Detective Pikachu

 3DS
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 134 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 94 out of 134
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 134
  3. Negative: 23 out of 134
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  1. tsdenizen
    Mar 23, 2018
    10
    The pinnacle of human invention, Detective Pikachu bestows meaning upon my empty life. I was initially disappointed that Danny DeVito didn't voice Pikachu, but being honest with myself, we as a race couldn't handle it. If there's any criticism to be made, the part where Detective Pikachu waterboarded Charmander in an attempt to extract info on the whereabouts of Boss Muk was arguably a bit much.
  2. Wahfox
    Nov 6, 2019
    6
    there is basically no gameplay here. it's all story. when there is gameplay it's mind numbing or a quick time event. while the graphics are great that doesn't make up for the lack of gameplay.
  3. Techbane
    Jun 30, 2018
    6
    As an adult, the appeal of this game pretty much starts and ends with Pikachu being voiced by a guy doing a somewhat Danny DeVito-esque voice. Props to him for keeping the dream alive, though.

    I'm sure it'll be fine for the youngsters who can still get absorbed in any kind of tall tales the Pokemon universe might spin for them, but in brief, the game is insultingly slow-paced and easy    As an adult, the appeal of this game pretty much starts and ends with Pikachu being voiced by a guy doing a somewhat Danny DeVito-esque voice. Props to him for keeping the dream alive, though.

    I'm sure it'll be fine for the youngsters who can still get absorbed in any kind of tall tales the Pokemon universe might spin for them, but in brief, the game is insultingly slow-paced and easy (except where the translation and/or interface occasionally renders it bizarrely obtuse). More often than not the cutscenes resemble a primary school's stage play production, with surreal pacing and floaty movements that heavily detract from the attempted portrayals of drama. It eventually got to where I just couldn't be bothered to continue, more because of the glacial pacing than anything else.

    To be fair I'm really not the target audience for this kind of thing, although there are such things as kid-oriented games and stories that are a bit less coddling and turn out all the better for it. This game is just... like watching Barney the Dinosaur walk around with a deerstalker and magnifying glass for hours on end.    … Expand
  4. Jorchking
    Feb 11, 2020
    6
    Más que juego es una historia interactiva. Se vuelve medio aburrido en algunas partes, aunque hay momentos que está bien logrado lo que es la interacción con los personajes y el mundo alrededor. Fuera de eso, es un juego bastante olvidable y que no tiene rejugabilidad. Es un juego poco ambicioso y más de relleno que otra cosa.
  5. Maarten95
    Jan 16, 2019
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game has a lot of potential. For an example they made a great chose for the voice-actor of pikachu. However the main character "Chriss" is a very dull character. The game also doesn't answer the most vital question like "what happend to Chriss father" and "why can Chriss hear Pikachu". That's biggest flaw with this game. The makers probably thought they would be able to make a sequal, but since this game sold poorly, that is never gonna happen. They should have avoided this, because now we will never hear the end of the story. Beside the great voice performance for pikachu, I did enjoy the music. It reminded me of Phoenix wright, which is great. My final rating is a 6,5.… Expand
  6. MattCK
    Mar 23, 2018
    8
    Good graphic adventure, good and interesting story for what Pokémon can be. Easy gameplay, sometimes repetitive, but acceptable. 8-9h long what its great for a game like that.

    It's a good game if you want to know about the story, and a good spin-off for the Pokémon saga. If you're a Pokémon fan, you should play it. You will like it.
  7. Ryugene
    Mar 24, 2018
    8
    Detective Pikachu is a charming Pokemon game, different from any other spin-offs of the series. While the game is not treading any new ground in terms of gameplay, it does offer a unique view on the daily interactions between human and pokemons, akin to the anime. It made me wish for a main series game incorporating similar side missions to show more than just the battling aspect ofDetective Pikachu is a charming Pokemon game, different from any other spin-offs of the series. While the game is not treading any new ground in terms of gameplay, it does offer a unique view on the daily interactions between human and pokemons, akin to the anime. It made me wish for a main series game incorporating similar side missions to show more than just the battling aspect of pokemon. The game is not particularly difficult but it does offer a good amount of humor and is a nice way to spend time if you don't wish to think too much and are not interested in mashing buttons. I do admit that my 8/10 may be slightly biased because pokemon has been a part of my life since the first games. If you are not a pokemon fan you are probably won't find the game as charming. Nevertheless, for those on the fence I would recommend picking up this game on sale… Expand
  8. tlcastle
    Apr 26, 2019
    3
    Even though the pokemon characters are used brilliantly, the pacing is insanely slow, ultimately rendering the game intolerable. I came to the table WANTING to love the game, painfully made it halfway through, then, with a sigh of relief tinged with disappointment, removed the cartridge from my 3DS
  9. danielhadley
    Mar 30, 2018
    10
    Enjoyable little game. Most likely aimed at the younger audience but older fans may also appreciate this.
  10. shang-chi_VG
    Apr 29, 2018
    8
    The story is certainly amazing and also develops the pokemon world in a way I've never seen before. It could be harder on the investigation-gameplay side of it, making it far from perfect but it's still a very insteresting game to play to have a nice, quiet time, just not as a hardcore challenge of any sorts..
  11. Trey82
    Mar 5, 2020
    0
    When a game holds your hand as much as this,
    You might as well be as insulted as I am.
    Playing on normal mode was the WORST pacing I've ever seen in a game. Do we REALLY need to slow down at every other junction and go over 'clues' and interview every.last.person.about.every.last.detail IN EXCRUCIATING NON DETAIL?! The entire game: *chase something* *reach a certain point* WAIT,    When a game holds your hand as much as this,
    You might as well be as insulted as I am.
    Playing on normal mode was the WORST pacing I've ever seen in a game.
    Do we REALLY need to slow down at every other junction and go over 'clues' and interview every.last.person.about.every.last.detail IN EXCRUCIATING NON DETAIL?!

    The entire game: *chase something*
    *reach a certain point*
    WAIT, HOLD UP.. we dont know where to go, from here!
    "We just saw them go that way. We KNOW they're going to the.. wait are you serious? You really want me to check for clues? They went to the right."
    HOLD UP THERE KID, dont go blindly charging off to the right. We dont know if thats the way.
    "Actually we totally do."
    In spect that wall, I'm going to ask the Rattata if they saw anything.
    "So we're going to stop chasing, AGAIN? To ask questions. And then drag icons over to where we saw them IRL? Dude, even L.A. Noire didnt waste this much time on interrogations and clues."
    *Detective says the exact same thing over and over until you collect the last unnecessary clue and then stare at it for another 5 years*
    They went off to the right, kid!
    "O rly? I would not have guessed this, detective genius"
    Well, thats why I'm your ***. Being bad detectives runs in the ***ily.

    Even when youre allowed to play, youre pretty much halfway thru the game and the clues get obnoxious.
    "Youre just like my ***."
    And then the game is over and although you know who is who, there are unanswered questions.
    As a first detective kinda game, this is terrible for kids and adults of any age.
    It doesnt even let you play the game, and intentionally slows the story down for quick time events EVERY chance it gets. It could've been a few hours of cutscenes, but NO you gotta mash A every so often.
    Just let me get to the end of teh story. PLEEEAAAASSSEE    … Expand
  12. CrazyGamer701
    May 24, 2018
    10
    its really a Amezing game you must buy it you MUST BUY IT or you life would suck
  13. VioletEvergan
    Sep 13, 2019
    10
    I love this game, it seems to me an excellent visual adventure with elements of mystery, the combination of the Pokemon world with a realistic world is really brilliant, the personalities of the 2 protagonists combine very well, and all the dialogues are entertained just like the puzzles.
  14. MazinroboX2
    Mar 24, 2018
    8
    Detective Pikachu is an easy game, that's for sure, but it's also quite decent! I am actually very surprised with it. It has many funny situations, and cases, while sometimes predictable, are also fun to follow and make you want to get to the very end of them. There is a big number of Pokémon, and the interaction with them is well made. That's one of my favourite parts of the game, theDetective Pikachu is an easy game, that's for sure, but it's also quite decent! I am actually very surprised with it. It has many funny situations, and cases, while sometimes predictable, are also fun to follow and make you want to get to the very end of them. There is a big number of Pokémon, and the interaction with them is well made. That's one of my favourite parts of the game, the interaction with this world of Pokémon, one of the most realistic worlds of Pokémon we have ever seen. Detective Pikachu is quite the character as well, he is constantly making jokes. And graphics, for a 3DS, are nice.

    This game is very enjoyable for any Pokémon fan, and is a great way for younger players to get introduced to graphic adventure games. This is something we are seeing in Nintendo these days a lot, they are making many games that, while enjoyable for everyone, can introduce younger players to certain genres. For example, Miitopia does that with RPGs, and Kirby Star Allies does that as well with platform games.

    All in all, a quite decent game, a good surprise for me, wasn't expecting anything of it but I am having fun! It can get a bit repetitive, and it's easy, but the ideas are good, and I actually want Nintendo to keep evolving this Detective Pikachu saga with future games!    … Expand
  15. lfeonglceon
    May 20, 2018
    10
    Simple, yet fun and with an engaging plot. As long as you enjoy lighthearted adventures and is in the right mood, this game is 100% recommendable.
  16. Thendar
    Aug 8, 2018
    8
    I really liked this game. It is a nice change of pace from huge RPGs and button smashers. The story is fun to follow and you grow to love the characters. My only complaint is that it is quite short, but still worth the price.
  17. joyly
    Nov 22, 2018
    8
    After seing the movie trailer, I played this game. While very simple and at times more childish than other similar games tend to be, it's an entertaining game to go through in your free time, as long as you take your time to enjoy the characters
  18. BrawlMetaKnight
    Nov 30, 2018
    10
    I seriously don't understand why this game only got a 70 and a 7.6 user rating, its seriously a great game. A great storyline, solid graphics, and filled with minigames and puzzles. Aimed for a younger audience, and also worth picking up for those who don't know much about Pokemon. The only thing I can really can complain about is the giant cliffhanger at the end which would seriously makeI seriously don't understand why this game only got a 70 and a 7.6 user rating, its seriously a great game. A great storyline, solid graphics, and filled with minigames and puzzles. Aimed for a younger audience, and also worth picking up for those who don't know much about Pokemon. The only thing I can really can complain about is the giant cliffhanger at the end which would seriously make me stay in a locked coffin filled with spiders for 24 hours for a sequel.… Expand
  19. katepoop
    Apr 18, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is very different from your average Pokémon game. You solve mysteries instead of catching Pokémon. I have heard it is like Professor Layton. The characters are great and the crime scenes are varied. The story was also great. What brought it down for me was the conclusion, the lack of replay ability, the cases were very long and the controls took awhile to get used to. Apart from that it was a very enjoyable game which only took me a week to complete.… Expand
  20. ogorangeduck
    Aug 3, 2018
    10
    We now know God exists. I sunk a good amount of time into this game, and there's enough innuendo to appeal to older folks.
  21. Donnie1
    Nov 13, 2018
    8
    Very nice game, the voice fits perfectly for Pikachu, I had a whole lot of fun.
  22. SamComedian
    Jan 20, 2019
    9
    Mi puntuación a detective Pikachu es de 9, me explico;
    Duración del juego correcta, en mi caso 13h y 45min, personajes que giran entorno a Pikachu y la desaparición del padre de Tim, Harry. História bien Hilada, no se hace pesada. Trama interesante para pertenecer al mundo de Pokémon, ya que no és un juego convencional de la saga en si mismo, sabe diferenciarse muy bien y casi parece que    Mi puntuación a detective Pikachu es de 9, me explico;
    Duración del juego correcta, en mi caso 13h y 45min, personajes que giran entorno a Pikachu y la desaparición del padre de Tim, Harry. História bien Hilada, no se hace pesada. Trama interesante para pertenecer al mundo de Pokémon, ya que no és un juego convencional de la saga en si mismo, sabe diferenciarse muy bien y casi parece que estamos en otro universo distinto. He disfrutado mucho con Detective Pikachu y eso que tenía mis dudas al principio, me fue enganchando más y más a medida que iba jugando. No me esperaba mucho y me he llevado una grata sorpresa, por eso le pongo un 9 sobre 10 ( comparándola con juegos de su plataforma, 3DS ). Mi primera crítica u/o review en metacritic.    … Expand
  23. iMustang
    Mar 24, 2019
    8
    This game was impossible to put down, and I was nothing short of charmed by the cute adventure I went on. While a lot of the smaller mysteries weren't hard to solve, the overall narrative was very compelling and addictive that I found myself always wanting to play more and find out what happens next. The best part of this game to me was it felt like it truly took place in the "World ofThis game was impossible to put down, and I was nothing short of charmed by the cute adventure I went on. While a lot of the smaller mysteries weren't hard to solve, the overall narrative was very compelling and addictive that I found myself always wanting to play more and find out what happens next. The best part of this game to me was it felt like it truly took place in the "World of Pokemon" where Pokemon were a regular part of daily society in all sorts of unique ways, a feeling few Pokemon games have given me before this one. If you ever watched the old Pikachu & Pichu special before the 3rd movie, this game felt a lot like I was a detective in that very city, and it was a good feeling. If you're in the mood for a cute and fun story filled with lots of fun characters and cutscenes, this one is worth picking up.… Expand
  24. Son-Pikaatoku
    Apr 12, 2019
    9
    I enjoyed my time with Detective Pikachu I didn't pick it up until New Years eve and the announcement of the movie was definitely a motivation especially as someone who is as spoiler sensitive as me. Pikachu is funny it has shipping material which is always a bonus. The plot twists hit you in the side of the head but some times I foresaw them. One issue is the cliffhanger ending I NEED THEI enjoyed my time with Detective Pikachu I didn't pick it up until New Years eve and the announcement of the movie was definitely a motivation especially as someone who is as spoiler sensitive as me. Pikachu is funny it has shipping material which is always a bonus. The plot twists hit you in the side of the head but some times I foresaw them. One issue is the cliffhanger ending I NEED THE SEQUEL GAME FREAK!… Expand
  25. lihmeh
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    You won't be surprised by any twist.
    No riddle will challenge you.
    However, you'll watch it like a TV series with a relaxing and nice story.
  26. IReviewGames101
    Aug 30, 2019
    9
    I love the Layton series. So I when I saw this I knew I had to get it. It’s fun,but easy (maybe cuz I’m used to Layton puzzles that make you think hard)
  27. Larxi
    Feb 3, 2023
    9
    Uno de los mejores Spin-Off que ha salido de la franquicia de Pokémon. Una aventura gráfica variada, divertida, con multitud de Pokémon diferentes y una magnífica representación de la vida cotidiana de los humanos con ellos y como se ayudan unos a otros. La historia es muy interesante, hay un uso indebido de una sustancia que vuelve agresivas a las criaturas de bolsillo, eres el hijo de unUno de los mejores Spin-Off que ha salido de la franquicia de Pokémon. Una aventura gráfica variada, divertida, con multitud de Pokémon diferentes y una magnífica representación de la vida cotidiana de los humanos con ellos y como se ayudan unos a otros. La historia es muy interesante, hay un uso indebido de una sustancia que vuelve agresivas a las criaturas de bolsillo, eres el hijo de un detective desaparecido que lo estaba investigando y te unes a su ex compañero amnésico que es Pikachu. Unos personajes bien definidos siendo Pikachu el mejor de todos con un carisma y unos momentos divertidísimos. El juego hace un gran uso de su BSO presenta un apartado gráfico excelso para la 3DS con unos personajes enormes muy bien animados, una jugabilidad directa al grano con muchísimos elementos de investigación repartidos en el escenario. En general es una experiencia que hay que vivir tanto si te gusta la saga de Pokémon como si te gustan las aventuras gráficas, muy interesante, divertido y variado.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best 3DS Game of 2018
3
#3 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2018
4
#4 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 61 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 61
  3. Negative: 0 out of 61
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Feb 5, 2019
    80
    Detective Pikachu is a bolt of brilliance. It’s funny, charming, and the titular star is a wonder. If you can overlook its simplicity, you’ll have a great time solving its many mysteries.
    Read full review
  2. My Nintendo News
    Jul 15, 2018
    60
    It’s a real shame the game’s intriguing cast of characters and witty scripting isn’t paired with inviting, challenging gameplay.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Jul 6, 2018
    65
    The attempt to tell a more mature story in the Pokémon universe is commendable and Pikachu is really cool as a bitter, hoarse-voiced detective, but the game itself is mediocre and despite its genre never treated me as an intelligent being. [06/2018, p.65]
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