Detective Pikachu Returns is the sequel to the bizarre but beloved Pokémon spin-off that also spawned a movie of the same name. While it does more than enough to justify its existence as a follow-up effort, it also struggles to capitalize on some of the good will the movie earned for the property, instead reverting to a more childish, simplistic narrative and systems.
Detective Pikachu Returns follows Tim Goodman and a talking, coffee-obsessed Pikachu as they try to make Ryme City a better place through solving crime. They're also tracking Harry Goodman, Tim's father and Pikachu's former partner, who is still missing. While the story winds up similarly to its predecessor - eventually tackling some more emotionally interesting content - it starts painfully slowly, especially for those even a little familiar with the first game. While catching players up is important for the context of the story, it's done so agonizingly glacially that it feels like the first several hours are all tutorial and narrative exposition.
What's In A Detective?
The biggest problem with Detective Pikachu Returns is that it doesn't feel like it knows exactly what to be. The detective work is rarely satisfying, the narrative interactions are pretty mundane, and the exploration amounts to visual novel-level implementation. Everything works, ranging from okay to good - the back half of the game has some genuinely thoughtful moments and a few mysteries that require some legwork, for instance - but none of it is stellar.
The most glaring element of Detective Pikachu Returns is its graphics, which are almost distractingly bad at times. It's not like Pokémon games on Switch are industry leaders in terms of aesthetic, but the smaller scope of the game and its focus on cutscenes and conversation means it's way more noticeable when characters are rendered like background NPCs from two console generations ago. As someone who generally doesn't care much about graphics and their impact on games, the fact that Detective Pikachu Returns' aesthetics were concerning at all means they're definitely not up to snuff.
Missed Opportunities
The other part of Detective Pikachu Returns that feels disappointing is its lack of connection to the themes and tone of the movie, which felt like a shocking success when it released. There was opportunity here to navigate the game to a bit more of a mature tone - nothing that would exclude children, but perhaps a bit more tongue-in-cheek - that would've served it wonderfully to be more memorable.
What's here in terms of gameplay is more than serviceable, though, so people who enjoyed the first game or want a simple time-killer will find a lot to like. Investigations are more in-depth now thanks to Tim's notebook, which tracks data of the case and allows him to connect the dots as more clues become available. Pikachu isn't the only Pokémon character available to assist the investigation, either - there's others that will contribute to the search using their abilities. Luxray, for instance, can use its ability to see through objects to help locate important clues. It's simple, but it adds a little depth to a gameplay loop that could use it where available.
Who Is Detective Pikachu For?
While there's some glaring criticisms to be made for the game as a product, there's also a clear case to be made for Detective Pikachu Returns as an excellent youth-focused mystery game. It can definitely isolate older audiences with its pacing and simplicity, but it tells a good story, picks up a plot that many wanted to see resolved, and adds new features that mean the act of solving a case isn't nearly as repetitive.
Detective Pikachu Returns is a fine game that knows its niche and plays into it well. It operates more like an excuse to see Pokémon in a different setting than anything else, but for players interested in that sort of thing, it's fascinating. I wouldn't really recommend the game for adults looking for anything challenging or particularly nuanced, but it's an okay story wrapped in a wonderful world that's reasonably quick to complete. Detective Pikachu Returns doesn't quite make good on the promise the film adaptation gave the series, but it's a solid follow-up and anyone who liked the first will double down on having a good time with the second.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube
Detective Pikachu Returns releases on October 6, 2023 for Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a digital Switch code for the purpose of this review.