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If you’re not familiar with the Famicom Detective Club, that wouldn’t totally surprise me. While the first two instalments, The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind, were remade for the Nintendo Switch in 2021, Emio - The Smiling Man is the franchise’s first new entry in 35 years - but what an incredible comeback this is. Emio - The Smiling Man is easily one of the most thrilling games I’ve played this year, which is no small feat for what is essentially a visual novel. Emio - The Smiling Man may offer a slow-burn experience, but it’s one that balances the weights of tragedy and horror to create an equilibrium that is wholly gripping.
I want to make it clear that you don’t need to have played those previous instalments to enjoy Emio - The Smiling Man. I didn’t, although I will now be going back to them. The series’ premise is simple. You play as a young detective, named by the player, at the Utsugi Detective Agency alongside your companion Ayumi and, of course, Mr Utsugi himself. That’s really all there is to it. You’re very quickly thrown into a new case which centres around a serial killer known as The Smiling Man.
In this new caper, junior high school student Eisuke Sasaki has been found dead, his face covered with a paper bag emblazoned with a smiley face. “This unsettling visage bears a striking resemblance to a recurring clue in a string of unsolved murders from 18 years ago – as well as the urban legend of Emio, aka the Smiling Man, a serial killer said to grant his victims ‘a smile that will last forever’,” the synopsis teases. It’s up to you to figure out whether the Smiling Man exists and whether the two cases are connected.
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Take a look at Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club in action below.
The process of solving these cases is an acquired taste. It just so happened to be one I very much enjoyed. Throughout your investigation, you’ll travel to an array of locations to interview suspects, potential witnesses, and your fellow investigators so with that in mind, you’ll spend much of the game reading through dialogue exchanges. I say reading because the only audio option here is Japanese, but that’s certainly not a downside. I very much enjoyed the voice acting.
In those conversations, you’ll be able to select from a number of topics, call out or engage with something or someone in your surroundings, observe your surroundings, or show evidence items. Progressing through the scene requires you to select the ‘right’ option but doing so incorrectly will hardly hinder your progress.
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Say, for example, that you enquired about the paper bag. The interviewee might reply with something along the lines of, “I don’t know anything about that,”, stunting the conversation. Choose the victim’s name, however, and that might prompt an outpouring of information. Conversations essentially progress via trial and error but you will get there eventually. I found myself, most of the time, picking the correct option. If you listen to what people are saying, you’ll notice there’s a natural place the conversation should flow to next.
If you are stuck, simply select ‘think’ and your character may give you a hint. Outside of this, there’s really only one other type of participation. Towards the end of every chapter, you’ll ‘review’ the day’s findings with Ayumi which essentially consists of a short quiz. You’ll be asked about the knowledge and evidence you’ve accrued that day. In some instances, a typed answer is required, in others you’ll have to select the correct clue from your notebook of evidence. It’s a nice way to keep the player on their toes, but there’s no punishment for not knowing your stuff.
Personally, it made me feel a tad disappointed in my detective skills on the occasions where I did input the wrong answer but that was about the extent of the outcome of being wrong. Ayumi will simply correct you, and Emio - The Smiling Man will progress on. In fact, I can only think of two instances where the game actually prohibited me from progressing until I got the correct answer. At the end of the game, you can click to get a report card from the character Mr. Fukuyama, feeding back just how you did.
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Like I said, this is an acquired taste but for me it worked because Emio - The Smiling Man’s narrative is so engaging. I felt incredibly invested in the mystery. The progression of the story may be inevitable and predetermined but at least for me, Emio - The Smiling Man offered the illusion that I might actually be making headway on this case on my own merit.
If I had to criticise Emio, and this is the only way in which I can do so, I’d like to see an iteration of the game where your ‘review’ quiz answers do matter. You have all the evidence and notes at your disposal to get the right answer if you’re unsure. You’d just need to spend a short time actually reviewing what you’ve learnt. I wish the game had been a tad braver and demanded that players brush up in order to proceed, but it’s a small fault.
As for the story itself, it’s hard for me to touch upon it because quite obviously, it’s packed with twists and turns and a powerhouse of an ending that I certainly did not see coming. When I say twists and turns though, they’re not cheap thrills. I was surprised by just how profound and tragic the tale of Emio - The Smiling Man is. It heavily touches upon the themes of abuse and mental health and does so, in my opinion, well.
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There’s a dash of horror in Emio - The Smiling Man, although I’m hesitant to say more than that and reveal how, but the fact that this horror-fuelled imagery can be used in conjunction with such heavy subject matter without feeling too sensational is a testament to the skill and nuance of the writing. By the time Emio - The Smiling Man drew to a close, I felt both happy and sad at the same time. Moved by the tragedy of it all, warmed by the slither of hope I was left with.
I look forward to actually hearing what other players thought of the story as it’s nigh impossible to discuss with such vague sweeping statements as I’m giving you now. What I will add is that it’s always exciting to see Nintendo embrace this side of its audience. The Nintendo Switch is known for its family-friendly titles but Emio - The Smiling Man proves that so too can the console provide thrilling mature-rated experiences. As an added tidbit for you returning fans, Ayumi is also playable this time around - a change from previous instalments.
Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a game that rewards the patient, observant, and curious. Its visual novel-esque gameplay isn’t going to thrill the casual Nintendo Switch player but should you be someone who relishes in the nuances and turns of a good story, you’ll feel right at home here. Emio - The Smiling Man is a tragedy just as much as it is a thriller, with a variety of complex and sensitive themes handled well. If you fancy yourself as an amateur sleuth, then I implore you to give it a go. Just prepare for the game to simultaneously tug on your heartstrings as it sends a chilling shiver down your spine, with both feelings staying with you long after the credits roll.
Pros: a thrilling story, beautifully animated, accessible to players old and new
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Cons: simple gameplay that lacks challenge
For fans of: Professor Layton franchise, Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind
9/10: Exceptional
Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is due to be released on Nintendo Switch on 29 August. A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, Reviews