One of the titles I was most looking forward to at Summer Game Fest was Mouse P.I. for Hire. Originally shown in late 2023, developers Fumi Games and Playside Studios brought the latest trailer to the Summer Game Fest Showcase, and I was fortunate to get a behind-the-doors look at additional content.
Earning the Cheddar
While our time with Mouse P.I. for Hire was hands-off, Producer Maciej Krzemien walked me through a full level of the game. While we’ve seen the rubber-band style animation graphics in motion, what I was most curious about was the structure of the game. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Mouse P.I. for Hire has a very traditional FPS design. By that, I mean it’s story-driven and level-based.
As Jack Pepper, a private eye in the first half of the 20th century, you’re dealing with the mob and various groups of organized rats. In the level I was shown, you head to an opera house looking for information due to a tip you had received. After interacting with a waiter having a smoke, you head in and, naturally, chaos ensues. Everything you would expect from a classic, linear FPS is here: secret areas to find, multiple paths to reach your objective, items and upgrades to discover, and, of course, a big, chaotic boss battle.
Given the style of the game, it was honestly refreshing to see they were focused on story, laughs, and curating a traditional FPS experience. With the multiple paths, events, and collectibles to discover, I’m hoping for some replayability as well.
Killed in a Trap
In dispatching hordes of low-level thugs, you’ll have a wide array of weaponry at your disposal (which also happened to be the focus of the SGF trailer). Fumi Games has gone to great lengths to create weapons that are not only fun to use, but look the part as well. Reload animations are fluid and have a “hand-drawn” aesthetic through every motion. Gun barrels even sway and curve while shooting, which is simultaneously hilarious and fitting.
What put the biggest smile on my face, however, was seeing the action come to life. There’s clearly going to be a wide array of weaponry as, just in the short demo, I was shown there was a pistol, shotgun, tommy gun, dynamite, and more, with a dozen or so more slots to fill out. Maciej explains that from those base weapons, the rest get a lot more unique.
For example, they showed off a freeze gun that shoots a beam of ice to freeze enemies that can then be shattered. Perhaps the funniest gun I saw in action was the turpentine gun which plays on the theme of hand-drawn enemies to melt them away. Even better, weapons have alternate fire modes which provide even more unique ways to cut through the mobs. The freeze gun can shoot spike-covered snowballs. The turpentine gun can shoot a big blob of turpentine to disintegrate multiple enemies at once. Taking cues from the great FPSs we’ve had over the years, Mouse P.I. for Hire is certainly going to have no shortage of ways to deal with the baddies.
First-Person Smiles
Another aspect that stood out is the amount of personality on display. In what seems like a perfect mash-up of Dick Tracy and Saturday morning cartoons, there’s a surprising amount of charm to hearing the narration as you play. Voicing the lead role of Jack Pepper is none other than Troy Baker, who provides a gritty, scratchy performance that fits the mood perfectly. There’s almost a “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” vibe seeing it in motion, which is about as large of a compliment as I can offer.
Mouse P.I. for Hire is shaping up to be a unique FPS filled with humor, and I couldn’t be more excited for it. Stay tuned for more coverage as it approaches release later this year!
