Detective Pikachu Reviews

Detective Pikachu is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
5 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2018

Pikachu's detective career never manages to capitalise on an ok start, and ultimately nothing is discovered when you scratch beneath the surface.

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Goomba Stomp
Maxwell N
5.2 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2018

While Detective Pikachu's core concept might be a bolt of brilliance, its utilization as an adventure game is anything but.

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Nintendo News
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2018

Given the game’s lucrative appeal, Detective Pikachu comes up short. It’s a real shame the game’s intriguing cast of characters and witty scripting isn’t paired with inviting, challenging gameplay. The overwhelming laziness, coupled with its push on youngsters to give up so easily, reveals weaknesses in its structure. Detective Pikachu needs more than a (thunder) bolt of brilliance to land a critical hit; after all, it’s just not very effective.

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6 / 10.0
Apr 20, 2018

Detective Pikachu is certainly the boldest game in the Pokemon franchise, but delivers too little in the gameplay aspect. With a linear story and puzzles that lack challenge, the game is suited mostly for very young players.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

Evan Slead
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Mar 28, 2018

Detective Pikachu takes several steps away from the traditional Pokémon experience, with only a handful paying off. The beautiful imagery and distinct world-building will please any Pokémon fan, but the gameplay might leave them wanting more. While the point-and-click-style experience is a novel idea for the gameplay, it never manages to fully grab the player's attention.

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Daily Dot
Top Critic
Mar 20, 2018

Sorry, Detective. Maybe your story will turn out better on the big screen.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Apr 25, 2018

Ultimately, I like the concept of Detective Pikachu and will likely see the movie when it releases, but hopefully the developers choose to challenge their audience a bit more with any potential sequel.

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Guardian
Steve Rose
Top Critic
May 3, 2019

The inspired casting of the Deadpool actor transforms this from an average Pokémon movie into fun family fare

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6 / 10
Apr 3, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a deceptively small game with simple cases and not a heck of a lot else. As someone whose detective itch is usually scratched by the Phoenix Wright games, this felt like solving the really easy introduction cases in each, rather than challenging logic and reason. It certainly has the presentation chops, but the people who'll get the most out of Detective Pikachu are diehard Pokémon fans and younger gamers.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 22, 2018

I want to see a lot more of Detective Pikachu despite my misgivings with his 3DS debut. I just hope the next game is a little more fleshed out and doesn't tease us so heavily, but developer Creatures was able to build the skeleton of a low key adventure romp.

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6.1 / 10.0
Mar 31, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a cute and fun little game but it only offers enough challenge to satisfy an elementary school student.

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6.5 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2018

Detective Pikachu, as a character, is really quite special - but the game itself is unfortunately just not very much fun to play.

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Dave Aubrey
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Apr 2, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a mystery game built for kids, and that is clear throughout, though adult gamers can still have fun with the mysteries and world of Pokémon. Simple, charming, though certainly far from essential.

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6.8 / 10.0
Mar 30, 2018

Detective Pikachu is the beginning of a new franchise that still has a long way to go compared to games of the same genre. With an intriguing story and a very accomplished graphic section you will enter the world of the protagonist and his electric friend.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Apr 17, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a must play for Pokémon fans everywhere.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2018

Detective Pikachu is an interesting spin off to say the least, while it doesn’t really add anything to the puzzle or visual novel genre, it is still a charming adventure.

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7 / 10.0
Apr 2, 2018

Detective Pikachu, although limiting at times, was a good adventure puzzle game for all ages and more so for Pokémon fans but in the same breath it just is not a game that is capable of sending the 3DS off well in its last days of life.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Mar 31, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a fresh look at a franchise that's been constantly evolving - pun intended - for the best part of two decades. From fighting games to intense dungeon crawlers, numerous animated films to cameo cross-overs, Pokémon has proven itself to be a massively versatile series. This new story explores a different snippet of this expansive world, the first steps into what may well prove to be another direction for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to venture down. The game is packed full of humour, challenging puzzles, and an amusing pair of lead characters. It isn't without its faults, but there's enough here for an ultimately rewarding tale and the potential to develop the formula further in the future.

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RPG Fan
Top Critic
70%
May 23, 2018

Detective Pikachu has a lot of heart but is a bit too easy for my tastes.

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7 / 10
Apr 16, 2018

It may feel too simple at certain moments but overall, Detective Pikachu proves to be a fun and inclusive game that can even find a place with players who are not fans of Pokémon in the first place.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review