Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club review - an engaging mystery with 35-year-old mechanics

An homage to Famicom Detective Club with simple mechanics and an engaging, human-centric mystery despite minor flaws.

: Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a faithful homage to the classic series. It features a human-centric mystery revolving around the murder of Eisuke Saski connected to an old serial killer case. While the game maintains its simple visual novel-style mechanics, it succeeds in telling a compelling story. However, it could benefit from more complex gameplay elements.

Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a modern tribute to a classic series with a narrative focus on human emotions. The plot revolves around Eisuke Saski, a high schooler found murdered with a grinning paper bag on his head, linking him to an uncaught serial killer from 18 years ago. The investigation is handled by the Utsugi Detective Agency, exploring themes of trauma and grief through the characters involved.

The gameplay sticks strictly to a visual novel format, reflecting the series' 35-year-old mechanics. Players switch perspectives between the male protagonist and Ayumi Tachibana, cycling through dialogue options to progress the story. Though this structure can feel restrictive, the final chapters offer a bit more freedom, allowing movement between locations.

While the mechanics may seem outdated, the story remains captivating with a balanced mix of mystery and reveals. The game addresses themes like grief and guilt effectively, although some characters and moments feel overly obvious. Despite minor flaws, Emio - The Smiling Man is a faithful adaptation that immerses players in its bittersweet detective tale.

Detective ClubVisual NovelNintendo