Detective Pikachu Returns review: A memorable story held back by tedious gameplay

Detective Pikachu Returns comes from a franchise I wasn’t really familiar with until just this past week. I was pretty thankful the new Nintendo Switch game gave me a little catch-up on what I missed in the previous game. I didn’t own a 3DS when the original came out, so I missed it - but I am a sucker for a good detective drama.

However, I find myself incredibly conflicted by this particular game. I love the darker themes of the story, especially when combined with a cute, adorable package.

That’s the problem, though. That works for me, but the game feels aimed at a younger audience, and they may not be ready for some of the content in the story.

Detective Pikachu Returns is a return to form in positive and negative ways

There are some pretty funny moments, even in the early story (Image via Nintendo)

Detective Pikachu Returns might be a crime drama, but it’s perhaps the easiest one in the history of video games. It is a direct sequel to the original game and does also do some hinting at the film.

The protagonist’s father, Harry, is still missing, and the team of Tim Goodman and Pikachu are trying to solve that case when something new pops up.

Initially, it felt like an innocuous, simple job of finding a missing gem. It swiftly spirals into a huge conspiracy, and some pretty dark stuff begins to go down. I have to say, I really loved the story of Detective Pikachu Returns. I’m having a hard time parsing if it’s meant for adults or kids, though.

The story focuses on how untrustworthy the police appear to be and even the highest forms of government in this city not being who they appear to be. I appreciate the layers and depth not found in most Pokemon games. That’s why I’m not sure it’s really a kids game, but that’s okay. I don’t think this blend of art style and storytelling is a bad thing - quite the opposite.

The gameplay isn't terrible, but it is very easy (Image via Nintendo)

While I think the story is what I was hoping it would be, the actual gameplay is really where things begin to fall off a cliff for me. Navigating the map is the most tedious, frustrating thing about Detective Pikachu Returns.

Each part of a map has to be loaded into. There’s no mini-map - not that you’d need one with how simple the game is - but the constant loading screens were a nightmare. One thing I certainly thought was a positive was the addition of Pokemon friends.

Another feature I really thought was interesting was the "Story Jump" mode. After you beat the prologue, you can skip ahead through the story and play whichever parts of the game you want. This adds a little replayability to the game, as starting with it makes little sense. Doing so will spoil major events in the story. It's a neat feature to come back to the game later with, and I'm glad it's there.

Detective Pikachu Returns brings in Pokemon allies to help solve puzzles

Detective Pikachu Returns lets you bring in some heavy hitters to solve puzzles (Image via Nintendo)

This was the coolest part of Detective Pikachu Returns for me. The titular Shock Mouse cannot use any powers, which can become a real issue in a world where all the other animals have godlike powers. It also becomes a real sticking point in the story itself.

However, you can use Pokemon like Lotad and Darmanitan to assist in some of the puzzles. These aren’t complicated ones - nothing like Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals or Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Shrine puzzles. This is stuff that virtually anyone can get through.

However, it’s just a nice little touch to the game. Since Detective Pikachu can talk to and understand Pokemon, doing more than simply interrogating them is nice. Whether it’s riding around on Growlithe and using his sniffer to track down criminals or punching through rocks as Darminitan, there’s so much to love about this change to the game.

Detective Pikachu Returns’ mysteries are perhaps too easy

It's not too hard to figure out the culprit in some of these cases (Image via Nintendo)

My conflict doesn’t cease with the tone of the game either - it’s also entirely too easy. You’re going to find yourself figuring these cases out like the 90s cartoon A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. I like how the cases all connect together, but wow, it’s entirely too easy. The game doesn’t let you move on until you’ve got the correct answer for your current objective, either.

I do appreciate that it lets players work through and guess on their own, but the detective work and sleuthing are incredibly simple in Detective Pikachu Returns. I like that there are brief side missions to do, though. That makes the areas you explore a little more worthwhile, other than showing up to do one thing and leaving for a while.

There’s no reward for doing these good deeds other than seeing the Pokemon and people you aided in the Newspaper. If you don’t check, though, you’ll never know that exists.

The graphics of Detective Pikachu Returns are a bit dated

This looks more like Kingdom Hearts than anything else (Image via Nintendo)

I’ve really had to mull this over in my head for a bit. Yes, it’s true that Detective Pikachu Returns’ visuals are pretty dated. It feels very much like a 3DS game that was revived for the Nintendo Switch. You’ll get no argument out of me for that.

However, I loved a lot of the Pokemon-themed animations. Watching Detective Pikachu run around on the back of Growlithe, for example, looked so adorable. The animations looked good, and the visuals were solid. Most of the world looks pretty dated, but that part of the game I thought was fantastic.

I played the game using the Japanese voice actors, and I thought that particular dub was exceptional, too. The overall presentation isn’t bad, but I definitely think that the visuals don’t hold a consistent quality throughout the game.

In Conclusion

The story for this game feels mature, but the gameplay is a bit too simplistic (Image via Nintendo)

Detective Pikachu Returns made some strides forward from the previous game, but honestly, I don’t know if that's enough. I was expecting more than 12 hours of mediocre, predictable gameplay. Even if the story was good, and the updates to the gameplay were nice, that isn’t really enough for me.

Ultimately, it’s not a bad game, but it’s also not a terrible one. It’s mediocre down to its very core. I feel like there’s room for more storytelling in this series, and I hope the next one builds on it more with a world that’s easier to explore and immerse myself in.

It's hard to say if this one's worth it at a retail price, though. If you're okay with a crime story that's anywhere from 12-14 hours or loved the original, it may be worth it; however, for $50 USD, it doesn't feel that way to me.

Detective Pikachu Returns

Platforms: Nintendo Switch

Platform Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch

Developer: Creatures

Publishers: The Pokemon Company, Nintendo

Release Date: October 6, 2023