Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club Reviews
Emio - The Smiling Man looks like it came out from the '80s, thanks to gameplay mechanics unbelievably dated that hold up its true potential.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Emio – The Smiling Man has a rich, empathetic heart, there's just not enough of it. Solid character work and a decent setting can't get around the fact that the game isn't ever all that thrilling.
A visual novel rated 17+ that will appeal to fans of the genre and the Famicom Detective Club series, and will be able to capture the general player audience with its story and visuals.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The story is around 12 hours to complete and, as I mentioned above, there were some bugs and some minor gameplay frustrations. But do give it a chance if you enjoy strong narratives that keep you on the edge of your seat and have an interest in the macabre.
Just because something has dark themes like mental illness and domestic abuse doesn't suddenly make it a great commentary on them. Games such as Mother 3 and Captain Rainbow being left unlocalized compared to the cavalcade of embarrassment in Emio is probably the biggest mystery this game has. Hopefully you're left with a bigger smile on your face than I was.
Although not without its faults in due part to the trial-and-error situations that require exhausting all options in conversations, Emio - The Smiling Man is a game that will keep fans glued to the end, topped off with a very appealing art style and fair 10+ hour storyline that doesn't overstay its welcome. There isn't much else to see and do once the full story is done, but it is one worth experiencing.
A slow burner that while modernized still feels like a natural extension to the series that stopped more than 3 decades ago. One that rewards those who persevere.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
The brand new Detective Club title brings very compelling plot luring players to discover murders and mystery. On the other hand, gaming options might be limited and linear for some adventurers ' if you come for the lengthy dialogues and investigation, you will like the outcome.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
To say anything else about Emio would be doing you all a disservice, as it’s a winding, twisting mystery that is best enjoyed unspoiled. If you did play the remakes of the first two Famicom Detective Club titles then you’ll get more of the same here, just with modern standards of writing. That alone makes it a much stronger experience, because the narrative in this thing is incredible.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is an intriguing option for Nintendo Switch users looking for a mature and dark story. The game allows players to find a wide cast of characters, any of whom might be considered suspects at any moment, and gives the chance to analyze every action and word from them to advance in their investigation. Despite some obstacles posed by its interface, the title offers an engaging experience for those seeking a memorable adventure.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is one of the most engaging and emotional visual novels I’ve ever played. The well-written, unpredictable story, multi-dimensional characters, and beautiful anime-style visuals makes the newest entry in the Famicom Detective Club series a must-have for anyone that loves murder mystery and psychological horror.
For fans of murder mysteries, thrillers, and visual novels, Emio: The Smiling Man is a must-buy. For everyone else, it’s a solid recommendation with some caveats. You’ll have to adjust to an old-school play style, and it won’t deliver the constant gamification modern titles offer. If you can overlook these aspects, Emio offers a smart, often terrifying experience that is different from anything else out right now.
If you can look past the often frustrating and confusing gameplay design, Emio – The Smiling Man will blow you away with a dark, gripping tale full of major twists and tragic turns. The game’s great character writing coupled with immersive audio-visual design combines to make a moreish mystery you’ll hesitate to put down.
Emio: The Smiling Man – Famicon Detective Club delivers a gripping, genuinely creepy and intriguing detective themed adventure, which will satisfy both adventure and visual novel fans. The mature subject matter feels fresh and unique, especially for Nintendo Switch owners looking for a more adult experience in-between Nintendo’s usual family friendly titles. While some minor technical issues and a forgettable soundtrack do hinder the overall experience, Emio: The Smiling Man succeeds in providing players with an enthralling detective story, which will leave a lasting impression.
Nintendo's commitment is evident, with competent voice acting, attractive graphics and, overall, a project with a strong identity. The narrative presents moments of suspense effectively, remaining creative, exciting, fun and sinister, without ever losing interest.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is an amazing offering from Nintendo and a welcome addition of something more mature for their catalogue. It offers a tight and engaging story that fans of mystery stories are really going to get invested in.
I lost sleep over this game. I can’t stop thinking about it, and reminiscing about my favorite moments gives me chills. It’s haunting, funny, beautiful, tragic, and so very human. I did not know Nintendo was capable of publishing something like this, or funding it. This is one of the highest-budget adventure games I’ve ever played, and I’m saying this fully understanding that Type-Moon localized the Tsukihime remake months ago. I really liked the past two games, but this is a new favorite ADV game for me. If you are a fan of mystery stories and can put up with an interface many would call obtuse, this is a must-play. I know not everyone will think as strongly as I will, but I just need people to engage with this game. I need to talk long into the night with others about this game. I think it’s truly brilliant, I don’t think I’ll play anything quite like it for a long time. I’d love to be proven wrong, though. Prove me wrong, Nintendo.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a testament to the developers ability to consolidate a top-quality mystery. Although the logical structure can be confusing and not very comfortable, especially for new players of the genre, what we have here is a truly unmissable experience that consolidates itself as the pinnacle of the series so far and shows that there is room for the genre to flourish even more in the current market.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Emio - The Smiling Man is an outstanding investigative adventure that expands and enhances all the positive aspects of the Famicom Detective Club series, delivering one of the most mature and profound narratives that the expansive Nintendo catalog sorely needed. Despite some pacing issues and a gameplay system that, while significantly improved, still feels somewhat rigid, we wholeheartedly recommend this must-play title to all fans of the genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Emio – The Smiling Man was a comfortable, familiar experience that both benefited from that familiarity and suffered from it. I loved revisiting this world and the characters, and the overall excellent writing was engaging and entertaining; however, retaining the same point-and-click nature of the previous games lead to some frustrating play sessions and unintuitive courses of action. The presentation was gorgeous, with beautiful background art, detailed and emotive sprites, excellent voice work and an amazing soundtrack. It took me roughly 20 hours to finish the game, and while the Fukuyama’s Report Card extra does give some minor incentive to replay for a higher grade, there isn’t much else, which makes it slightly more difficult to recommend at the $50 price tag, especially since you can get the twin pack of the first two games for only a few dollars more. To be clear, I really enjoyed my time with Emio, and if you liked the previous Famicom Detective games or really enjoy mystery visual novels, then this is a surefire title to grab. Due to its dated gameplay and shorter length, if you’re more of a casual enjoyer, I’d wait for it to go on sale. If you’re unsure where you stand, there’s a free demo available so you can test the waters yourself.