Today’s Nintendo Direct showcased a variety of upcoming Nintendo Switch games releasing soon! One of the games shown was Detective Pikachu Returns, a Nintendo Switch sequel to the 2018 Nintendo 3DS title Detective Pikachu. While previously announced during the Pokémon Presents last month, today’s Direct showed some new footage of the game, including new Pokémon that can assist protagonist duo Tim and Pikachu.
Like the previous title, Detective Pikachu Returns is set in Ryme City, a city designed for both people and Pokémon to live together freely. The story follows Tim Goodman, a young man searching for his missing father, Harry Goodman. He is assisted by Harry’s partner Pokémon—a case-solving Pikachu who Tim can mysteriously understand. Together, the two need to uncover the city’s mysteries in order to find clues to the whereabouts of Tim’s father.
In the game, Tim and Pikachu work together to solve cases. Tim’s job is to investigate crime scenes, like searching for an Applin in a bushel of apples, and interviewing people of interest. Pikachu assists him by interviewing the city’s Pokémon, giving the pair unique insights into the cases. In this sequel, Pikachu can also get investigative assistance from other Pokémon, which lets the duo investigate in ways they couldn’t previously.
The September 14 trailer showed three of the potential partner Pokémon willing to help the detectives. With the help of Growlithe, the two can follow scents and track down culprits. Pikachu can also enlist the help of Galarian Darmanitan to break boulders and walls, letting them check out previously unavailable areas. Finally, Luxray was revealed to be a partner Pokémon, letting Pikachu utilize the power of the species’ ability to see through walls to investigate into locked rooms or hard-to-access areas. With these powers and others at their disposal, Tim and Pikachu can find new discoveries and uncover new mysteries!
Detective Pikachu Returns releases for Nintendo Switch October 6th, 2023, and is available for pre-order now!
