Drawing inspiration from the dawn of classic cartoons, you might take one look at Mouse: P.I. For Hire and think it’s all looks with no substance. Well, look again, because underneath the undeniably memorable art style is a surprisingly hi-octane shooter, with a suite of fluid manoeuvres and an arsenal of outrageous firearms. Instead of calling pest control, here’s fifteen essential things to know before buying Mouse: P.I. For Hire.
Distinct Rubber-Hose Animation is More Than Aesthetic
First impressions aren’t everything, but even cursory glances at Mouse: P.I. For Hire are arguably more memorable than countless other shooters. Drawn by hand, Mouse: P.I. For Hire adopts a 1930s rubber hose animation style – so called for the noodly limbs typifying its movement – but its contrasting black-and-whites aren’t just for aesthetic value. No, rubber hose’s inherent charm introduces a disarming undertone which studio Fumi Games capitalise on, bringing unsettling surrealness which you feel in the explosive actions of a gun-toting rodent.
A Film-Noir Inspired Detective Story
Characterised by moral ambiguity, corrupt underworlds, and moody undertones, Mouse: P.I. For Hire’s film-noir inspiration runs deeper than its vintage palette. First and foremost, this is a detective story; as rodent P.I. Jack Pepper, you’ll navigate the unscrupulous city of Mouseberg, where a simple missing persons case untangles a web of lies, kidnapping, and murder. Jack’s a grizzled, former war hero with no qualms gunning down gangland leaders and police lieutenants alike. But – as is typical of noir anti-heroes – is his mission ill-fated? Explore the seedy streets and you’ll see just how deep the mouse’s burrow goes.
20+ Action-Packed Levels Across a City Playground
Mouseberg’s reported twenty-plus levels are varied. Across your investigations, you’ll be visiting film studios and opera buildings, plus poisonous swamps and underground sewers. Likewise, recently revealed footage shows a three-stage boss fight against a robotic mouse who dwells inside a secret laboratory. There’s density here too; much like real mice who like to hide in dark, secluded areas, you’ll be wise to check every nook and cranny for any lurking danger.
Mechanically Similar to Popular Shooters
With its fast paced, run-and-gun action, Mouse: P.I. For Hire looks poised to carve out a distinct place for itself in the FPS space. While its frenetic gunplay and fluid movement are immediate standouts, the game’s hardboiled narrative suggests it is aiming for more than just satisfying action. Rather than relying solely on momentum and combat, Mouse appears to frame those mechanics as one part of a broader experience, with its storytelling playing a much more central role.
A Suite of Movement Abilities
And, speaking of movement, Jack Pepper enters the fray with a spring in his step – sliding, dashing, and double-jumping are in his moveset, as is wall-running and pipe crawling. Fumi Games are instilling a very on the move ethos, expanding on it with a broad suite of manoeuvres typical of the “Boomer Shooter” sub-genre. And yet, you’ll want to use all of Jack’s mobility options; see, he’s not an armoured Master Chief, he’s just a regular mouse with a gun. Only a few hits, the devs insist, is all it takes to down him.
Missions Offer Multiple Approaches
A key aspect of the game’s design is its non-linear, sometimes maze-like level structure, encouraging players to explore environments thoroughly rather than simply moving from one encounter to the next. Whilst it’s unclear at this stage how labyrinthine Mouseberg’s levels actually are, what we do know is you’ll have some agency in how Jack completes his missions. Take an early opera house infiltration as an example: Jack can sneak in undetected, or he can sway the corruptible denizens of the city to aid his mission; greasing the palms of the opera house staff for secret access, for instance.
Weapons are Cartoonish Twists on Period-Correct Firearms
In addition to his fists, Jack comes packing with up to eleven weapons in his arsenal. We’ll get onto the more creative firearms next, because the mainstays deserve a moment in the spotlight too, not least for their humorous reload animations. The Micer is a one-handed revolver, the Boomstick a pump-action shotgun, and the James Gun the mobster classic Tommy, with ammo that stops enemies in their tracks. The Kiss Kiss is a double-barrelled shotgun that fires explosive shells, while each gun comes equipped with an alt-fire mode: burst-shot for the Micer, hold-charge mechanism for the Boomstick, and so on. But, a special highlight is indeed the firearms’ cartoonish reloading: the James Gun’s drum, for instance, appears comically glued in place, with Jack yanking it loose with the suction of sink plunger.
Other Weapons are More Experimental
Alongside “conventional” weaponry (conventional used in the loosest way) are some bizzaro firearms straight out of the Looney Tunes playbook. A de-varnishing chemical weapon rapid-fires paint stripper that melts your enemy’s skin and flesh. The Loose Cannon is indeed a cannon, presumably sheared loose from a pirate ship; plus, there’s a freeze ray, fire-damaging chainsaws, and a science-infused attitude adjuster complete with a brain in a jar co-pilot.
Weapons Can Be Upgraded
Injecting some light RPG mechanics is Mouse: P.I. For Hire’s weapon upgrading system. Located in the game’s hub area, in Tammy’s workshop are workbenches where you can augment Jack’s firearms with specific power-ups. Details on what these upgrades entail are relatively light at the moment, although additional firing modes, alongside some experimental progressions, have been hinted by the developers.
Momentary Power-Ups Add Yet More Zaniness to Combat
Eating spinach will temporarily boost Jack’s punching power, much like Popeye; drinking coffee activates finger guns that quicken firerates, kinda like Cuphead. Cheese acts as a health boost, while chili peppers bring fire damage bonuses.
Jack’s Mousetail is a Multi-Purpose Tool
Not quite a Swiss army knife, but Jack’s tail has numerous versatile uses for traversal and gameplay explorations. At times, it’s a lockpick effective at breaking him into sealed-off areas. At others, it’s a grappling hook which can navigate him to otherwise unreachable places. It’s also, amusingly enough, capable of rapid rotation like the whir of a helicopter’s blade, spinning to get Jack airborne for one of the game’s most creative traversal options.
Hazards Dot the Environment
A crucial element underpinning the game’s “always be moving” action is the abundance of environmental hazards which you can utilise against Jack’s assailants, or your enemies will use them against you. Explosive barrels feature, alongside freezing areas, fire, and more flesh-dissolving turpentine. Surroundings are there to be crumbled too. With fistfuls of dynamite, you can level walls and floors, gaining an edge by remodelling the environment through chaos.
Original Big Band Soundtrack Underscores the Vibe
What is 1930s noir fiction without a big band soundtrack? This period in history is known as the “Swing Era” for a reason, so it’s fitting that Mouse: P.I. For Hire comes loaded with a suitably original big band score. The jazz cements the aesthetic, of course, but you can level up the music by authentically degrading it; in the game’s audio settings, there are filters which rewire the sound to replicate early wax cylinder recordings or vintage shellac vinyl.
Release Date, Length, and Price
Mouse: P.I. For Hire is set for release April 16, and it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The game has been price at 29.99 USD and will be 12 to 20 hours long. Likewise, there are no pre-order bonuses or special editions currently available. Of course, should this change we’ll let you know.
PC Requirements
To meet the minimum system requirements to play Mouse: P.I. For Hire, you’ll need an Intel Core i5 9600 or Ryzen 3600 processor, GeForce 1050ti, Radeon RX 580, or Intel Xe Graphics, and 16 GB RAM. Recommended specs, however, list the same CPU as the minimum, yet with higher calibre GPUs: GeForce 3060, Radeon 6600, or Intel Arc B570. 16GB RAM is still recommended, as is 8GB VRAM. Filesize is relatively paltry at 20GB.
