REVIEW: ‘Detective Pikachu Returns’ Manages To Deliver Some Charm (Switch)

The Great Detective Pikachu and his partner Tim Goodman are back for another multi-layered mystery. Jewel heists, conspiracies, and abducted Pokemon all come together to form a tangled web that the duo and their friends must unravel if they are to save the day in Detective Pikachu Returns, developed by Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo.

The story of this game is filled with ups and downs. While most of the larger beats hit well, especially given that it was clearly written for a younger audience, at times, getting to these beats can be tedious at best. Numerous extra steps are often layered between the start of a problem and its resolution, which generally do little more than increase the game’s runtime. This weighs down each of the game’s four primary story arcs to the point where, no matter how well-handled the conclusions were, by the time the player arrives at them they just want them to be over. Combined with unnecessary story segways that weigh down the narrative, the mysteries often unravel poorly in Detective Pikachu Returns.

The biggest frustration comes in how frequently and plainly the game lays out what will be the end result of a chain of mini-puzzles the player is asked to solve at the onset of the sequence. Being able to see where you will end up but still having to run through several puzzles that are so simplistic they barely qualify as puzzles is just aggravating. If the game managed to disguise a sequence’s conclusion better, the puzzles would at least benefit from the curiosity of where it is all leading. Frequently bereft of this enticement to continue, the player is often left with little to think about other than how obvious every challenge is.

While the “puzzles” provide little amusement much of the time, worse are the often extended investigation sequences. These moments are presented as challenges that task the player with gathering clues through observations and talking to witnesses, followed by a moment where the player is asked to pick one of several possible answers to whatever plot element the duo is trying to solve.

Finding clues is never anything more than simply walking around a space and waiting for the investigate prompt to pop up. Once it does, a button press delivers whatever element the player has stumbled across, along with some brief commentary from the characters. While this is fine in small doses, the amount of it in the game doesn’t allow the mechanic to hold up.

Talking to witnesses can be even worse. When talking to characters, there are frequently several different dialogue options the player can choose from. While only one may matter, the game often likes to require the player to read through all the options before giving them the opportunity to end the interaction. This forced exploration into side character backgrounds or fluff information about the world is annoying and accomplishes little but to further frustrate the player as their time feels squandered.

Providing some relief from the doldrum of the gameplay are the fun interactions of the main cast. Pikachu and Tim provide an entertaining core duo for the narrative, while the surrounding cast of humans and Pokemon alike manage to deliver their own quirkiness to the story that helps keep some fun going throughout the proceedings. The adorable world of Pokemon is brought to life with loads of fun interactions between the player and the popular creatures fans have adored for years. While most of these creatures serve as simple window dressing for the adventure, a variety of characters make cameos as they team up with Pikachu at various points in the story. These moments are frequently the highlight of the game, as each new critter brings a new ability that temporarily freshens the gameplay up, while also providing cute moments with the game’s namesake star.

The charm of the world is further brought to life through the game’s visual presentation. The game’s home locale of Ryme City feels vibrant and fun. The streets are always bright, with loads of familiar characters milling about. Many of them are prepared to offer the player side activities to participate in if they are looking to spend even more time in the game.

This side content is completely optional, providing no gameplay benefit whatsoever. Tasks range from retrieving lost Pokemon to answering quizzes. While none are terrible, they offer little except to boost the game’s runtime and provide an excuse to talk to more of the iconic pocket monsters.

When it’s at its best, Detective Pikachu Returns delivers the charm and cuteness that have always been hallmarks of the Pokemon franchise. However, all too frequently it fails to reach those heights thanks to shallow gameplay, a bloated story, and repetitive missions that feel lackluster, no matter what age demographic they are targeting.

Detective Pikachu Returns is available now on Nintendo Switch.