Mouse: P.I. for Hire – Review

There have been tons of first-person shooter games released for various consoles recently. Games like Resident Evil, Call of Duty, Battlefield, and more have evolved in ways that make futuristic games feel more realistic. However, there is one new game that brings back the classic FPS move in a way that can literally make you look goofy, and that game is Mouse: P.I. for Hire.

Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a game that I have personally been keeping track of for the past couple of months. When the trailer first hit, I was quite curious what it was, and now, after playing the game for almost 12 hours straight, this game made me feel like I was in one of the old 30’s cartoons playing the detective in a mix of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Steamboat Mickey.

In this game, you play as Jack Pepper, a private investigator who is a bit rough around the edges but has a heart of gold and is surprisingly voiced by Troy Baker, who has done a lot for the gaming community in voicing iconic characters whose personality matches well with Mouse: P.I for Hire. When voicing the protagonist, it feels as if Dick Tracy was brought back to life as he searches for clues that can help solve his current case. In this game, you, as the private investigator, must uncover the mysteries that surround Mouseberg and find out what sinister plot is being unfolded as it not only harms those that Jack Pepper knows, but also the whole town as well.

The story setting of this game has an interesting core narrative that I find quite intriguing. It shows many dark humor and unexpected twists that a mystery fan would really love, plus mixing it with its gameplay shows how fast-paced it is and how incredibly smooth it is to have either on the PC or on your consoles.

The story has two game mechanics that will challenge the minds of players. First, you need to investigate. Go around Mouseberg and search for clues that can help you understand what the bad guys are planning and where in the city you can find your missing client. Second, of course, is to fight bad guys. How, you may ask, well, using weapons like a shotgun, handgun, dynamite or your fist can make you do wonders. But don’t forget that this game is set in a 30’s style cartoon world, as you can use the environment, such as exploding barrels or freezing tanks, to disrupt the movements of your enemies or give them an instant K.O.

Though it is fun shooting enemies in various ways, I am kinda disappointed as most of the enemies that I will be facing, especially the grunts, are either just shooting their rifles or coming straight at me with melee weapons like a bat or a tomahawk. I kinda wanted to see more types of enemies aside from the boss battles, and have a better experience in facing tough grunts throughout the game, instead of simply avoiding attacks and shooting them in the face in return.

After many hours of playing Mouse: P.I. For Hire, I was also quite confused about how to use the in-game money mechanics of the game. Simply put, all I can say is that using the money can help refill one’s ammo or help players collect and buy baseball cards. At first, I thought collecting these cards would give a sense of satisfaction and would easily help improve my gameplay, but all it did was just unlock lores that were found in this game, plus there are other collectibles that can be found in the story missions, however, there is no chance to return the missions as their is no replay mission feature nor New Game Plus mode in this game.

The graphics and audio aspect of this game are really nostalgic if you grew up watching the 30s cartoons like Steamboat Willie, Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor Man, and more. The total environment gives a player the feeling that they are literally in the 1930s, and you are experiencing what kind of life people were living at that time. If I were to pick what part of the game is really worth experiencing, it would be this.

With all that being said, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is worth getting if you want a certain type of cartoon nostalgia in your pockets. With how fast-paced and smooth the gameplay is, I would say that this game has many areas that can be improved on if ever they plan to make another game soon. Before buying it, I would recommend first checking out the trailers and seeing if this game suits your collection.

This review is based on a review code provided by the developers/publisher.