When Nintendo announced remakes of the long-dormant series Famicom Detective Club, it seemed like a nostalgic one-off experiment and no sure thing that the revamped titles from yesteryear would work in the present gaming landscape.
Fast-forward and it would appear that those remakes were just a prologue, with more in store for fans. Enter Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, the first new entry in over three decades, and more than just serving to revive the series, it aims to redefine it.
A Return to Darkness
Emio thrusts players into a harrowing investigation involving the murder of a high schooler found with a grotesque paper bag over his head, a smile crudely drawn on its surface. This chilling detail is the linchpin to a mystery eerily tied to a string of unsolved murders and an enduring urban legend. With two detectives at the helm, your goal is to connect the threads, find the truth and ultimately face the sinister legend.
Emio confidently steps into the shadows, delivering a dark and complex narrative that expands the thematic vibes of the Famicom Detective Club series. Its tone feels incredibly mature and at times ambitious, drawing the player into a story of tragedy, suspense, and psychological horror. It weaves its intricate plot with care, ensuring newcomers and long-time fans will follow its twists and turns with ease.
While avoiding spoilers, it’s safe to say the story knows how to lay breadcrumbs and when to pull the rug out. Emio knows how to manipulate your emotions and just as you feel you’ve outsmarted the game, it delivers another twist.
Tradition and Frustration
Mechanically, Emio stays true to the series roots as a traditional visual novel, with close comparisons to the investigation-heavy segments of Ace Attorney. Players navigate various locations, interrogate witnesses, and examine crime scenes for clues, all through a menu-driven interface with text-based options like “Speak/Listen,” “Examine,” and “Think.”
While the structure maintains the charm of the originals, it also carries some of their quirks. Occasionally, advancing conversations can feel unintuitive, as the game demands a specific sequence of actions that might not always align, which can cause some frustration and maybe even some button mashing. However, these moments aren’t frequent enough to be a feature, and the game’s linear progression ensures you’re unlikely to get stuck for long.
The inclusion of a recap system, chapter reviews, and an in-game notebook creates a smooth experience for players trying to keep the narrative together. These tools help maintain momentum, making the occasional gameplay hiccup easier to overlook.
An Atmospheric Masterpiece
Visually, Emio does the job but as a visual novel style, it’s a matter of taste. The art style builds on the remakes, offering hand-drawn 2D visuals blended with subtle 3D animations. These characters have plenty of life and the game manages to wring the tension during key scenes. The Smiling Man’s sparse appearances are also crafted with care ensuring each encounter feels eerie and impactful, amplifying the sense of dread.
The sound design plays an equally pivotal role, as the soundtrack shifts between understated and dramatic with tracks that thud to each emotional beat. The Japanese voice acting is also great and is delivered with conviction.
Drama Over Detection
One of Emio’s greatest strengths is its ability to transcend the traditional mystery genre. While the mystery itself is engaging, it’s the central human drama that elevates the game. The relationships between characters, their struggles, and the weight of past tragedies give the story its emotional heft. Even moments of pure dialogue carry tension, enhanced by a narrative that enough balances red herrings to keep you guessing.
The game also ventures into psychological horror, with moments designed to unsettle. Certain stripped-back sequences where the music fades and the text alone carries the weight of the scene are some of the most effective. These moments not only showcase the strength of the writing but also cement Emio as a standout in the series.
Final Thoughts
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club isn’t just a worthy continuation of the series; it’s a triumph. It takes the foundations laid by its predecessors and builds something darker, richer, and more haunting. While the gameplay mechanics could use modernization, the sheer strength of the story, characters, and atmosphere more than compensates.
For fans of visual novels, murder mysteries, or psychological thrillers, Emio is a must-play. It’s a bold statement that the Famicom Detective Club isn’t just a relic of the past—it’s a series with plenty of life (and death) left to explore.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: A gripping, dark narrative with psychological depth; emotionally resonant characters and relationships; atmospheric visuals and sound design; clever use of horror elements
Lowlights: Occasional frustrating gameplay sequences; traditional mechanics feel slightly dated
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Available: Now via the Nintendo eShop
Review conducted on the Nintendo Switch with a release code provided by the publisher.
