Detective Pikachu

Detective Pikachu is a quirky spin-off of the franchise that started a worldwide phenomenon featuring pocket-sized monsters and a quest to catch them all. However, this adventure is far more narrative-driven, with a linear story that focuses more on characters and the world around them than battles or leveling up. Playing as a young man who befriends a gruff Pikachu, it's your job to investigate Ryme City and its surrounding areas to solve a mystery involving rampaging Pokemon and a missing detective.

Main Game Features

• Uncover secrets and clues
• Solve a perplexing Pokemon mystery with Pikachu
• Features characters from the Pokemon franchise

Story

Detective Pikachu follows Tim Goodman, a new citizen who arrives in Ryme City in search of his missing father, Harry. During his first few days in the city, Tim meets Pikachu, and for some reason, can actually understand what he's saying. Instead of the cutesy, high-pitched voice we all know and recognize from the Pokemon franchise, this Pikachu is gruff and loves coffee and complaining. Teaming up to investigate the disappearance of Harry, Tim and Pikachu set off on a wild adventure across Ryme City.

Although your investigation is primarily focused on recovering information about Harry, you'll also spend time uncovering clues about other crimes and mysteries around Ryme City. There are 9 story chapters to complete, and each one takes you to a different section near the city. You'll meet new characters, encounter fresh Pokemon species, and solve plenty of cases as you work your way through the game. More than any other Pokemon game before it, Detective Pikachu is all about talking with characters, examining evidence, and making deductions as problems pop up.

Gameplay

While other Pokemon games like Pokemon Blue and Pokemon Stadium are all about battling your captured Pokemon to obtain victory, Detective Pikachu is a much more linear and story-based affair. Similar to games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, most of your time is spent discussing the case with Pikachu, investigating clues, and connecting the dots. Mysteries cannot be left unsolved, as you are often stuck in a specific area or chapter until the case has been completed. Especially when compared to other games in the Pokemon series, Detective Pikachu has very straightforward and simple gameplay. There aren't any stats you have to balance or a large inventory to manage, instead it pays to be observant, patient, and curious. In this way, Detective Pikachu feels more like an old adventure game than an RPG, as the story is the focus and the gameplay helps keep things from becoming too tedious. If you're looking for an epic adventure full of action and challenge, Detective Pikachu is quite the opposite.

Conclusion

Despite its remarkably easy difficulty and straightforward progression, Detective Pikachu is a delight to play. The characters are fun, the voice acting brings new life to familiar faces, and the mystery is actually interesting to uncover.

Pros

• Cute characters and sound effects
• The main mystery is engaging and unpredictable
• Excellent anime-style visuals

Cons

• Can be finished very quickly
• More reading than proper gameplay
• Incredibly easy