Detective Pikachu Returns is a super effective story let down by dated visuals

theverge.com:

The concept of a mean-mugging, coffee-guzzling, mystery-solving Pikachu who talks like a human was kind of difficult to wrap one’s mind around before Nintendo dropped its first Detective Pikachu game back in 2018. The original 3DS point-and-click’s simplistic gameplay and forgettable supporting characters both left much to be desired. But its sharp sense of humor and focus on depicting the world from pokémon’s perspectives solidified it as one of the larger franchise’s most inspired spinoffs, which led to a live-action film adaptation that left little doubt of there being a Detective Pikachu Switch sequel on the way.

In a handful of important ways, Detective Pikachu Returns from studio Creatures feels like exactly the sort of follow-up that fans of the original game have been clamoring for all these years. Its expanded roster of fully voice-acted NPC pokémon is a delight, and its deceptively simple story takes the game in a narrative direction that’s legitimately kind of shocking (in a good way) for a Nintendo release squarely aimed at kids. Despite all of its strengths, though, Detective Pikachu Returns suffers from an unfortunate case of being another unpolished, current-gen Pokémon title that looks and plays more like a technical demo than a finished product.

Set a couple years after the events of the first game, Detective Pikachu Returns picks up on the latest chapter of junior detective Tim Goodman’s ongoing story in Ryme City, where he lives and works with his partner — a gruff Pikachu addicted to caffeine. Like most everyone in town, Tim’s used to seeing Pikachu out and about either en route to his favorite coffee shop or hanging out in one of Ryme City’s open-air green spaces. But whereas everyone else hears