Mouse P.I. Has Style, But Could Have Substance Too

In Mouse P.I., rubbery guns, a film-noir visual style, and playful one-liners that harken back to the suave-yet-silly tone of 1930's cartoons all come together to scratch an itch that has long been out of reach for me. After a couple of hours of rootin' and tootin' gunplay with a fresh style I've not seen for a while, it seems like my need for a stylish first-person shooter that feels as good as it looks could be fulfilled soon.

Our preview drops us right in the middle of an investigation, which makes sense given our animated hero is the titular P.I. As Detective Jack Pepper, I'm tasked with looking into a secret underground laboratory where a villain named Steve Bandel has created abominations. I move quickly through Bandel's nefarious underground lair, solving simple puzzles, finding secrets, and gathering clues for later use. However, it doesn't take long before I stumble into some trouble.

After getting in a couple of scuffles with some unfriendly mice, it became clear that Mouse P.I.'s movement and combat are intentionally designed to evoke those arcadey vibes and, thus far, it's a great match for the retro animation aesthetic. Movement speed is high, and Detective Pepper's ability to pull off double jumps and quick dashes may not make sense within the context of his occupation, but it definitely lets the player zip across the environment extremely fast while popping enemies. In that way, it feels a lot like 2016's Doom; the violence and gore on display feel like an obvious hallmark of that, but the feeling of momentum and energy may not be as evident until you get your thumbs on the sticks or hands on the… mice...