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. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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

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.
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  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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