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Review: Detective Pikachu Returns

Detective Pikachu Returns review banner
Written by NPUK_Admin

Caffeine addicted Pikachu, now in HD

When Detective Pikachu was first announced, even the Pokémon megafan in me was sceptical about the potential of such an unusual spinoff – but we’d need to wait until the 2018 3DS game to actually get a hands-on experience. What we got was an interesting, if a little simplified, cinematic story game with a lot of potential, especially since it ended with intentions for a sequel. A live action movie would then adapt and seemingly conclude the story, and yet a sequel to the game was announced. I was now even more curious: would a sequel game really tell the rest of the story the movie already told us?

To cut to the chase: the answer is yes and no. The movie was an adaptation after all, it had its own takes and ideas that fit within a movie format, while Detective Pikachu Returns follows its own original canon, one that works in game format. There are certain plot beats and references that are clearly made as a result of the movie’s existence, but players who have played the 3DS game or have only seen the movie are getting almost entirely original story that justifies the existence of this sequel. The game even takes the time to refresh players on the more intricate, important plot points of the previous game in its early hours, subtly making a reference to the movie to show how little it’s taken into account here.

As a game, Detective Pikachu Returns is a story-heavy adventure akin to the likes of Ace Attorney. You take the role of young detective Tim Goodman and his gruff, coffee-loving Pikachu partner, whom Tim can understand perfectly while everyone else only hears the expected “pika pika!” of normal Pokémon cries. Players explore crime scenes, clicking at points of interest and talking to characters to gather evidence and testimony in order to piece together the truth behind a case. Tim talks to the people, while Pikachu talks to the Pokémon, and together they pool their findings together to crack cases even the police can’t figure out. The biggest point is that the game focuses on detective work – there are no class trials, court trials, or any similar scenarios to speak of. All you’ll be doing is sleuthing around areas, with the occasional minigame or quick time event to break up the pace.

It’s very important to note that this is what Detective Pikachu Returns is. At its very core, it’s an interactive story with fetch quests, quick time events, and simplistic minigames sprawled throughout to keep players invested. Add in the fact that the target audience is all ages, especially younger gamers who might be playing this as their very first video game. What you get is something that some might not even call a video game – but that kind of judgement is wrong if you ask me. I simply have to state: If you aren’t interested in the story or premise of Detective Pikachu, this is not the game for you.

After a cutscene or two that sets up the next chapter, Tim arrives at a case and decides to take it on. From there you’ll be walking back and forth through an area, talking to people, Pokémon, and clicking A at points of interest to gather evidence and testimony. Every time a problem comes up, the X button opens up a notebook where your evidence is laid out, Tim and Pikachu mull over what they’ve learned, and then you pick out a solution. Rinse and repeat and watch the story play out.

Occasionally you’ll get to take control of Pikachu who will team up with another Pokémon involved in the case, who will use their powers to help out. Things like Growlithe following a scent in order to track missing people, or Luxray seeing through walls to sneak into prohibited areas. It all plays out quite similarly to Tim’s section, unless it’s to set up something like a stealth minigame. Either way, it’s slow, easy-going stuff.

This simplified approach works as Detective Pikachu Return’s biggest strength. It’s a stress-free experience that prevents the player from failing even when it presents moments where it seems like they can. If you guess a solution wrong, you’re simply made to pick again, with the wrong option greyed out. There’s no HP bars, timers, or reputation mechanics in sight, and chances are older players or those with knowledge of Pokémon will hardly be tested. The problems presented aren’t exactly as preschool as something like Paw Patrol, but you’re unlikely to be scratching your head at solutions either as most can be figured out before the characters in the game piece things together themselves. Even then, if you do find yourself having difficulty with quick time events or figuring things out, accessibility features let you highlight the correct solutions or remove quick time events entirely. These features coupled with auto-text advance let you almost literally watch the game, if that is what you prefer.

Players accustomed to intricate mysteries or the depth of core series Pokémon might feel babied here, but parents looking for something to play with their youngest have something that hits the mark in all the right areas. That’s not to say the game doesn’t have moments older players would enjoy, it most certainly does, and they’re well written and frequent enough. This isn’t a game with thought provoking themes and grey justice. It’s a laid-back, silly tale about a Pikachu obsessed with coffee that solves everyday mysteries no more intense than a Scooby-Doo chase sequence. That’s what this game wants to do, and it’s doing it in strides.

The game is chill and charming. Pikachu himself has a fun level of wit and goofiness to him, which comes out in the game’s many well animated cinematics. I find myself enjoying the moments where you get to control Pikachu the most, since all the dialogue of other characters changes to accommodate the fact that you’re a Pokémon. All the other Pokémon now talk in full sentences (although, you still hear their names in their anime voices), which leads to all sorts of quirky dialogue and responses to scenarios. Pikachu will sometimes even call you over to a point of interest, where choosing to interact will lead to an exclusive skit between himself and another Pokémon or two. These are where the humour shines most, provided silly slapstick is what you’re into.

It’s a shame then that the same can’t be said for the human characters. They’re not bad, nor do they lack character per say, but I do feel our main character Tim doesn’t always play off of his companions all too well. The frequent tagalong Rachel can be similarly bland at times, as neither main character varies up their conversations with others and focuses a bit too hard on the current situation. Again, neither of them are bad or lack character, but compared to Pikachu, who always has something to say that can crack a smile out of me, there’s a bit of wasted opportunity for a trio of memorable misfits.

As far as this game goes as a sequel, it is a surprising step up from its 3DS predecessor. Cases are far more in-depth from the start, but not so much that it feels like a massively different game or overwhelming. The music is much higher quality, with more variety and louder tracks that the first game seemed so afraid to use. That said, the soundtrack isn’t anything to write home about, nor does it have anything like leitmotifs or arrangements of classic Pokémon tunes. It’s simply a noticeable soundtrack time, and much more fitting. Side quests are added too, which although are all fetch quests, offer a neat reward to those invested in the game’s world and storytelling.

As for the graphics, there is no beating around the bush here. Detective Pikachu Returns feels like a 3DS game that got ported to Switch somewhere late in development, or was built using the same graphics engine as the 3DS predecessor. Whichever one it is, this means that the game has that ‘HD remaster’ feel that seems to excuse its blander moments. It doesn’t have the graphical masterclass as say Mario Odyssey, but urban environments of Ryme City are colourful, detailed, and smooth enough for what they need to be. You won’t find things like the fur textures on the Pokémon models like in Scarlet and Violet, nor even the slick lighting from Sword and Shield here. The graphics aren’t bad by any means, but they simply do their job and never stretch further.

What this does mean is that the game runs perfectly everywhere it needs to. The framerate is stable whether you’re on handheld or docked, outside of a couple of very specific instances. The way the characters are animated is strong for most scenes, which also have a lot better cinematography than the 3DS. That’s not to say the limitations don’t have their fair share of the performance – facial motion could do with some improvements, while a bothersome number of actions are presented with a black screen and some narrated sound effects. For a game that focuses on cinematics and story, it’s as impressive as it is middling, but it’s never enough to truly detract from the experience.

Verdict

For fans of the greater world of Pokémon, I’m talking about those who remember Pokédex entries, watch the anime or play other spin-off titles and the like, there’s a wealth of worldbuilding here that’s a treat worth experiencing. Ryme City is alive with down-to-earth residents who live and interact with Pokémon as if they were real life creatures. Even when they’re not involved in side quests or directly interactable, there are many Pokémon living in the world in a way that all feels even more natural than New Pokémon Snap. The game even goes ahead to answer some quirky questions about certain Pokémon or moves that have been asked for generations – but you’ll have to dig to find these little trivial tidbits, whether they’re answered or teased. Coupled with the sweet theme of this game’s story, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a chill, silly, story-heavy game for hardcore Pokémon fans who’re casual on the video game front, or families who want something they can play alongside their youngest. The game will last you a little over ten hours and doesn’t have any post-game content, so make no mistake when looking into it. This isn’t a game to go into with a serious mindset, nor to expect the next Ace Attorney out of – but that’s fine, since that’s what it wants to be. It’s a relaxing coffee break of a game that never asks any more out of you.

Where to Buy

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Credits

Written by Sheldon Greenaway

Edited by Mark McAllister, Jen Griffiths and John Edwards

Graphic Template by Paul L. Russell