So here’s a cosy crime comeback that you might not have expected: a sequel to the peculiar Pokémon spin-off that inspired the Ryan Reynolds-voiced live-action movie. Like the film and the previous game, it gets most of its comic mileage from transforming Pokémon’s cuddliest critter into a hard-boiled sleuth with a deep and gritty voice. Only his assistant Tim can hear it, though. To all other humans, it’s just the usual nonsense “Pica, Pica” patter.
Still, this makes Tim and Detective Pikachu one mighty crime-solving duo, as they work the not-so-mean streets of Ryme City, tackling numerous mysteries and working to prevent another sinister anti-Pokémon plot. Ryme City’s unique feature is that it’s the one place where the friendly beasties and ordinary people co-exist, but dark forces are out to change that, whether that means “managing” the Pokémon problem or taking more direct control of them for fiendish ends.
