Scott Shelby

Overview

Scott Shelby is a private detective and one of the four playable characters in Heavy Rain. His role in the game starts when the families of the Origami Killer's victims hire him to investigate the murders of their children, in the hope that he will succeed where the police did not. He is described by the developers as a Film Noir character, still living in the 60s, and very smart. His character model and voice were both provided by veteran film actor Sam Douglas.

Shelby suffers from asthma, which features heavily in gameplay. The player will be required to perform specific motions with the analogue sticks to reach for Shelby's Inhaler, and press buttons in order to use it. He is first introduced when he enters an apartment building in search of a woman named Lauren Winter, a prostitute and the mother of one of the Origami Killer's victims. Shelby ends up rescuing Lauren as she is involved in a violent confrontation with a former client.

At several points in the game, the player will take control of Shelby while he visits the parents of past victims. Lauren eventually begins tagging along with him, having no other desire than to see her son's killer brought to justice. Like the other playable characters, Shelby's ultimate fate is dependent on actions taken by the player at key points in the game.

The Past and the Truth

Scott Shelby is the Origami Killer. He was born Scott Shepard, and had a twin brother named John. The two lived in a trailer with their parents. When the boys were ten, they went out to play in a nearby construction site, and John became trapped in a drainage ditch. Scott attempted to get their father to help him, but their father was an abusive drunkard that cared nothing for them and refused. John drowned while Scott held his hand.

Scott was subsequently sent into foster care and adopted by the Shelby family. He became a police officer after growing up, but quit ten years prior to the game's present day, electing to become a private detective. He started kidnapping boys, usually around ten years of age, and set up elaborate tests for the boys' fathers. The tests were meant to tax the men physically and mentally to prove their worthiness as fathers. The more tests they passed, the more clues would be provided about the boys' locations. However, prior to kidnapping Shaun Mars, none of the fathers succeeded, and all of the victims died by drowning in rain water.

When Scott is taken to the police station, he meets with Carter Blake, who is sympathetic toward him, unlike Norman Jayden, who is more hostile toward him. Blake eventually let Scott escape, not knowing that he is the Origami Killer.

Points where Scott can die

• The Old Warehouse (by falling off a crane)
• The Old Warehouse (by getting shot)
• The Old Warehouse (by falling into a waste crusher)
• The Old Warehouse (stabbed in the back with a pipe)
• The Old Warehouse (by falling of a ledge)
• Epilogue - A Mother's Revenge (shot by Lauren)

Endings

Origami's Grave

Lauren is shown at Scott's grave, angry about the murders and disgusted by his decision to pursue a relationship with her in spite of the fact he had murdered her son. She spits on his grave and leaves. If Lauren dies, Scott's grave will be shown, but no one will be there.

A Mother's Revenge

Scott confronts Lauren in the street. Lauren tells Scott that she has discovered that he is the Origami Killer, and that he is only a private detective in order to eliminate evidence. Lauren tells him that she will avenge her son by killing the Origami Killer, and shoots him in the head.

Unpunished

Scott walks away calmly in the rain.

Scott's Ambiguous Age

Shelby's age is initially a point of much confusion. For example, Shelby's physical appearance strongly suggests he is a man of about 60. However, Shelby's tombstone says he was born in 1967, which would make him 44, as the game takes place in late 2011. Also, the news report after the player's final confrontation with Shelby announces Shelby as 48. John, Shelby's older brother, was supposedly ten when he drowned in 1977, which would make Shelby even younger than 44.