Detective Pikachu Reviews

Detective Pikachu is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Recommended
Mar 23, 2018

An entertaining slice of Pok'mon sleuthing set within a vibrant version of the series' world.

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IGN
Top Critic
8.2 / 10.0
Mar 21, 2018

Detective Pikachu offers a bold take on the iconic Pokemon, which succeeds thanks to Pika Prompts that build Pikachu beyond detective stereotypes. Even though I figured out cases far before their end, each one utilized the world of Pokemon to its fullest, and ultimately offered a unique Pokemon experience that I hope we see done again soon.

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7.3 / 10.0
Mar 29, 2018

Detective Pikachu's mysteries aren't compelling. Fortunately, the world and its star character are delightful enough to entertain

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7 / 10
Mar 22, 2018

Detective Pikachu's simple gameplay and story is made better by its goofy and entertaining star.

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Alex Donaldson
Top Critic
Unscored
Mar 29, 2018

Detective Pikachu doesn't offer an enormous amount of actual game to play, but what's there is hugely charming and entertaining.

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4 / 5.0
Mar 29, 2018

While it's an odd idea for a spin-off, Detective Pikachu manages to create something never seen in the series that works better than anyone might have expected.

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8 / 10
Mar 22, 2018

Detective Pikachu might be described as a spin-off, but the visual and narrative direction the game has taken is an incredibly welcome one that we would love to see again. The gameplay can be a little too easy and repetitive at times, and we were surprised to see the ending appear so abruptly, but everything is presented within a very solid package that will have kids and adults alike hooked. Dedicated fans of the series will likely get the most out of the experience, with the game's art, storytelling, and genuinely likeable cast showing the world of Pokémon in a great new light, but we'd urge anyone interested to give this one a go. Our adventure only just ended but we're missing our Pika-pal already.

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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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7 / 10.0
Apr 1, 2018

I enjoy catching hundreds of Pokémon and collecting gym badges as the next person, but I wouldn't mind more diversions from the main Pokémon series if they come packed with as much hilarity and oddball humor that Detective Pikachu provided me at my side.

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7.2 / 10.0
Jan 1, 2014

A brand new world crammed with pokemon from seven generations who share their lives in harmony with humans. Pity that the lack of proper challenges leaves the impression that only true fans of Pokemon and family kids will fully enjoy the title.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Apr 2, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a great surprise and a really good graphic adventure. Pikachu's personality, its gameplay and the point & click style are the main reasons why this game is so entertaining, even though it is too easy.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

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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8 / 10
Mar 29, 2018

Detective Pikachu has been a solid hit through and through. From Pikachu's weirdly appropriate voice to the fun cases involving both Pokémon and humans to the interesting detective cases to solve, I had a blast getting to the end of the game.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
7 / 10
Mar 29, 2018

How anyone came up with the idea, let alone made it work, is baffling but this charming little mystery game is the most entertaining Pokémon spin-off in a long time.

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8 / 10.0
Jan 1, 2014

A different take on a beloved character, Detective Pikachu is clearly aimed at a very young audience with its interesting, funny story.

Review in Italian | Read full review

78 / 100
Mar 27, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a remarkable spin-off, which can be enjoyed thanks to the winks it makes to the Pokémon franchise, his humor and, above all, his protagonist: a peculiar and mocking Pikachu. It may not be especially hard and repetitive, but it's a game worth playing.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

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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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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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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GameMAG
Shibito
Top Critic
8 / 10
Apr 11, 2018

Detective Pikachu is a wonderful quest, where the bright atmosphere of the Pokemon series coexists with 1940s detectives stylistics. Intuitive gameplay, an interesting plot and a great music will please even those who are new to the Pokémon world.

Review in Russian | Read full review