If you were drawn to Mouse: P.I. for Hire purely for its unique, rubber-hose art style like I was, I don’t blame you. Games like Cuphead and even Bendy and the Ink Machine have certainly popularised this art style over the past few years, but Mouse: P.I. for Hire felt different. Was it the subject matter? The noir story? The boomer shooter action? After playing Mouse: P.I. for Hire, I would say it’s all three.
While the game isn’t perfect, and stumbles in areas due to its slightly repetitive action and somewhat simplistic detective work, there’s a solid gameplay experience bathed in an incredibly unique and charming art style, which makes Mouse: P.I. for Hire worth checking out.
Detectives and Dames
Players assume the role of Jack Pepper, an ex-cop turned private eye, who’s initially hired by Wanda Fuller from the Mouseburg Herald (yes, get ready for plenty of mice and cheese references) to investigate the disappearance of a magician. Like any good old-fashioned noir thriller, the plot soon devolves into a much larger conspiracy that reaches the highest levels, involving Mouseburg’s most important figures.
Political intrigue, double-crosses, and close calls are consistently thrown your way as you face off against waves of goons across various locations. I wish it kicked off with more of a bang, given the game’s shorter runtime of around 12-15 hours, but I was pleasantly surprised with where this takes things, given how much action there actually is.
Thanks to voice actor Troy Baker, our protagonist Jack Pepper is incredibly charming and well-versed, even if he’s taking a few leaves from some of the oldest pages in the book. A grizzled detective who’s seen it all, but can’t stay away from the action? Yeah, we’ve seen that too, and I’m assuming Mouse: P.I. for Hire, aside from its multiple cheese references, is totally aware of that. Think Casablanca, or even The Maltese Falcon, and you’ll have an idea of what to expect.
Even with all those references to films of the era, and the fact that cheese is treated like gold in Mouseburg, things play out in a somewhat traditional fashion. You’ll head to an area of interest, find a few clues, shoot up plenty of goons, and occasionally, take on a boss. There are plenty of conversations to be had in Jack’s office and its surrounding areas, and the game does a decent job at pacing its missions evenly.
The multiple supporting characters on display here are also incredibly charming and generally well-voiced, making most conversations engaging, given how often you’ll actually need to chat.
Overall, Mouse: P.I. for Hire provides a perfectly acceptable story that’s not trying to hide its tropes and references, but rather celebrates them and plays on their humorous adaptations and translations, which only adds to its charm.
Slug it Out, Sucker
I’m not sure how I missed this, but I was surprised to find just how much action Mouse: P.I. for Hire packs into its runtime. It’s essentially a boomer shooter inspired by something like Doom, and if that sounds incredibly chaotic, it sort of is.
Most missions see you mowing down enemies with a wide range of weapons and abilities, and the action never really lets up. I would argue that the action itself is somewhat repetitive, but it’s only because its surrounding mechanics and systems feel rather bare in comparison.
Aside from shooting, Jack will investigate areas of interest and gather clues to take back to his office. He’ll then be able to slap these clues about on a board, but there’s very little detective work to actually be done here.
While a game like Alan Wake II had you actually assessing photos and notes to pin them in the right places relative to various cases, Mouse: P.I. for Hire just places them in the right spot for you, advancing the story and marking cases as solved when you simply have enough clues.
But even in missions, these clues are touted as central pieces to locate, usually at the end of each mission, for you to take back. While there are secrets to uncover and goodies to find, it does remove that more subdued detective feeling and makes you feel more like an all-out action hero.
Thankfully, combat in Mouse: P.I. for Hire feels fantastic. Even through the rubber-hose art style, weapons feel responsive and punchy, and there’s plenty of them to acquire and use. Ammunition isn’t plentiful at times, but this only encourages you to use all weapons in your arsenal.
I can’t lie, the Boomstick shotgun and James Gun (modelled after the Thompson machine gun) were my personal favourites, and I used them whenever I could. If all else fails, though, you can kick enemies in the teeth with your trusty boot, and even find temporary power-ups that amp the action up yet another notch.
If the sheer amount of weapons wasn’t enough, you’ll also be able to collect schematics to upgrade your weapons with specific damage boosts, upgraded magazine capacities, and alternate fire modes.
There are certain abilities you’ll gain along the way that add to platforming, for example, but like the detective work, these abilities always take a backseat to combat, which is a shame.
For example, you’ll gain the Double Jump ability after only a couple of hours, in which the game makes you jump over large chasms and up buildings, but then forgets to utilise more vertical level designs in the following missions.
You’ll also gain the ability to use your tail as a temporary helicopter and even a grappling hook of sorts, in which the game throws vertical fans at you, shooting you up into the air, along with points to grapple and swing across, but they also seem to drop off in the following levels rather quickly.
In saying all of this, none of Mouse: P.I. for Hire ever feels boring, and for that, I must commend it. It rarely wears out its welcome, but I just wish it felt a little more balanced at times.
Look the Part
The rubber-hose art style and black-and-white colour palette really do all the talking here, and I’m fine with it. Each animation feels incredibly detailed and unique, making you want to test weapons, get up close and personal with various enemies, and explore every corner of each environment.
While combat is consistent, you will come across a few repetitive reload animations and enemy character models, for example, but it all looks fantastic. The soundtrack also deserves a mention here, with plenty of smooth and bombastic jazz tracks alike to keep you in the mood.
Finally, the game runs incredibly well on the PS5 Pro. In Performance Mode, the game runs buttery smooth at 120 FPS at a 1600p resolution, which is definitely the ideal way to experience it.
Even in the Quality Mode, the action runs at 60 FPS at 2160p, but I would argue that the 4K resolution doesn’t bring that much out of the art style that the Performance Mode wouldn’t accurately convey.
Final Thoughts
Through all its flaws, Mouse: P.I. for Hire is an incredibly charming, well-paced and engaging shooter that rarely overstays its welcome. I was invested in the narrative and cared about most of its characters, twists and turns.
While the detective work and platforming take a back seat to the more prominent combat, its punchy mechanics and gorgeous art style shine through, making it a case worth solving.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Charming visuals; Strong combat; Engaging narrative
Lowlights: Detective work takes a backseat to combat; Repetitive animations due to constant combat
Developer: Fumi Games
Publisher: PlaySide Studios
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image also provided by the publisher.
