Highlights
- Detective Pikachu Returns is the sequel to the 2018 game and follows the same theme of solving mysteries in Ryme City.
- Players can interact with various Pokemon while solving mysteries, each offering different abilities to make investigations easier.
- While Pikachu is the main Pokemon to play as, players can befriend and work with other Pokemon on their journey.
Detective Pikachu Returns has been on the Nintendo radar for quite some time now. The game was quietly announced by Nintendo in 2019 simply as Detective Pikachu 2, but didn't gain much more attention until rumors of a new Pokemon spin-off began to circulate ahead of the June 21 Nintendo Direct from earlier this year. While the early-summer Nintendo event was mostly aimed towards getting bigger games more attention, like the heavily anticipated Pikmin 4, there was plenty of excitement to be had for other titles. Especially since the rumors held true, as the Nintendo Direct event did indeed feature another trailer for the Sherlock-esque Pikachu and his detective buddy.
Detective Pikachu Returns is the sequel to the 2018 version of Detective Pikachu that was originally released on Nintendo 3DS. From what's been revealed through various Nintendo reveals this past year, Detective Pikachu Returns follows the same theme as before, with a coffee-craving Pikachu and his partner, Tim Goodman, exploring Ryme City side by side to solve the mysteries that ail its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the dynamic duo is trying to uncover a more important mystery from where the first game left off, and that's figuring out where Tim's missing father is. While fans can get excited to venture through Ryme City with Pikachu and make its denizens' days a bit easier, there's also a lot of other Pokemon that players can interact with while solving the various mysteries at hand.
Confirmed Pokemon in Detective Pikachu Returns
- Applin
- Audino
- Beedrill
- Bellossom
- Clefable
- Cottonee
- Darmanitan
- Delcatty
- Ducklett
- Exeggutor
- Greedent
- Growlithe
- Lickitung
- Lillipup
- Lotad
- Ludicolo
- Luxray
- Manectric
- Maractus
- Mewtwo
- Milcery
- Pangoro
- Pawniard
- Pidove
- Poliwrath
- Raboot
- Slowpoke
- Solrock
- Sudowoodo
- Trubbish
- Watchog
- Whimsicott
One of the greatest things about playing Pokemon games is, without a doubt, collecting Pokemon. One of the most magical moments of starting a new Pokemon game is getting to to the lab and choosing a favorite starter Pokemon from each generation. That's part of why the franchise originally had such a meteoric success — the menagerie of pocket monsters people can collect and call their favorites just never gets old. With Detective Pikachu Returns, its clear the main Pokemon to play is Pikachu, but there are still plenty of other Pokemon that players can work with, and even play as, during their explorations through Ryme City.
In Detective Pikachu Returns, gathering people and Pokemon to assist in solving mysteries is paramount, and the friends and familiars that can gang up with Pikachu and Tim on their investigative journeys all have something different to offer. Of course, the Pokemon offer a bit more than what the people have thanks to their special powers. Whether it's seeing through walls with Luxray, following scents with Growlithe, or breaking through rocks with Darmanitan, several Pokemon will make investigations a little bit easier. What's more, players won't need to whittle down Poke-opponents in hopes of catching high-level Pokemon. Rather, players will simply befriend other Pokemon to help them on their journey.
Right now, there are quite a few Pokemon confirmed to be in Detective Pikachu Returns, as seen in the trailers that have been released for the game so far. Only some of those Pokemon can help Pikachu and Tim Goodman during their searches in Ryme City, though. The rest of the Pokemon featured in the game might only be there to add to the lively atmosphere that make Pokemon games what they are, and those are worlds filled with cutesy and creative creatures that urge people to catch and collect them all in hopes of having the most impressive Pokemon collection possible.
Detective Pikachu Returns launches on October 6 for Nintendo Switch.
