Detective Pikachu Returns Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Features

Detective Pikachu Returns is one of the funnier, quirkier and more entertaining experiences of a jam-packed year of video games on the Nintendo Switch.

Although serving as a sequel to the 2018 3DS game, it's likely more fans will be interested in Detective Pikachu Returns because of the highly-entertaining 2019 film. Detective Pikachu Returns is a unique, narrative-driven journey within the Pokemon universe that is great for anybody, whether they're fans of the previous game, the movie or generally interested in Pokemon.

Gameplay Impressions and Features

For fans of Pokemon and mystery, Detective Pikachu Returns is the perfect blend to scratch the itch and fill a void. The game is essentially a mix between an adventure game and a visual novel.

The gameplay premise of Detective Pikachu Returns is entertaining in itself. Pikachu talks to other Pokemon and the other main character, Tim Goodman, talks to humans. From there, Pikachu and Tim will discuss details of events taking place around them and their findings, then it's on the player to solve aspects of a case.

Pikachu's gameplay sections aren't identical to Tim's, as Pikachu can ride specific Pokemon and use their abilities. It's a fun way to feature the diverse cast of Pokemon throughout the story. Controlling Pikachu, and thus other Pokemon, expands the gameplay loop and often comes at the perfect time to break up the pacing of the gameplay and the narrative.

Each individual case uncovers more of the overarching mystery, which keeps players engaged with the overall narrative. Although the cases are simple to deduct, it's fun to experience different Pokemon and see how their personalities and skills help Pikachu and Tim. Overall, the story is one of the more engaging to come from the Pokemon universe, mostly because a mystery is unraveling throughout the game.

An excellent quality of life feature compared to a lot of games is this near elimination of fetch-quest tropes. Since the game naturally has a lot of running around since it's based on investigating people, Pokemon and places, the game will automatically advance certain quests by bringing two parties together instead of making the player run back across the map to complete the quest. Although it doesn't happen every single time to disrupt the player's current path, it's helpful when it does happen.

Aside from that quality-of-life feature, there are some incredible customization options that most other games should replicate. For example, gamers can toggle on the option to be able to fast forward through text, fast forward 'movie' scenes, enable high-speed movement and even highlight correct options during investigations. The option to highlight correct choice during investigations ensures this is an accessible game for young children and a perfect place for somebody to begin their Pokemon journey. Overall, not only will these options make for a speedrunners dream but will avoid issues with many similar games where they just feel a bit too slow to play.

The main downside about fast forwarding movie scenes, though, is that the audio is muted so gamers will lose out on the hilarity of Detective Pikachu and the music. The voice acting for Pikachu and background music are excellent and the top highlights of the game. Pikachu has funny quips and one liners that keep him entertaining. It never gets old hearing a Pokemon like Pikachu as a grizzled veteran detective. The soundtrack is epic and among the best soundtracks of the year. This is why it's disappointing the game is muted during the fast forward option and that it doesn't function similarly to watching a YouTube video on double speed, for example.

From the main menu, the Story Jump Mode allows gamers to replay events from specific points in the game. After completing a chapter, or even the entire game, it's great to be able to replay a specific section in the game in case somebody wants to experience it again or check out details they may have missed. This is a fantastic feature that would be good for most, if not all, similar narrative-driven games to replicate.

Although perfectly suitable for children as expected from a Pokemon game, there's an engaging, deeply-rooted dark story that will resonate with adults. Detective Pikachu Returns is a great fit for Pokemon fans of all ages but is also a terrific choice for parents and young gamers to play together as they discuss the cases and themes of the game. The slow pacing and simple gameplay style is perfect for allowing players to stop to converse about the clues, character motives and where the story might go next.

Conclusion

Detective Pikachu Returns is a fun game for Pokemon fans and a must-play game for those who enjoyed the 3DS game and especially the movie. This is the perfect game for parents with young children to play together as an introduction to video games or perhaps even for younger gamers who are beginning to read as it could serve as a fun way to help a child learn to read.

Although for adults this will serve as a simple adventure game, the mystery is engrossing and deals with themes that would resonate with adults. It can be difficult for a video game like this to balance being enticing for younger and older gamers but Detective Pikachu Returns accomplishes the task for Pokemon fans. Detective Pikachu is one of the most entertaining characters in the Pokemon universe and the writing is entertaining with funny quips.

Detective Pikachu Returns should resonate well with Pokemon fans but would also be a fun choice for people interested in diving into the Pokemon universe because it's simple and they can learn about different types of Pokemon in a unique setting.

For gamers who have been waiting for a sequel to the 3DS game or to play Detective Pikachu on a mainline console since the movie, Detective Pikachu Returns is a welcomed addition to the Pokemon universe and Switch library. This is a fun spin-off from the mainline series and deserves to be nominated for Best Family Game at The Game Awards in December.