MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a brand new boomer shooter with a very interesting art style that harkens back to the early days of Walt Disney and Max Fleischer cartoons. Its distinct look is easily its biggest strength and what caught the attention of many, helping it stand out among a sea of similar games in the genre. That said, it also turns out to be a fairly competent game, with a fun narrative and engaging gameplay.
The story follows Jack Pepper as he investigates the disappearance of a stage magician. As a private detective for hire, Jack lives in a city full of anthropomorphic rodents. The narrative is presented as a pulpy noir detective story, reminiscent of films like Sin City, but it feels tonally inconsistent at times. In trying to build a choice-based design, the developers seem to overlook some of Jack Pepper’s actions in the world, which leads to a story that does not fully fit with its serious noir detective premise.
What starts as a simple case of finding a missing magician soon turns into a much larger plot involving all kinds of criminals and corrupt politicians. I did not expect the story to become that serious. The opening sets up the premise well by using a flashforward before going back to explain the events leading up to that moment. It works most of the time, until it does not.
The gameplay follows a standard boomer shooter structure, with the addition of some light detective work and investigation. The developers have not been subtle about their inspiration for the shooting mechanics, which closely resemble the Doom reboot. The focus is on speed and execution, with fast movement and shooting used to avoid enemy attacks. As the game progresses, Jack gains more abilities such as a dash, double jump, and glide, which makes the experience feel more satisfying. This also extends to exploration, where light platforming sections help break up the constant shooting and add some variety.
While the combat and shooting feel fun at first, they start to get repetitive, and the game lacks depth. The bigger issue, in my view, is the enemy variety and behavior. Most enemies feel standard, with little to set them apart. Progress often comes down to shooting enemies that mindlessly charge at you, and the lack of tactical play makes things feel dull over time. On the positive side, they are well animated, and the character designs look great, so the presentation at least holds up.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire also puts some focus on exploration, with puzzles and platforming included in its larger, semi-open levels. It is not a straight corridor shooter and offers a good number of secrets for those who like to explore every corner. There is also a lockpicking minigame that is fun at first but does not evolve enough to stay interesting. Collectibles are included for players who want to complete everything. The game also features a central hub where you can upgrade weapons, chat with NPCs, and take part in side activities like a baseball card minigame. I enjoyed the weapon upgrades, as they help freshen up the combat and add some variety to shooting the same enemies.
In addition to getting the visuals and presentation right, it feels like the developers also took a lot of inspiration from the BioShock series. The way hints are placed and how the environments and backgrounds guide you to the next objective reminded me a lot of those games. The soundtrack is also exceptional, with jazz-infused tunes that nicely match the 1930s cartoon style. Troy Baker voices the main character, Jack Pepper, and does an excellent job. Since much of the story is told through his narration, having a strong performance was important, and he delivers.
For a boomer shooter, this is a fairly long game. It took me around 13 hours to finish on my first run, and that was without finding many of the secrets or collectibles. While the mission and story structure is mostly linear, the upgrades and collectibles do add some reason to play through it again.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire genuinely surprised me with its visuals, soundtrack, and overall presentation. It feels like a polished experience that falls short in some areas, particularly its gameplay depth and uneven narrative, but it is still worth checking out, especially for fans of boomer shooters or games like Doom.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Game Information
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: PlaySide Studios
- Developer: Fumi Games
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
