Chinatown Detective Agency

 Xbox One
Chinatown Detective Agency Image
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
3.1

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

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  • Summary: Midnight in Singapore. Your contact's a no show, your client wants answers and your empty bank balance hangs over you like a neon-tinted Sword of Damocles. Welcome to 2032. Welcome to Chinatown Detective Agency.

    The world is in a state of flux as the global economy nears the nadir of its    Midnight in Singapore. Your contact's a no show, your client wants answers and your empty bank balance hangs over you like a neon-tinted Sword of Damocles. Welcome to 2032. Welcome to Chinatown Detective Agency.

    The world is in a state of flux as the global economy nears the nadir of its decade-long collapse. Singapore stands as a last refuge of order but even here the government struggles on the brink of chaos. Private detectives are now the first call for those citizens able to afford a semblance of justice.

    That's where you come in. You are Amira Darma, once a rising star at INTERPOL, now a freshly minted Private Investigator in the heart of Chinatown, and your first client is about to walk through your door...

    Inspired by the classic Carmen Sandiego games of the 80s and 90s, Chinatown Detective Agency is a mystery adventure game that will take you across Singapore and the world in hot pursuit of criminals, witnesses and clues. Solve puzzles and uncover leads using real research and investigation, and manage your time and money to solve cases from clients both well-intentioned and nefarious. Along the way, untangle a web of conspiracies and plots that threaten to push the Lion City over the edge.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. TheXboxHub
    Apr 6, 2022
    80
    The sheer act of solving puzzles with a laptop and notebook on the table, sifting through the detritus of the internet, just feels so unusual and enjoyably deductive. My Googling skills came on leaps and bounds, as I mastered the art of Google Image Search, and my understanding of ancient civilisations has received a boost too. These aren’t common things to say about games, and Chinatown Detective Agency is such an unusual, refreshing experience that – some minor frustrations aside – we cannot hesitate to recommend.
  2. Digital Chumps
    Apr 11, 2022
    80
    Chinatown Detective Agency is a very good adventure game that mixes old-school concepts across several genres into a set of mysteries that are replayable. While it isn’t perfect due to its saving system and some minor mechanic issues, it offers up a fun experience in the long run.
  3. Gamer.nl
    Apr 15, 2022
    65
    Chinatown Detective Agency embraces its tough puzzles and encourages you to figure out the answers yourself through search engines. This is a unique approach that also presents unique problems.
  4. Video Chums
    Apr 16, 2022
    60
    Chinatown Detective Agency could be rewarding for the average pantomath and the story is intriguing stuff but if you don't enjoy doing your own research in order to progress in a video game then you'll likely find it to be more of an annoyance than a fun adventure.
  5. Xbox Achievements
    Apr 12, 2022
    55
    Chinatown Detective Agency is a disappointing miss, that, with just a little more time in the oven, could so easily have been a compelling hit.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 1 out of 2
  1. Awanka
    Jul 17, 2022
    5
    Adventure puzzle game similar to those made by Wadjet Eye, but on hardcore mode. I haven't seen puzzles this obtuse and requiring internetAdventure puzzle game similar to those made by Wadjet Eye, but on hardcore mode. I haven't seen puzzles this obtuse and requiring internet sleuthing since "The Secret World." You CAN fail cases, and it's quite easy if you guess incorrectly or run out of time. Early on you can choose between 3 major clients, each with much different storylines and types of cases to solve, so there is a bit of an RPG element to it. Do yourself a favor, and choose to work with "Keeran." You'll get to work with a character named "Laetitia" who is a lot of fun.

    This game is very buggy, and should still be in alpha. One of the endings is incomplete. If you expand your office to early, you can make the game unplayable. Save system is pretty bad. You can only save between cases, but maybe that's a good things considering how buggy the game is, and how easy it is to fail a case or reach an unstable game state.

    A bit of an odd duck, but oddly charming.    … Expand
  2. Jadedspades
    Jul 31, 2022
    4
    Playing on game pass. Holy crap the bugs are bad. This is a good game, a fun game, but the bugs make this game nearly unplayable. The voicesPlaying on game pass. Holy crap the bugs are bad. This is a good game, a fun game, but the bugs make this game nearly unplayable. The voices and sounds usually don't work. Which if that was the only bug, I wouldn't mind. But we have gotten stuck on walks, and had other things not load. So you turn the game off and on again, except the save is only available between missions so you have to replay the whole **** level again every time you restart. It's been so frustrating. The style, intended gameplay and story are great so it sucks to have it be so broken because of bugs. I'd be willing to try the game again if the bugs got worked out but I honestly can't recommend this version of the game.… Expand