Pokémon, the saga with a thousand and one spins of almost as many Pokémon as there are Pokémon. And this time, we’re back with our children’s favorite detective: Detective Pikachu. A direct sequel to the 3DS game, not the film. We’ve taken everything from the original and simplified it..
Coffee and a mystery to solve.
The Return of Detective Pikachu is, as its name suggests, the sequel to the adventures of Detective Pikachu released on 3DS. We find ourselves back in Ryme City 2 years after the events of R. Just as our heroes are being decorated by the city for their actions. But nothing goes according to plan, and we’re off on another adventure. Especially since the first title leaves us with an unfinished story: what happened to our father? And what has become of Mewtwo?
Here again, we find a Pikachu who breaks the codes to be a Pikachu with a big voice who likes coffee and more adult activities. A far cry from the standard Sacha and Pikachu. Which is just as well for the older among us. Even if it’s not clear who the title is aimed at
In search of riddles.
Without spoiling the story. The title is full of twists and turns, not to mention the side quests that add lore to the city and its surroundings. But the problem is that the story drags on and on before it really gets going at the end. Especially since all the side quests are unrewarding. They’re just there to tell a story. And that’s the problem
The title is too easy, with no possible failures even during QTEs. Especially since the title removes a feature from the first one, namely puzzles. This makes it far too easy, and pushes the player to read a lot of the story. As a result, it’s not clear whether the title is aimed at younger players or history buffs. Too much blah, blah, blah makes it hard for younger players to follow the story
The return of Detective Pikachu could have been a must-have if only we’d been treated to more challenging puzzles a la Professor Layton. Especially since Pikachu’s mounting system is certainly amusing, but not revolutionary
In the end, we feel that The Return of Detective Pikachu is far too simplistic, talking too much without any real reward in its side-quest system. But for all that, it’s not a bad game. On the contrary, it’s a real pleasure to discover the adventure. A game where younger players will enjoy spending time with their parents reading the story.