Detective Dotson is a cozy adventure game about a reluctant Detective, who must put aside his dream of being a movie star and take on the role of a detective to solve the mystery behind his dad’s death.
I received a review code to play this game early, and after more than a year of following this game’s development journey, I’m pleased to say that the team at Masala Games have delivered an impressive experience that I’m happy to recommend to anyone who likes playing narrative adventure games. However, there is a catch – you need to watch a 60-minute movie before playing the game in order to truly enjoy it. We’ll explore more of this unusual condition in the review.
But first, a summary for those who won’t watch the entire video. Detective Dotson is a fun game that is full of interesting ideas, charming characters, and succeeds at delivering a cozy adventure that you can play at your own pace, while exploring a richly detailed world along the way.
The game splits its levels into cases, each of which offer a different puzzle to solve in the streets of the city. At launch, the number of cases might feel less, but these cases get more complex as you keep making progress. Depending on how much time you decide to spend on the mini-games, your initial playthrough can take up to five hours. The developer has promised to introduce more content later this year as a free update.
There is a tie-in movie, which comes included with your purchase of the game. The story of the movie essentially sets up the game, and is a highly recommended watch, as it offers a far more thorough introduction to the game’s world, and it is a fun experience on its own with lots of humour and action.
You can of course skip it entirely and dive straight into the game, but the movie is such a crucial part of the experience that you may end up being confused if you play the game directly.
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