Mouse: P.I. for Hire Review: You Gouda be Kiddin’ Me

Troy Baker deserves all the awards. The versatile voice actor seems to slip effortlessly between roles, whether he’s a grieving father in Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, a whip-cracking archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a charismatic dictator in Far Cry 4, or a gruff war vet turned private investigator in Fumi Games latest, Mouse: PI for Hire.

That Baker takes on the role of a cartoon mouse inspired by the black and white ‘rubber hose’ animation style of the 1930’s will probably not come as a surprise to fans. There’s no character this actor can’t manage to make his own.

In this stylish noir-inspired first-person shooter, Baker voices Jack Pepper, an anthropomorphic detective navigating the shadows of the corrupt city of Mouseburg. The story kicks off with a cinematic flair, throwing Jack into an action-packed sequence onboard an airship before spiraling back into the origins of a missing magician case. What begins as a localized investigation quickly escalates into a massive conspiracy involving bent cops, shrew trafficking, and a murderous, Nazi-like political party known as the BMP.

The narrative handles surprisingly heavy themes for a cartoon romp, depicting a harsh class divide where larger mice oppress smaller shrews, all while Pepper wrestles with his own demons as a gambling-prone ex-war hero.

Visually, the game is a hand-drawn marvel. The black-and-white “rubber hose” animation is paired with a lively big band jazz soundtrack that creates a pitch-perfect 1930s atmosphere, right down to the cheese-themed puns (maybe a few too many cheese themed puns!) scattered throughout the environment.

As Jack unravels the mystery, he’s aided by supporting characters who bring a little depth to the world, including Wanda Fuller, a journalist from the Mouseburg Herald who provides essential leads, and Tammy Tumbler, a mechanic responsible for Jack’s lethal weapon upgrades.

Between missions Jack can visit his PI’s office to ruminate on the case. There’s also a local bar where you can enjoy a baseball card mini game or two, a weapons upgrade store, and more.

Mouse: PI for Hire’s gameplay functions as a so called “boomer shooter,” blending classic investigation mechanics (you get to connect clues on a corkboard like a real PI!), with brisk combat that harkens back to 90s classics like Wolfenstein, DOOM and Quake.

Jack may start with his fists and a pistol, but his arsenal soon expands into delightfully macabre cartoonish territory. Beyond the standard shotgun and the “James Gun” (a Tommy gun variant), players gain access to the De-varnisher, which fires an acid-like substance that literally melts the flesh from enemy bones. Jack’s mobility is equally cartoonish and fluid, utilizing a double jump, dash, and a spinning tail for hovering to navigate the chaotic encounters.

However, this retro sensitivity isn’t without its growing pains. The 2D enemies move with a puppet-like grace that can feel a bit too fluid for its own good at times, producing movement that often feels like Jack and everyone he encounters are sliding on a bar of soap.

There are also minor frustrations with the world design, such as enemy spawn points marked with ominous skulls that remain teasingly non-explorable once the dust settles. And those “cheese-heavy” puns, while initially charming, eventually begin to feel like a crutch for a script that struggles to balance its hardboiled grit with its cartoonish heart.

While the gunplay is satisfyingly kinetic, the level design itself can be a bit flat, often falling back on the tired trope of locking you in a room to clear waves of bullet-spongy enemies before letting you progress.

While it’s a solid experience overall, these small irritations occasionally make the gameplay feel more like a “cookie-cutter” shooter dressed in a very expensive vintage Cheddar suit.

That said, the world is dense with distractions for the completionist. Between the high-stakes firefights, there are newspapers, bank notes, coin stacks, baseball cards, and weapon schematics to hunt down.

Jack can also brute-force his way through the environment by blowing up walls or using his tail to pick the locks on safes. These lock-picking mini games add a layer of tension, often requiring quick reflexes or a limited number of moves that make every safe feel like a unique gamble.

It all culminates in a high-stakes confrontation back on that opening airship, delivering a tense finale that you Gouda see in all its cheesy noir-themed black and white goodness.

Release Date: April 16, 2026. Platform: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X/S. Developer: Fumi Games. Publisher: PlaySide Studios.