- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release Date: Aug 29, 2024
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Sep 9, 2024Nintendo and MAGES defy all expectations, delivering a grim murder mystery filled with heartbreaking characters and a tragic narrative that stands among the visual novel genre’s best. Hopeful just as much as it is haunting, Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a monumental feat of storytelling from Nintendo’s long dormant adventure series.
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Sep 3, 2024It feels like a sendoff, the last big adventure game on the switch. I’m happy that this will be the last one on this console, but I desperately crave for Nintendo to fund more Famicom Detective Club games. No expense was spared in crafting this meticulously crafted and fleshed-out narrative. You’d expect the kind of polish and detail if Nintendo were the frontrunners for the adventure game genre.
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Aug 28, 2024I lost sleep over this game. I can’t stop thinking about it, and reminiscing about my favorite moments gives me chills. It’s haunting, funny, beautiful, tragic, and so very human. I did not know Nintendo was capable of publishing something like this, or funding it. This is one of the highest-budget adventure games I’ve ever played, and I’m saying this fully understanding that Type-Moon localized the Tsukihime remake months ago.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is one of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s got an incredible story, stunning presentation, and plenty of bone-chilling moments that will stay with me for as long as I live. It’s the first step on a fresh new path for Famicom Detective Club, and hopefully the first of many for the newly revived series.
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Aug 28, 2024Yoshio Sakamoto has returned to the franchise after more than three decades to bring us an incredible story, full of unexpected twists and turns and with unprecedented production values. All this with an ending that has left me speechless, and that I recommend to any fan of the genre to enjoy on their own without the slightest spoiler.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club might not reinvent the visual novel genre, but it still offers a fantastic mystery elevated by brilliant writing, a memorable cast of characters, some truly excellent visuals, and a phenomenal final chapter.
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Aug 28, 2024To say anything else about Emio would be doing you all a disservice, as it’s a winding, twisting mystery that is best enjoyed unspoiled. If you did play the remakes of the first two Famicom Detective Club titles then you’ll get more of the same here, just with modern standards of writing. That alone makes it a much stronger experience, because the narrative in this thing is incredible.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a game that rewards the patient, observant, and curious. Its visual novel-esque gameplay isn’t going to thrill the casual Nintendo Switch player but should you be someone who relishes in the nuances and turns of a good story, you’ll feel right at home here. Emio - The Smiling Man is a tragedy just as much as it is a thriller, with a variety of complex and sensitive themes handled well. If you fancy yourself as an amateur sleuth, then I implore you to give it a go. Just prepare for the game to simultaneously tug on your heartstrings as it sends a chilling shiver down your spine, with both feelings staying with you long after the credits roll.
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Aug 28, 2024Much as the remakes were 3 years ago, Emio truly feels like a love letter to an entire genre of games. Having experienced all that it has to offer, it's impossible to see it as anything else - and that love is immediately apparent when you sit down to play it. Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club might have only been revealed to the world a few weeks ago, but its already solidified a spot for itself as one of my favorite releases in a very, very packed year. If you're at all a fan of Visual Novels or Japanese Adventure Games, you owe it to discover who Emio truly is for yourself.
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Sep 17, 2024After taking 11 hours to solve the mystery of Emio - The Smiling Man, my biggest problem is that it left me wanting more, leading me to believe that the franchise would benefit greatly from games with more cases in a single package, similar to Ace Attorney. This would also help justify its hefty price tag and tell a more complex story across multiple acts.
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Aug 29, 2024Emio – The Smiler: Famicom Detective Club is presented as an authentic detective experience with which Nintendo has fulfilled each and every one of the expectations. Both its plot, the characters and the development of the same are a real treat for players who are fans of the interactive visual novel genre. If the game already seemed attractive on its first appearance, as soon as players start playing it, they will not be able to stop until they finish it. Will Emio be a simple legend or will he end up being a cruel murderer who will have to be stopped so that the full weight of the law falls on him?
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man is the ideal episode to introduce a new Nintendo detective game to modern audiences, enriched by the fact that this saga had never been published outside Japan. Sakamoto reconfirms himself as an excellent writer of captivating, well-connected graphic novels, designed to flow fluidly through the player's thoughts and ideas, continually adding and removing new doubts, possibilities and seasoning a salad full of ingredients to perfection.
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Aug 28, 2024An excellent visual novel that sublimates the reputation of an anthology license. Yoshio Sakamoto has sharpened his pen to offer better twists, a more generous narrative and a mystery that is always pleasant to follow. The polished visual work, the full dubbing and the overall richness of the artistic direction are only there to refine a high-end narrative experience, barely tarnished by an action plan that is still too classic.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio – The Smiler: Famicom Detective Club is presented as an authentic detective experience with which Nintendo has fulfilled each and every one of the expectations. Both its plot, the characters and the development of the same are a real treat for players who are fans of the interactive visual novel genre. If the game already seemed attractive on its first appearance, as soon as players start playing it, they will not be able to stop until they finish it. Will Emio be a simple legend or will he end up being a cruel murderer who will have to be stopped so that the full weight of the law falls on him?
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Aug 28, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a superbly told story, and is engaging from start to finish.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is one of the most engaging and emotional visual novels I’ve ever played. The well-written, unpredictable story, multi-dimensional characters, and beautiful anime-style visuals makes the newest entry in the Famicom Detective Club series a must-have for anyone that loves murder mystery and psychological horror.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club really sneaks up on you. For much of its runtime the game is a likable, if somewhat by the book, throwback detective visual novel, but Nintendo swings big in terms of narrative in its final hours, ultimately delivering a story that’s much more daring, dark, and affecting than anything this franchise has delivered before. Whether you’re a visual novel nut or just in the mood for a good mystery with some teeth, Emio will leave you grinning.
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Aug 30, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is not a revolution in visual novels. However, its intricate narrative and dark plot show that Nintendo caters to all kinds of audiences beyond its most popular franchises. It has good technical aspects and a Spanish translation, and it is recommended for fans of the genre, those seeking a dark story, or anime enthusiasts.
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Sep 20, 2024Don’t go into Emio expecting either a long game or a super polished gameplay experience. The story is around 12 hours to complete and, as I mentioned above, there were some bugs and some minor gameplay frustrations. But do give it a chance if you enjoy strong narratives that keep you on the edge of your seat and have an interest in the macabre. Emio’s M-rating is well deserved and I wouldn’t recommend giving this to an adult who is uncomfortable with graphic violence or explicit depictions of abuse, especially towards children. But if you’re ok with the subject matter, check out Emio even if you’ve never experienced a visual novel before. I’m glad I did.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio: The Smiling Man is not only a great example of Nintendo keeping a close eye on the wishes of its fan community, but also a really exciting detective story with several twists that we didn't see coming. In addition, like in a good novel by Agatha Christie and co., the developers manage to make us play games of thought as the story progresses about who the culprit is - only to discard them and replace them with others. It is precisely this aspect that keeps us on the edge of our seats to solve the case right to the end.
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Aug 28, 2024Quotation forthcoming.
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Oct 7, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man is a haunting tale that marks a welcome return of the Famicom Detective Club series. It’s the best of the three so far and steers significantly darker than previous entries, though as a visual novel with limited gameplay, it won’t change any minds if you weren’t already on board with what’s on offer.
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Sep 30, 2024The story is well-told, with a tight cast of memorable characters that help deliver the tale really well, in addition to limited animation during scenes to keep you entertained, and a hefty payoff with an epilogue chapter that helps tie everything up neatly. I’d certainly be down to check out more games in the series, whether that’s the older ports on Switch Online, or possible future entries down the line. If you get a chance to check out Emio, whether you’re into visual novels or not, I think you’ll enjoy your time with it.
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Sep 6, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is not the sort of thing we typically see from Nintendo, but if there was any rust on the team it assuredly doesn’t show. It’s perhaps a little too adherent to the original games in its mechanics, and while the plot is mostly excellent there are some times where the pace falls off or things resolve in ways I didn’t find as satisfying as I would have ideally hoped for. Still, these are minor complaints for what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable mystery adventure. Welcome back, Detective Club. Don’t stay away so long this time.
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Sep 5, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man comes up short being too simple, but it's a very well-constructed game in terms of both graphics and storyline. Despite a few stumbles in the choice of dialogue development, the game progresses to a surprising conclusion and leaves no loose ends.
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Sep 4, 2024Despite some shortcomings in its menu design and the investigation mechanics, this new Famicom Detective Club chapter will more than satisfy fans of the series and of the visual novel genre alike, thanks to its mature writing and quality audio design.
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Sep 2, 2024The brand new Detective Club title brings very compelling plot luring players to discover murders and mystery. On the other hand, gaming options might be limited and linear for some adventurers – if you come for the lengthy dialogues and investigation, you will like the outcome.
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Aug 28, 2024Despite presenting the same structural conformation of the episodes published 30 years ago and without trying to correct the slight congenital distortions, Emio, the Smiling Man, offers a story robust and flowing enough to keep players glued for its entire duration, provided that you compromise with an old gameplay concept in which the player's agency is reduced to the minimum terms, and which often results in a banal cycle of trial and error. In any case, this new chapter has once again proven Sakamoto's talent in the narrative field, so if you are passionate about the genre and do not disdain a classic-style visual novel, this is a horror story that you absolutely cannot miss. Who knows, it might even give you an eternal smile.
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Aug 28, 2024I can see why longtime Famicom Detective Club producer Yoshio Sakamoto was so excited to share the story of this game. Emio - The Smiling Man is an intriguing story that takes us on a deeply emotional journey. The characters, both old and new, are very fun and easy to follow as well, not to mention coming out great in their animations and dialogue. I wish Emio stretched its legs a bit in terms of gameplay, but I also can’t argue too much with a working system that’s mostly meant to be a vehicle for an engaging mystery. If this is the final Famicom Detective Club game, it’s a strong one to go out on, but I can't help but hope we get more Famicom Mystery Club with this game acting as a stepping stone to the series’ future.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is one of the most mature stories Nintendo has ever created. Its impeccable narrative and graphics may be hindered by classic gameplay that hasn’t aged particularly well, but if you can look beyond that, it becomes an incredibly gripping and thrilling journey.
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Aug 28, 2024What I want to tell you is that if, for example, you spend time reading comics, manga, or watching anime, some of those hours can be spent on the new Switch exclusive without any problem, because it feels like doing something other than playing. Of course, if you are in the mood to do so.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man is both a great continuation of the classic Famicom Detective Club series, and a strong standalone visual novel. It may not be for everyone, but its twisting narrative, vibrant characters, and thoughtful gameplay systems make it a treat for new and returning fans alike.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio — The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a refreshingly mature turn for Nintendo in more ways than one.
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Aug 28, 2024While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, Emio - The Smiling Man succesfully uses drama and horror to great effect, crafting a story that's equal parts gripping and shocking.
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Aug 28, 2024Even with the pacing problems, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is the best entry in the series yet. The puzzle-like investigative gameplay is straightforward, doing just enough to challenge the player without overwhelming or being too obscure. It all complements well with the excellent but a bit unique storytelling. This tale is not for every Switch player, being a bit too dark at times, but it is highly rewarding for those it appeals to.
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Aug 28, 2024After the remake of the first two episodes of Famicom Detective Club I was really hoping for a return of the franchise, and Emio - The Smiling Man does not disappoint thanks to first-class art direction, an interesting plot and its retro soul.
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Oct 1, 2024As I watched the credits of Emio role, my heart sank that I didn’t love the game as much as I’d had hoped and would need to convey as much in a review. I enjoyed both of the remakes and want to see Famicom Detective Club and other obscure Nintendo franchises thrive. Thus, I can’t overstate how elated I was with the barnstormer of a bonus chapter the game subsequently greeted me with, enough so that it single-handedly increased my opinion of the story and overall game. Still, it can’t overwrite how Emio’s bloat makes it a bit of a wet paper bag before that glorious final hurrah. Emio’s by no means a bad visual novel, but it’s also not worthy of waking its franchise from a 35-year hiatus.
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Aug 30, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is an intriguing option for Nintendo Switch users looking for a mature and dark story. The game allows players to find a wide cast of characters, any of whom might be considered suspects at any moment, and gives the chance to analyze every action and word from them to advance in their investigation. Despite some obstacles posed by its interface, the title offers an engaging experience for those seeking a memorable adventure.
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Aug 28, 2024Just what you would expect. Little surprises gameplay wise, but a lot of them in the story. Recommended for those who desire an adventure with a slow pace.
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Sep 7, 2024While the experience is marred by its many drudging moments, Emio—The Smiling Man is a highly entertaining, engaging, and well-produced entry that fans will likely enjoy.
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Aug 28, 2024Investigating as a detective may feel a bit traditional in The Smiling Man, but that doesn’t make the story any less exciting. Sometimes you have to dig around in the menus for a bit too long and that can feel a bit cumbersome. Still, it’s surprising to see a Nintendo game deal with such dark themes. That really gives this murder mystery a face of its own.
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Aug 28, 2024I’m not sure Emio is going to stick with me in the same way that Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo will. If anything does cement itself in my mind, it will be its conclusion, which is so incredibly impactful, partly because you’ve spent so much time immersed in the very human side of its mystery. It’s also impactful because it’s incredibly dark in a way the rest of the narrative only hinted at. You’ll just have to do some digging before you find the body.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club improves on the old-school mystery visual novel mechanics that the 2021 remakes refined, eliminating some of the trial-and-error frustration while keeping things focused on interviews with witnesses. While the mystery of Emio isn’t my favourite of the series, it’s still a mostly well-crafted story with gorgeously animated characters.
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Dec 19, 2024Thanks to its captivating plot around a disturbing series of murders, a frequently light-hearted humour completely at odds with the circumstances, and a fabulous visual presentation and art style, The Smiling Man makes a name for itself when it comes to a visual novel with a point & click adventure gameplay. At certain moments, however, it would be good for everyone if the game could rely less on trial-and-error and more on stimulating the player's detective instincts, lest the experience becomes longer for the wrong reasons.
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Nov 26, 2024As a visual novel connoisseur Emio – The Smiling Man doesn’t go to the top of my list. However, it does gain points for taking risks with how horrifying the story is willing to go, and for the few instances of breaking the fourth wall. The pacing and characters are strong, but the way you interact with the world can be repetitive and ultimately frustrating. It’s one for those who love a mystery and don’t mind occasionally hitting a brick wall.
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Nov 5, 2024A visual novel rated 17+ that will appeal to fans of the genre and the Famicom Detective Club series, and will be able to capture the general player audience with its story and visuals.
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Sep 20, 2024Emio – The Smiling Man tells a thrilling and engaging story. It’s a visual novel, so don’t expect complex gameplay there – and I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.
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Sep 15, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man is ok. The game is faithful to its 80s Famicom roots and it does have an intriguing story to tell. However, it’s full of dull sections, outdated mechanics and unremarkable characters that almost ruined our experience.
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Sep 13, 2024Although not without its faults in due part to the trial-and-error situations that require exhausting all options in conversations, Emio - The Smiling Man is a game that will keep fans glued to the end, topped off with a very appealing art style and fair 10+ hour storyline that doesn't overstay its welcome. There isn't much else to see and do once the full story is done, but it is one worth experiencing.
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Sep 4, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club delivers a captivating blend of murder mystery and urban legend, enhanced by atmospheric visuals and strong voice acting. Despite some frustrating gameplay mechanics, it remains a must-play for fans of thrilling narrative games.
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Aug 29, 2024The marketing for Emio suggested a much darker game than it actually is. Nevertheless, in addition to the colorful scenery and the slow-moving plot, there are also a few wonderfully spooky moments. It owes this above all to its namesake.
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Aug 29, 2024Emio - the Smiling Man has a good story to tell, held hostage by mechanics from the early days of Japanese interactive fiction that refuse to give way to fresher, more current game design ideas. It's a bit of a trial-and-error fairground and excessive verbiage, but if that doesn't scare you off (there's a demo to try out that might suit you) you'll be rewarded with an investigative tale of unquestionable value.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club lives trapped in the cases of the past, and will continue to drag the heavy chains of archaic, clunky gameplay for all eternity.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man has been hyped up a little too much in terms of how dark in tone the whole thing is. This is still silly, kooky stuff, just like its predecessors. The sometimes frustrating core mechanics also haven't seen any refinement this time around, which is a shame. And so it's left to some top-notch writing to save the day, which it just about does. Once this troubling and intriguing story has its hooks in you (remember there are three demos to try if you're unsure), it's hard to put down. And that, at the end of the day, is all Tantei Club fans will be looking for.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man looks like it came out from the '80s, thanks to gameplay mechanics unbelievably dated that hold up its true potential.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling man is a dark and gruesomely gripping mystery that’s held back from reaching greatness by its lack of improvement on the series’ existing flaws.
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Aug 28, 2024Most notably, Emio establishes a surprising amount of heart and sincerity in its brief runtime. Strangely, though, it achieves very little in the way of thrills or chills. More a small-town crime procedural than a dark murder mystery, players will find their best experiences driven by a genuine care for these characters and how they process the impact of tragedy in their insular community rather than sensationalising their trauma for our entertainment. The serial killer thriller lurks on the furthest edges of this story, only ever coaxing the player along with the threat of its darkly exciting carrot. This long-awaited entry in the Famicom Detective Club series is clean, well animated and voiced, and has some seriously good visual novel writing. Despite this, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to recommend this to fans of either detective games or visual novels unless their backlogs are running low.
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Sep 30, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man is a game from a classic series returning for Nintendo Switch. It's a linear game that focuses on exploration, investigation, and puzzle-solving, but lacks much interactivity. It constantly forces you to guess the next option, which can be frustrating. Its story based on an urban legend and its enigmatic enemy are the most striking aspects, but its low replayability makes it just another boring game.
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Sep 12, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man struggles to remain as interesting as its premise, a battle it loses over the course of the more than 10 hours of gameplay it has to offer. The simplicity of the narrative adds nothing to the linear and predetermined gameplay, diminishing the initial interest I had in seeing an answer to the interesting mysteries presented at the start of the game. On the other hand, this safe, simple and even quite competent path could serve as a gateway for those interested in taking their first steps in a thriller visual novel with a subdued horror narrative.
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Edge MagazineSep 5, 2024How curious to find Nintendo's most contemporary tale hidden in a format so beholden to the past. [Issue#402, p.120]
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Sep 3, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is an interactive narrative with a terrifying lore, an absorbing mystery and charismatic characters, marred by a very linear structure and little gameplay.
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Sep 2, 2024Hobby detectives with a focus on the narrative should feel right at home with Emio, while investigators who prefer to think and investigate for themselves might be a little disappointed by the gameplay.
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Aug 29, 2024A missed opportunity to both evolve the Famicom Detective Club concept and allow Nintendo to experiment with more adult-oriented content, resulting in a game whose only real appeal is nostalgia.
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Aug 28, 2024This game presents you with an adventure that is quite entertaining, but it lacks a bit of tension and urgency, which is pretty crazy in a murder case. In addition, it is often too unclear what to do, making it trial and error which takes you out of the immersion. This is due to an illogical structure. Nevertheless, the adventure in itself is otherwise fine thanks to the well-developed characters and excellent voice-acting.
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Aug 28, 2024As the third game in the Famicom Detective Club series, Emio: The Smiling Man is a faithful entry that fits perfectly alongside the 2021 remakes of the first two titles. It fits in a little too well, however, because its gameplay hasn't changed much from the 1980s originals, meaning its 'choose every option until you move on' dialogue system ends up feeling like a boring box-ticking exercise rather than an intuitive investigative process. The story is great but it's strictly for those who love visual novels, no matter how linear.
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Aug 28, 2024Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a successful homage to the venerable series, which tells an enticing story despite its repetitive nature.
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Aug 29, 2024When you buy Emio: The Smiling Man, you get a solid visual novel with good detective work throughout the entire game. But I think the developers lost track of what they wanted when they mixed crime and drama storylines, and lost the crime along the way. Plus, the ending is weird, and characters are annoying.
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Sep 18, 2024Is there anything I really liked about Emio? Sadly no. I can tell you that the artwork is nice, and the animation can bounce between stiff and puppet animation. The music is just nice elevator music, but I don’t really have any strong feelings towards it. It’s cool that its voice acted, even if I don’t speak Japanese. But I really wish I had more positive comments for the overall experience. This just did not land for me at all and that’s okay, it’s not going to be for everyone. I have observed online a plethora of praise for the ending, and its animated epilogue, so it’s divisive to say the least. I don’t think I am going to be the only person letdown by the edgy promises from the reveal. Just because something has dark themes like mental illness and domestic abuse doesn’t suddenly make it a great commentary on them. Games such as Mother 3 and Captain Rainbow being left unlocalized compared to the cavalcade of embarrassment in Emio is probably the biggest mystery this game has. Hopefully you’re left with a bigger smile on your face than I was.
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Aug 28, 2024It was weaving things together with a compelling momentum. But then it tripped, and things unraveled. There are specifics here worth talking about, but Nintendo’s review guidelines are explicit that I should not. So all I can give are my overall impressions, and, overall, the last couple of hours of Emio – The Smiling Man felt incredibly disappointing. If that feels abrupt, it perhaps gets at something about the game itself.
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Sep 3, 2024Because there are so many moving parts and — at first — only loose theories holding them together, I had a lot of fun doing all of the asking, looking, and reviewing. It’s very satisfying when things click into place. There are plentiful threads to pull on, which shift the story into even darker and more disturbing directions as the scope becomes clear. Even without the horror element, there’s plenty to be creeped out about in Emio.
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