Although at the gates of the seventh year of the console's life, The return of detective Pikachu It joins the very long list of titles belonging to the Pokémon universe published on Nintendo Switch. In some ways, of all the Nintendo franchises, the Switch and Pokémon franchise will be remembered as the most vibrant combination in terms of number of releases, including major episodes, DLC, and spin-offs. Detective Pikachu is a recent entry, born on Nintendo 3DS in 2016 (in Europe in 2018, therefore with Switch already in stores) and immediately capable of emerging with personality from the sea of small animals created by Satoshi Tajiri, although never carved. a role as a charismatic leader of a parallel movement made up of mysteries and investigations.
Perhaps because it was developed by Creatures, perhaps because it has less light along with larger headlights, the somewhat Sherlock Holmes-like iteration of the funny yellow animal is back to try and earn its own position. It must be said that, unless you have already appreciated the television counterpart, it is not trivial to make a fan digest the fact that Pikachu speaks and is actually voiced by the serious and deep voice of Kaiji Tang, a Chinese boy who lives in The Angels. Angels.
Let's see what to expect from Detective Pikachu Returns in our review.
Return to Ryme City
If there is one aspect in which Creatures has decided to raise the bar a little in this sequel, it is undoubtedly the city: although anchored in an old-fashioned exploratory approach and certainly not in an open world, we are faced with a broader and more varied environment, as well as more interesting to explore. Thanks to the obvious technical difference between 3DS and Switch, this time urban exploration is enriched with a greater number of Pokémon, some of which are particularly active and capable of making the pulsating presence of the protagonists denser. Fights, mini-games, dialogues, gags: Ryme City takes advantage of the Switch's features to stage a constant series of interactions with which to have fun and better breathe the atmosphere. Despite the delicate, puppet-like air, Detective Pikachu Returns is at heart a detective story, and having more material on screen to interact with gives more depth and body to the mechanics of dialogue, questions and testimonies.
Precisely thanks to this emphasis and a city where humans and Pokémon coexist, taking on the role of Tim or Pikachu changes the flow a bit, since the former speaks through the interpretation of the latter, while the latter... speaks directly with all, allowing one more exploration of the various personalities and characters of individual Pokémon. We are convinced that, for a fan of the Pokémon universe, having a text adventure full of content and ideas in your hands is a small paradise to cultivate and savor, although do not expect complex or refined writing, given that its target audience is The The Pokémon Company knows this very well.
Between questions and deductions
To better approach this very particular title you must know what you are getting into: Detective Pikachu Returns offers a style of play diametrically opposed to the dynamism of its older cousins, the battles, the collection or the completion of the Pokédex. Creatures worked to increase the density of a fairly obvious visual novel structure, trying to break free between fan service and participation, structuring cases to solve that are not difficult, rather guided but capable of entertaining fans of this universe. It is no coincidence that Pikachu is the true protagonist and Tim is his secondary character, committed to finding Tim's father and at the same time solving mysteries of all kinds. using other Pokémon to detect clues or find more clues. The key here is to let yourself be carried away by the very relaxed atmosphere of the New Orleans bar, enjoy the jazz soundtrack in the background between piano and marimba, leave expectations aside and look for a good Pokémon narrative experience in single player.
If you're looking for Danganronpa-style hijinks or dialogue, you're out of the question: the best feature of this franchise is providing a sort of lateral thinking into the Pokémon universe, dragging everything you would expect to find in a traditional game and throwing into the cauldron many clever little details, which when put together give a strong sense of belonging to the fan, making them feel part of a coherent and developed community. , following the visuals expected from a Pokémon text adventure. Probably, despite a fairly fluid progression, with a nice new investigative skill and a narrative suitable for all ages, it is precisely the desire to distance itself so markedly from the typical dictates that is the strong point of Detective Pikachu Returns: to offer an experience diametrically different, that smells like Pokémon in every corner and that makes its fan service a trait of pride, rather than a banal filler. For a minor title, even in terms of price list, we can say that the new episode of Creatures carves out its own small but soft framework in which to exist. total dignity, regardless of where or how the gaming medium takes place in the outside world. Let's dedicate just a few words to the technical aspect to reiterate what was written above: the graphics are clearly the last of the priorities in a product of this type and it fulfills its task sufficiently, leaving a lot of room for maneuver in the environments. but instead it seems to work well in facial animations. A decent balance point, perhaps calibrated downwards, but from which we are convinced that none of the buyers and fans of Detective Pikachu will be disappointed.
Conclusions
digital delivery Nintendo eShop Price 49,90 € Holygamerz.com 7.5 Readers (9) 5.6 your voteIdeal for returning to the Pokémon world by changing your point of view, Detective Pikachu Returns aims to offer a different interpretation, in every sense. Lots of text, situations closer to Japanese role-playing games, mysteries full of atmosphere and a fluidity that can entertain old fans but especially new fans. Thanks to the film production, we're sure that one of Creatures' intentions is to use this easily accessible investigative adventure to introduce (or transport) new fans to this colorful and inspired universe. Don't expect complex cases, adrenaline-filled situations or dialogues on printed paper: Detective Pikachu Returns brings softness and delicacy to the table, thanks to a skillful use of technical resources on the animation side, to relax even the most die-hard fans. and Suggest new ways to explore the antics of Tajiri's little monsters. The overall ambition of the project weighs heavily, a bit clearly limited towards a younger audience, but the not complete price may help you think about it.
PRO
- A delicate adventure, perfect especially for new fans.
- For all ages.
- Interesting information about Pokémon interactions
AGAINST
- The weight of the game is quite limited.
- The environments could have been more cared for.
- There is still work to be done on the weight of the narrative
