The detective noir themes can be overplayed at this point, from games and movies, the monotone of the main character narrating his actions and obtaining clues and solving them is really derivative at this point. One that can be said with this game, Mouse: P. I For Hire has the main character voiced by Troy Baker, a versatile actor that is indeed talented and really kills it with the cheese puns and humility of this game. The game really picks its derivative narrative but, however, it portrays it with a splendid experience with a First person shooter that is fun and entertaining indeed.
In this game you play as Jack Pepper, a brazen mouse who is a private investigator on the trail of Milford Soyer, leader of the BMP (Big Mouse Party) in the city of Mouseburg, ridden with crooked cops, zee scientists and other rivals. As an ace detective, you must find clues and solve them by collecting evidence pictures from missions and in between missions back in your P.I office, where you jot down the clues on your board much like Alan Wake 2 but way more simplified. But Jack isn’t alone, even though he’s a lone private detective, you will encounter of codre of characters that themed like mice with their cheese puns spoken by you and them and also other funny quirks.
Throughout the game, the mission variety is pretty neat. Each and almost every other mission is designed with the basis of a neo noir flick in the 1940s, from opera houses, movie backlots, mansions to swamps by the bayou. The creative design as a first person shooter looks plain at the start but it eventually picks up by an action ridden adventure. Indeed, the game is a FPS at heart as a conventional shooter, it also has many traits of a Doom shooter with creative uses of action platforming. Whether you bounce and traverse throughout the levels, wall walking and double jumping through obstacles in fashion, there are certain moments where time is essential like running away from boulders to the massive flooding that will drown you if you don’t traverse throughout the path in a steadfast speed.
As a shooter, again, it feels like Doom with the typical arsenal of weapons whether it's a pistol, shotgun, machine gun or bazooka. With the Doom like fashion of collecting weapons, you need to upgrade them to their potential, by collecting blueprints throughout the level, you can cash in them and make guns less recoil and even have a secondary attack like the tommy gun or James Gun bullet spread to inflict upon the mice of Mouseburg. Whether your circle strafting enemies that are relentless to camping out monster closets which are all apparent throughout the level, the fun never ceases to be enjoyable. Comparisons be damned, there are also secrets and hidden gems throughout the game, and of course collectibles to collect from the basis of platforming. Like a shooter as well with its conventional traits, there are different types of explosive barrels persisting throughout the levels whether its the typical explosive, inflammatory to even freezing enemies, it can benefit through your actions.
There are some puzzles in this game with tailpicking, a lock picking minigame that plays like Snake where you navigate your tail from beginning to end knocking off the pins on the way while not overlapping your line in embarrassment from your superiors. Secrets that appear on the map may have safes that contain cash or blueprints to your weapons’ upgrade cache and also certain doors have this minigame and while many of them can be unlocked through many attempts, some secret safes only have one try so use it wisely. There are also simple puzzles to solve such as finding keys and other not that interesting parts throughout the game.
Aesthetically this game is indeed the likes of Steamboat Willy and old Disney cartoons, the design of every character is inspired by that cartoon in mice caricatures of enemy designs. The black and white detective thriller harpens back to the past with the designs of detective noir themed filled with mice that look cute and charming to which end it convolved into an action pack game. It really looks like Cuphead as well with the iconic designs of each character with the quirks that back it into fruition. The bosses however are unique to its kind, each boss that is depicted at the end of the level, while they are challenging in the most simplistic sense, are different and portray the likes of its inspiration. It’s not the typical bullet sponge from the enemies and the bosses that pertains throughout the levels but the differentiating abilities they possess with that in mind, they can be challenging in harder difficulties. Bosses such as the three wives' boss in the bayou convey the game's uniqueness, with not utilizing shooting as she is a ghost but a flashlight to damage her.
With its many cheese puns and quirks, Mouse: P.I For Hire plays it safe as a conventional DOOM-like, first person shooter. The likes of you have never seen before and the fact that it never ceases to amaze me throughout the game, it justifies its cartoon design with quality as well as inspirations from old Disney cartoons and utmost pride. The level design in each level captivates an astounding amount of fun and enjoyment from platforming through obstacles through an action packed blender of an enjoyable shooter inflicting the mice of Mouseburg and their vices. There is also a smooth sounding soundtrack that really packs a punch mixing the detective noir really well. The detective genre may be overplayed and overstayed its welcome, but this game is pretty fun even though with its faults.