- You’ll need some sensible boots, you won’t get very far in those stupid sneakers.
- -Albert to George
Albert is a elderly man who is encountered at the beginning of the game after George Stobbart leaves the sewers in pursuit of the Costumed Clown Killer. He believes George is in league with the criminal at first as they have both entered his property without permission and aggressively confronts the two on both occasions.
Personality[]
Albert has very traditional views that come across as hostile in conversation with other individuals. He is incredibly uncooperative to people and suspicious. He will usually treat intruders with great caution for self-preservational reasons.
Having served in the French army, he seems very strict and boastful of his prowess and his sense of duty, and yet respectful to authority.
Background[]
When he was at George's age, he served with the Desert Hyenas in the African desert. During his time there a Tuareg shaman taught him how to acquire a photographic memory, like remembering any series of numbers after briefly seeing it, which helps him with shopping. During his service he also learned to recognise men with authority.
Initially very hostile to George, mistaking him for the original trespasser, Albert prevents him from leaving the sewer and refuses to take his hand in order to help him up into the courtyard believing it to be an underhanded trick. Understandably, Albert is very cagey and sharp with his responses initially and will flat out refuse to answer certain questions as he believes George is a suspicious character.
Further conversation with him indicates his is still physically active and imposing enough to challenge the costumed killer and not be hurt in the scuffle, showing that he has retained his hard-work ethic from his youth. His experience gained from service in the army has afforded him a disciplined mind that can easily retain information others would forget and bravery when faced with danger that most people would run away from.
Through dialogue he reveals that he chased a man out of the courtyard and ponders if he and the man dressed as a clown who bombed the nearby cafe are one and the same. When presented with Inspector Rosso’s card Albert becomes much more friendly and responsive, with very little questioning about the reason George was down in the sewers, suggesting that he upholds the law and values the work police officers do greatly. He soon answers all of George’s questions. After showing him the scrap of clothing material, Albert explains how it matches the jacket he found before George arrived and how he would remember the pattern anywhere.
Further dialogue reveals he has given the garment to an itinerant Romany seamstress as one of the sleeves has been badly torn. He then talks about the name on the label being foreign before revealing it as Todryk. Although there was no address for George to follow, Albert does help immensely when he reveals he has somehow managed to remember the number of Todryk’s business even though he has only seen it once. After asking if there is a reward for his information, to which he is disappointed, he escorts George out of the Courtyard and has very little use for the remainder of the game. George then has the option to ring "74980859" in order to contact Todryk and carry on his pursuit of the Costumed Clown killer.
Trivia[]
- Albert shows visible concern for Chantelle’s well-being and when questioned on this hotspot he states that he enjoys the relief she gives him when she cuts his toe nails for him.
- Albert has several years of trained army experience during his time in the African Desert as part of the “Desert Hyenas” platoon, this explains his bravery when confronting the first trespasser and how he avoided injury when attacked by him.
- When George expresses surprise at his impressive recollection of a list of numbers he has barely seen once Albert explains that he learned the technique off a Tuareg Shaman whilst he was serving in Africa and that it comes in handy when doing sums at the supermarket checkout.