MОUSE

Finally got the chance to play this unique game earlier in April, there were other priority titles like Pragmata and Saros that I had to play first. From the moment news broke about MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, the game's standout feature was immediately apparent: its aesthetic. It employs the black and white "rubber hose" animation style typical of 1930s cartoons (reminiscent of Cuphead), yet blends it with First-Person Shooter mechanics and a gritty crime-noir atmosphere set in the city of Mouseburg. The hand-drawn animation details are truly exceptional. Visual effects like film grain, scene transitions, character designs ranging from mafia mice to corrupt cops and the background big-band jazz soundtrack all blend together seamlessly. Mechanically, it is a "boomer shooter" that relies on fast movement and brutal action wrapped in cartoonish comedy. The available weapon is quite varied, ranging from revolvers, Tommy guns, and shotguns to grappling hooks and power-ups like spinach that provide stat boosts like Popeye. Playing as private detective Jack Pepper, don't just shoot, also investigate corruption, hunt for clues, and utilize traversal abilities (like wall running and double jump ) to explore levels featuring Metroidvania style design. Updates to the map navigation system make it easy for players to revisit previous levels to collect any artifacts or collectibles they might have missed. The game runs incredibly smoothly with a stable 60 FPS frame rate—without excessively draining the battery on handheld PC like the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally Xand the analog controls feel responsive for a fastpaced FPS.

Really fun game with a cool old school 1930s cartoon vibe. The shooting was surprisingly enjoyable, but some dialogues felt way too long and honestly got a little annoying. Still, I had a good time with it.

It is goofy, it is chaotic, it is simple, it is cliche, and it is fun! The gameplay and mechanics of the game are rather simple, it does not bore you and it does not excite you too much. The story is not very engaging but you can follow through. I think the dialogues were at some point too much cliche and the "cheese" references might get boring at some point. I also have to point that they were some glitches in the version of the game I played. It is a bang-shooter that gives you some joy over weekend, but do not expect much. I wrote a guide for the game as well in case you are into getting all the achievements: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3763501654 My full video playlist on YouTube for this game: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc6M0TGKFMu0