Deadly Premonition – Who Is Zach?
Francis York Morgan arrives in the town of Greenvale to investigate the brutal murder of a young woman who has been left hanging from a tree. The town’s inhabitants are curious and all worthy of suspicion, but as you go about solving the murder mystery, a bigger question comes to the fore: who is Zach?
During long drives through the country, York talks to a person named Zach about the case and communicates his thoughts on popular culture. Zach doesn’t appear to be a physical presence as he’s invisible to the player, and we assume he’s a friend York once knew.
At the same time, York’s appearance is called into question by the Greenvale townsfolk, who comment on his large scar. But looking in the mirror, York bears the smallest of marks on his face. So why are so many townsfolk put off by it?
Towards the end game, the killer’s identity is revealed and this revelation causes York’s troubled childhood memories to flood home. He recalls his father killing his mother and remembers his real name: Zach.
Zach has been the protagonist all along, and York is the imaginary friend; or rather, a manifestation designed to help the detective overcome the trauma of his childhood. Realizing this, we look in the mirror and see the detective’s face transform, bearing the scars that have existed unseen all along.