MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Receiving Positive Reviews from Critics

April 16 promises to be an exciting day for many gamers—not only because the new installment in the Metro series, Metro 2039, and the long-awaited Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced will be unveiled that day, but also because of the release of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, a noir shooter inspired by 1930s cartoons.

The game, which is being developed by Fumi Studios, tells the story of a mouse named Jack Pepper, a private detective who investigates crimes in a corrupt city teeming with gangsters and corrupt politicians. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire has recently received its first reviews from different gaming outlets, and they said a lot of positive things—great art design, captivating and enjoyable soundtrack, and lively gameplay. The main drawback of the game is considered to be the storyline, which, although lengthy, is largely unremarkable and at times derivative. The game currently has a score of 81 on Metacritic, based on 42 Critic Reviews, and a score of 83 on OpenCritic, with 92% Critics Recommendation. Below you can also check out a few reviews from notable gaming outlets:

Destructoid – 95/100:

“Color graded in black and white, don't be fooled by its noir film aesthetic—this FPS is vibrant. A true passion project that's pure entertainment from start to finish, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is an impressive and unpredictably wild rollercoaster ride of high octane action, witty dialogue, and innovative fun. Side effects from playing MOUSE: P.I. For Hire may include: Humming to the main theme when completing ordinary tasks, making cheese puns in conversation, seeing the world in black and white, wishing Call of Duty had animated bullets, and adding detective experience onto your resume. Be warned, you'll want all future games to be as detailed as this, I certainly do."

DualShockers – 95/100:

“MOUSE: P.I. For Hire embodies a magnificent triple-threat of retro stylings, managing a careful balancing act between noir theming, cartoony visuals, and vintage FPS gameplay. The gameplay is fast, responsive, and above all else, fun as all get out, while the story and characters manage to be intriguing in that classic pulp novel fashion while also being entertaining to watch and talk to. It draws you in like a detective magazine, getting you invested in the state of the city, while keeping you merrily chugging along with good ol’ cartoony violence. It’s not a revolutionary game as far as the FPS genre goes, but considering its adherence to multiple kinds of retro aesthetics, I don’t think being revolutionary was the mission statement here.”

CGMagazine – 95/100:

“MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is an exceptional, hand-crafted FPS experience worth picking up today.”

GamingBolt – 90/100:

“Cliches and homages abound in MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, and it gleefully embraces them while offering a compelling detective mystery wrought with over-the-top violence and a cast that's having the time of their lives.”

PC Gamer – 86/100:

“A slick, accomplished shooter that’s more than just an eye-grabbing art style.”

Game Rant – 80/100:

“While MOUSE may fall into some trappings of the first-person shooter genre, it escapes largely unscathed and with the cheese. It is easily one of the most unique first-person shooters to hit the market in years, and it's definitely the most charming of the lot. Fumi Games poured every ounce of ink, sweat, and stubborn dreams it had into MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, and it's clear the end result was worth the effort.”

• Gameliner – 9/10
• TechRaptor – 9/10
• MosterVine – 9/10
• GamingTrent – 9/10
• DayOne – 8.5/10
• Gamespot – 8/10
• Screen Rant – 8/10
• GameReactor – 8/10
• Game Informer – 8/10
• TheGamer – 7/10
• IGN – 6/10
• Metro – 6/10
• Giant Bomb – 6/10

This month has already presented some great titles. For instance, Replaced, which is now available on PC and Xbox Series X/S, also received rave reviews from critics, not to mention Pragmana—Capcom’s new IP, set to release on April 17—which, according to critics, is a strong contender for Game of the Year award.

As for MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, the game is releasing on April 16 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The game will also be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One later this year.