Here is our review of the “Detective Pikachu Returns” video game on Nintendo Switch

After a hiatus of several years, Detective Pikachu is back in action, this time restoring order in Ryme City. If his new investigations will please early fans, others unfortunately risk finding them simplistic, chatty and redundant.

We all know Pikachu, an iconic character from the Pokemon saga with his cute yellow face and electric lightning-shaped tail. But many people don’t know that he has a very special trait: he wears his hat, holds his magnifying glass and hits fast! Fueled by long sips of coffee, he becomes a gruff and temperamental detective.

Fans of this saga discovered this a few years ago with the first part of the Detective Pikachu adventures, available on Nintendo 3DS. Others learned about him in 2019 through the movie with the same title. And for many, with this new game they will discover it this weekend.

For this big return, Pikachu has a series of new mysteries and investigations to solve with the help of his partner Tim Goodman. Because strange things are happening in Ryme City, a land where humans and Pokémon coexist harmoniously. The first case: the theft of a particularly valuable and expensive jewel. Many mysteries and disappearances will follow that our detective will have to clarify with the help of interrogations, deductions and brainstorming sessions.

Image courtesy of Nintendo

Lots of reading

because The return of Detective Pikachu It is a particularly talkative game. We soon realize that it requires long reading sessions of the dialogue displayed on the screen. As for the dialogue in the anime scenes, French speakers will be disappointed to learn that it is only presented in English or Japanese. They will have to make do with translations, thank God! – Presented in Molière’s language.

Once this obstacle is overcome, we discover a pleasant and entertaining adventure, but in no way invigorates the genre or the saga of which it is a part. They’re colorful, and funny, of course, but our brains — and our thumbs — don’t get much of a test. We console ourselves by saying that the youngest will be able to use it as a gateway to discover this universe that has fascinated us for more than 25 years.

They will already meet different species known from the Pokémon world, from Caninos to Clefable, including Elecsprint, Farfaduvet and other Verpom. These should be enough to pique beginners’ curiosity and point them towards more substantial – and successful – challenges like Pokémon Legends: Arceus or even Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.

The return of Detective Pikachu ★★★☆☆

• Available on Nintendo Switch starting October 6