Review: ‘Detective Pikachu Returns’ is a tough sell for fans of the genre

Despite its age (and aging hardware), the Nintendo Switch still has some fight left in it. In all likelihood, its successor will hit store shelves sometime next year, but that doesn’t mean that Nintendo is abandoning its hybrid console anytime soon. Heck, this year’s holiday season has a few notable Switch titles (I’m chomping at the bit to get my hands on Super Mario Bros. Wonder), but to kick things off, Nintendo has turned things over to the world of Pokémon.

It might not be the most popular spinoff, but Detective Pikachu was a fun take on the adventure genre, and developer Creatures has to be commended for targeting a younger audience, which can be a bit tricky to do with this sort of genre. It was a decidedly slower-paced game, with a stronger focus on the characters and world than the actual moment-to-moment gameplay.

This puts its sequel, Detective Pikachu Returns, into a bit of a weird spot. In many ways, it’s remarkably similar to its predecessor, and if you thoroughly enjoyed the first game in the series, it’s a safe bet to say that you’ll have a good time with this one as well. On the other hand, if your main focus is on solving puzzles and cracking the case, you might want to curb your enthusiasm.

If you haven’t played the original (or watched the live-action film), don’t fret — Detective Pikachu Returns assumes you haven’t, and kicks off the proceedings with a quick recap over a quick coffee break. Ryme City (and the rest of the world, I guess) is still seeing the after-effects of Pokémon going berserk after being exposed to a new drug called R, and on top of all that, Detective Pikachu and his human sidekick, Tim Goodman, are still trying to figure out what happened to Tim’s father, who also happens to be Pikachu’s investigative partner.

While R made its appearance early on in the first game, Detective Pikachu Returns takes its time when it comes to revealing exactly what mysteries need to be solved over its 15 to 20-hour story. Admittedly, it’s not a very complicated story, despite there being a lot of moving parts, and there’s a good chance you will figure out what’s going on long before any of the characters do.

The biggest shift comes from how easy the investigations are now. In the first Detective Pikachu, you often had to solve somewhat challenging puzzles, decipher unknown symbols, and piece together clues and evidence that required a bit of thinking. In Returns, you’ll mostly be talking with people and Pokémon around town, collecting clues, and then figuring out how they all tie together after Pikachu prompts you to do so.

To be fair, this shift toward incredibly streamlined gameplay isn’t a dealbreaker, but it is likely going to alienate some adult Pokémon fans who like a little challenge to go along with the story. Of course, you could make the argument that this outing is meant more for kids, and that’s a fair point to make. Still, despite having “Detective” in the title, this latest adventure requires very little in the way of logic and deduction.

If you can look past the overly simplified gameplay, there’s a lot on offer that will please most Pokémon fans. Exploring Ryme City, and finding new people and creatures to interact with, is good fun, especially if you enjoy the recent mainline games that feature a more fully-realized 3D world. One thing does stick out like a sore thumb: the graphics. Despite being a Nintendo Switch exclusive, Detective Pikachu Returns is more on par with a 3DS game, at least in terms of visuals. Sure, it’s higher-res than the first, but Returns‘ has a very simple look to it, with little in the way of expressive, dynamic animation.

If you’re in the market for a laidback, autopilot sort of game — or if you just happen to be a big fan of Pokémon, Detective Pikachu Returns serves as a great palate cleanser as we inch closer and closer towards the onslaught of AAA, action-heavy games that accompany the holiday season. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something to fill the void left by Ace Attorney or Professor Layton, it’s a harder one to recommend based on the gameplay alone.

This review is based on the Nintendo Switch version of the game. A pre-launch copy was provided by Nintendo.