With E3 2021 safely in rear view and only a few more gaming related events to anticipate for the rest of the year, including The Game Awards and Gamescom: Opening Night Live, it's safe to say fans have a clear view of what to expect from the rest of 2021 in terms of game releases. While the year has been host to some big games so far, a recurring theme seen in this year's releases is "mystery."
2021 has been an excellent year for detective games. These games force players to take matters into their own hands and solve a case, be it murder, theft, or even just the mystery surrounding a character or world's history. Looking back at the year so far, and ahead to the remaining months of 2021, here's why 2021 is shaping up to be a great year for detective games.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (Out Now)
One of the most anticipated ports/re-releases of 2021 was for ZA/UM's seminal combat-less RPG Disco Elysium, the game that became the surprise critical hit of 2019. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut follows a detective who awakens with amnesia while on a case, and it is set in a dystopian world run under ideologies such as fascism and communism. To say that Disco Elysium is a "detective game" is an understatement, as upon starting the game almost everything about the world and characters is a complete mystery to the player. They themselves must take control of the protagonist, piecing things together bit by bit while attempting to solve the murder mystery at the heart of the story.
While it had a rocky launch with some major issues, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is now in a recommendable state for those that enjoy complex, systemic RPGs. It is currently available on PC, PS4, and PS5, with Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions coming later this summer.
Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind/ The Missing Heir (Out Now)
A major surprise came early this year when Nintendo announced that Famicom Detective Club, one of its most unknown series that has never released outside of Japan, would be receiving two remakes for Nintendo Switch from beloved visual novel studio Mages. Both Famicom Detective Club: The Girl Who Stands Behind and The Missing Heir, which released on the same day, feature two distinct yet similar stories that can be played in any order. Though The Girl Who Stands Behind released after The Missing Heir, it acts as a prequel with a higher emphasis on supernatural elements.
Regardless, despite being on the shorter end, either one of these games is worth jumping into right now for Switch owners that are seeking a traditional detective visual novel.
The Silver Case 2425 (Out Now)
Another set of Nintendo Switch visual novels, The Silver Case 2425, a collection of The Silver Case and The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, finally released for Nintendo Switch last week. It brings creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda's unique brand of complex, bizarre writing to the platform ahead of No More Heroes 3's launch. These are two of the most bizarre and experimental detective games available right now, with both games following investigations into a serial killer named Kamui Uehara, who has created a cult-like following due to the consequences of his actions on Japan's (fictional) 25 wards. The original game was the first game written and directed by Suda51, and the game is set in the same universe as the rest of his titles, including No More Heroes.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (July 27th)
It's impossible to discuss detective games releasing in 2021 without acknowledging The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, a compilation of two of two beloved titles in Capcom's 20 year-old franchise that never made their way out of Japan. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is set at the end of the 19th century and follows Ryunosuke Naruhodo, an ancestor of Phoenix Wright (who is known in Japan as Ryuichi Naruhodo). In the games, he solves crimes in Meiji-era Japan and Victorian-era England alongside his assistant Susato Mikotoba and even "Herlock Sholmes."
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, which collects The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, two Nintendo 3DS titles, finally makes its way to Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation 4 on July 27th.
Life is Strange: True Colors (September 10th)
While you don't exactly play as a detective in Life is Strange: True Colors, the series is known for its Twin Peaks-inspired small town mysteries, primarily within the first game and its prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm. In this regard, True Colors is a return to form after Life is Strange 2's poignant turn towards political commentary that showcased the effects of racism in modern day America.
Life is Strange: True Colors follows Alex, a young woman who has grown up in and out of foster care, as she reunites with her biological brother Gabe in their hometown of Haven Springs, Colorado. After Gabe is mysteriously killed, Alex must use her suppressed power, which she dubs "empathy." This power allows Alex to understand the emotions of those around her, but it often leads to her being "infected" by their emotions.
Life is Strange: True Colors will release on Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on September 10th. It will be shortly followed by Life is Strange Remastered Collection on September 30th, which includes the first game and Before the Storm.
Lost Judgment (September 24th)
After the major success of Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon last year, which was brought on by the publisher's heavy focus on marketing the titles to the west, it's easy to see why there are a lot of eyes on Lost Judgment, the newest game from developer Ryu ga Gotoku Studio. News that the mainline Yakuza series will be sticking to the turn-based RPG combat introduced in Like a Dragon only adds to the intrigue. Thankfully, the first Judgment was a huge success, successfully adapting Sega's beloved series into a detective mystery with its own unique gameplay mechanics.
Following up the first entry in the series, which released in 2019, Lost Judgment follows Takeyuki Yagami as he investigates a murder that may be tied to a sexual assault case he has been investigating. This mystery brings the detective across the fictional red light district of Kamurocho and Ijincho, Yokohama, the location introduced in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. With the introduction of elements such as skateboarding and parkour, Lost Judgment looks to be featuring the Yakuza/Judgment series' expert handling of serious subject matter contrasted by slapstick humor once again.
Lost Judgment will release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on September 24th 2021.