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Chinatown Detective Agency immediately caught my attention while browsing PC Game Pass. As a fan of detective fiction, the premise of a point-and-click adventure set in a futuristic Singapore intrigued me. Developed by General Interactive Co., the game casts you as Amira Darma, a former police officer who opens her own detective agency in Chinatown in the year 2037. This review explores my experience with the game, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses.

Amira Darma in her office

After eight years on the police force, Amira Darma decides to strike out on her own, establishing a private detective agency in the heart of Chinatown. Leveraging connections from her previous career, she quickly secures her first clients, embarking on a series of intriguing cases that test her investigative skills and take her across the globe. As Amira delves deeper into these seemingly disparate cases, she uncovers a sinister plot brewing in her home city of Singapore.

Hitting the Books (and Google): Unique Gameplay Mechanics

Amira using a laptop

Chinatown Detective Agency distinguishes itself with a unique gameplay mechanic. Unlike most detective games where clues and solutions are found within the game world, this game requires players to conduct real-world research. Amira’s primary investigative tool is, surprisingly, Google. The game even provides a dedicated button to launch your default web browser.

For example, the game begins with a quote: “Of all the griefs that harass the distressed, sure the most bitter is a scornful jest.” Players must identify the speaker. Another puzzle involves tracking a suspect to “Ludstown.” Since the game incorporates a financial system, and Amira must pay for her own travel expenses, pinpointing Ludstown’s location is crucial.

Amira looking at a map

This mechanic effectively immerses players in Amira’s role, encouraging resourcefulness and problem-solving outside the confines of the game. The puzzles become progressively more challenging, often requiring deep dives into online research papers. While rewarding for those who enjoy the challenge, the game offers assistance for those struggling to find solutions. Mei Ting, a librarian Amira encounters, can provide hints or even outright answers for a fee.

Multiple Clients, Multiple Playthroughs

Chinatown Detective Agency offers significant replay value. Early in the game, you meet three potential major clients: Rupert, a member of an influential global business organization; Tiger Lily, an assistant to a philanthropist seeking to repatriate artifacts; and Keeran Iyer, a government official investigating a corrupt water company.

Amira at a computer terminal

After two introductory missions, you must choose one client to focus on, impacting the storyline, cases, and supporting characters you encounter. Completing a client’s storyline unlocks a key character from their narrative as Amira’s assistant. To experience the full narrative and all three branching storylines, multiple playthroughs are required.

Technical Issues and Untapped Potential

Amira investigating a crime scene

Unfortunately, the PC Game Pass version (1.0.9.0) suffers from numerous technical issues. I encountered mismatched audio and subtitles, missing voiceovers for key dialogue, persistent background sound effects, and occasional feature lockouts. More seriously, a crucial audio file failed to play, hindering puzzle-solving, and an incorrect code was provided, rendering decryption impossible. While Mei Ting could circumvent these issues, the most egregious bug involved skipping an entire case near the end of the game.

Mei Ting in the library

Comparison with YouTube playthroughs (presumably using the Steam version) confirmed the missing case and the absence of these bugs on other platforms. This suggests the issues are specific to the PC Game Pass version.

The game also underutilizes several promising mechanics. Shooting and hacking, introduced early on, appear infrequently. While the game emphasizes non-lethal takedowns, this option is only available in the first encounter. Similarly, the financial system, despite the threat of eviction for unpaid rent, is easily managed due to high case rewards and Amira’s lack of personal expenses.

Amira talking to a character

Amira talking on the phone

Amira looking through files

Conclusion

Chinatown Detective Agency presents a novel approach to the detective genre, immersing players through real-world research. However, technical issues, particularly in the PC Game Pass version, and underutilized mechanics detract from the overall experience. Potential players might consider alternative platforms until these issues are resolved.