Frank: Can you smell it, <Player's Name>? Exhaust fumes, alcohol and piss... The true blend of Pacific Bay!
After being introduced to your new partner Frank Knight, Chief Marquez sends you on night patrol with him to the underbelly of Ocean Shore, where you come across the body of street racer Carlos Antonio chained up to the hood of a crashed car and tortured to death.
Tropes:
- Asshole Victim: The victim constantly beat up his girlfriend and also caused the deaths of Naomi's parents with his antics, becoming a Karma Houdini in the process. Even Frank tells you he's better off dead than alive.
- Camera Fiend: You meet Becky Walden, a blogger girl who likes to capture everything on her pone and upload it to the Internet. She even manages to capture the moment the victim was killed thanks to this, and later also helps you by taking a picture of a bruised Naomi during the Additional Investigation.
- Comically Missing the Point: During Shawn's trial, Judge Dante tries to have him charged for street racing before Frank corrects him that he's being charged for murder.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: The victim was killed by being chained up to the hood of a racing car (which mind you, gets hot) with his head touching the pavement, which was then driven around until his scalp popped out like an eggshell. The results aren't pretty.
◊ - Domestic Abuse: Carlos had been beating his girlfriend Memphis, hence why she filed a restriction order against him even if she later tore it apart. It's one the reason why Shawn killed him.
- Drinking on Duty: Frank attempts to do this in Chapter 3, but Chief Marquez stops him.
- Hopeless with Tech: Frank calls himself incompatible with computers after you pick up a GPS device.Frank: A tablet? What happened to pen and paper?
- Fangirl: Let's just say Hannah has a huge crush on Naomi Suzuki.
- Foreshadowing: During the case, Frank tells Becky to be careful about what she posts on the Internet, otherwise she could attract the attention of a killer. Guess what happens in Case 5?
- Ice-Cream Koan: What Frank thinks of the Tibetan monk that told Yann "Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won't see the tree."
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Frank says this just before the race car where the victim was chained up crashes.Frank: This neighbourhood is usually busy, but no scum on the horizon, here. Everything's quiet. Too quiet...[VROOOOOM!!!][CRASH!]
- Life of the Party: You meet Derek Stone in this case, a hard-drinking party guy who, according to Frank, went from Rags to Riches and has been accused of many crimes like drug dealing and thief, but no one has been able to prove anything.
- Literal-Minded: When Hannah informs you that your murder has gone viral, Frank asks what does a virus has to do with the case.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Shawn killed Carlos because he was in love with Carlos' girlfriend Memphis, who he also constantly beat up.
- Rhyming Names: The motorcyclist, Naomi Suzuki.
- Shout-Out:
- The victim resembles Cesar Vialpando.
- Derek Stone is a parody of Alien from Spring Breakers.
- The Car Crash scene has a somewhat sinister-looking version of Mickey Mouse artwork near the Airport sign. Also present is a car resembling the one belonging to Brian O'Connor.
- The Living Room scene has a remodeled version of Iron Man's helmet and a lightsaber.
- Sawa is a parody of Kawasaki.
- TrendVid is a parody of YouTube.
- Too Much Information: Frank's reaction after Roxie describes how the victim had "his brain turned into a slushie."Frank: Thanks for the image, Roxie. Now I want to throw up everything I drank yesterday at Beerfest. Anything else?
- Vice City: Frank deliberately takes you to the "dark" part of Ocean Shore since you've already been in the shining side the previous case.
- Vigilante Woman: A non-lethal example in the form of Naomi Suzuki, a motorcyclist called "The Justice Rider" on the Internet who, according to Hannah, always tries to have street races locked up by herself ever since her parents were killed thanks to them.Naomi: The way Carlos died should be the fate reserved to all those street racing scums! I hope what happened today will set an example!Naomi: I'll let you ponder on that, while I'll be doing YOUR job!
- Would Hit a Girl: During the Additional Investigation, Derek and Naomi have a fight where the latter ends up full of bruises.
