Chinatown Detective Agency

Chinatown Detective Agency is a great detective game that feels rewarding when solutions are found. An easy recommendation to casual and serious gamers, but the replay value may fall short when all is said and done.

Chinatown Detective Agency is sometimes a little too clever for its own good, but it's well written and charming with it. If you can overlook the issues with the save system, it's well worth a look.

Chinatown Detective Agency accurately shows that a detective’s work consists mainly of research but the developers forgot that puzzles alone, even fresh and creative, are not enough. The game could use a better designed world and a more interesting story that doesn’t fizzle out after a decent beginning.

Chinatown Detective Agency is made in the image of classic adventure games and never aspires beyond that. Meeting it on its own terms, it’s an adequate cybernoir mystery with a compelling lead and colorful scenery. If you’re not into that already, this game probably won’t tickle your fancy very much. But if you are, you’ll find this to be a decently written and designed adventure. It’ll take a bit of research on your part, but I have the feeling that a lot of gamers out there will find that as fun as I do. Just know that, even weeks after its release, the game still has some sound problems that might make diminish your enjoyment.

Even when taking into consideration the game's bugs, Chinatown Detective Agency is a superbly told story with memorable characters and incredibly engaging gameplay. The unique noir-style take on Carmen Sandiego presents a strong, admirable protagonist that strives to be the hero even in the darkest of times, while provoking the question of what heroism really means. The game's case-cracking gives the player a true feeling of accomplishment and justice-served, with the added bonus of learning about interesting new topics. The game's greatness makes the fact it cannot be finished even more disappointing - without the large bugs, Chinatown would be a nearly flawless game. However, under the assumption the development team is able to make the necessary changes to the game, Chinatown Detective Agency has the potential to become a great modern point-and-click adventures.