Developer: beyondthosehills
Publisher: beyondthosehills
Genre: Adventure, Indie, Interactive Novel, Visual Novel
I did not expect to enjoy this game as much as I did. Cat Detective: Albert Wilde totally caught me off guard in the best way. It leans hard into the old-school noir detective vibe (trench coats, cigarette smoke, moody jazz, the whole deal) but then just runs wild with it in the most tongue-in-cheek way possible.
What really got me was the humour. It’s so deadpan but, at the same time, very in-your-face with its comedy. The writing’s sharp, with all those classic noir clichés twisted just enough to be funny without being obnoxious. It knows exactly how cheesy it’s being, but it commits to the bit so well that it just works.
Albert himself is this grizzled, world-weary feline gumshoe, and he’s got this dry, seen-it-all tone that makes every line feel like it’s dipped in sarcasm and cigarette ash. It has all the important moments: the down-on-his-luck detective desperate for a case, the dame who is bad news, the criminal underworld bosses who don’t bother him if he doesn’t bother them.
Anyway, if you’re into noir stories, or you just like games that don’t take themselves too seriously but still pull off a great atmosphere, this one’s totally worth checking out. Bear in mind, however, that this is an interactive novel-type game, so don’t expect game-changing choices or intense action gameplay. You will get a good story, a lot of laughs and some mini-game distractions throughout though!