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- Humble Games
- Humble Games
- Humble Games
- Humble Games
Chinatown Detective Agency
Released On: Apr 7, 2022
66
5.1
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
66
26% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
61% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
66
26% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
61% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Chinatown Detective Agency is a title that anyone who loves taking on the role of a gumshoe in a futuristic, pixelated world will enjoy. With clues, ciphers, and other mysteries to solve, this title will make you use your brain and challenge you.
These issues aside, Chinatown Detective Agency does some interesting and noteworthy things with its take on the point-and-click adventure game, between its reliance on external tools and your own deductive research ability, some solid story and character work, and a strong commitment to encapsulating a country and culture that is unique to video games by default. It’s a strong mixture of elements, and Chinatown Detective Agency will hopefully spark more adventures like it in our own unavoidably dystopian future.
General Interactive deserve applause for their unique approach to detective work in adventure games, but the central mechanic in Chinatown Detective Agency feels like it deserves to be in a more substantial game. Still, what’s here features a fun story with a lot of memorable characters and nicely-challenging puzzles that test how well your online research skills are, so wannabe sleuths or adventure game fans will still want to take a trip out to this version of Chinatown, where an enjoyable adventure awaits.
Chinatown Detective Agency accurately shows that a detective’s work consists mainly of research but the developers forgot that puzzles alone, even fresh and creative, are not enough. The game could use a better designed world and a more interesting story that doesn’t fizzle out after a decent beginning.
Here's hoping we have bigger and deeper globe-trotting adventures with them in the future (provided we live to see it). [Issue#371, p.118]
If the game’s story, characters, and research aspect sound really appealing to you, then go ahead and give the game a try – there is some intriguing gameplay under the incomplete covers. For anyone else, though, I’d recommend that you use your real-world Google skills to find another adventure game to play.
Chinatown Detective Agency is clearly a game that is aiming high, and I can appreciate its attempt to revive a genre closely tied to my childhood. But a game that creates this many roadblocks in the way of progress, some that make it nearly impossible without a guide, and some that are likely unintended, needs to be critiqued. This title feels unpolished and unfinished, and while I could see it eventually getting heavily patched to resolve its many issues, it will cost $25. With that price point, I expect far more quality control.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
5.1
29% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
29% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
5.1
29% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
43% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
29% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Summary Midnight in Singapore. Your contact's a no show, your client wants answers and your empty bank balance hangs over you like a neon-tinted Sword of Damocles. Welcome to 2032. Welcome to Chinatown Detective Agency. The world is in a state of flux as the global economy nears the nadir of its decade-long collapse. Singapore stands as a last r...
Platforms:
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
- Xbox One
Initial Release Date: Apr 7, 2022
Developer:
- General Interactive Co.
Publisher: Humble Games
Genres:
