Part 119: Episode 5, Day 1, Investigation: Evidence 2.0
Part 119: Episode 5, Day 1, Investigation: Evidence 2.0
This... does not look like a parking lot.
So this is the lot where it all happened?
(Funny that my first visit to the Prosecutor's Office should be like this...)
Sound: Damage 2
Sound: Whack
H-hey! What are you thinking?
No harm in saying hello... Actually, there is. You know attorneys aren't supposed to examine crime scenes? I'm trying to not stand out too much, here, see?
Sound: Light Bulb
You 'specting to go unnoticed here, pardner?
P-pardner?Sound: Realization
Music: Jake Marshall ~ The Detective from the Wild West
What do we have here?I've got a cowboy on the crime scene and he comes with his own classic Western-style theme music. Based on the most ridiculous characters being the killers, this guy is now the number-one suspect.
M-Mr. Marshall!Sound: Light Bulb
This guy is brandishing a knife at the scene of the stabbing murder. And just casually trimming his facial hair with it.
Lookie here, Bambina. I know how you feel.
The game even plays games with the timing of the text printing out his lines, simulating an odd verbal cadence.
Strike...?Sound: Realization
Sound: Gunshot 4
He's... pointing a finger-gun at us. Actually judging by the sound effect, he shot us with it.
You know what dreams the cacti out in the desert dream? You want to? (What's this guy talking about!?)Sound: Stab
I'm almost disappointed there's no gulping sound effect on that animation.
This guy is like the game writers just looked up westerns on tvtropes and rolled it all into one character. Is he who we get instead of Gumshoe for this episode?
Music: Silence
...
Was that uh, hombre, a friend of yours?
Sound: Light Bulb
(Who thinks he's a sheriff from the Wild West it seems.)Music: Investigation - Opening
I guess we should look around?
Ema's profile has added a meaningless detail that we already knew.
Whereas Lana's profile has highlighted an important detail that we'll probably have to use in trial at some point.
Anyway, I guess I'll start with the fairly obvious thing lying on the ground.
Um, excuse me! Officer!Music: Silence
Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Whack
What am I doing? I just found this wallet, so I'm handing it over to the police...
I don't believe it!Me either; since when does Phoenix actually hand over evidence?
Why is she telling us that?
H-how is that scientific? (Sounds like theft to me!)
Sound: Select Jingle
Looks like Ema's as much of a thief as Maya was.
I'm called to duty already, and at my tender age!Sound: Light Bulb
During recording, I was too busy being condescended to by a teenager to realize there was a tutorial coming.
(By the way her eyes are sparkling I can tell she's been waiting for this...)
Okay, okay, now. Look at the Court Record!
The Court Record opens of its own accord, moves over to the wallet, and then vanishes.
Oh god we have to examine all our evidence for hidden clues now don't we.
Music: Logic and Trick
Is this a feature from a later game that got ret-conned into the timeline here? No, don't tell me. Now. Let's start examining! From every angle!
I can drag the thing around with the mouse cursor, or use the oddly-chosen keys to do the same job. None of which is necessary here, since we just need to move the cursor over to the clasp.
Oh look! I think there might be a clue here.
A left mouse-click will also do.
We even get the helpful "something important is here!" highlight.
She cut off my demonstration before I could properly show off the zoom feature! Behold the power! So let's go ahead and click on the clasp like we're examining a crime scene...
Ta-da! What normally would have just been given to us with a few lines of dialogue, has now been placed behind a minimally-interactive examination sequence instead. Hopefully these get better.
This... This is an ID card.Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Realization
(Sergeant Bruce Goodman, ID # 5842189...)
I pressed a button, and got a reward. That was not science. Unless maybe we're the subject of an experiment.
Investigation-Phoenix is my spirit animal.
Sound: Select Jingle
We lose the wallet, by the way. That entire sequence was pointless but I'll let it go for the sake of it being a tutorial.
Music: Silence
I'm sure it's just because she's not Maya, but right now Ema irritates me. Too much energy or something.
(I guess I've got to be on my toes from now on...)Music: Investigation - Opening
And we're finally back to examining the crime scene. The wallet is gone, so what else is left?
First, we can now "Check" all of our evidence. So of course we're going to zoom in on our fantastic badge.
Oh look, there's something on the back that was totally there the whole time! Wait, does this badge screw into something rather than get pinned on? Odd.
Either the fuzzy text or the clear numbers produce the same reaction.
And I always thought it had a safety pin!Always thought? You just saw one for the first time like an hour ago. Or whenever the start of the previous update was at this point.
Each badge has a number carved into it. That way, you can tell which attorney it belongs to.
No, I'd be found out right away. Well that's no fun!
We get the same checkmarks after already seeing something. So I guess I'll have one more set of things to obsessively click on as we go through this episode.
We can also examine the ID we just got...
A name and ID number are written here. "Sergeant Bruce Goodman, ID# 5842189"
What else would they use?Sound: Realization
True...
...Why does Ema's portrait move from side to side?
See? Wouldn't that be better? "YABADAB"? Well, it does have a certain ring to it...
Sound: Whack
(It doesn't take much to amuse her.)
Nothing interesting on the back of the ID.
Let's get back to examining the crime scene.
Ah hah! A ladder.Sound: Light Bulb
Um... That's a stepladder.
Sound: Realization
S-scientific huh?
(This all seems so horribly familiar somehow...)Somebody on the writing team either was a step-parent themselves or had a good one.
You could see the whole parking lot from in there. It says "SECURITY." Perhaps it's a cafe? Huh?Sound: Realization
I think I'm less tolerant of dumb comments coming from the supposedly scientific investigator who's "doing pretty good in school" than from the spirit medium in training raised in the mountains.
Um. I hate to break it to you, but I think that's probably just a security guard office. ...
Sound: Light Bulb
I'm sure that test will help us in this case somehow. Can we move on?
(Too bad they don't have a test for common sense.)
Look! A door! This must mean something!Sound: Light Bulb
I'm not sure that doors "mean" anything.Sound: Realization
I fail to see what's mysterious about it.Ema gives her "shock" sprite to both of Phoenix's previous lines.
Let's finish our investigation first, shall we?
Sound: Light Bulb
Hey. Don't touch stuff we don't need to be touching. ... I can't hear anything!
(What is she babbling about?)
Hey!? What did you just say?Sound: Light Bulb
So far I'm Team Lana.
This wall is in our way. It's got a faucet for water. Wait! I know!Sound: Light Bulb
This is no wall, but a water tank!!! (I fail to see how it makes any difference either way...)I think Ema comes off better if I pretend she's a batty old professor lady instead.
An oil drum. Looks like it's filled with water.
The drum over here is on its side.
Sound: Light Bulb
I think you'll probably just get arrested.
What? I'm not suspicious!Sound: Whack
The only other thing I could find here is this door/wall thing.
This is where the cars leave the lot. The arrow on the ground makes it look more like an entrance.
Sound: Whack
Well, maybe it's both. Kind of a dual purpose? Ah hah! The theory of relativity! What? Uh...Sound: Light Bulb
I've got to write this down. Ah! Hey, hey, Mr. Wright!
Mr. Relativity? Are you sure that was his name?Maybe I'm getting burnt out on this game or just subconsciously mad that Ema isn't Maya, but I feel like this episode is trying too hard.
I'd looked at everything I could find and was kind of confused about what to do next, when I finally noticed the "Slide" option available. Jackpot!
Now this looks like a parking garage. Are they moving the cars around after they're parked like some kind of giant reverse vending machine? Anyway, this tape recorder seems important.
Sound: Light Bulb
Hmm... I wonder what this is?Music: Silence
Sound: Realization
Oy, this guy again.
Music: Jake Marshall ~ The Detective from the Wild West
(The sheriff!) Like I said before, this here's our claim.
Sound: Gunshot 4
(Gah! Scary!)Sound: Stab
Well, well. The little filly's got a good nose on her!
This guy's entire personality is "detective pretending to be a cowboy" and the game could not lean into it any harder. I know we've had some wacky and even stereotyped characters in other episodes, but they've at least had their own unique traits and characteristics. So far this guy is flatter than a plate-glass window.
Please!
No problem, pardner. 'Bout time for vittles anyway.Sound: Realization
Might just find you a cervesa you like. (Prospector's Office? Where does this guy think he is? And when, for that matter!?)
I think this cowboy is just here to make me like Ema more. And it's working. Vittles = food, saloon = bar, cervesa = beer. I knew all but the last one off-hand.
(Maybe we should check out room 1202... the High Prosecutor's Office!)Hmm... is "High" Prosecutor different from "Chief" Prosecutor? Maybe Episode 2 was really referring to a different person/title entirely.
We've been carried back to the other side of the crime scene. As you probably guessed, we get the same scene no matter what part of the other side of the crime scene we examine.
You can look around here all you like, just keep your paws off our claim. (Right... great.)Music: Silence
Technically, there's only one clue, and since we've already found it, we move right into a new scene...
Sound: Realization
Were you two all set? Us?Sound: Light Bulb
I guess we're not done here quite yet.
(What's this? She couldn't be...)
Sound: Realization
Music: Happy People
Oh, it's another one of these people. I bet this lady's our witness.
Hello! Half n' Half, was it? Oh. Uh, thanks.
And you, sir? Y-yes?
Now there's an interesting new use of sprites. Having part of the sprite be dynamic is different. In fact, the core sprite doesn't have anything on the hand at all:
Some Crunchy Goodness coming at you!Sound: Realization
Uh... thanks. (Interesting way of doing business.) This area is off limits to anyone without clearance.
Seems like there have been a lot more dual-sprite panels in this episode.
Well, that's hardly a way to greet someone!
The... what? ...How exactly did you make these lunches?
C-cough-up? Huh?Sound: Light Bulb
I'm quite connected to this case, you see.
Secrets...? Dear me. You are a slow one, aren't you?Music: Silence
Sound: Realization
Now that's quite the transformation for such a small movement. Why is her other eye a different color? It's made-up or shaped differently, too.
Whaaaat!?Sound: Stab 2
Sound: Wipe
Look, it's the first investigation day, I really didn't need the flashback to what happened last update.
Please! Cough-up Queen! Tell us what happened!Sound: Whack
The name is Angel Starr. Don't you go forgetting it.
Sound: Realization
Well she's... aggressive, but a lot less annoying than the one-note cowboy so far.
Speaking of, the cowboy doesn't have a profile yet, probably because we didn't officially learn his name. But Angel here shows up now. I maintain that "Cough-Up Queen" is not the nickname you want in a lunchlady.
Y-y-yes, ma'am! (Yipes! She means it!)Music: Investigation - Opening
Okay, I guess we'll keep talking with the witness before checking out the Head Prosecutor's Office.
We'll start in the usual place.
How about you? Do you think you can win?
Sound: Objection
Wow! It's really crunchy!Sound: Light Bulb
(A box of pickles...? Kind of a sad lunch if you ask me.)
About this card... ...
Especially not a card belonging to someone else! No, no, this isn't a credit card. It's an ID card. It belongs to a detective... And you're showing this to me, the lunch lady, why?
(Why do I always feel like I'm being mocked?)I'm getting real April May vibes from this lady. Deflecting via a fake front.
A few generic topics here.
Somehow... I knew.
Just like I know that the Daily Special on Friday every week is salmon. Destiny...? Was yesterday special for some reason? You're a defense attorney, right? You should know then.
E-evil ones?Sound: Realization
And yesterday they paid homage to the most evil one of all!
So, she's saying... There was some sort of prosecutor's convention yesterday.
Do you have a personal grievance against prosecutors, or something?
Young miss...
Sound: Realization
Ew!Sound: Light Bulb
It was in 
his car that they found the body!Sound: Realization
Music: Silence
Sound: Objection
I changed my mind, this lady has a few screws loose.
R-really!? (Really what? I'm totally confused...)
Music: Investigation - Opening
Well that topic was a hefty one. I'm guessing she was falsely accused of something and a prosecutor made up evidence against her. Let's see if we can get her back on track to the current case.
So, what exactly was it that you witnessed, Ms. Starr? It was a fascinating spectacle, to be sure!
To see Lana Skye wield that knife so...Sound: Realization
!Sound: Light Bulb
It was truly a sight to see. Y-you mean you saw the very moment of the crime!?
And the rhythmic beat of Lana Skye's knife... Wait a second! You know Lana Skye?
Sound: Realization
Angel just crossed over from interesting to tediously gimmicky. Still, at least she has two notes.
She... always travels light. (Now why would this pretty lunch lady know the Chief Prosecutor's name?)
Phoenix wonders how someone could be less ignorant than him as he ignores all the textbooks in his office.
Um... Could we ask you a bit about yourself, Ms. Starr? I come here every day to sell lunches.
Imports from the Far East don't really scream "fresh" to me.
For some reason, the box lunches are a hit here.
Did you say something?Sound: Realization
N-no... Only true connoisseurs can understand...
Sound: Realization
Ah... Never mind... You win.Sound: Stab
I was curious enough to go look it up; trilobites are long-extinct and were basically giant sea-spiders.
Anyway, I come here every day to sell lunches.
Y-your boyfriend?Sound: Realization
See the security room over there? The glass-walled booth?
(Since you're here anyway... I guess selling lunches is more important than romance.) So, to scientifically analyze the data available so far...
Sound: Light Bulb
(Useful analysis. Not.)I'm uncomfortable with how much Phoenix I am during these investigation segments. Maybe it's just this update.
Did you have a bad experience with a prosecutor, Ms. Starr? I sense some.. hostility. Hostility? Hah! Perhaps.
I mean, Winston Payne didn't seem so bad, but I can't argue too much about the rest.
Kind of like 10-day old clams in the chowder. (I wonder if Ms. Starr was involved in some sort of legal trouble in the past?)
Sound: Light Bulb
I mean, now you're talking "Cough-up Queen"! (I thought she was just a lunch vendor, but now I'm not so sure...)Ema actually made a decent joke. I'll upgrade her from "irritating" to "annoying".
I thought we might open the security office as a destination, but that one would actually be useful so we're still locked out of it. Instead, we're headed for the "High" Prosecutor's Office.