There’s no shortage of boomer shooters out there for those looking for some retro-style first-person action: Cultic, Ion Fury, Prodeus, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, just to name a few. Yet only one of these nostalgic shooters meshes the genre’s arcade sensibilities with the black-and-white rubber-hose visuals of cartoons from the 1920s and ’30s and the unmistakable trappings of film noir.
Originally released as a tech demo that quickly went viral in 2023, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is now a fully-fledged game–one that oozes style and doesn’t lack substance either. It’s both familiar and incredibly niche at the same time; an endlessly charming game that I found a joy to simply behold, even before the cartoon bullets started flying.
Unsurprisingly for a game about furry rodents, Mouse: P.I. is all too fond of cheese-based puns and wordplay, so it makes sense that you should slip into the stylish trenchcoat of one Jack Pepper. The titular P.I. is a former war hero-turned-private dick working on a missing-persons case. As is par for the course, the investigation quickly spirals out of control, escalating into a complex web of intrigue and corruption that spreads to every sleazy corner of the city of Mouseburg.
It’s an enjoyable and authentically noir tale, full of twists, turns, and all the familiar hallmarks of the genre, with femme fatales, morally ambiguous characters, and a tangled plot among its defining elements. While it’s not a straight-up parody like It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s “The Janitor Always Mops Twice,” Mouse: P.I. doesn’t take itself too seriously either.
The writing is witty and lighthearted throughout, playing up the genre’s clichés with a comedic tone befitting its cartoon art style. A few fun concepts are also implemented to fit its unique world and add some breadth, such as its dairy-based narcotics and black ink as a substitute for blood. You can also find old newspapers hidden within each level that give Mouseburg a sense of history, with news of ongoing worker strikes and emerging political parties, as well as exposés on mob bosses.
The voice cast is excellent, too, particularly Troy Baker, who embodies Jack Pepper’s sarcastic stoicism with a performance that’s both hardboiled and humorous–adhering to the film noir genre with a knowing wink.
As the investigation takes you across Mouseburg’s seedy underbelly, including unscrupulous movie backlots, city docks, subways, wetlands, a highfalutin river boat, and more, you’re met with opposition from a range of armed criminals looking to stop you in your tracks. Fortunately, Jack Pepper is just as handy with a firearm as he is with a corkboard.
With each fleet-footed step forward, double jump, and wall run, it’s evident that 2016’s Doom was a source of inspiration for Mouse: P.I.’s arcadey mobility and combat. Movement speed is high, and perpetual motion is key to surviving any scuffle while laying waste to the mobsters, crooked cops, and cultists trying to snuff you out.
Whether you’re strafing to avoid enemy gunfire, dashing away from thugs wielding steel pipes and baseball bats, or sprinting around the environment to grab health and ammo pickups, there’s an energetic sense of momentum punctuating each shootout. The game doesn’t shy away from violence either. With your weapon firmly ensconced on your right hip, each press of the trigger has the potential to create the kind of slapstick chaos that would make Itchy and Scratchy proud.
While heads pop off from shotgun blasts and the rapid fire of Mouse: P.I.’s referential Tommy Gun, the James Gun, there are far more experimental weapons in Jack Pepper’s arsenal that could’ve come straight from ACME. A few pulls of the Devarnisher’s trigger, for instance, will coat your foes in turpentine, melting the ink off their bones until they’re nothing more than terrified skeletons–their bones rattling together with the same distinctive sound heard in Walt Disney’s 1929 short film, The Skeleton Dance.
You can pick up and throw explosive barrels that ignite on impact, burning anyone unlucky enough to be in range until they’re reduced to a pile of soot. Grand pianos and comically oversized anvils are a frequent sight, hanging precariously from the ceiling to tempt you into quite literally flattening an enemy or three. Mouse: P.I.’s combat may not be genre-defining, but it’s absurd, fast-paced, and extremely satisfying.
However, I am a tad disappointed that the investigative side of the game is merely window dressing. You gather clues to advance the case, then pin each one to a corkboard to link the evidence and build a better understanding of how everything fits together, but the entire process is automated. It feels superfluous, and I would’ve liked to at least link the evidence myself, to feel like I was impacting the investigation beyond mowing down enemies.
Either way, the levels are well-designed, alternating between wide-open spaces and cramped corridors that force you to approach combat differently. There’s a ton of verticality in most areas for you to take advantage of, too, and a decent variety of enemy types, from big guys who rush at you headfirst to others who wield wooden shields.
Anyone with a keen eye for exploration will also find plenty of secret areas in each level, tucked away behind hidden vents and optional platforming challenges. This is where you’ll find the aforementioned newspapers, along with comic-book pages and collectible baseball cards you can use in Mouse: P.I.’s own tabletop minigame. This spin on America’s favorite pastime isn’t exactly on par with the likes of Gwent or Queen’s Blood, but I still had fun playing a game or two in between missions. With Daniel “The Ra-ta-Train” Cruz hitting dingers and Joel Blunt painting the corners, I’m not afraid to say that my team dominated the tabletop diamond.
There’s a special reward for winning 35 games, although a more traditional progression system is also in play to dole out a steady stream of upgrades for Jack himself. You can improve each weapon’s damage output, ammo capacity, and also unlock alternate fire modes, such as the James Gun’s spray and pray–complete with an animation synonymous with gangsters of the era. There are a number of traversal abilities to gradually unlock, too, including the aforementioned double jump and wall run. This sense of progression keeps things feeling fresh throughout the game’s 11 hours, though some abilities feel underutilized, featuring heavily during the level they’re unlocked in only to fall by the wayside later on.
Even with some minor shortcomings, there’s nothing here that takes away from Mouse: P.I.’s crown jewel: its incredible art style. Each and every frame has been lovingly hand-drawn, recreating the rubber-hose animation of classic cartoons like Steamboat Willie and Betty Boop’s May Party with striking aplomb. Characters and items of importance bounce on the spot with a joyous elasticity, their heavy ink outlines standing out against the softer matte style of the environments. There are reverential nods to some of the game’s inspirations, such as a power-up that sees you down a can of spinach to immediately bulk up like Popeye the Sailor Man.
Even smaller details you might not always notice are a treat for the eyes. The ammo counter in the bottom-right corner features a different sentient bullet depending on which gun you’re using, with the little guys typically buzzing with excitement or laughing maniacally each time you pull the trigger. The reloading animations are hypnotic, too, whether you’re haphazardly stuffing a handful of slugs into a shotgun or draining another bottle of liquid on the side of the portable freezer. At both the macro and micro levels, Mouse: P.I. is a visual marvel that’s always delightful to look at. Not to mention, it’s all complemented by an original big band jazz soundtrack that nails the era’s vibe and noir aesthetic.
There aren’t many other games that pull off the same distinct art style as Mouse: P.I. For Hire. Cuphead is the only one that comes to mind, which makes it easy to fall for the game’s presentational charms. There’s rarely a frame that isn’t bursting with style and creativity, and it’s none too shabby as a retro-style shooter either. Mouse: P.I. might not reinvent the wheel, but its arsenal of weapons is punchy and delightfully varied, while the fluidity of movement makes for some thrilling, high-speed shootouts. In this instance, you should have no qualms about handing over money to the mouse.
Source: https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mouse-p-i-for-hire-review-rodent-noir/1900-6418481/
