Round Up: Reviews Make MOUSE: P.I. For Hire’s Art the Star of the Show

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MOUSE: P.I. for Hire, a highly anticipated indie game set to release on PS5 later this week, is already earning praise. Early reviews give the PC version a score of 80 on Metacritic.

Early reviews are consistently positive about the game’s 1930s cartoon-inspired visuals, but some players have found the first-person shooting and story lacking.

Destructoid – 9.5/10

Don’t let the black and white, film-noir style fool you—MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a surprisingly colorful and energetic first-person shooter. This game is a labor of love, offering non-stop entertainment with fast-paced action, clever writing, and genuinely new ideas. Playing it might leave you humming the catchy theme song, making cheese-related jokes, or even seeing the world in shades of gray! You might also start wishing other games had the same attention to detail, and you could even claim detective skills on your resume. Be warned: after experiencing this game’s incredible detail, you’ll expect all future games to measure up!

Worth Playing – 9/10

Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a fantastic game! It’s beautifully presented, with a visual style that perfectly captures the feel of a classic 1930s cartoon and makes the game really engaging. The music is so good it might even turn you into a big band jazz fan. The shooting and platforming controls are smooth and responsive, and the game is just the right length – not too short, not too long. If you enjoy action or shooting games, you absolutely need to play Mouse: P.I. for Hire.

Game Rant – 8/10

MOUSE isn’t a typical first-person shooter, and that’s a good thing. It stands out as one of the most original and delightful games in the genre to come along in a long time. Fumi Games clearly put a lot of passion and hard work into MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, and their dedication really shows.

Shacknews – 8/10

I have mixed feelings about Mouse: P.I. For Hire. I really enjoy its unique setting – a 1920s Prohibition era seen through the eyes of a mouse. The cartoon style is charming and gives the game a lot of personality. However, it occasionally tries to tackle serious themes that don’t quite mesh with the fast-paced, action-focused gameplay, which feels similar to a game like Duke Nukem. You spend most of your time using quirky weapons to eliminate enemies in arena-style combat, and it does a great job of making that feel thrilling! But then the story introduces a hard-boiled detective plot, exploring dark aspects of the Roaring Twenties and characters dealing with difficult pasts. I’m not sure this combination of lighthearted action and heavy story elements really works. It’s a lot of fun, definitely, but maybe it’s best not to overthink things as you blast your way through hordes of cartoon rodents to solve the mystery.

Giant Bomb – 6/10

Mouse: P.I. For Hire clearly has a lot of affection for the classic cartoons it’s inspired by, but unfortunately, the game’s story and how it plays don’t quite live up to that same quality. It tries hard, but ultimately feels a bit too silly and doesn’t quite impress.

IGN – 6/10

Mouse: P.I. for Hire perfectly captures the look and feel of classic 1930s cartoons and detective stories, and it’s a fun, fast-paced shooter. However, the game tries to blend its noir story with the shooting action, and this combination doesn’t always work. The story is overly reliant on references and can be frustrating to follow, and ultimately, the game’s different elements feel disconnected. It’s enjoyable if you just want simple, action-packed gameplay, but if you think about the story too much, the flaws become very noticeable.

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2026-04-14 18:37