Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Reviews
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is an easy recommendation for fans of the Danganronpa series. It's got the same dark humor and an unapologetically weird premise, and it features a slightly different take on the contradiction-smashing gameplay that made the former series stand out. There's some room for improvement in what's been added, but if you can stand some stale anime tropes and imperfect graphics, Rain Code is a crazy enjoyable ride full of twists and turns.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a solid follow-up to the Danganronpa franchise that demonstrates a heap of ambition from its developers and mostly lives up to its predecessor's impressive reputation. But while the game delivers an excellent cast of characters and some truly intriguing mysteries to solve, it also stumbles in its methods, introducing mechanics and locations that outstay their welcome and become frustratingly repetitive. Still, for fans of Dangaronpa and those who enjoy a good gruesome crime or two, it's definitely worth checking out.
A neon-lit murder mystery unable to uncover a deeper core.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE exudes a personality and style that differentiates it from its peers, and each individual chapter is brilliantly written and highly entertaining. Despite offering very little variety in terms of gameplay, each Mystery Labyrinth you’ll enter over the course of the game feels fresh and enjoyable thanks to the excellent storytelling and presentation. It is fortunate that this is what makes up the majority of the game, because the overarching narrative surrounding the mystery of Kanai Ward is often an unwelcome distraction from the case at hand, leading to a conclusion that is less satisfying than it could have been had more time been spent on setting it up over the course of the game. The blurry visuals and occasionally erratic performance can also occasionally break immersion in the fantastic set pieces on display in Mystery Labyrinths and the gloomy ambience of Kanai Ward. But even with those caveats, Rain Code is still a mystery adventure that is more than worth your time to solve.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a captivating and refreshing take on the mystery genre. It uses a zany story, uniquely expressive characters and a perfect blend of mystery and adventure to stand out amongst its contemporaries. While some performance limitations stop it from looking its best, Rain Code's strong and effortlessly stylish presentation more than makes up for it. It's a satisfying and immersive experience that anyone who's a fan of visual novels, courtroom dramas or both themselves to check out.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE could have used its inventiveness more concisely, but what's here is still an enjoyable first entry for a new IP that holds plenty of promise now and hopefully into the future.
Master Detective Rain Code is not as complete and original like the Danganronpa trilogy, but it is, nonetheless, an enjoyable and well written point and click adventure that wil appeal to all of the existing fans of Kazutaka Kodaka.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code overall does a good job combining elements of adventure games, visual novels and mini-game-based action titles, with a minor lack of being too less demanding. The cases could be very suspenseful, but for this, the storytelling is too lengthy. In the end, not least the game lives from its exaggerated characters and its, in parts, twisted humor.
Review in German | Read full review
If you can look past (or appreciate) the brazen clichés and huge levels of fan service, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a phenomenal murder mystery visual novel. The gorgeous world, wonderful characters and genuinely well-constructed mysteries combine into a thoroughly enjoyable if bizarre experience. If other similar games like Danganronpa or Ace Attorney are your bag, this is definitely worth investigating.
While it has a vast amount of ideas that work individually, Rain Code rather feels like a missed opportunity that doesn't quite come together right.
The overall package doesn't quite match up to any of the Danganronpa titles, but Rain Code's storytelling and characters make up for its minor shortcomings.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code delivers masterful craftsmanship of mysteries that players will delight in unravelling. Though the more hands-on gameplay mechanics aren’t groundbreaking and can feel a bit too easy, the strength of the narrative alone and cleverly created whodunnits make this a must-play for Danganronpa fans and anyone who loves channeling their inner detective.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code delivers an excellently paced detective mystery through its clever writing and memorable cast of characters. It’s not afraid to go to some dark places and have fun at the same time within its narrative, but the balance of these themes is crafted in a way that keeps you hooked. The puzzles are all clever, and the gameloop never comes off as repetitive or straightforward. It’s an excellent experience that rivals all other releases in this genre.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is a great mix of investigation, crazy word battles, and humour with a great cast of characters. If you enjoy solving mysteries and interesting stories, I am sure you will love this game.
Excluding a slow and sometimes labored pace and only occasionally intriguing exploration, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a great mix of visual novel, stylish visuals and detective adventure.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The influence of Danganronpa can be felt in every corner of Rain Code - and that's not a bad thing! Nevertheless, one could have wished for a bit more innovation besides the visually crazy "Mysterious Labyrinth" in 3D. For a new IP, the game borrows a bit too much from the spiritual ancestor, but the story and gameplay are absolutely convincing. Danganronpa fans and otakus will have a blast!
Review in German | Read full review
Fans of the Danganronpa games will surely find a lot to like with Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE. It is a worthy spiritual successor that expands on a grander premise and introduces new ideas. The callbacks are tasteful and the new cast hold their own in the fascinating world of Kanai Ward.
The creative team behind Danganronpa and, now, Rain Code, are a rare group in video games. They know how to entertain – I didn’t even mention the “replacement” for Monokuma in this game, but Shinigami the ghostly reaper is somehow even more brilliant foil and source of sadistic humour than the iconic bear. But under all the hyper-colourful art, the mysteries that would give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money, and the sheer energy and panache of it all, they also offer something intensely thoughtful with a strong and blunt message to share. As much as I loved Danganronpa, by the end of the third in that series I did think they were running out of ideas. As it turns out, all they needed was a new creative playground.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is an incredible detective-mystery game that blends elements and the appeal of Danganronpa with refreshingly new ideas. Investigation and Mystery Labyrinth sequences always hold surprising twists and turns, and the game is bolstered by a diverse cast of bizarre and endearing characters. This title is a must buy for fans of mystery games and the Danganronpa franchise.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a great detective and murder game that strives to take the visual novels a little further with mini-games, combats reminiscent of those of the RPG, exploration of scenarios and other mechanics, also exhibiting a superb technical section, although with some other performance problem.
Review in Spanish | Read full review