As the days grow longer and Halloween approaches, puzzle-loving gamers have plenty of options during the spookiest season of the year. The current renaissance of the mystery game began with Emio – the smiling man, an unexpected new title in the Famicom Detective Club Series. This was followed by Ace Attorney Investigations duology with the long-awaited official English translation of the second game, Prosecutor's Gambit. A third title that was unfortunately barely marketed was a remake of a classic Japanese mystery title. The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: Memories of Okhotsk's Disappearance in the Ice, Tearful Figure is known for both its title and the fact that it was written by him Dragon Quest Series creator Yuji Horii.
Attention to the mystery genre has gradually increased in recent years; One of the most important events was the huge success of the indie detective title Disco Elysium, Nintendo's surprising remasters of the first two Famicom Detective Club games and that Great Chronicles of Ace Attorney. Many indie studios have contributed to this boom and released titles like Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, The Case of the Golden Idol, and more.
Nintendo takes a dark turn with Emio – The Smiling Man
- Release date: August 29, 2024
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Nintendo surprised fans with a grainy, found footage-style trailer that asked a simple question: “Who is Emio?” Theories ranged from a new survival horror IP to one silent Hill Spin-off, but few have guessed the truth: the first new game in the Famicom Detective Club Series in around 30 years. Hailed as one of Nintendo's darkest first-party titles, Emio The Detective Club returns to investigate a bizarre serial murder that appears to be tied to a spooky urban legend.
Although the first two games The missing heir And The girl behind it After the series received remakes in 2021, fans generally viewed the series as a relic of the classic adventure game era that would become a thing of the past. Emius The release was a pleasant surprise and could hint at more to come Famicom Detective Club Games are coming.
The Ace Attorney Investigations collection completes the series
- Release date: September 6, 2024
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
While Ace Attorney Investigations had seen an official English translation, its direct sequel, prosecutor's path, never had. Theories about the lack of exports ranged from mixed reviews for the first time Investigations wanting to promote the then newest main title in the series, Double fates, instead of focusing on spin-offs. However, in 2024, the two games, which star popular recurring prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, were remastered and bundled for the Nintendo Switch.
Now all the main series for the first time Ace Lawyer The titles are available in English. Capcom's plans for the future of the series remain unclear, but it's definitely not impossible for there to be another main series Ace Lawyer The game could be in the works, potentially bringing back Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, or Athena Cykes, or introducing an entirely new protagonist.
The Hokkaido serial murder case remained under the radar
- Release date: September 12, 2024
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Released with shockingly minimal marketing for Nintendo Switch and PC, Hokkaido serial murder case is about a nameless, player-controlled detective who investigates a series of murders in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Developed by Yuji Horii in 1984, it was a mostly standalone sequel to Horii's 1983 detective game. The Portopia serial murder case.
Portopia, Described by Eiji Aonuma and Hideo Kojima as one of the most influential games of all time, the game received a disappointing re-release with AI integration. It was used as a demo by Square Enix to showcase the AI's capabilities, but was heavily criticized by critics and gamers. Fortunately, Hokkaido Remaster is not AI-focused and is much more sophisticated, with improvements such as a revamped command menu and spoken dialogue. Mystery fans looking for something new and exciting to play should definitely check out The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case, what they may have missed. Additionally, these titles will hopefully lead to more remasters of classic mystery games and new releases within the genre in the near future.
