I’m very pleased to say that this is a game that really lives up to the promise of the trailer, and dives deep into the mousey, cheesy, noir world of Mouseburg, balancing challenging gameplay with great voice acting, an incredible sense of vibe, and visuals you’d ink your shorts for.
Set in the fictional city of Mouseburg in the ‘30s - a place inhabited by anthropomorphic rodents – you are private eye Jack Pepper, a typical hard-nosed noir detective who has his office next to a bar, and is friends with both the seedier side of town as well as up-and-coming mayoral prospects. Through a seemingly minor case, he soon finds himself embroiled in a city-wide scandal far outside his usual scope. So far, so noir.
The game is an FPS affair, set in glorious monochrome with a typically scratchy, jazzy soundtrack that completely brings the world to life; expect sax solos, tribal drums during shoot-outs, curious marimba during the more cerebral sections and femme fatales aplenty.
Set in the fictional city of Mouseburg in the ‘30s - a place inhabited by anthropomorphic rodents – you are private eye Jack Pepper, a typical hard-nosed noir detective who has his office next to a bar, and is friends with both the seedier side of town as well as up-and-coming mayoral prospects. Through a seemingly minor case, he soon finds himself embroiled in a city-wide scandal far outside his usual scope. So far, so noir.
Much like Octopath Traveller, the game is of the type that is so richly visually realised and dedicated to its premise that I never got bored with just exploring the world and talking to the fully-voiced characters. I’m a sucker for a neo-noir, and delving deeper into the ever-expanding plot, getting drunk on the jazzy atmosphere, and drinking in the visuals simply never got tedious for me.
There are so many comedic touches dashed throughout, such as the inevitable mouse/cheese puns, tale-lock-picking mini-games and secrets to discover that bag you comics, coins for upgrades and the like, as well as collectible newspapers that makes it always feels like there’s something around the corner, an aspect that’s helped by the fact that everything in the game bounces and animates with a jaunty energy that makes the game so fun and charming to play.
Yes, there’s a lot to love here. I adored the characters, plot, audio, visuals, weapons, level design and bosses...but there was something about the combat that didn’t quite sit right with me at times.
Yes, there’s a lot to love here. I adored the characters, plot, audio, visuals, weapons, level design and bosses...but there was something about the combat that didn’t quite sit right with me at times.
Far too often, I could just hide away in a corner and let the enemies come to me as I picked them off, and after a while, it felt like the least interesting part of the gameplay, although it is in itself quite solid.
Whilst there are enemies scattered throughout, the bulk of the combat is handled via an arena-shooter setup - you walk into a place, a door locks behind you, and then you can’t proceed until you’ve picked everyone off. I would have much preferred a more fluid approach to this aspect of the game, although the upgrading of the guns in-game is immensely satisfying.
SUMMARY
Mouse: P. I for Hire is an incredibly beautiful game, and I truly hope that Fumi Games give us many more games set in this world, as it feels so rich.
Mouse: P. I for Hire is an incredibly beautiful game, and I truly hope that Fumi Games give us many more games set in this world, as it feels so rich.
Whilst the arena-shooter combat didn’t quite get my gramophone spinning, the rest of the game is such a delight that I found that I got my kicks elsewhere.
Right, I’m off to see my mate, Cheezus Christ.
Right, I’m off to see my mate, Cheezus Christ.
8.5/10
🆒COOL🆒
(also available on PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer – Fumi Games
Publisher – PlaySide Studios
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