MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Reviews
Part-chaotic retro shooter, part-stylish cartoon noir, Fumi Games' Mouse P.I. for Hire goes beyond its stellar artistry to land an invigorating, imaginative hard-boiled romp.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is an amusing enough FPS if you just want to blast some cartoon mice and not think about it too hard, but its haphazard marriage of noir storytelling and boomer shooter action are at odds in uncomfortable ways that weaken both aspects.
A slick, accomplished shooter that's more than just an eye-grabbing art style.
Mouse is an enjoyable and visually stunning shooter with just enough uncapitalized potential to make me mourn what could have been. It looks amazing, the music is spectacular, the voice acting is top-notch, and it feels great to play in the moment, but its unwillingness to put up even a semblance of challenge is its biggest downfall. I’d still very easily recommend it, but sticking it on the hardest difficulty is almost a requirement.
Sure, I'd have liked more meaningful investigative mechanics and fewer reskinned baddies, but I was often too busy tapping my toes to jazz tunes and laughing at the riotous cartoon antics to be too bummed about it.
There's rarely a frame that isn't bursting with style and creativity, and it's none too shabby as a retro-style shooter either. Mouse: P.I. might not reinvent the wheel, but its arsenal of weapons is punchy and delightfully varied, while the fluidity of movement makes for some thrilling, high-speed shootouts. In this instance, you should have no qualms about handing over money to the mouse.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire shows a deep love for animation of the era, but the gameplay and script lack the same level of care. A Gouda attempt, but nothing bleu me away. Cheesy in all the wrong ways.
Initially, I wasn't sure how well the mixture of influences and styles was working, but it's a testament to the attention to detail and polish that's gone into the whole production that Mouse: P.I. for Hire achieves such a high score. The story takes a bit of time to become truly gripping, but it does so at the exact same time as the combat and style reach new levels of quality, and I couldn't help but be impressed.While I can't say I am stunned or in awe of the clue-collecting, I very much enjoyed my playthrough. Mouse: PI for Hire feels fresh and fun, and I only have praise for the whole team who produced it. This animated noir mystery is a great achievement. It takes risks, it's challenging, it strives to be bold - and it works.
It draws you in like a detective magazine, getting you invested in the state of the city, while keeping you merrily chugging along with good ol’ cartoony violence. It’s not a revolutionary game as far as the FPS genre goes, but considering its adherence to multiple kinds of retro aesthetics, I don’t think being revolutionary was the mission statement here.
Mouse PI For Hire is one of those games that reminds you why indie games are worth paying attention to. It has a visual style unlike anything else on the market, addictive combat that improves as you unlock abilities, intelligently designed bosses, a soundtrack that gets stuck in your head, and a price of €29.99 that's practically a steal for everything it offers.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Fumi Games truly thought of everything when it came to crafting a wildly entertaining and satisfying FPS adventure. For retro shooter fans who are looking for fresh excitement and fun, you can’t get much better than this.
A noir boomer shooter rich in style and atmosphere but limited by its unremarkable gunplay and flat writing, which fails to capitalise on its fun premise.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a good game, it plays well with an engaging story brought to life by the excellent Troy Baker. However, tonally it is all over the shop and the detective part of the game is perfunctory at best, but it gets away with it thanks to the joyous visuals and music.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire absolutely oozes charm in its narrative and gameplay, even if it gets caught in a mousetrap or two of the FPS genre.
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire turned out to be a fresh take on the shooter genre with adventure elements. Despite a number of rough edges, fans of detectives and cheese will not be disappointed.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Mouse P.I. For Hire is one enjoyable and visually stunning video game. While it stumbles like a drunk on Tuesday night when it comes to enemy variety; it more than makes up for it with a stellar voice cast, some fun combat and genuinely laugh-out-loud side quest missions. The game may be on the easy side but don’t let that dissuade you, this is one case worth taking on gumshoe.
The moment-to-moment FPS gameplay is flawed courtesy of its boxy repetition and lack of kablam in places, but even though it isn't fully accomplished, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is nonetheless an outstanding curiosity that doffs its sleek fedora to Disney and the noir genre.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire has more than enough personality to go around.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a first-person shooter that manages to transform extraordinary art direction into a solid and fun gaming experience. It has some (little) limitations, but it's a truly promising debut for Fumi Games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
MOUSE: P.I. for Hire offers incredible art and animation, as well as enjoyable first-person shootouts. For that, it certainly succeeds — just don't expect it to do much of anything else.