him. After avoiding the shadow, he asks the child who he is but immediately wakes up in the local Greenvale hotel. He ponders over the dream but shrugs it off to get some coffee.

In the cafeteria, he runs into Polly Oxford, the owner of the Great Deer Yard Hotel, and the two engage in conversation about Greenvale, the hotel and its history. York believes he can divine hints about the future from the swirling shapes created when he adds milk to his coffee. Today, he sees the letters "FK". After pondering the meaning of FK, he makes his way to the police station.

Episode 1, Chapter 02: Sheriff office

Upon leaving the hotel, York finds a police car parked outside with a note and a master key for all the town's police cars. Inside the Sheriff's office, he runs into the soft-spoken and effeminate Thomas MacLaine, the Sheriff's Assistant. After retrieving the lost data storage key, Emily, York and Thomas peruse the victim Anna Graham's case file. York, more intrigued by the taste of Thomas' homemade biscuits, is then asked to accompany George and Emily to visit the Greenvale General Hospital and analyze Anna's autopsy results.

Episode 1, Chapter 03: Autopsy report

At the Greenvale General Hospital, they meet the receptionist, Freckly Fiona, and are told to meet Dr. Ushah Johnson in the computer room. There, York solves a simple puzzle involving chess pieces on the computer, giving them a keycard to the basement. The doctor and Anna's body lay in wait in the morgue, and they begin deducing the events of Anna's murder; the cause of death was from loss of blood by a cut across her abdomen. Additionally, she was gripping something in her right hand at the time of death and her tongue was bitten off by the killer. Upon closer inspection of the mouth, York finds a red seed embedded deep within. As a result, Anna's murder becomes tied to a series of murders marked by the presence of red seeds, one York has apparently been following personally for some time, and he declares that the investigation now falls under complete FBI jurisdiction.

When York leaves the autopsy room to smoke a cigarette, the hospital becomes affected by the "Other World", the dark and viney realm where the Mysterious Shadows dwell. He begins to see Anna Graham prancing around the halls in a red dress and follows her to the entrance. Some red ivy and three shotgun-equipped shadows block the way, but he quickly dispatches them, causing the hospital to return to its regular state just as George and Emily enter the room. As they leave, Harry Stewart, an eccentric wheelchair-bound millionaire who constantly wears a gas mask, and his assistant, Michael Tillotson, who inexplicably speaks in rhyme, leave York with cryptic warnings regarding the case and leave the hospital. Thomas pages Emily and the three head for the spot where the dead body was discovered.

Episode 1, Chapter 04: Profiling

At the scene, York talks to Jim Green's two grandsons, Isaach and Isaiah, against the wishes of their grandfather and the two police officers. The twins don't seem fazed by having found Anna's body, not seeming to understand that the mutilated corpse was dead. The boys describe the scene as though they saw a fairy or goddess, and that Anna seemed happy. From the clues strewn about the forest, York deduces that Anna's body was used as an object of worship and that there was another person present at the scene of Anna's body; the stiletto heels point to one specific person in the town: Diane, the art gallery owner. Another clue, a small piece of metal, points York to the old lumber mill. Since Diane is out of town on business, they decide to head to the lumber mill first.

Episode 1, Chapter 05: Murder Site

York drives to the lumber mill in the rain with Emily and George. He tells them to wait outside since he considers them suspects, much to their dismay. Upon setting foot inside the lumber mill, York informs Zach once again that "they're here" and enters the Other World. Inside the lumber mill, York discovers where Anna was murdered, and later has another encounter with the man in the raincoat, evidently the murderer. York remains hidden, only to be chased around the mill with the confrontation ending at an elevator which York cleverly triggers to separate him and the killer. At no point does he take the opportunity to pull out his gun and shoot the madman.

York finds himself back in regular Greenvale and relates his findings to George and Emily. He explains to them that he and Zach determined that Anna was murdered in there by a someone with an inverted peace symbol on their back. He asks George and Emily to show him their backs, and they reluctantly comply. While Emily's back is totally bare, George's back is completely covered in scars -- which he does not wish to discuss. George also tells York the local legend of the Raincoat Killer, a man in a raincoat who supposedly appears on rainy days to murder people. Although the citizens of Greenvale don't really believe in the legend, they still tend to stay indoors on rainy days, to the point where local businesses close if the weather is poor. George himself doesn't believe the story, and quickly dismisses it as nothing more than a fairy tale.

The next day, George and Emily gather all of the town's citizens together at the Greenvale Community Center so that York can discuss the murder investigation with them.

Episode 1, Chapter 06: Greenvale inhabitants

Various citizens in the town gather in the theatre of the community center to discuss the recent murder. Along with the advice to stay away from dark places, York notes that the murderer may be imitating the fictional Raincoat Killer's methods. The townsfolk are for the most part unimpressed with Agent York. At the conclusion of York's lecture, Harry Stewart and Michael Tillotson warn the attending citizens of a "purple fog". Also, Stewart invites York to his house to exchange facts about the murder. Stewart drops hints that the case is tied to a single source and George attempts to get the information out of him, but to no avail. York decides to visit Stewart some other time.

After the lecture, York takes the opportunity to briefly meet with all the inhabitants of Greenvale he had not yet met. The most notable appearance is by Carol MacLaine, Thomas's sister, who owns the local bar, the bizarrely named "Galaxy of Terror". Carol sparks discussion with York over smoking and starts calling the deceased Anna an "airhead". After telling Carol the twins' supposition that Anna was a goddess of the forest, she walks off.

In a side discussion with Thomas, York asks him if he has a tattoo on his back. Thomas does, but it is a heart with "Love G" written in the center, not an inverted peace symbol, thus relieving him of suspicion. Although briefly curious as to who "G" is, York dismisses the tattoo as a sign of Thomas' reckless youth in the '80s.

Other characters that appear during the meeting include:

• Brian the Insomniac, a strange man who serves as the town's graveyard custodian.
• Richard Dunn, the owner of the only other bar in town, the equally bizarrely-named dart bar, "SWERY '65".
• Quint Dunn, Richard's son, a SWERY '65 employee and Becky Ame's boyfriend.
• The General, owner of the local scrap yard and a Vietnam War veteran.
• Nick Cormack, owner of the A&G Diner and Olivia Cormack's husband.
• Olivia Cormack, A&G Diner employee and Nick Cormack's wife.
• Wesley the Gunsmith, owner of the Panda Bear gun store and trading card enthusiast.
• Keith Ingram, owner of the Milk Barn general store and Lilly Ingram's husband. Stereotypical rock and roll fan. Oddly well-versed in local legends.
• Lilly Ingram, Milk Barn employee and Keith Ingram's wife. Dealer of fancy suits.
• "Roaming" Sigourney, probably mentally disturbed, walks around with one shoe missing and constantly worries about her beloved pot (which she carries everywhere) getting cold.
• Jack the Raging Bull, Owner of the Heaven and Hell gas station. Gina's husband. Bribe enthusiast.
• Gina the Rose, Heaven and Hell gas station employee. Jack's wife. Very likely a former stripper.

Episode 1, Chapter 07: Dinner

After dismissing the citizens from the community center, Emily invites York, Thomas, and George to dinner at the A&G Diner. The four have a hearty discussion about local minor crimes as well as York's previous cases. Seemingly unaware of the inappropriateness of the anecdote at the current setting, York casually discusses a serial murder case he had solved involving a man who killed women and used their bones as eating utensils or urine cups (which the murderer would later drink beverages out of without cleaning first). Additionally, he briefly mentions a student who raped eight hundred people before getting interrupted by Emily. Thomas begins crying over Anna's absence in the diner and York heads back to the hotel.

There, he discusses case specifics with Zach, focusing on the red seed in Anna's mouth, the broken stiletto heel and the round object that left the upside-down peace mark in Anna's hand. Just before going to sleep, York recalled Emily's back and how it made him feel nostalgic and sad, though he's not sure why.

Meanwhile, a truck can be seen dropping off a woman in the middle of the rainstorm. Inside the truck is an obese man in overalls and a yellow shirt, as well as a potted sapling with a few red leaves...

Episode 2 (part 1), Chapter 08: Muses Gallery

Once again, York finds himself in the Red Room with Isaach and Isaiah. They talk about York's coffee habits and Anna suddenly appears with a tray and some coffee. Becky Ames also appears and repeatedly states "My name is Becky" despite York's continued questioning. The twins insist that York take a sip of Anna's coffee, and doing so opens a door in the Red Room. On the other side, he finds himself in a white room with the same child from Chapter 02. York suddenly realizes the child is himself at a young age, and vaguely references an event from his past. Awakening from his dream, York concludes that the case is directly related to him and Zach in some way.

Immediately after leaving his room, York runs into Forrest Kaysen, the fat man from the truck. Kaysen is a travelling sapling salesman, who is constantly accompanied by his dog, Willie. Kaysen explains that he's visiting Greenvale on vacation and comes by the hotel every so often for relaxation. He also hands York one of his saplings and asks why an FBI agent is in the small town. Instead of answering, York asks about seeds, causing Kaysen to go on about his particular saplings and how he in particular is the only one who knows how to grow them. As Kaysen walks away, York ties the man to the "FK" he saw in his coffee the day before.

Over breakfast, York sees "FK" in his coffee once more, and heads out to meet Emily and George. Diane recently returned to the art gallery, so the three decide to give her a visit. Again, York wishes to investigate alone and enters the gallery by himself. Inside, he finds a distraught Olivia Cormack looking at the paintings. She explains her visit by stating a fondness for trees. But given the abundance of real trees in town, York decides she's lying about something as she leaves the gallery.

York eavesdrops on a conversation between Carol MacLaine and Diane Ames, ending with Carol storming angrily out of the room. Diane and York have a one-on-one chat and, despite suspicion, she has an alibi for the night Anna was killed: she was having a drink with Nick Cormack. Diane openly offers to sleep with York, but he declines the offer and asks no further questions about the case.

Episode 2 (part 1), Chapter 09: A&G

Outside of the gallery, York glances up towards Diane's office and spots Kaysen and Diane having a discussion. He and Emily decide to visit Nick to corroborate Diane's alibi. Inside the car, the two talk about Kaysen, and Emily mentions that he has a peculiar friendliness with Isaiah and Isaach Ingram. York decides to ask Kaysen about it later and heads to the A&G Diner.

The two decide to eat before questioning Nick. Since the check will be paid by the FBI, Emily orders a T-bone steak while York orders a more conservative turkey sandwich. Harry and his assistant Michael enter the diner and promptly ask Olivia for Harry's order for a turkey, strawberry jam and cereal sandwich -- Nick's specialty -- is ready. York considers the order a masochistic act, and Harry (through Michael) goads him into trying one. Much to York's surprise, the sandwich tastes amazing and he immediately switches his order to one of his own.

When York and Emily finally start eating, the two have a heartfelt discussion about their younger days. Emily moved from Seattle when she was in high school and, due to unfounded gossip that she would sleep with anyone, she doesn't pry into the personal lives of the town's citizens. To empathize, York tells Emily about how he used to be a hardcore punk rocker and how no one would take him seriously because he dressed the part, even though he got good grades. Emily laughs at the thought of York as a punk rocker, and they decide to finally begin questioning Nick about his relationship with Diane.

Nick states that he and Diane were merely talking about Rembrandt and Turner the night Anna was killed. Judging by Nick's reaction, York could easily tell he was hiding something from him; Nick says he's busy working and tells York to go away. On the other hand, Olivia says she never goes drinking with Nick and Diane and mentions how she isn't into art. This gives York the opportunity to question her presence at the art gallery and he's told to meet her at the back of the diner one hour after it closes.

At the designated time, Olivia mentions how Nick became friendly with Diane and often returns early in the morning. Understandably suspicious that her husband may be cheating on her, she followed him one night and saw that they left the bar for the art gallery. Before Diane entered the gallery, Olivia could have sworn Diane was staring directly at her; the next day, Anna was dead. Her confrontation with York at the gallery was due to her need to see Diane regarding her husband, however she couldn't go through with it. Just then, Emily gets a radio message from Thomas, stating that something is happening at Becky Ames' house and that the Raincoat Killer was mentioned. York leaves Emily to take care of Olivia while he goes to investigate Becky's house.

Episode 2 (part 1), Chapter 10: The 2nd sacrifice

In the midst of thunderstorm, York makes his way to Becky's house to find Thomas and a hysterical Quint sitting outside. When York asks about what happened, Quint repeatedly moans about Becky and Thomas says he has been like that since arriving on the scene. York enters Becky's house alone, telling Thomas to follow George's orders when he and Emily arrive.

Inside, York encounters the Other World once more and begins profiling using new clues. York runs into the Raincoat Killer and, once again, escapes. Soon after, York discovers Becky was killed while she was sleeping and her body was left hanging in the adjacent bathroom. Just after he finds her, George, Thomas, and Emily arrive in the bathroom as well. Surprisingly, Becky was still alive, but, like Anna, her tongue was cut out by the killer. York attempts to get information out of her, but George, wishing to take Becky to the hospital, cuts a wire holding her up. Cutting the wire springs a trap and breaks Becky's neck. In the instant before her death, York has a vision of Anna reaching out to Becky, which is broken when she coughs up red seeds and a key to a safe. All four investigators are thoroughly shaken, and Thomas vo Official Websitemits in Becky's toilet.

Behind a painting in Becky's bedroom, a safe containing a sketchbook reveals she was the women wearing stiletto heels at Anna's murder site. Fearing that the killer would catch her if she left the house, she entrusted the broken shoe and a locket to Isaach and Isaiah, and told them to deliver the items to her sister, Diane. Emily is surprised that York is surprised by this information, assuming he already knew that Diane and Becky were sisters.

Episode 2 (part 2), Chapter 11: Lost child

The chapter opens up with York questioning Keith and Lilly Ingram about Becky, who worked with them at the Milk Barn general store. She stopped showing up to work and Lilly dismissed the absence as shock. To cheer her up, she took the twins to see Becky. They came back from the visit with a small box yet weren't privy to the contents. When asked where the twins were, the Ingrams said they were with Forrest Kaysen at the Greenvale Forest Park.

At the park, Emily and York question the twins about their visit to Becky's house, but the two remain adamant in over the fact that they promised Becky that they wouldn't tell anyone. York tricks the twins by countering them with a fake promise and they divulge their secret. They were told to give Diane the box, and when they did, they were called back and were given a locket. Carol asked for the locket, but the twins persisted in delivering it. However, York mentions that Kaysen was present when Carol took the locket from Diane; as a result, Kaysen is labelled as a key witness and ordered not to leave the town.

York goes over the events of the case again with Zach, focusing on Nick and Diane's visit to the art gallery, Quint's presence at Becky's house prior to the tragedy, Becky's sketch book and the twins' mysterious errands. At this point, Nick and Quint had no alibis for Becky's death, but York remains fixated on Diane Ames' suspiciousness. York rounds up the police force and proposes that they gather more information about Nick and Diane's relationship. George, Emily, and Thomas are assigned to watch the art gallery, the diner, and the bar, respectively.

Episode 2 (part 2), Chapter 12: Fallen goddess

Later that night, the four get into position and begin tracking the actions of Nick and Diane. Emily waits across the street from the Galaxy of Terror with York just as it begins raining. Thomas tells them that Nick is leaving the bar while there's no strange reports from George at the gallery. Thomas joins Emily and York, and the three follow Nick to Muse's Gallery. However, just before arriving at the gallery, York barely dodges a truck and loses Nick. At the gallery, George reports that he hasn't seen Nick and that Diane hasn't left the area. When questioned whether he was feeling well, George admits to having a little drink, but insists that he's not drunk. York remains confident that Nick is inside regardless of George's diligence.

Behind the gallery was a small cabin with a ladder leading underground. Just before York enters, Emily surprises him with her interest in him and Zach. As always, York tells her to stay put as he goes to investigate. As always, the site has now passed into the Other World, filled with Mysterious Shadows, and a new supernatural foe, the absurdly durable Wall Ladies. Based on evidence and profiling, York determined that Diane met with the Raincoat Killer and was murdered inside the gallery.

After reaching the lobby of the gallery, York finds Nick unconscious on the ground with Diane's body hanging above the tree statue on display. Letting Emily, George and Thomas inside they discover that, like Becky, Diane isn't dead yet. In an attempt to make sure her body doesn't fall on the statue's sharp points, the surprisingly strong George begins moving it while York leaps from the second floor balcony to catch her. They recover Diane successfully and Emily tells Thomas to call an ambulance. However, Diane regains consciousness and inexplicably begins describing the tree statue as though giving a tour of the gallery, tongueless, with blood spouting out of her mouth. Nick, regaining consciousness himself, bumps George into the statue while resisting arrest. The statue starts falling as Emily tries unsuccessfully to get Diane out of the way. York quickly pushes Emily away, and Diane is crushed (literally gibbed) by the massive weight of the sculpture.

Suddenly, Willie the dog arrives on the scene and York dutifully follows the dog to Diane's room. Inside, York finds a locked trap door, leading to a small alcove containing Kaysen. When asked what he was doing in the gallery, Kaysen confessed to being in a friends-with-benefits relation with Diane, and would often visit the town to engage in such frivolities. For his alibi, he stated that he and Diane were having a drink until Nick showed up and, by a change of heart, she locked him up in the alcove, thus relieving him of suspicion. However, he did hear footsteps that sounded like they were coming from heavy boots.

York then takes the time to reassess the current situation with Zach, focusing on Nick's unconsciousness, Kaysen's presence, and the sound of bootsteps he heard. Also, he grows concerned for George, who feels guilty for unintentionally triggering the deaths of both Becky and Diane.

Episode 2 (part 2), Chapter 13: Past

At the sheriff's department, George asks York if he could have a private discussion at the bar. There, the two have frank talks about the past, most of which came from George. He explains that the myriad scars on his back come from his childhood, when his mother would discipline George with the "Tree Punishment", where he'd be whipped with a tree branch repeatedly, claiming it hurt the tree more than it did him. Despite the trauma in his unhappy childhood, George has a bit of gratitude for his mother for shaping him into the man he is. He reaffirms his guilt over Becky and Diane's deaths and apologizes to York (who he finally calls that) for being arrogant. York assures him that he shouldn't feel bad and briefly leaves him to talk to Carol. With confidence, Carol says Nick wasn't responsible and begins singing (badly, although it is unclear whether it is the character's or just the voice actress' failing) onstage.

After Carol's performance, Emily shows up and wishes to join George and York over drinks. George says he's had enough for the night and leaves York alone with Emily. The two have another discussion, this time revolving around Emily's past. She admits that George asked her out at one point and offers information about her parents, who died years ago. The two exit the bar and Emily leaves York with a strange request for him "not to lie".

Back at the hotel, York once again goes over new details of the case with Zach. A new development that piqued his interest was the recentness of Nick's injury to the time of discovery. At this point in time, Nick becomes the most questionable person and the prime suspect.

Just before turning in for the night, York hears a knock on his door and finds Emily on the other side when he opens it. York talks a bit about his own parents before Emily asks about Zach. York says that Zach is his only friend, but one he's never seen the face of. He "met" Zach when he was seven; he heard his mother crying, went to see what the problem was and saw his father pointing a gun at her. His father told the young York, "At times we must purge things from this world because they should not exist, even if it means losing someone that you love." The elder Morgan then murdered York's mother and committed suicide. After fainting, York woke up, heard Zach's voice telling him everything would be alright, and became friends with him ever since.

Emily thanks York for saving her life and leaves him for the night. Before falling asleep, he seems to think she is developing certain feelings for Zach, and jokingly declares himself and Zach rivals regarding Emily.

The scene shifts to a freshly arrested Nick Cormack, who is begging a not-actually-present Thomas to let him out of his cell. His cries go unheard, as it appears the sheriff's office is completely empty. The scene shifts once more to Carol MacLaine, who's being comforted by an unidentified figure. Both are wearing the same red dress, and a picture suggests that Anna, Becky and Diane had very close ties to the murderer.

Episode 3, Chapter 14: Tea break

The third episode begins as York finds himself in a mysterious white room. He works his way through a maze of doors and comes face-to-face with an elderly man dressed in a white suit (actually a maskless Harry Stewart, although this is never openly commented on) who tells York that once he enters the door behind him, there's no turning back. With no other place to turn, York enters the last door and confronts a memory from his past: the moment in which his father held his mother at gunpoint. As the child version of York reached out to his mother, she becomes a Mysterious Shadow and started to attack.

Waking up from the dream, York has another round of breakfast and coffee at the hotel. Much like the FK from before, the coffee left him with a lead. This time, the coffee left a ring on his newspaper, encircling the letters H-A-R-R-Y on an advertisement; with this, he leaves the hotel to pay the mysterious capitalist a visit. Outside of the hotel, Emily reports that Thomas has gone missing; while the police force goes searching for Thomas, York persists in visiting Harry. At this, Emily mutters how idiotic she was for thinking York was "a good pick".

Inside Harry's mansion, he is greeted by Michael and tasked with solving a puzzle before meeting up with Harry. After solving the puzzle, Harry, who speaks for himself for the first time, offers York some tea and tells York that the red seeds that link all the murders in Greenvale and many more outside are found somewhere in the town, a place "most crowded and most quiet [that] gives a cold sensation". He will tell York more when he solves this riddle. The FBI Agent leaves the mansion to search for the red seeds.

Episode 3, Chapter 15: Red seed

York determines that the place he's looking for is the graveyard (which is crowded with the silent dead), and promptly heads there. There, he finds Brian the Insomniac and asks him if he's seen a tree that drops red seeds. Brian points toward the back end of the graveyard and brings three prominent red trees to York's attention. After fighting his way through several Mysterious Shadows, York takes a handful of red seeds and heads back to Harry's mansion.

He is once again greeted by Michael, who tasks him with another silly puzzle, before he is able to reach Harry's room. York drops the red seeds as proof of his cleverness and Harry begins his explanation. He tells York a story about events that occurred in Greenvale fifty years ago. After the construction of the town clock tower, a man began wearing a red raincoat went mad murdered a large number of people. Under a gag order, the multiple homicide was kept under wraps by the military. York questions Harry's knowledge and he simply leaves him with the fact that he himself was an eyewitness to the Raincoat Killer's actions.

Around ten to twenty years ago, Harry noticed something special about the red seeds and discovered a fabricated legend stating that eating the red seeds and murdering someone will grant a person immortality. He supposes that the current Raincoat Killer is using the old serial killer's methods to carry out the legend of the red seeds. He sends York to find old documents inside the sheriff's office proving the Raincoat Killer existed back in the 50's.

Episode 3, Chapter 16: Hidden memories

George still considers the Raincoat Killer mere folklore and Emily agrees, saying Harry just likes to playing with people's minds. However, York persists and Emily opens the file room for him to peruse. Inside, the file room has become a twisted labyrinth of the Other World. And when York reaches the end, he discovers the files he was looking for were completely removed shortly before he arrived. He questions George and Emily about the missing files and they remember that the missing Thomas has access to the file room at all times.

York asks Emily for some coffee with milk on the side, claiming that it's very important. Once again, the coffee points him in another direction; more specifically, Velvet Falls, and requests a visit there. George complies with York's request since he's certain the waterfall will give them a bit of power in the least. York is certain he'll find something merely by fishing at the site, and the three temporarily cease their concern for Thomas' absence to head to the waterfall.

Episode 3, Chapter 17: New Raincoat Killer

York begins fishing and miraculously catches the missing documents from the waterfall. The three look at them with incredulity, as they are a clear outline for the Raincoat Killer's methods. George confirms that the documents were written by Thomas and York wishes to take them to Harry, stating that this proves the existence of the "New Raincoat Killer". Despite his dislike for Harry, George approves of York's actions while he and Emily search for Thomas.

Episode 3, Chapter 18: The 13th bell

When arriving at Harry's mansion, York enters and finds it has been affected by the Other World. Inside, he finds a painting of women in red dresses, resembling Anna, Becky, Diane, Carol and Emily, walking around a forest; also, he has visions of Emily and his father pointing a gun at her. When he reaches Harry's room, he discovers a secret passage leading to a small, underground base. The effects of the Other World subside, and he finds Harry in the midst of numerous monitors and bookshelves.

After glancing over the documents, Harry tells his full story. One rainy night fifty years ago, he snuck out of his house after an argument with his father, intending to see and climb the new clock tower. At the top, he saw soldiers wearing gas masks, messing around with a device emitting purple smoke that was filling the town with purple fog. The bell began ringing, and he ran from the tower. The purple fog spread, and he headed home as the bell rang a thirteenth time. When he arrived in town, he discovered to his horror that under the influence of the purple fog, the townsfolk were running wild and berserk, viciously killing each other for no reason; most notably, there was an axe-wielding man in a red raincoat who was particularly strong taking out every person who challenged him. Just then, Harry himself was filled with rage and the urge to kill. He blindly attacked the man in the raincoat, and realized the man under the hood was his father. Immediately losing the fight, he was knocked out and woke up surrounded by dead bodies. His mother was among them, apparently slain by his father, the original Raincoat Killer. The town was taken over by the military, who suppressed all word of the purple fog incident and the devastating murders that resulted. Although they weren't allowed to tell even their children the truth about what had happened, the townsfolk never went out in the rain thereafter.

After the event, the purple fog chemical absorbed into the ground, and to this day a small amount of purple gas is released whenever it rains, affecting the moods of anyone out in the rain at the time. Harry and York determine that the red seeds and the purple fog have a pronounced effect on the New Raincoat Killer. Just then, Harry's monitors alert him that Thomas has just been found and York gets ready to leave. However, Harry leaves York with an eerily familiar saying: "At times, we must purge things from this world because they should not exist, even if it means losing someone that you love."

Episode 3, Chapter 19: Apartment

Outside of Harry's mansion, Emily pulls up they drive over to Thomas' apartment building. The two arrive and find George already on the scene; they received an anonymous call informing them that Thomas had returned home. York decides to head up to the apartment alone. He makes a startling discovery when he investigates the clues strewn around Thomas' apartment: it seems that somebody has entertained the Raincoat Killer at Thomas' house on at least one occasion. York surmises that Thomas is trying to insinuate that the mystery is deeper than it seems and that they need to look into the issue further as George and Emily burst into the room, worried over the sound of a vase shattering.

Episode 3, Chapter 20: Cruel Device

As York leaves Thomas' apartment building, Emily and George leave hurriedly. Because it is after midnight, the entire town shifts into the Other World. Seeing Anna Graham once more, York leaves his car and chases after her on foot, believing she is leading him somewhere. He arrives at the Galaxy of Terror eventually, but Anna is scared off before he can speak to her by the sudden appearance of the New Raincoat Killer. York rushes into the bar as cover, but it's apparent that the bar, too is infested with Mysterious Shadows and Wall Ladies.

York decides to profile the place to see what's going on, but the Raincoat Killer has also gotten entry to the bar and begins to chase him. After the New Raincoat Killer loses track of him on several occasions, York finds Thomas' sheriff badge and an ice pick. After another short encounter with the New Raincoat Killer, his conclusions lead him to be able to enter a certain room in the Galaxy, now back to normal. As York investigates, he discovers the locket that Anna had been holding when she died. Before he can do anything about it, however, he is knocked out by Thomas, who is dressed as a woman. As York lies handcuffed on the floor, Thomas dances to a recording of his sister singing.

Episode 4, Chapter 21: Cat Fight

York, now actually seeing himself as a child, finds himself and his long-dead father in a forest. York calls out to to his father as he leaves him behind, who replies with "Come on, boy! Or it'll be too late!" This exchange is repeated several times as York follows his father through the forest at a rather sluggish pace. Eventually, York arrives in a small clearing with his father nowhere in sight. York is initially distraught, but a full-grown Emily appears before him in a red dress and consoles him. Willie the dog also appears and licks York's face.

(Adult) York once again finds himself in the Red Room with Angels Isaach and Isaiah, as well as Anna, Becky, and Diane. The three women are seen whispering to one another and giggling while passing a bobblehead doll with the appearance of Forrest Kaysen between them. The twins, with extremely stoned looks on their faces, tell York that "It's going to start soon" and that "the person he is waiting for" will be here soon. Suddenly, one of the trees nearby begins to crack and burst, spraying what appears to be blood all over the place.

Back inside the secret chamber in the Galaxy of Terror, George and Emily are seen talking with Kaysen. Kaysen had told them that he saw York enter the bar, and they had gone inside to investigate. Kaysen then gets the idea to have Willie track York's scent. George stays behind to investigate some more, and Emily (now the playable character) and Kaysen follow Willie as he runs in circles through the central section of Greenvale. During this sequence, the perspective occasionally switches to York who is blindfolded in an unknown location. He tries, unsuccessfully, to reason with Thomas and reminisces over his time spent with Emily, whom he has grown to deeply care for.

After entirely too much time has passed, Emily, Kaysen, and Willie arrive at the Greenvale Community Center. Following York's example, Emily tells Kaysen to wait outside and goes inside by herself to investigate. To her initial shock and horror, she finds herself in the Other World, fighting Mysterious Shadows just as York has. Emily, armed with a special Sheriff's Department-issued handgun that is inexplicably far more powerful than York's FBI-issued handgun, makes her way to the top of the clock tower and confronts Thomas, who now reveals himself to be totally insane. She, too, fails to reason with him, and the first boss battle of the game finally commences. Emily fires at Thomas while he leaps across spinning gears, while Thomas attacks by swinging large hooks towards Emily and occasionally firing his revolver at her. After defeating him, Thomas makes strange comments indicating that he is intensely jealous of Emily, and pulls a knife, but is thwarted by the sudden intervention of Willie, who bites his arm. Thomas' knife gets knocked into the air and stabs him in his chest, then he falls from the gear and is impaled through the head on a sharp hook.

With Thomas dead, Willie unties York, who berates Emily for letting "the killer" get away. Emily expresses confusion, having assumed that the clearly psychotic Thomas was the murderer. York reveals that he has determined although Thomas was an accomplice, he was not the actual killer. Instead, the murderer is "Love G" himself, the person Thomas was in love with, the person whose affection towards Emily made Thomas jealous, the one person who does not have an alibi for any of the killings.

Sheriff George Woodman is the New Raincoat Killer.

York explains to a completely shocked Emily that while George does not have a tattoo on his back, there is a pattern there amongst the scars. York has Kaysen drop himself and Emily off at the sheriff's office.

Episode 4, Chapter 22: The Throne of Abyss

At the sheriff's office, York orders Kaysen to stay at the entrance, but asks for Emily to secure the back of the building. As he heads into the sheriff's office, which once again seems to be in the Other World, he plans on tracking down George. He sees an apparition of Anna again, this time running through a door, and he follows her, eventually finding a cunningly hidden key for a hidden room. The hidden room, it seems, is contained within one of the holding cells in the basement as he discovers when Anna runs through it again. After York manages to obtain the key and enter the room, which is set up as an almost religious motif towards the red seeds and the murders, he finds Carol's earrings - and Carol herself.

Emily bursts into the room, and both she and York stare at Carol calmly brushing her hair, with clumps of it falling to the floor. As blood drips onto Emily's face, she looks up to see a freshly drawn "inverted peace mark" symbol on the ceiling, drawn with blood. Carol seems in too much pain to be aware as Emily calls out to her, and she collapses to the floor. As Emily rushes over to help her out, she struggles to speak without her tongue, but obviously wanting to speak of Thomas, Emily sadly explains that she had to kill him. Carol, now communicating through writing on the floor in her own blood, tells them that she and Thomas were "substitutes", and that George really loves Emily. Suddenly enraged, Carol grabs some red seeds and shoves them into Emily's mouth. York pulls Emily away, Carol finally dies, and Emily is inexplicably sickened by the brief contact with the seeds.

Screaming for Kaysen, York gets Emily out of the building and into Kaysen's truck, ordering him to take Emily straight to the hospital to cleanse her stomach and liver. When he finds out that York intends to go after George, Kaysen protests, wanting York to come with them, but he refuses. Kaysen leaves with Emily, as George stands over Carol's body in his New Raincoat Killer get up and starts laughing maniacally.

Episode 5, Chapter 23: Dawn

George, now fully decked out as the New Raincoat Killer, briefly appears at the door, taunting York and disappearing inside. York pursues him, musing about asking Emily out on a date when the case is over. As York battles his way through the sheriff's office, which hasn't yet returned to normal and is stuffed full of Mysterious Shadows in police uniforms, he comes across the New Raincoat Killer. Instead of running and hiding, York continues doggedly chasing him, despite having axes thrown at him. They return to the hidden room under the police department, and York ascends a giant staircase that leads him outside of the police station, and straight to George.

Having doffed his raincoat, George and York talk. George, now wearing a ridiculous outfit, enthuses over what a powerful town Greenvale is, and its two treasures: the red seeds and their power, and Emily herself. He reminisces over when Emily first came to Greenvale and how it made him feel like a fool when she turned him down, which York cuttingly agrees with. George turns this around by saying that if anybody's a fool it's York, for watching Becky, Diane and Carol die right in front of him and being unable to do anything about it. He also explains that he learned from his mother that the strong will always overpower the weak and that it's "good and right" for such a thing to happen, casually mentioning that he got the wicked scar on his face when his abusive mother put her stiletto heel through his cheek. Now that he has completed all the murders required for the red seed legend, George feels that he's now divine, and all he needs now is Emily, the goddess, to be his bride, despite York saying such a plan won't work.

George also explains about how, when he was deer hunting, he shot some deer that just wouldn't die, no matter how many bullets he pumped into them. Although he wondered if they were perhaps undead zombie deer, It turned out that they had red seeds in their stomach, and he concluded that those seeds really had made them invincible. George, declaring himself the "chosen one", then eats more red seeds and transforms, his body becoming more muscular, revealing that the red seeds really do possess supernatural traits after all. George and York then fight, with George wielding his axe to minimum effect.

Upon losing to York, George talks about the involvement of the four women he killed. He explains that Carol, Thomas and George had a secret "club", and Becky and Anna immediately joined. When they met, George fed them the seeds and sleazily discusses their reactions, apparently acting as an aphrodisiac to the women, and why he chose Anna to be the first. York tries to break down what he's saying in terms of a murderer and his victims, and his framing of Thomas, which amuses George. He claims that it's thanks to Thomas in the first case that George had even heard the legend of the Raincoat Killer, even though he hadn't believed in it. George believes his life's misfortunes were really just trials on the way to him becoming divine, and his body transforms again, both his hair and skin texture changing until he barely looks human at all.

Despite his superhuman power, George loses the fight again and totally breaks down, crying and apologizing to his mother for having murdered the girls, babbling about having done nothing wrong, and that it's really the fault of the "he" who gave him a present: the locket that George was told makes him the Chosen One. Pulling himself together, they go to fight again, but York dispatches George with ease as York shoots George's axe back at him, leaving it embedded in his chest. Before he can even fall down and die from his fatal wound, lightning strikes the axe, killing George, leaving his body charred and blackened, casting the shadow of an inverted peace sign. The New Raincoat Killer is finally dead. However, York is knocked out by his proximity to the lightning.

Episode 5, Chapter 24: Red tree

Young York runs through a corridor of red leaves, talking to Angel Isaiah and Isaach, the four "goddesses", Thomas (still cross-dressed), and his mother, who all impart some kind of advice or encouragement, as well as his father. As he goes through the door at the end of the corridor, he finds Harry, once more without his mask on, and Emily. Harry apologizes that he can't let York go with his parents, but that he needs to open an envelope. York looks into it, but it isn't clear what he sees.

(Adult) York wakes up at the hospital with Dr. Johnson at his bedside, and immediately inquires about how Emily is doing. Dr. Johnson expresses surprise at his question, and explains that Emily hasn't come to the hospital, and when York explains that he told Kaysen to bring Emily to the hospital, Dr. Johnson comments that Kaysen was the one who brought York. He also left an envelope for York, identical to the one in his dream, containing a crudely-drawn map of where he should go. York follows the directions, and finds himself at the late George Woodman's house.

George's house appears to be empty, with everything taped up and the doors covered. York discovers a door to the basement, though, which turns out to be a bedroom. Every available surface is covered with photos of Emily, which disturbs York. In another room in the basement, York finds the dessicated corpse of a long-dead woman in a chair, which seems to have saplings growing from it, and remarks upon it being George's mother. As he picks the sapling from the body, York recognizes the shadow it makes - the presumed "inverted peace mark" is actually a tree. He connects it to the similar sapling Kaysen carries around with him at all times, as well as his coffee premonitions, and concludes that the "he" George referred to was in fact Forrest Kaysen. York finds a note written on a photograph of Kaysen and George together telling him to go to the Community Center.

Episode 6, Chapter 25: Zach Morgan

In 1956, Greenvale went crazy. The original Raincoat Killer (currently controlled by the player) fights his way through the rest of the townsfolk to the Community Center and its clock tower before it strikes 13. As he stares up, he sees the soldiers operating the purple fog machine, and the gas billowing out into the air. It is revealed that one of the soldiers is in fact Forrest Kaysen, who looks exactly as he does today, proving his seed-bound immortality. Watching the town go to Hell, Kaysen laughs maniacally while the Raincoat Killer rages on the ground far beneath him.

The player regains control of York as he, too, stands staring up at the clocktower, fifty years later. It is revealed that the purple fog has once again enveloped Greenvale, and behind York, all the formerly friendly citizens of Greenvale (and Jack) come towards him, looking ready to kill him. Isaac and Isaiah run up behind the inexplicably immune York, claiming they're scared of how strangely other people are acting, but they are obviously affected too, as they stab him in the leg with a pair of scissors. Reluctant to hurt the people who don't know what they're doing, York backs away into the Community Center (Alternatively, the player slaughters them all without mercy).

As he steps through the door, York enters the "white" other world and is warned of the finality of his decision to proceed. Undeterred, he goes straight into the theatre, where Emily is sitting down, apparently sleeping, a plant sitting on her lap. York tells Kaysen that George is dead, but Forrest seems to find the whole thing hilarious, dismissing George as "small-minded and stupid". Kaysen mocks York for leaving Emily alone with him, and salivates about the fun he's had with Emily, bragging about what he did. Impatient, York shoots at him, but Kaysen goads him deliberately by kissing Emily when she's confused and believes that it's York. He also reveals his long, lizard-like tongue, which knocks Emily into wakefulness.

Emily apologizes to York for kissing Kaysen, but he dismisses it and tells her he'll take her to the hospital. Emily explains that she can't go to him as she's been "soiled", which York vehemently denies. As she gets up to explain herself somewhat hysterically, the blanket that had been across her body drops to the floor and York sees that she's nearly naked and a sapling is growing straight out of her stomach. Seeing York's expression, Kaysen gleefully repeats one of his first lines, about how growing his saplings requires a "certain technique" that only he knows, and laughs hysterically.

Emily begs for York to kill her and prevent the sapling from growing and bringing more red seeds into the world, and York begs Zach for guidance. Suddenly, he has a flashback to the day his parents died, but it's different - the truth. Once again, young York watches from the doorway, but this time, Forrest Kaysen is in the room with his mother and father, and it is apparent that his mother has a sapling growing from her stomach. Like Emily did to York, York's mother begs his father to kill her. His father begs Kaysen to let her go, but Kaysen says that when it progresses so far, there's nothing even he can do about it. His father can't bring himself to shoot the woman he loves, which Kaysen finds hilarious, and the sapling suddenly undergoes a horrible growth spurt, fully sprouting as York's mother dies in agony, her body shrivelling and becoming disfigured. Weeping bitterly, York's father sees the boy standing in the doorway, and gives the now familiar speech about removing things from the world even if it means losing someone you love, and then shoots himself in the head.

However...

When he speaks to the boy standing in the door, he calls him Zach, not York. It is revealed that the man the player has been controlling the entire game is really named Francis Zach Morgan, and that York was the imaginary friend who appeared after the death of his parents. In reality, the man's hair is white, not brown, and the scar over his eye is painful-looking, not long-healed, which explains the townspeople's obsession with it. Unable to deal with the impossibly traumatic scene he'd witnessed, Zach had "traded places" with York, with York becoming the dominant personality and not letting him remember the truth about the incident or perceiving the way he really looked. The flashback ends with Kaysen telling young Zach that he saw him and striking him, inflicting the wound that would become his scar.

We then witness the moment the man's personality changed so drastically. In the white room, young Zach, with white hair and blood splattered around his eye from the wound Kaysen just inflicted on him, stands horrified at what he'd just seen. Young York shows up and proclaims himself Zach's friend who'll be there forever to help him get through the trauma. As young Zach takes young York's hand, the flashback ceases and the player takes control of an adult FBI Agent Francis Zachary Morgan, white hair, ugly scar, and all. Zach now recalls that he traded places with his alternate personality, York, after the incident. Zach is now the one begging York for guidance, but York says he must decide for himself, although he'll back him up whatever decision he makes.

In one of these choices, Zach tries to shoot Emily as she asks, but finds himself unable to do so, deliberately missing instead. Unlike Zach's mother, Emily decides to take matters into her own hands and rips the sapling from her body, causing incredible damage to her internal organs, but killing the plant before it could bloom. While Kaysen inexplicably rejoices, Zach runs to Emily to try and comfort her in her final moments. She smiles at his compliments, and then he sees her in the White Room, going to join the rest of the "goddesses" (and the murderous, psychopathic Thomas, for some reason). She claims to now understand both York and Zach, and as Zach watches, the familiar figure of York goes over to join them. He encourages Zach, and Zach finally is able to talk to Emily himself. When he is pulled out of that world, Emily lies dead on the theatre stage, and Zach covers her with his jacket.

Kaysen is surprised and enraged about Zach having been brought back from the red room, and uses the power granted him by the seeds to transform into a disgusting, slimy creature. Zach defeats him, and Kaysen complains about the foolishness of humans and how they react to the gas created from the red seeds. Watching the effects of the seeds gives him something to laugh at in his centuries-long life. Proclaiming he's had enough fun for one day and that it's time for Zach to die, Kaysen transforms again and becomes even bigger. He stomps on the floor and Zach falls through it, into an impossibly huge under-chamber with a spiral staircase. Kaysen follows Zach down himself, and starts to chase Zach as he runs up to the clocktower.

As Zach bursts through the door to the clocktower, Kaysen rushes through after him and is flung off the side of the clocktower. The battle isn't over, though, as he transforms one final time into a giant version of Kaysen's original humanoid appearance, peering into the clocktower and clutching a bobblehead version of himself. Kaysen's entire body is invulnerable, but he takes damage when Zach shoots the bobblehead. This time, when Zach defeats him, his face opens up and tentacles and a giant eyeball protrudes from where it used to be, which Zach shoots while commenting on Kaysen's lack of understanding of humans. This time, Forrest Kaysen is killed once and for all, and with him dead, the red seeds will eventually disappear from this world.

All of the citizens of Greenvale wake up from their temporary insanity, confused. Miraculously, nobody killed each other while under the influence of the gas, which disappeared once Kaysen died. Meanwhile, Francis Zach Morgan descends the clocktower and returns to Emily's body, picking it up and talking to it about how she ended up with York after all. He deliberately steps on Kaysen's bobblehead on the way out.

Episode 7, Chapter 26: Epilogue

At Harry Stewart's mansion, Zach looks at the painting of the "goddesses", noting this time that it also inexplicably depicts a cross-dressing Thomas. Harry comes over in his wheelchair and asks Zach whether he believed any of the story he'd told him. Zach considers it unimportant, given that he couldn't save Emily, but Harry expresses sympathy about what happened anyway. He talks about the strangeness of the painting, but Zach wants to know about Harry's last name. Harry admits that "Harry Stewart" isn't his actual name; it's Harry Woodman, and he is George's biological father. When asked about his presence in the White Room, he evades the question, saying that Kaysen had put him in the same situation as Zach's father and Zach himself, and that much like the two of them, he'd also been unable to shoot the woman he loved. Being made of stronger stuff than Zach's father, though, he didn't kill himself either, resulting in losing both his wife and son, George blaming Harry for his mother's death. Harry, too, still blames himself for what happened, but he's glad Zach has at long last put an end to the madness. Zach ponders about the happiness of the victims, but Harry assures him that York will guide them to the forest.

Later, being driven back to the hotel by Michael, Zach spots Emily in the woods. He excuses himself and goes over to the area where he saw her, finding Jim, the twins, and Willie. He and Jim talk about the sadness of what has happened in Greenvale, and how the twins are doing. The twins then come and give something to Zach, claiming it's from Emily, as she's too shy to pass it along herself. She is, however, there with "another Zach". The twins tell Zach how much Emily likes him, but he claims she really loves York instead. As Jim and the twins wander off, Zach talks to York and Emily, explaining that he's figured out the real reason George put Anna's body in the forest: he wanted the twins to find her. Without explaining this totally bizarre statement, Zach says his final goodbyes to York, Emily, the "goddesses", and Thomas, and leaves the woods.

After dealing with any further business, Zach makes up his mind to leave Greenvale with the case solved. As he signs out of the Great Deer Yard Hotel, he spots Polly's photograph from the construction of the clocktower. Kaysen is in it, looking just as he always has, of course. Shrugging it off, Zach talks to Polly about his "very good friend who he can't speak to anymore", and Polly sympathizes but expresses her opinion that his friend will be fine. Grinning, Zach agrees with her assessment.

Leaving any cars he may have bought from the General behind, Zach leaves town on foot. As he leaves Greenvale for the last time, Zach is watched by Willie, who has the doll of Kaysen in his mouth, and a bee flies off into the distance.

Meanwhile, in the afterlife, which looks strangely like the A&G Diner, York and Emily enthusiastically kiss while Anna, Becky, Carol, Diane, and Thomas look on happily.

System Requirements

Minimum

• OS: Windows 7 / Vista (32/64 bit)
• Processor: Intel Dual Core 2.0Ghz or equivalent
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Graphics: Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
• Sound Card: Direct X compatible sound card

Recommended

• OS: Windows 7 / Vista (32/64 bit)
• Processor: Intel Quad Core 1.6Ghz / AMD Quad Core 1.6Ghz
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM; Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon HD 4890 or higher
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
• Sound Card: Direct X compatible sound card