MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Review – Cheese It!

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As a gamer, I’ve noticed a trend: every time a new game idea pops up – like, ‘What if we went to space?’ or ‘What about a fantasy world?’ – everyone immediately wants it to look super realistic. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sci-fi adventure, a medieval RPG, or even just a game about everyday life, it feels like developers are always striving for that photo-realistic look. It’s like it’s become the default visual style, no matter the setting!

Fumi Games’ first game completely breaks from tradition with its unique, rubberhose animation style. That alone is enough to grab your attention – it’s no surprise the game went viral! But the moment you start playing and hear the main character, Jack Pepper, humming the theme tune in his classic, rough voice, you realize MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is going to be something truly different.

This game is a stunning black and white experience, and also a thrilling, fast-moving shooter with a surprisingly emotional core.

The game boasts a visually stunning style, but its ambitions go much further. It creates a unique take on American history, imagining a country grappling with economic hardship, social division, and a hidden undercurrent of corruption. The game draws inspiration from classic mob stories like Dick Tracy and even the early animation of Steamboat Willie to tell a captivating mystery. On top of all that, it’s a fast-paced, action-packed first-person shooter in the spirit of Doom, complete with over-the-top weapons, a distinctive ink-splatter effect instead of blood, and smooth, satisfying movement.

While MOUSE: P.I. For Hire isn’t flawless and could benefit from some tweaks – it sometimes feels a bit simple or predictable – it’s impressive how well the developers brought their vision to life. The game successfully balances moments of lighthearted humor with exciting action. It’s a visually striking black and white experience, and a fast-paced shooting campaign with a surprisingly heartwarming core – though it can also be tough as nails.

It’s the 1930s in America, and things are getting strange. It’s not just the talking mice and shrews, or the endless cheese jokes – the famous magician Steve Bandel has vanished. At the same time, shrews are disappearing all over town, and Steve’s former assistant, the talented actress Betty Lynch, is also missing. Jack Pepper, a private investigator and war veteran, is left to investigate. He has no choice but to dig into the mystery, gather any clues he can find, and crack a few witty jokes along the way.

This story feels like a classic detective noir, and it’s brought to life with incredible style – far beyond just the writing and animation. Troy Baker is perfect as Pepper, but the entire cast shines. Florian Clare as Wanda Fuller, Camryn Grimes as Tammy Tumbler, Fred Tatasciore as John Brown, and Frank Todaro as Cornelius Stilton all perfectly capture the tone. Even the minor characters, whether briefly seen or mysterious, deliver memorable performances – like that one thug who famously said, “I’m not your buddy, pal.” It’s simply outstanding.

Despite his cool appearance, Jack is a skilled writer. If you enjoy fast-paced, classic shooter games, you’ll quickly master the weapons in MOUSE, including shotguns, powerful guns, and unique futuristic armaments.

While I was really impressed with a lot of this game, it does have a fairly simple structure initially. You mostly talk to people, go to different places, find clues, and add them to a board. If you’re persistent, Jack can then solve the clue and unlock the next location. There are also some small tasks from other characters, often related to places you’re already visiting. These aren’t complex side quests – it’s more about paying attention and collecting items when asked, and it’s usually quite easy to do.

If you spend enough time with the game, things start to become more straightforward. Jack juggles three investigations simultaneously, and new areas frequently become available. Along the way, you can stop at Roadhouses, play a baseball card game, and find weapon upgrade blueprints. Many safes are hidden throughout the world, but opening them requires completing a lock-picking minigame – which can be simple or surprisingly difficult, thanks to obstacles like spikes, time limits, and a limited number of attempts.

All the different storylines come together to create a consistently engaging pace and a truly captivating mystery. Each mission feels important, even when its purpose isn’t immediately clear. The author, MOUSE, writes with confidence, using compelling dialogue and handling mature themes exceptionally well, which keeps you hooked from beginning to end. You might find yourself wanting more when it’s over, but it’s an incredible journey.

After the initial stages, each area offers a good balance of shortcuts and hidden secrets, like vents and warp pipes. While it doesn’t have the extensive backtracking of games like Metroid, the different ways you can move around really change up the combat. Don’t be fooled by Jack’s cool appearance – he’s determined and resourceful. If you’ve enjoyed recent fast-paced shooters, you’ll quickly feel comfortable with MOUSE’s weapons, which include powerful shotguns and unique sci-fi gear.

The music is fantastic – a constant stream of great noir jazz. And the scene with the boat, featuring piano music reminiscent of the classic Steamboat Willie, was incredibly touching – it really moved me.

Every weapon feels unique, whether it’s the solid weight of a shotgun or the way the Turpentine Gun completely breaks down enemies. The game can start a little slow with just a pistol and your hands, but as you unlock more weapons and face different enemies, you’ll learn when to use each one effectively. Experimenting with different effects, like freezing and then shattering enemies, adds depth to the gameplay. There’s nothing quite like the area-of-effect damage from a Turpentine blast, though for focused, high-damage attacks, the MIND-D Conscious Gun’s beam is a better choice.

MOUSE consistently delivers engaging experiences, from its combat areas and goals to the challenges you face – and this extends to its boss battles. Most of these fights are memorable, with some being wildly over-the-top and others requiring skillful arena shooter gameplay. Only one felt like a repetitive task rather than a significant challenge.

Okay, seriously, the music in this game is incredible! It’s packed with these awesome, smoky jazz tunes that really set the mood. And there’s this one part, during a boat sequence, where the piano music started playing and I totally melted – it reminded me of old Steamboat Willie! You can expect a lot of upbeat swing jazz too, with driving drums, trumpets, and saxophones that make every fight feel so energetic. But honestly, it’s the little sound details that really got me. The sound of my character’s shoes when I double-jump, the subtle distortion effects… it’s just so well done. It all adds up to an amazing experience.

One of the main drawbacks is that the game’s progression feels too simple. You gather blueprints, use them to improve your weapons, and unlock a small bonus at the top level – though not all weapons even have one. The card-collecting aspect should have gradually increased the challenge as you collected better cards to beat stronger opponents. However, it’s surprisingly easy to repeatedly fight the same opponent to earn points, and just restart if you don’t succeed in the first inning. Once you’ve collected enough points, there’s little reason to keep playing.

This game isn’t aiming to reinvent the first-person shooter or detective genres. Instead, it focuses on delivering a fantastic noir detective story filled with memorable characters, dramatic events, and a touch of the supernatural.

Sometimes, enemies had trouble finding their way around, particularly flying enemies that would get stuck in corners. The hardest difficulty, called Supersleuth, was challenging enough, though there seemed to be plenty of ammo and health available. Still, if you’re good at shooter games, I’d suggest playing on that setting.

Despite any flaws, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a fantastic game. It doesn’t try to reinvent the first-person shooter or detective genres; instead, it delivers a wonderful noir detective story with memorable characters, exciting events, and a touch of magic. I stayed engaged throughout the roughly 15-hour playtime, rarely feeling bored or wanting to skip dialogue. If you appreciate the unique art style, enjoy a good shooter, or want to explore this glamorous but troubled cartoon world, it’s definitely worth playing.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2026-04-14 18:13