LogFAQs > #896049479

Oh yeah, did I forgot to mention that he has an seemingly imaginary friend named Zach that he talks to all the time? Because he does. York will even put his hand to the side of his head like he's talking into a headset despite there obviously being nothing there. The truth behind Zach is one of the craziest and memorable parts of the game, but even before then it's probably the most interesting/entertaining of York's many quirks. Speaking of York's quirks, I'm also quite fond of his many physical mannerisms. He often uses his hands as speaking implements and has a tendency to smile in a pretty unnerving way that doesn't match the context of the scene at all. The smile is undoubtedly a result of Deadly Premonition's low budget and incompetent dev team leading to poorly-animated expressions, but much like basically everything in Deadly Premonition, I'm going to chalk it up as a happy accident.

York's weirdness is well-balanced by how seriously takes his job. Many people in the game think that York is treating the case like a joke because of how he acts, but nothing could be further from the truth. York dishes out the occasional burn to people who totally had it coming, but overall he's very straightforward and honest. It's not his fault they can't understand him half the time! York is putting his best foot forward into solving the case, and after a while people become unable to argue with the mounting pile of evidence he gathers. There's also the conservations he sometimes has with Zach while driving around in his car, where York monologues about past cases that are just as extreme as the one he's currently investigating. They really add believability to York's character, reminding the player that this weirdo is an accomplished FBI agent who's seen some shit over the years.

I just love watching York. The man operates like he's on a different plane of existence (which really, really fits in with the supernatural stuff that Deadly Premonition throws your way) but never feels so alien that I can't relate to him. The quintessential York scene is definitely the Sinner's Sandwich scene - the way he acts with skepticism over the Sandwich, followed by his unbridled joy at finding it delicious, is so understandable but at the same time so not understandable, understand? It's amazing how completely he salvages his game. Even outside of how entertaining he is, I'm almost certain that the way he forces you to think laterally is part of the reason why it's way easier to forgive Deadly Premonition's major flaws than it is for other games. Much like his fellow officer in the scene where he explains Zach, you learn to roll with it and accept - no, embrace the things that are different. I've played the game twice and I still want more York, and if that's not the sign of a truly memorable character, I don't know what is.
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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.