MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Preview

Releasing in April, Fumi Games and PlaySide’s MOUSE: P.I. For Hire combines 1930s-era classic cartoon aesthetics with gritty, noir-fueled FPS action.

See whether MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is the big cheese with our preview…

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Preview

Our preview session for MOUSE: P.I. For Hire started us on a mission to find the hidden entrance to a secret lab.

Players step into the shoes of Jack Pepper: A mouse detective that isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to get the job done.

Said lab is protected by some cultists, and it’s up to Jack to take them down and make it through.

The gameplay and gunplay in MOUSE: P.I. For Hire channels the energy of old-school DOOM.

No aim down sights are to be found here; just strafe, shoot, and watch them fall into a heap.

Depending on the weapon, one might be treated to a gruesome kill animation – we’re talking gold like the varnish gun melting their skin right off.

During this preview session, we had access to the pistol, Tommy gun, shotgun, the Varnish Gun (which basically shoots acid), and some explosive TNT.

After fighting through the horde of cultists, it was time to face off with one of the area bosses.

We’re not too sure if every mission will have this many bosses, but there were three here.

Each of the three were robots with different gimmicks and attacks, while the last one combining the attacks of the first two for some added challenge.

These guys aren’t pushovers – even with 120 rounds of Tommy gun bullets, Jack’s death was still imminent.

When not killing enemies, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire features a number of secrets to find and safes to be cracked.

The lock-picking minigame in particular stood out; pretty fun; think the mobile game Snake, but with one’s tail.

One’s reward is often coins or other collectibles, with the occasional bit of ammo for good measure.

That being said, there was no map during our MOUSE: P.I. For Hire preview session. While we never got lost, it’s nice to have a map in case we missed any rooms. 

After the mission is completed, Jack heads back to your office and one can see a slice of what the city has in store.

People go about their business, but all key players want to talk with you.

For instance, the barkeep has info on your next mission, your friend Tammy has a new gadget just waiting to be tested, and Cornelius wants to talk your ear off about what’s going on around town.

The preview session of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire had all the city shops off-limits, which is unfortunate; we wanted to see how balanced its economy is.

Still, those that sneak a peek inside can find ammo, HP, upgrades, and other things to buy.

Our preview session ended with Jack getting into his car to head to his next mission, clocking about an hour of play in all.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire’s gameplay felt great, but it does pose an interesting question:

“How much I can explore the city, and how well-balanced is its economy?”

We’ll find out soon enough – MOUSE: P.I. For Hire will launch for PC and consoles April 16.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire will release for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and the PC via Steam.

For those feeling social, make sure to follow the official MOUSE: P.I. For Hire Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok social media channels.

An official Discord channel is also available for those that’d like to join the conversation.

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