It’s midnight, and the amazing classic cartoon graphics of Mouse P.I. For Hire stir in Chris’ head. Slightly tired and eyes stirring like ink on paper, he finally gets around to writing the review. Has it been three weeks? Oh geez, how time goes by!
Distracted, jobless, and looking for something to cheer him up, Mouse P.I. For Hire is a stellar game that wows Chris with its sharp shooting controls and imaginative level design. Hopefully, next time he can write a review within a week or two of the game’s release.
Slightly embarrassed, Chris continues to write his review. While listening to the excellent jazz-themed soundtrack by Patryk Scelina, Kacper Mikołajuk, and other musicians from the game, he gets to work.
Mouse P.I. for Hire’s Gameplay Packs a Punch!
Mouse P.I. for Hire will be fondly remembered as time goes on, like its distant cousin Cuphead. It takes the classic animation styles of Disney and Warner Bros and delivers a spectacular graphical treat on screen. However, there is more to this game than meets the eye (and there are some issues I do have with the visuals).
The game is a treat, but it does take some time to get cooking. The weapon variety at first is slim with a simple pistol. However, as the game continues and you upgrade your weapons, it gets far more interesting. The alt-fire adds fun twists to each weapon, such as a triple-shot with the pistol and a laser ray that melts brains right in front of you.
Each weapon feels fantastic to control with the DualSense I used during my playthrough. Aiming feels just like a DOOM game: perfect. Despite this comparison to the hellish experience, playing this game feels like a dream. While the shotgun does feel underpowered at points, every other gun feels powerful in your hands, especially when it’s upgraded.
Seeing an enemy melt in front of you with the acidic weapon, Devarnisher, is brutal. There are also canisters you can explode, crumbling them to ash or freezing them on the spot. The gameplay feels spot on, for 99% of the time. The other 1% comes when there are far too many NPC’s and enemies in the level.
You see, it feels like a dilly when the game begins to lag for a few seconds. It screams to a halt and then goes back to 60 frames per second goodness for the majority of the game. Thankfully, it doesn’t occur too often during gunfights, but when you’re in the hub town, speaking to NPCs in the bar area. Hopefully, that gets fixed soon in an update.
A Solid Story Overall, Gang!
But gee willikers, reader, I haven’t gotten into the story yet! The narrative revolves around a private investigator solving a few major, interesting cases that all connect in the end. While it can be off the cob sometimes (corny), the writing is engaging overall.
There are some great jokes, fun references, and Mouse P.I. For Hire does get dark a few times, which might surprise you. The inclusion of cheese (and foreign cheese) being treated like drugs and booze is hilarious.
While the characters aren’t the most memorable, they still have plenty of personality that makes you care enough about them. The voice acting certainly helps with that.
Troy Baker plays the protagonist incredibly well. His delivery is spot on, as you can hear the sarcasm and slight humour within his dry delivery.
I don’t want to spoil the story in the slightest, but it takes twists and turns you may not expect. It does feel like the antagonists are thrown at you thick and fast before you can actually get to know them. This resulted in me not connecting to the story as much as I’d like to.
Thankfully, the music is themed perfectly to each level you’ll find in Mouse. PI. For Hire. “Mud, Ink, & Banjo” is a delightful track you’d expect from a western film. The overall theme with its sexy saxophone and noir design is a tasty track that is referenced throughout the escapade. “Dealing With Crooks” is an absolute groove as it plays during gunfights; the thrilling composition, bass, and jazz remind me of the incredible OP “Tank” from the excellent anime Cowboy Bebop.
The soundtrack has plenty of moxy. It even references an old cartoon at one point, which was a neat touch.
The Zany Level Design! Woah!
Something I did not expect was the brilliant level design of Mouse P.I. for Hire. Many shooters to me feel repetitive due to their poor variety of gameplay instances. However, Mouse P.I. For Hire surprises.
At one point, you’ll be taking down mobsters in a movie studio that references classic films. During the next, you’re in a mysterious house trying to figure a way out. There is even platforming that is surprisingly decent for a first-person shooter with a tail whip that can get you from place to place.
Variety is the spice of life, and it’s in full gear in Mouse P.I. For Hire. I would discuss this point more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
What does spoil the game somewhat is the enemy design. You’ll see the same goons over and over again, and I wish Mouse P.I. For Hire changed up the formula a bit. While it is fun to get some power-ups like a finger blaster and the chilli that makes everyone burn, it’s not enough. There are only so many big goons (which look the same) before I yawn like Sleepy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
What makes the game more exciting, on the other hand, is that it feels rewarding to find the various secrets. By going into off-route areas, you can be rewarded with cash (for other collectibles), baseball cards (that can be used in a mini-game), and comics. There are even vinyl figures to find.
The inventive bosses throughout the game somewhat make up for the repetitive enemy design, however.
The Game is a Beaut!
What strikes many people when they see this game for the first time is the black-and-white visuals. They truly stand out, and the environments also replicate the art style from back in the day. The lines of buildings and lamps are slightly off. The characters are 2D-animated and bounce like the classic cartoons.
Even the UI is animated. Each weapon has its own face on the bottom right, and it reacts when they’re getting shot. Your health bar is a heart that has a face on it. You’ll see it get battered as your bar gets lower.
Each of the stages looks phenomenal. The developer really did its research. They look just like the classics, and there are a few surprising twists you won’t see coming. I put a bee in your bonnet, and I won’t be spoiling anything.
Unfortunately, the only issue I have is when the characters die. They look way too flat when you get up close to them and take me out of the experience. It was only for a few brief seconds, though.
Overall, Mouse P.I. For Hire is a delight. It gives us the razzle-dazzle graphically and comes with gun gameplay to match. It’s a shame the enemy variety is lacking, especially towards the latter half of the game. Check this game out when you can.
8.5/10
A PS5 review code was provided by the publisher.
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