Detective Pikachu Returns (2023)

Detective Pikachu Returns is a slight but charming mystery game for younger audiences. It won't last you a long time, and the graphics are plain at best, but it's still a light and breezy time that could be much worse. Shame about that price tag, though.

The game fulfills the expectations of a less demanding detective game, and for younger players or perhaps Pok'mon lovers, it's a really good spin-off.

What will Detective Pikatsu Returns offer you? A relaxing adventure, accessible to all, with a script that has enough twists to keep players interested and characters with personality, since the gameplay will be simply procedural for the majority.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a welcome return for our mystery-solving duo. Although it comes across as simple in many ways, you'll still find enjoyment if you're in the mood for a relaxing game with a good story.

If Detective Pikachu Returns’ goal was to make a mystery game that any kid could enjoy, then it’s almost a complete failure. This is most certainly no Professor Layton, nor is it anywhere close to that pedigree in any category. The mysteries are robbed of all of their catharsis because the game doesn’t ever trust the player’s intellect and intuition. Not that you may want to see the story to its end when the main narrative can’t make up its mind on what it wants to be. For only a very brief stint of time was I invested, but then I soon realized that I already saw everything that it had to offer. Its few bright spots in character interaction and charm couldn’t hide that. This isn’t a broken game, but it’s something I found worse: it’s boring.