MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Reviews
Not the game of the year, and it doesn't try to be. A handcrafted indie FPS with a bold artistic vision that stays fun throughout without ever betraying its identity. The imperfections are there, but they don't overshadow what Fumi Games built: an original, visually memorable experience worth opening.
Review in Italian | Read full review
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is, indeed, a fantastic game. The world is well-imagined and the aesthetics are perfection, but the fact they’re all built around an absurdly fun first-person shooter makes this a game you absolutely need to play.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a game with an extraordinary sense of identity and a combat engine that feels great in your hands, slightly undercut by a reluctance to challenge the player holding the controller. It’s a remarkable debut that earns its place through sheer creative ambition, even when its systems don’t push back hard enough to match it.
Through all its flaws, Mouse: P.I. for Hire is an incredibly charming, well-paced and engaging shooter that rarely overstays its welcome.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire should’ve been shorter, but I still really enjoyed my time with it.
Fun, adrenaline-filled, and just the right amount of challenging. Fumi Games' shooter stands out for its style and is convincing, despite not inventing anything new.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a damn good first-person shooter disguised as an investigative noir. The P.I. elements of gritty puzzle solving and clue searching give way to the levels of violence we’d see in a DOOM game, but despite this juxtaposition, it somehow works. It's vital to set assumptions with how the game plays out, as the two genres don't gel entirely - those thinking this would be a quaint Dick Tracy-style case with a few gunfights thrown in for good measure will be sorely disappointed. But if you’re in the mood for a stunning run-and-gun game with oodles of big band Jazz music, a sarcastic detective and a competent story, then Fumi Games certainly delivers. The combat controls are tight and intuitive, the violence is comically over-the-top, and the experience is rip-roaringly fun.
There are a lot of ways I could take my thoughts when it comes to Mouse: P.I. For Hire. There were some issues I noticed, and I will note them. The thing is, though, it’s fun! It’s old school, unadulterated fun! It’s booting up your PlayStation 2 after rushing home from school, new game fever levels of fun!
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a stunning hand-drawn noir shooter with a jazz-soaked soul — visually unlike anything else this year.
Review in German | Read full review
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire is a title with a strong identity that has very high highs in terms of gameplay and audiovisual presentation, but also unignorable lows in terms of narration and coherence.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While a multiplayer mode and co-op would be great, those looking for a fun and at times challenging game will likely find lots to enjoy with the final product.
I don’t know whether this is good or bad, but as someone who usually isn’t a fan of shooters, Mouse: P.I. for Hire is one of the best shooters I’ve played so far—maybe even the best. It’s actually a bit of a shame that going for 100% completion isn’t very appealing, and that resources spawn far too excessively on normal difficulty. I’d also say the game feels a little too long. But aside from that, almost everything about it feels close to perfect for me. The cartoony black-and-white art style, which still doesn’t try to be child-friendly, adds a tremendous amount to the experience. The fact that I even enjoy the gunplay here is still surprising. The great story and small side activities also round things off nicely.
Review in German | Read full review
Whilst the constant cheese puns and fourth wall trope-busting may grate after a fashion, there's a lot to enjoy in Mouse: P.I. For Hire. The old school shooting, with even older visual style, brings back nostalgia and challenge in one hit. Whilst more shooter than detective caper, it's still a gouda time.
Fun, stylish, and bursting with visual personality, Mouse: P.I. For Hire turns Mouseburg into a detective adventure packed with gunfights, clues, and pure animated charm.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Although this is a game you don’t come across often, we believe it will go largely unnoticed by mainstream audiences. Still, Mouse: P.I. is not something you should miss, especially given how dry the FPS genre has been in terms of truly unique titles lately - but veterans of the genre may find a few disappointments along the way.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is truly a gem. Whether you are a fan of Disney-style cartoons or shooters, the title from Fumi Games simply has plenty to offer.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
I've been following the development of Mouse: P.I. For Hire since its announcement. After Cuphead's success in emulating the rubber-hose feeling, many games tried to replicate the formula and failed miserably (like the aforementioned Bad Cheese and the embarrassing clone Enchanted Portals). Mouse, on the other hand, strives and succeeds strongly in delivering a game that not only pays tribute but forges its own identity. An interesting and highly immersive universe, charismatic characters, a hail of bullets between the sword of justice and villainous scoundrels, and copious (or should I say gnawing?) doses of humor and cheese already make this one of my favorite titles of 2026.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Ultimately, the superb aesthetic achievements of Mouse P.I. For Hire are undermined by its overly familiar, uninspired gameplay choices. Relative newcomers to retro-style shooters are likely to get more from it than the jaded veterans among us, who have seen every gameplay element done to a higher standard many times before. At its best though, Mouse P.I. For Hire is a stunning-looking playable cartoon – and while it could have been so much more, that is enough.
An unusual development journey like this which could be followed so actively online is unlikely to be repeated anytime soon. All the more reason to be pleased that the end result is such a fun and varied game that not only brings beautiful visuals but also delivers compelling gameplay. Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a more than competent shooter that offers much more thanks to its many ideas and mechanics. I would have liked a bit more player initiative in the investigations and I would absolutely love the ability to revisit previously completed levels to uncover all the secrets or even complete side quests retroactively. But besides that it's another indie banger for 2026.
Review in German | Read full review
Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a game that almost entirely succeeds in its mission, paying homage to the past without needing to invent (or reinvent) anything. It’s neither the most intense nor the most profound boomer shooter, but it’s certainly one of the most distinctive and captivating titles of recent years, shining more for its style, atmosphere, and writing than for its gunplay. If you’re looking for a title that combines the flavor of old-school comics with the charm of crime noir, then you can’t miss this little gem from Fumi Games.
Review in Italian | Read full review