The greatest detective of all time makes his debut on the Nintendo Switch this year. And no, we're not talking about Sherlock Holmes or Batman, but instead the lovable electric mouse, Pikachu. Detective Pikachu Returns is the latest installment in the ever-growing Detective Pikachu series. The first game came out back in 2018. A live action movie with the same name released a year later in 2019.

Detective Pikachu Returns Release Date – October 6th, 2023

Detective Pikachu Returns releases on Friday, October 6th, 2023. It will be available exclusively on Nintendo Switch for $49.99 (USD) plus tax. The game is now available for pre-order.

As mentioned previously, this marks the second full video game entry in the Detective Pikachu series. The series technically started on the Nintendo 3DS with Detective Pikachu: Birth of A New Duo back in 2016, with the full version (Detective Pikachu) being released in March of 2018.

Voice Actor Taji Kang reprises his role as Pikachu from the first game, after Ryan Reynolds voiced him in the live-action film. Tim Goodman, protagonist from the first game, will also return.

Detective Pikachu Returns Gameplay

In Detective Pikachu Returns, the game follows detectives Tim Goodman and his Pokemon, Pikachu, as they solve mysteries in Ryme City. Overall, Tim once again must search for his father while helping the townsfolk close all sorts of cases.

Pikachu assists Tim by speaking to local Pokemon, even using some of them to help find clues. For example, Pikachu can ride Growlithe, who uses her nose to track down suspects or clues. Another example includes Darmanitan, who punches down walls, revealing hidden paths for the player.

As you collect more clues and evidence, sometimes Tim and Pikachu take moments to put their clues together. At times, you need to be able to come to accurate conclusions by piecing the puzzle together. Like the first game, Detective Pikachu Returns definitely adds more

The game includes a city full of locations to explore where you meet characters, new and old. In Ryme City, Pokemon and Humans live together, making for a unique setting in the world of Pokemon. The main-line games of the series always revolved around exploring the region while collecting Pokemon and Gym Badges. Detective Pikachu Returns, puts more emphasis on the actual living in the world of Pokemon.

Detective Pikachu Returns Story

The overall story of Detective Pikachu Returns remains a mystery for now. But that's kind of the point when making a detective game. However, we do know some tidbits about the story, including some returning characters.

Of course, the titular character returns alongside Tim Goodman, and together they solve all sorts of mysteries. Continuing off the last title, Goodman is still searching for his Father, Harry, but unfortunately is still swamped with all sorts of new cases in Ryme City.

However, Tim and Pikachu aren't alone in this game. Mayor Howard's daughter, Rachel, attends the same college as Tim. Her connection to both the protagonist and her father might make for some pretty interesting revelations later on in the plot. So far, we don't know too much about her quite yet.

Additionally, Mewtwo returns as well, which leads to even more questions. We're curious if it has to do with the gaseous chemical R which caused Pokémon to go berserk in the first game. Perhaps a new villainous individual has plans to involve R, or something else entirely.

We'll soon find everything out in just a few short days as Detective Pikachu Returns comes out on October 6th.

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