Mouse: P.I. For Hire Mouse P.I. For Hire Review Guide

Rain taps on the window as the city of Mouseberg sprawls in monochrome beneath it. There’s an old-school noir vibe hanging heavy in the air, perfect for diving into the shadowy world of a detective armed with nothing but quick reflexes and a heap of firepower. Mouse: P.I. For Hire drops you straight into this tough life, but beyond its stylish cover, it’s a game that trips over some familiar traps.

​However, I had already made a promise to cover the game. As the days turned to weeks, everyone and their mother had already made up their mind on whether this game was worth their time. So what could I possibly write that would be worth taking their time away from scrolling through social media posts about how every other journalist who has touched the game, and I must be evil in some way?

As I pondered these questions over the sound of raindrops and the typing of my keyboard, my mind slowly faded away. I began to think about the world not from the mind of a critic but the mind of who the game wants me to be: A hardboiled noir detective.

Taking on the role of Jack Pepper means firearms are your closest allies. The streets are packed with thugs eager to test their luck against you. Each confrontation demands sharp shooting and fast movement, because one or two reckless hits will end your run. You’ll find an arsenal that swings from straightforward pistols to outlandish ray guns, keeping combat brisk and varied. The satisfaction comes from matching your aim with the threats you face, though it bears noting that it’s the kind of Doom-style shooting you’ve seen before — just framed in a noir mouse cartoon.

Your detective duties mostly boil down to chasing bad guys across different city districts. This means plenty of shootouts, with a handful of brief interludes to catch breath and chat with quirky NPCs. While the relentless shoot-first-ask-questions-later gameplay might seem one-note, the balanced difficulty turns fights into an engaging dance of survival rather than cheap deaths.

When a bully charges, sometimes the best tactic is to close the distance and bring out the trusty shotgun — it’s brutal but effective. You’ll likely take a hit or two, but health pickups scattered throughout the city quickly patch you up, so keeping an eye out is essential.

When some wannabe mafioso comes running at you, you can defend yourself with a variety of weapons that range from a simple pistol to something outrageous like a ray gun.

A few shots from any gun will take down these thugs, quicker if you fancy yourself a sharpshooter who can go for the head. You’ve seen games like this before; this is a good ol’ fashioned Doom-like with a unique setting.

While it only takes good blows from these mooks’ pellet shooters to take you down, there are plenty of ways to recover your health. Scattered all over every area of the city are health drinks that you can interact with and chug to restore a portion of your health.

Ordinary fights strike a good difficulty balance. You may die every once in a while, but it always feels like it’s because of a mistake you made and not like the goons ambushing you suddenly grew brains.

Me Personally? Whenever a shmuck too big for his britches comes at me, I prefer to run right up to them and use the good ol’ fashioned boomstick to make my problems go away. I may take some damage, but nothing that a good drink can’t make me forget.

Boss fights shake things up with beefier enemies sporting larger health bars, but unfortunately, the challenge swings wildly. Some bosses feel trivial, while others force frustrating trial-and-error sessions that disrupt the otherwise steady difficulty curve. These battles don’t consistently deliver the thrill you’d expect at crucial story points.

I was never particularly annoyed whenever the game initiated a boss battle, but they were far from the most enjoyable part of the experience.

Still, stepping into Jack Pepper’s shoes mostly delivers a rewarding action experience for those who enjoy fast-paced, gun-heavy gameplay set against a noir backdrop. It’s comfortable territory for fans of first-person shooters who value quick reflexes and a straightforward challenge.

Mouseberg’s inhabitants come alive through striking rubberhose animation, a visual style that gives the game its distinctive personality. Every character — friendly or foe — carries a uniquely exaggerated look that communicates personality instantly, helping you size up threats and allies alike at a glance.

Visually, the people of Mouseberg look perfect. The rubberhose art style of the game is one of the biggest selling points to separate it from other games in the genre, so if the game didn’t nail this, it would have been dead in the water.

Don’t let the black-and-white visuals fool you into expecting silence; the game opens with the smooth crooning of Troy Baker setting the noir mood right away. The voice cast pushes into full theatrical gear, delivering lines with a cheesy flair that actually suits the over-the-top cartoon world.

While the black and white visuals of this world might make you believe it’ll be voiceless like an old cartoon, you’d be mistaken. In fact, the first thing you’ll hear upon booting up the game will be the dulcet tones of Troy Baker humming the game’s theme song.

Troy Baker’s career has been far from unlucky, but it sure is unfortunate that the man has played the protagonist of two different first-person shooter games that got co-opted by the worst group of gamers after release.

This isn’t the only good performance you’ll be hearing in the game, either; nearly every actor in this title has brought their A-game. Sure, a lot of the line delivery can be quite cheesy, but this is the type of world and setting where being over-the-top is a much better choice than trying to sound grounded.

Unfortunately, while the characters dazzle, the city itself tells a less compelling story. Many areas blend together under the monochrome palette, causing stages to lose distinctiveness. Jumping across familiar wooden platforms fighting the same enemy types becomes repetitive, and the city’s lack of visual variety dulls the setting’s impact.

Many buildings ended up looking the same. While the occasional swamp or airship was a breath of fresh air, most of the levels end up blending into each other with little identity of their own.

​That isn’t to say I dislike the look of every stage in this game; I actually think that plenty of them look quite nice. I just feel like there is a sense of repetition when I’m jumping across the same wooden platforms to fight the same types of enemies multiple levels in a row.

Despite this, certain stages do break ground with unique environments like swamps or airships, offering brief respite from monotony — though these moments are too few and far between to make a lasting impression.

The full campaign clocks in around 10 hours, stretching to 15 if you’re the kind who chases every side mission to soak in all the lore and challenges. The overall experience sits in that comfortable middle ground — enjoyable but not groundbreaking.

Stepping into a detective’s mindset didn’t reveal any hidden layers to the gameplay. Mouse: P.I. For Hire plays it safe with tried-and-true mechanics, leaning heavily on its standout art style to attract attention. Beyond that, it doesn’t push new boundaries or innovate enough to truly stand apart in the crowded FPS space.

If you strip away the unique visual flair, you’re left with a solid but familiar Doom-like shooter. That core is well-executed, though it lacks the extra spark to grip players for the long haul.

Fans of the genre or those captivated by the rubberhose style will find plenty to enjoy here. For everyone else, Mouse: P.I. For Hire provides an okay time but little that will linger once you step out of its shadowy streets.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire

Mouse: P.I. For Hire launched on PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch (including the upcoming Switch 2) on April 16, 2026. Developed by Fumi Games, it offers an estimated 10 to 15 hours of gameplay combining first-person shooter action with noir storytelling.

The game scores a solid 7 out of 10 in gameplay, reflecting its dependable shooting mechanics. Visuals earn a high 9, spotlighting the impressive artistic direction and animation. Music rates a 7 for its fitting, though occasionally cheesy, performances. Overall enjoyment settles at 7, showing a game that hits its marks without overreaching.

Bottom Line

Mouse: P.I. For Hire stands out with its captivating art style but falls short of greatness due to repetitive level design and uneven boss encounters. It fulfills the expectations of fans of the genre but struggles to carve out a truly memorable identity beyond its visuals.

The overall score lands at 7.5 out of 10, marking it as a recommended play for those drawn to its style and gameplay archetype.