MOUSE P.I. For Hire is a classic first-person shooter (FPS) developed by Fumi Games and published by PlaySide Studios. Inspired by the classic cartoons of the 1930s and noir films of the era, this FPS also embodies the “boomer shooter” subgenre with flair.
In MOUSE PI For Hire, the players are Private Investigator Jack Pepper (Troy Baker), a former war hero turned detective who sets out to rid the city of all the corruption. Only, Jack learns things are way more complex along the way.
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At Summer Game Fest Play Days, we got to experience a hands-off preview of the upcoming title. This included getting a chance to see actual gameplay, which helped us see a full mission play out and some of the design choices behind MOUSE PI For Hire.
Mouse PI For Hire offers gorgeous hand-drawn animation.
Fans of hand-drawn 2D animation will be excited for this one, as we were told that basically everything in MOUSE P.I. For Hire was hand-drawn. Fumi Games explained right off the bat that they wanted to do cartoon animation, as it is something they were very familiar with as a studio. This is due to the fact that they have plenty of animators who have been working in animation for years. Which means they had no doubt they could pull it off.
This really comes through as the game itself looks beautiful. From the rubber hose animation to the nostalgic greyscale, Fumi Games really nailed the feel of those 1930s classic cartoons. The animation style adds to Mouse PI For Hire’s charm and take on noir storytelling.
In the limited amount of the game that we saw, Troy Baker as Jack Pepper works perfectly for the noir setting. This cartoon aesthetic also allowed the developers to be creative in gameplay for a game with a seemingly more serious tone.
Fumi Games balances a dark tone with nostalgic cartoon animation.
MOUSE PI For Hire is a “boomer shooter” in every way, from the way players utilize their weapons and gun play to even navigating the world. Players will have a variety of weapons to choose from, whether an old-school “Tommy gun” or a more creative one. We were able to see that it fires a sort of “ink” that removes characters’ “skin,” as you know, everyone is just an animated cartoon character.
Just because this is a classical FPS doesn’t mean there can’t be some choices, as players will get a variety of optional ways to complete their mission. Whether by using a coin to bribe a waiter or being forced to jump through an air duct, players will have some choice. These choices will also allow players to see additional dialogue that may or may not be relevant to their mission, but expands on the world and immersion of the game.
In my limited hands-off session, MOUSE PI For Hire showed plenty of potential in a variety of areas, whether it be the hand-drawn 2D rubber hose animation style, the 1930s film-noir aesthetic, or even classical FPS fans.
MOUSE P.I For Hire has no official release date with tentative release sometime in 2025.
