What if, all the way back in 1928, a young animator from the American Midwest didn’t dream up a cartoon mouse driving a steamboat? What if, instead, he created the first-person shooting icon Doom? That’s what Mouse: P.I. For Hire aims to explore. At first glance, you’d probably just see a gimmicky take on the first-person shooting genre behind the veneer of a ’20s cartoon aesthetic. But in reality, Mouse is an incredibly fun homage to some of entertainment’s biggest titans. From classic animated films to ripping and tearing in a fast-paced video game, this game has it all.

Its systems are admittedly taken straight from something you’d see out of the original Doom. But the game pays the utmost respect and feels inspired and iterative rather than derivative and cheap. The story, starring Troy Baker as the titular private investigator Jack Pepper, is told through the style of a classic noir detective film, but with the animation style of something you’d see during the early days of Disney animation. I can always appreciate when a game can confidently wear its influences on its sleeves. And it isn’t just an homage to Doom and Disney classics, either. Around every corner lies a fun reference or Easter egg to countless other pieces of entertainment.

Caffeine and Panic Attacks

Without giving away too much, the story of Mouse: P.I. is a tried-and-true detective noir you’d see reruns of at your grandpa’s house. The moody, slow trumpets and brooding inner dialogue of its protagonist are on full display here, and are incredibly immersive and well done. The game is very aware of how tropey and cliché it can get, and is all the better for it. No aspect of Mouse takes itself too seriously, despite how thought-provoking and, dare I say, controversial the story may be.

The start of Jack’s journey involves him investigating the murder of one of Tinsel Avenue’s brightest starlets, the actress Betty Lynch. As he scours Mouseburg for clues, he uncovers a much deeper political conspiracy not unlike what you may have seen in Germany in the early 20th century. It’s best experienced blind, but trust me when I say that the story is not what you expect, in all the best ways.

Every classic character archetype from a noir detective film you can imagine is in this game. There’s John Brown, the hardened but trustworthy bartender. Wanda Fuller, the cynical journalist, is always looking to blow the lid off the next big story. Even the beautiful femme fatale Vivian plays an essential role in the goings-on of Mouseburg. But what good is a fun story and eclectic cast of characters without fun, engaging gameplay mechanics to pair it with?

Dead Mouse

While Mouse: P.I. For Hire’s story is rich and complex, the combat is the real star of the show. It takes a more straightforward approach, with the majority of my roughly 13 hour playthrough spent walloping wiseguys, crooked cops, and nut cases. I keep going back to Doom, because that’s essentially what the gameplay loop is heavily inspired by. You start out the with Micer, a pistol, and your mitts, a melee combat option. Throughout the game you’ll come across a wide variety of different weapons, all accessible in real time via a weapon wheel.

The typical FPS archetypes you’d expect are all here; a shotgun, a full-auto machine gun (hilariously called the James Gun, for you movie fans), and even some more on-brand hardware like the Devarnisher, which melts away an enemy’s skin. Even the guns pay homage to the cartoon style, with floppy gun barrels and over-the-top reload animations.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is shockingly and hilariously violent as hell. If you get a headshot, their top will quite literally pop, squirting blood with their spinal cord exposed. What’s better (worse?), is that you can hear them gurgle through their death even after having their head blown to bits. Pair this with the dark tone of the story, and it ain’t your daddy’s cartoon.

“Some of the most satisfying gunplay I’ve played in awhile”

One small gripe I have with the combat and gameplay loop is the lack of deeper customization options. While you can find Blueprints scattered throughout Mouseburg to upgrade your weapons, each one is only able to be moved up two tiers. The first upgrade for each weapon unlocks an alternate fire mode, like being able to charge up a shotgun blast or spraying three handgun shots in quick succession. This is a handy addition when working out what weapon works best for you. But that’s where it ends. I was hoping for a more customizable experience, with different perks and maybe some stat points. Even Jack himself isn’t able to get buffed.

There are no health upgrades, no stamina bar increases, nothing to chase other than base weapon upgrades. It doesn’t detract from how incredibly fun combat itself is, but I just wish there was a bit more depth here. Regardless, reaching flow state against a horde of baddies and clearing them out with your weapons and fire barrels some of the most satisfying gunplay I’ve played in awhile.

I’m Walkin’ Here!

During your journey around Mouseburg and its many surrounding areas, you’ll find various clues to bring back to your office and pin to your wall, with each clue leading to the next. This is how you’ll progress the story and unlock new areas to explore. But warned, though, as once you finish a level you can’t return. So if you’re a completionist you have to keep a meticulous eye out for collectibles like comics and baseball cards, the latter of which can be used in a really cool baseball card mini game at bars around town.

“The overall level design is intuitive and easy to navigate”

The biomes are super varied, and I never once grew bored with my surroundings. You’ll explore the city, fishing docks, a movie set, give chase underwater, and even escape a creepy mansion. I was initially concerned going in that the environments would be too similar, but was pleasantly surprised. Another concern I had that was swiftly quelled was the fact that the entire game is in black and white. In most games like this, ammo and armor drops will shine in a specific color that pops against the environment. But in Mouse, these items and other collectibles are a bright white and dance around cartoon-style, making them hard to miss.

Traversing around the levels, done so via Jack’s car on a really cool overworld map, is a breeze. And once you start one, the action picks up fast and frenetic. The overall level design is intuitive and easy to navigate, with plenty of room to brawl once enemies spawn in. Secrets like Blueprints and newspaper clippings aren’t terribly hard to find if you give an honest effort. And Mouse’s lockpicking mini-game doesn’t make me want to rip my hair out like other games. If you get lost pursuing the main objective, the handy Detective Brush can be used to point you in the right direction. It’s quality-of-life modernization like this in a “retro” time of game that goes a long way for me personally, and I found all the games systems to be wonderfully easy to master and frictionless.

Verdict

I’m having a hard time finding anything wrong with Mouse: P.I. For Hire. It has impressively robust world building, and every level and environment feels like something you’d see waiting in line at Disneyland. It feels alive and bustling, with plenty of NPCs roaming around that help the world feel alive and breathing. With a surprisingly deep story, I’d have preferred some of the character loadout options were as complex. But even then, blasting your away around town with Jack’s wild arsenal of weapons is fluid and extremely fun. The art style is an incredible style choice that melds well with its Doom-inspired combat, and its colorful (or lack thereof) cast of characters had me laughing and crying throughout my time in Mouseburg.

Score: 8/10

Mouse: P.I. For Hire launched April 16 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Review code provided by the publisher.