Mouse: P.I. For Hire Review – Here’s Looking At You, Cheese

Fascists, mafia, and brainwashed cult fanatics. No, my friend, I’m not talking about our world, but the one in Mouse: P.I. For Hire. Mouseburg is its name, and it is a world as crooked and corrupt as ours. Mouse: P.I. not only uses our world’s art as inspiration but also on other elements, such as historic events and politics. What I initially thought was going to be a comedic journey ended up being a reflection of our world, one that nails both the artistic inspirations and the human tragedies that, to this day, still stink of rotten cheese.

In Mouse: P.I. for Hire, you take the role of Private Detective Jack Pepper, a mouse who is haunted by war, but still gives his all to protect the mice of his town. You start by investigating cases like the disappearance of a magician and the murder of his assistant. These cases are all set up for bigger events, like the rise of a political party that is hellbent on the annihilation of the smaller kind of mouse they call shrews.

While the story is clearly inspired by our world’s history and culture, specifically of the 1930s and 40s, it still feels like something authentic thanks to both its writing and art style. There is a lot of humor in the dialogue, especially with anything involving cheese. There are references to jokes of our time, and while a few of them don’t land, the ones that do will give you a good chuckle. What Mouse P.I. does nail perfectly is its noir film language and the physical comedy of classic cartoons. As someone who went to film school and was obsessed with classic cinema, it feels great to see games not only draw inspiration but also pay homage to Film Noir classics. Granted, some games have done it before, like L.A. Noire, but Mouse P.I. is not afraid to fully embrace every stereotype of the genre and give it its own twist.

Besides the black and white filter of noir cinema, Mouse P.I. takes big inspiration from rubberhose-style animation for its art style. Throughout the game, you will find references to classics like Steamboat Willie and Popeye. The animation fits perfectly with the themes of the game, especially the guns having weird attachments like a talking mini brain. Destructible environments and items with this style of animation bring different ways that you can take out enemies. Enemies also have funny animations, especially when they are eliminated, going away with a humorous “gabagool” or other funny remarks.

Mouse P.I. adds heavy Boomer Shooter mechanics to its first-person gameplay. Influences especially from games like DOOM are very noticeable, but the unique arsenal and tools make it a standout in the genre. Besides a quick pace and over-the-top guns, other features like a grappling hook will keep you engaged with how you can traverse the levels. In its level design, while engaging, it was where I encountered a few issues with the game. Some levels are exceptional, especially those in the film studio area, because they take advantage of all those tools and implement them heavily into their design. Other levels, however, rely mainly on the shooting aspect. Since there isn’t a wide variety of enemy types, those levels tend to feel too long and repetitive by their ending stages.

The bosses, on the other hand, are a unique and fun bunch. With the bosses, you will find yourself fighting robots, solving puzzles, or using your entire arsenal to avoid obstacles. Mouse P.I. is sort of an open world where you travel around in a car with an over-the-top view of the city. So, I was a bit disappointed to find that you can’t continue exploring any side quests or searching for collectibles after the game ends. The lockpicking, though, is one of the most original I’ve ever seen in gaming, using a tailpicking puzzle as its system.

Thankfully, most of the design choices and levels in Mouse P.I. for Hire take advantage of all its gameplay features, with only a few falling into the trap of repetitiveness. The game captures the atmosphere of a noir film and classic animation, making you feel completely immersed in its world. It’s a great and unique blend of cinema, art, music, and video games, all coming together to create one big love letter to its humble beginnings. I’d bet all the cheese in my fridge that the team at Fumi Games will take in all the feedback, and this is only the beginning of a beautiful franchise.

Walter reviewed Mouse: P.I. For Hire on PC with a provided review code. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing and our score will not be changed.