Especially as we saw in 2017 with Studio MDHR’s run-and-gun platformer Cuphead, old-style animation and its associated tropes, combined with gameplay mechanics, can be a winning combination. Now in 2026, we have a new game on the block that has mastered this combination in many ways – MOUSE: P.I. For Hire from developer Fumi Games and publisher Playside – a true love-letter to 1930s monochrome animation, bundled together with an experience which may not necessarily be a flagship for the first-person shooter genre, but utilises its foundations to be equal parts challenging and comedic. Scroll down to see why this game may be one worth checking out – even if not the normal genre you would go with.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire sees players step into the shoes of Jack Pepper, a war veteran and former cop now scraping by as a private eye within the seedy streets of Mouseburg. What begins as a routine missing-persons enquiry quickly unravels into something much larger, with seemingly unrelated cases coming together to expose a city rotten to the core, pairing well with the art style. During the game, players will encounter many complex faces, from a fascist political outfit calling itself the Big MOUSE Party to scientists and cultists, all of which give Mouseburg a genuine sense of weight and history even within its dozen-hour runtime. The noir trappings are all there amidst the layer upon layer of corruption, though, granted, it is somewhat lifted by a comedic streak and an avalanche of cheese-related wordplay. The actual overarching narrative is okay – not always sticking the landing – but does enough to keep me hooked from start to finish, and hopeful of more to come in a future instalment.
While the monochrome visuals may turn some players off at first, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is incredible at making its world pop. The rubber hose animation harks back to the cartoons of the late 1920s and 1930s, rendered in stark black and white with a tasteful film grain overlay that leans into the moody, hardboiled aesthetic the game is chasing. Hand-drawn 2D characters are layered over 3D environments, and while the character sprites can occasionally look a little flat from awkward angles, the overall effect is striking. Level designs also deserve praise, being what I would consider the hardest thing to make stand out in a game with such design language. Each area remains easily readable thanks to clever use of light and shadow to direct the eye, supported by a simple compass when you do find yourself turned around. Pathways frequently double back on themselves to create shortcuts, encouraging exploration that rewards you with collectibles. The campaign moves you through a strong variety of locations, all linked to a charming overworld that is navigable in Jack’s car. Smaller details round out the package nicely, including a reactive health bar, animated bullets within the ammo counter, characterful reload sequences, and the odd self-aware nudge toward a hidden passage.
The audio side of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is every bit as accomplished as its visuals. The original big band jazz soundtrack does a lot of heavy-lifting, and complements the tone and design well. Sound design across the board leans into the conventions of golden-age animation, with bell chimes punctuating the end of combat encounters and cartoonish foley work giving every action a satisfying weight. Troy Baker’s turn as Jack Pepper is a clear highlight, his gravelly delivery hitting that sweet spot between hardboiled cynic and self-aware quipster, while the supporting cast is uniformly strong as well.
Mechanically, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire plants itself firmly in the boomer shooter camp, favouring fast hip-fire combat, no aim-down-sights, and arena-style encounters where waves of enemies pour in until the room is cleared. It is challenging in the right places, but doesn’t require the comprehensive precision systems typically found in first-person shooters. Where the game really finds its groove is in the movement progression, with Jack starting out armed with a tail-swing and a helicopter-glide before steadily picking up double jumps, dashes, wall running, grappling, ledge mantling, and trampoline pads as the campaign unfolds. Boss fights in particular put these traversal tools through their paces and offer a break from the standard run-and-gun rhythm. The arsenal is a satisfying mix of the familiar and the inventive, and I found myself enjoying the variety of weaponry on offer. Health doesn’t regenerate, so you’ll be relying on cheese consumables and pickups scrounged from the battlefield, which keeps you on the move.
The game’s handling of its central conceit is less successful. For a title built around the noir private eye fantasy, MOUSE is curiously uninterested in actually letting you do any detective work, with clues collected automatically and Jack monologuing his way through every deduction without any input from you. It’s the most glaring miss in the package, and one that lingers given how committed the rest of the game is to selling its premise. However, the tasks that work around the ‘detective’ theme do work surprisingly well – including what I would argue is one of the best implementations of lock-picking in video gaming, something that even AAA-games never manage to crack. Pacing has its wobbles too, with a noticeable lull in new weapons and abilities through the middle stretch, and a few of the traversal tools feel underused once the level that introduced them is behind you. There are also a few assorted mini-games to enjoy at your leisure, which, altogether, are charming distractions when you need a bit of downtime between levels.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire may not redefine the first-person shooter, but it absolutely nails what it clearly sets out to do: marrying a love-letter to 1930s animation with a kinetic boomer-style core that is fluid and enjoyable. Fumi Games and Playside have delivered a world that begs to be explored, a soundtrack that earns its swagger, and a movement system that grows in delightful ways across the campaign, even if the detective fantasy never quite lives up to the title on the box. It’s the rare game where the style is the substance, and where the rough edges feel less like flaws and more like room to grow into something truly special with a sequel. If you’ve ever been curious about what an old-school cartoon would feel like with a gun in its hand, this may be one case worth taking on.
Final Score for MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
A digital PlayStation 5 review code for MOUSE: P.I. For Hire was provided by Fumi Games and Playside to facilitate this review. All testing was done on a PlayStation 5 Pro retail model.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is now available to purchase on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.
