As a seasoned detective and a longtime fan of the Famicom Detective Club series, I must say that Emio – The Smiling Man has truly captured my heart with its gripping mystery and captivating narrative. This game is a testament to the craftsmanship of Yoshio Sakamoto and his team, as they’ve managed to breathe new life into a beloved franchise.
In 2021, when the remakes of Famicom Detective Club were released, I was amazed by how they refreshed one of the original visual novel games’ classics. I never imagined that Nintendo would leverage these games to revisit the series with something entirely fresh. This brings us Emio – The Smiling Man, an innovative addition to the Famicom Detective Club series. In this new adventure, we encounter a perplexing and intriguing new mystery that intertwines the allure of an urban legend with a puzzling sequence of murders. While the gameplay still revolves around selecting options until you find the correct one, figuring out the investigation’s solutions based on your observations remains engaging.
I can give you a smile that lasts forever
In Emio – The Smiling Man, we find ourselves back at the Utsugi Detective Agency, stepping into the shoes of an assistant, a role familiar from past games, alongside private investigator Shunsuke Utsugi. When Utsugi receives an unusual call about a murder, the boundaries between the past, present, truth, and fiction blur in an intriguing manner on this peculiar case. A young boy was found strangled in the woods, and one of the few remaining clues is a paper bag with a smiley face covering his head. Detective Utsugi and lead investigator Inspector Kimiharu Kamada note that this resembles an unsolved string of murders from 18 years ago.
In addition to the ongoing mystery, a chilling urban tale circulates about a mysterious figure called Emio – The Smiling Man. He supposedly appears to distressed women, offering them an eternal smile before ending their lives. As more coincidences unfold in this case, the enigma surrounding Emio deepens, compelling players to unravel the truth behind the murders from 18 years ago, the urban myth of The Smiling Man, and the recent killings. This captivating narrative gains momentum as chapters progress, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me hooked throughout the gameplay experience.
This new version surpasses the visual and musical aspects found in the 2021 Famicom Detective Club remakes remarkably. The character and environment art are comparable, but the characters are now animated in a 2.5D style, enhancing their dialogue interactions. The music brilliantly supports the storyline, complementing various emotions like curiosity, intensity, fear, or sadness. This game also masterfully incorporates humor, making characters such as Detective Kamihara and Ayumi’s former mentor Fukuyama provide some comic relief amidst what could be a rather somber experience. Overall, the game is an emotional rollercoaster that strikes the perfect balance between intensity and positive energy, despite taking a while to set the story in motion during the prologue and first chapter.
Study the clues and dig up the truth
In the game Emio – The Smiling Man, similar to the Famicom Detective Club remakes from 2021, progress depends on being attentive and making appropriate choices. Mostly, it’s about picking the right interaction, although occasionally you may need to explore different options until one leads to a productive result because there aren’t any negative consequences for investigations in Emio.
In Emio, you’ll find multiple ways to advance through the game and explore your environment. The ‘Call/Engage’ function enables you to draw attention to yourself and bring someone near for a chat or questioning. ‘Ask/Listen’, on the other hand, allows for conversation and information gathering from various topics with the people you encounter. You can also use ‘Look/Examine’ to inspect individuals, specific items, or the environment by moving your cursor over relevant objects or characters on the screen to learn more about them. With the ‘Use Phone’, you can contact Detective Utsugi for advice or a catch-up. The ‘Think’ option gives you time to reflect on the situation, sometimes opening up new dialogue paths or investigation opportunities. Lastly, ‘Open Notebook’ allows you to review information about characters you’ve met so far.
As a devoted fan, I must say that this new Famicom Detective Club game feels incredibly similar to its predecessors in terms of features and gameplay progression, yet it manages to stand on its own with an effective system design. The “Think” function, for instance, serves a dual purpose – not only does it aid in solving puzzles, but it also functions as a helpful hint system that I can utilize whenever needed.
This seems to be a case where “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” applies, but I was hoping for a bit more player engagement instead of just selecting options until the right one works, which was also a concern I had about last year’s remakes. There is indeed some level of challenge, as at certain stages the game assesses your understanding of the case by providing choices based on the clues given, but these instances are relatively scarce. The intrigue surrounding Emio – The Smiling Man is so compelling that it partially compensates for what feels like a deficit in interactive consequences within the gameplay.
Sifting legend from mystery
It’s understandable why longtime producer Yoshio Sakamoto was eager to unveil the tale of Emio – The Smiling Man, given its captivating narrative and emotional depth. The characters, both familiar and new, are delightful and effortless to follow, not only excelling in their animated portrayals but also in dialogue. While I wish the gameplay had more scope, it’s hard to fault a mechanism primarily designed to drive an enthralling mystery. If Emio marks the end of the Famicom Detective Club series, it’s a powerful conclusion; yet, I can’t help but hope for further installments in the Famicom Mystery Club, with this game paving the way for future developments.
This analysis is derived from a digital Nintendo Switch version provided by the publisher. The game “Emio – The Smiling Man” will be available for download on your Nintendo Switch starting August 29, 2024.
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2024-08-28 15:27