Detective Pikachu Returns Review – Cracking The Case

The previous Detective Pikachu game, released over five years ago on 3DS, traded in traditional Pokémon elements for mysteries more familiar to the Phoenix Wright/Professor Layton crowd. Gone were the trainers, Poké Balls, and battles in exchange for evidence-gathering, deduction, and a Pikachu that can speak far more than its own name. The movie version became the second-highest grossing video game at that time. The movie was a separate series from the games and tied up everything nicely. The story of Detective Pikachu is affected by this difference, and the game sequel cannot tell its full tale.

Tim Goodman, the detective Pikachu and their partner receive awards in recognition of the investigative work they did during the last game. Of course, it doesn’t take long for things to go wrong, and they solve a series of connected mysteries while continuing the search for Tim’s father, Harry. I welcomed their familiar rapport with Tim as the straight man to Pikachu’s gruff, coffee-swigging comic relief. It’s great to see this relationship develop and grow as cases get more personal.

The gameplay remains largely the same as you dash through the streets of Ryme City, temple ruins, and other varied locales, chatting with every human and Pokémon you see. This builds out the world, gives personality to the Pokémon via Pikachu’s translation, and compiles evidence for your notebook. Once you have enough on file, it’s time to deduce the facts you’ve probably figured out already but now have the proof to back up. As you present the evidence and determine who is responsible, a multiple choice quiz will wrap things up. The quality of life options, such as faster movement, text navigation that is zippy, and fast-forwarding cutscenes, are very helpful.

Pikachu’s ability to team up with other Pokémon is easily the best addition. The ability to use Growlithe and Darmanitan as a team, or even look through walls using Luxray, is a nice change from scrolling text and searching the environment. These sequences aren’t revolutionary, but they finally allow you to use some Pokémon powers in this series (Detective Pikachu famously can’t use his powers).

Side missions shake things up outside the main case you’re working on. Someone will need help finding a missing Pokémon friend, or a persistent professor will describe one you can keep an eye out for. This allows you to concentrate on the case at hand, although it is not very rewarding. After a new Chapter begins, scroll through a newspaper to see all of the NPCs that you’ve helped. These were more of an obligation for me than to feel a sense accomplishment.

Simple, cartoony graphics are an improvement over the 3DS game and fit the tone of the title. Sadly, the environmental navigation hasn’t changed much in recent years. Loading screens can be a nuisance as you navigate through small sections of town, or floors in buildings.

I enjoyed the overall arc and individual case stories, even though you won’t ever really be stumped. It’s disappointing, however, that some crucial scenes from the game were not included in the movie. While many plot elements are markedly different, the ones that line up make me feel like I’ve already seen a spoiler. To get a fresh perspective on this story, you must play the 3DS version and not the movie. The game will not pick up exactly where the film left off for those who only saw it. Characters and plot beats have been moved around. Granted, this is solely a review of the game, but you should know what you’re getting into depending on your background with the series.

The return of the odd couple with a new set of tricks, while there are still some things to improve on, is entertaining. Your mind won’t be changed if the style of the previous game wasn’t for you, but patient gumshoes should be satisfied with a capable follow-up.