Recap / Criminal Case: Pacific Bay - Case 59: The Final Countdown

Are you ready to save the world?

Amy and the player rush to where Frank ran off to try stop Tesla, only to find him tied up at The Wastes' look-out point, killed by a point blank gunshot to the head. There's no time to grieve, however, as Tesla informs you that he has freed five previously arrested convicts to kill Frank, and if you manage to find his killer and prove that justice still prevails in the world, he will stop the destruction of Pacific Bay.

Tropes:

• Attack on the Heart: Amy kills Bobby by shooting him in the heart.
• Back for the Dead: Bobby returns after being absent since Case 28, where he's killed by Amy during his arrest.
• Back for the Finale / The Bus Came Back: Derek Stone, Erikah Mabayo, Veronica Blade, Bobby Prince, and Greta Meduse reappear as suspects in this case, which is the last one set both in The Wastes and Pacific Bay.
• Becoming the Mask: Erikah, who she knew was a fraud, now believes she's truly a supreme Witch Doctor after being freed by Tesla.
  Erikah: I WAS a fraud, but no more. My mind has awoken to the other world! A floating spirit came to me from the prison's TV screen, and told me I would find forgiveness in the Wastes!
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • Hannah has many of these in quick succession during the case: first, she's able to communicate with you while inside of the virtual utopia, which allows her to analyze clues even at the mercy of Tesla's world. The during the Additional Investigation, she manages to fix the helmets necessary to enter the virtual world again and find a way to stop Tesla, and finally she creates a digital weapon capable of destroying Tesla for good.
  • Yann also gets one when he creates the anti-radiation pills near the end, saving you from dying and therefore making sure you can see the fruits of you hard work.
• Big "NO!": Tesla's last words after Amy destroys him with Hannah's digital gun.
• Bittersweet Ending: Tesla and Meteor Systems are stopped for good and Pacific Bay is saved, but Frank, Karen and their daughters are dead, many have perished during Tesla's all-out attack to the city, and the player leaves Pacific Bay to join The Bureau, leaving their friends behind again.
• Bleed 'Em and Weep: Amy breaks down crying after killing Bobby, lamenting how utterly crazy the first man she ever loved had become.
• Boom, Headshot!: How Frank is killed.
• The Climax: For The Wastes.
• Continuity Nod: As expected, each time you find a previous killer, Amy and the player recall how they were arrested for murdering the Victim of the Week.
• Darkest Hour: The entire main investigation takes place during the imminent destruction of Pacific Bay, as Tesla has given you a time limit to stop him before he proceed to obliterate the city.
  Amy: You've got nerves of steel, <Player's Name>! Even in this dark hour, you pieced together the card you found in the computer lab in a flash!
• Dead Man's Switch: Tesla made sure you couldn't defeat him by unplugging his body from the computer, since he rigged the wires to detonate a nuke on Pacific Bay if they are touched.
• Dead Man Writing: Frank's final message left on camera.
  Frank: <Player's Name>, I'm sorry for running away but I don't have much time. I think I know where the computer that contains Tesla is hidden!
  By unplugging the computer, I could end this whole nightmare! According to the map I found, the room should be around here...
  But if I don't make it... well... I'm sorry. Sorry for everything I've done wrong. I tried, I really tried to get it right, but I guess we can't all be super cops like you, <Player's Name>.
• Deadly Game: Tesla's trial.
  Tesla: Find out who killed your partner, prove to me that justice still means something in this world, and I may abandon my virtual reality.
  Amy: You want us to play a game?!
  Tesla: A very serious game. I'll stop the destruction of Pacific Bay while you investigate. But if you don't make headway fast enough, I may get bored...
• Death Equals Redemption: The Police Department fully forgives Frank during his funeral, claiming that even if he betrayed them, he still gave his life and fought for the well-being of the city in the end.
• Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: Tesla uploads you into his virtual reality to try convince you stop fighting against him, which allows you to enter for a second time during the Additional Investigation and eliminate him for good without triggering the Dead Man's Switch of his real body.
• Did You Actually Believe...?: Tesla mocks you after you solve Frank's murder by claiming he never intended to stop his destruction of Pacific Bay and he was just buying time.
• Dream Tells You to Wake Up: Near the end of the case, Tesla attempts to make you reconsider stopping him by showing to you the virtual versions of Frank, Karen, and their daughters, claiming that destroying the virtual world would mean killing them again. Their response? Encouraging you to do it and end with Tesla once and for all. The Knight family accepts that they are all dead, and that their existence within a virtual reality is meaningless and would rather have you save Pacific Bay.
• Ending Memorial Service: Near the end of the case, you attend Frank's funeral, where everyone gives one last speech celebrating him as a hero.
• Face Death with Dignity: According to Bobby, Frank didn't even put a fight when confronted, like he'd been waiting for his death to happen.
• Get a Room!: Yann teasingly tells this to Amy and Russell after they hug each other during the climax.
• Heel–Face Turn: Erikah Mabayo has reformed during her time in prison: she genuinely wants to stop Tesla and volunteers to help the player and Amy by monitoring them as they enter the virtual reality to confront the mad scientist. Later, she returns to jail without putting up a fight, says that she's assisting without hoping for a reward, and even shares a message from Frank to help soothe Amy's guilt over his death.
• Hero Killer: As the killer of a now-reformed Frank, Bobby counts as this.
• Heroic BSoD: Amy gets a brief one after she's forced to kill Bobby, asking for a few minutes alone and needing to call Russell to calm down.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Twice performed by Frank. The first one was by guiding you to the building where Tesla's computer was being held, which got him killed by Bobby, and the second one was inside of Tesla's virtual reality, encouraging you to destroy it and stop Tesla even if that means he and his family will disappear from existence.
• If I Can't Have You…: Bobby says this word by word while trying to kill Amy.
  Bobby: Never! If I can't have you, nobody will! I'd rather we died together!
• I Just Want to Be Beautiful: Greta's reason for coming to The Wastes was because Tesla promised her to be young and beautiful again inside of his virtual reality.
• I Lied: Tesla was never planning to stop his destruction of Pacific Bay if you caught the killer. He was just buying time for his plan to go through...also, he's a bit of a dick.
• Karmic Death: Derek had planned to kill Frank by freezing him with liquid nitrogen, the same weapon he used to murder Becky Walden and got him arrested back at Ocean Shore.
• Killer Finale: The victim of this case, the final one set in Pacific Bay, is Frank Knight, one of the main characters.
• Killing in Self-Defense: Amy kills Bobby after he threatens to shoot her if she keeps rejecting him.
• Lotus-Eater Machine: Tesla's virtual reality would be an utopia where no one ever suffers, even summoning the virtual versions of the Knight Family to convince you it's the right thing to do.
  Tesla: Thank you Mr Knight, that's enough sentimentality for now. You see what my virtual reality can do, <Player's Name>? No more grief, no more death!
• Love Confession: While they were already dating, Russell tells Amy he fell in love with her due to her strengths, which leads to her blushing and ending the call.
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: At the end of the case, Erikah claims she has received a message from Frank, saying that he's happy and at peace with his family. Amy then wonders if she's lying to make you feel better or if she's genuinely gotten these kind of powers.
  Erikah: He says they're still together. That they're a peace, thanks to the both of you. He says: "Who needs whiskey when you've got family?"
  Amy: That... does sound like him.
  Thank you, Mabayo. It... It actually does make me feel a little better.
• The Metaverse: One of the crime scenes is Tesla's virtual reality, where he uploads you so you can see how beautiful his utopia is and why you should stop trying to destroy it.
• Moving-Away Ending: After the whole adventure happens, the Player leaves Pacific Bay to join the Bureau, leading the game to advance into the next part of the series.
• The Needs of the Many: Frank, Karen, and their daughters are willing to sacrifice their own digital lives to save the entire population of Pacific Bay.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Tesla's attempts to persuade you to be on his side end up totally backfiring on his face, as uploading you into his virtual utopia allows Amy to kill him inside of it without triggering his Dead Man's Switch, and summoning the virtual versions of the Knight Family to convince you not destroy his world makes them give the player the necessary encouragement to end him once and for all.
• Pet the Dog: Erikah of all people does this during the Additional Investigation, supposedly giving you and Amy a message from Frank's spirit telling you that he's doing well.
• Post Apocalyptic Gasmask: One of the killer's attributes is that they're wearing a gas mask, and Pacific Bay is currently going through an apocalypse.
• The Promised Land: Tesla promised Veronica a big piece of land inside of his virtual utopia after her failed attempt to recover Jazz Town.
• Psycho Ex-Boyfriend: Bobby is so obsessed with gaining Amy's love that Tesla manipulates him into killing Frank under the pretense of winning her back.
• Pun: Defied by both Amy and Roxie, who decide against joking about Frank's death.
  Amy: So the killer eats canned meat? Well they'll soon...
  No, I don't feel like making a pun.
  Roxie: Yeah, I didn't feel like it either.
• Race Against the Clock: Tesla gives you two hours to solve Frank's murder or else he'll raze Pacific Bay to the ground.
• Revenge: Derek's reason for coming to The Wastes was killing Frank after he got arrested by him, finding unfair that a Dirty Cop was walking free whilst he rotted in prison.
• Season Finale: For Pacific Bay.
• Sequel Hook: The case ends with a certain Jack Archer appearing to recruit you for The Bureau, the worldwide security agency, to take you on your next adventure.
• Shout-Out: The case's title is likely based on the song of the same name.
• Together in Death: The Knight Family finally gets to be together again for a moment inside of Tesla's virtual utopia, and encourage you to destroy said reality and stop his plans once and for all.
  The Knight Family: We're a family again, <Player's Name>. It's not the real world, but it's all we've ever wanted. It's all that matters.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Veronica, Erikah, and Greta are much nicer in comparison to their previous appearances, with the latter two even helping you during their Villainous Rescue moments detailed below. Averted with Derek and Bobby, the former still being a murderous maniac and the latter crazier than ever.
• Utopia Justifies the Means: Tesla's reasoning about why destroying Pacific Bay is a good thing.
  Amy: You're insane, Tesla! You talk about creating a world free of crime, but every single one of your actions goes against that!
  Tesla: Sometimes you need to destroy in order to rebuild! Is that so hard to understand?! A little crime today can mean a lifetime of peace tomorrow!
• Villain Respect: Greta tells you that even if you ruined her eternal beauty dreams, you still saved the city and owes you.
• Villainous Breakdown: Tesla begs you to not destroy his virtual world after his plan to make the Knight Family persuade you fails.
• Villainous Rescue: Both Erikah and Greta help you during the Additional Investigation, the former disconnecting you from Tesla's virtual utopia after you defeat him so you don't stay trapped forever and the latter giving you her anti-radiation pills so Yann can create more and allow you survive.
• We Can Rule Together: Tesla tries to convince Amy and the player to join him.
  Tesla: Just give up, <Player's Name>. I could make you powerful in my virtual world, a force to be reckoned with! Just give in and join me!
• What You Are in the Dark: The entire Knight family pulls this off while in Tesla's virtual reality. They've been "resurrected" by the scientist and are finally together again and happy...but their continued existence will mean that Tesla's insane plans to destroy Pacific Bay and upload loyal followers to his world will continue. As such, the entire family urges the player and Amy to destroy Tesla, even if it means they'll cease to exist.
• Yandere: Bobby has become so obsessed with winning Amy's affection again that Tesla manipulates him into killing Frank, promising him Amy in return. When Amy tells him she already has a boyfriend, Bobby threatens to shoot her, which leads to her killing him first.
  Bobby: I'm not crazy! I'm the man you should be with! I've got every right to have you!
• You Monster!: Amy calls Tesla this after you find Frank's body.
• You're Insane!: Amy calls Greta insane after she reveals she came to The Wastes so she could try the supposedly rejuvenating radioactive mud.