Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Reviews
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 may tame Danganronpa’s anarchic spirit slightly, but it also greatly expands and improves on its formula with a more developed world, bold visuals, refined gameplay, and the best collection of whodunnits writer Kazutaka Kodaka has delivered to date. This is, simply put, one of the best, most ambitious visual novels in recent years. Get in on the ground floor, because Master Detective Archives has all the makings of a killer franchise.
A vividly arresting mystery adventure soaked in ambiance, personality, and a seemingly limitless imaginative streak. DualShockers was provided with a copy of the game for review purposes.
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.
An outstanding mystery adventure that is a must-play on Nintendo Switch
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE manages to live up to its mystery adventure predecessor and establish a name of its own in the process. Removing the shroud of mystery around each case was intriguing, and made for some of the best twists that I couldn't have seen coming. The wonderfully eccentric cast balances out the dark and gritty narrative in a way that manages to create a stellar adventure of investigation and seeking the truth at any cost.
This neon-soaked mystery game is Kodaka's best work to date.
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 isn’t shy about tearjerker moments, too. A wide array of different emotions is felt throughout the story. From laughter, sorrow, and everything in between, the story was well done. The cast of characters becomes ever more lovable as the game progresses, and It's great to see how Yuma steadily progresses into a seasoned detective. In addition, this game is chock-full of references to other gaming franchises, including Dragon Quest. A lot of parallels were certainly made to a certain famous PlayStation 2 JRPG, but I will let you figure those out, as it was fun to point out.
A solid mystery adventure title that will delight Danganronpa fans and newcomers.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a great game that really goes deep into each of its cases to prove who the real culprit is, sometimes to a fault. The Mystery Labyrinths can tend to go on for a bit despite knowing who the real culprit is halfway through and Shinigami's sense of humor can get a tad annoying at times. It also doesn't help that after going through a few hours of how the crime was committed, you then basically get to relive the entire crime two more times which at that point just feels like the game is padding itself. Overall though, if you're up for solving some mysteries with a purple ghost sidekick, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is definitely worth checking out.
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 offers a fun murder mystery that acts as a true spiritual successor to the Danganronpa series and even builds upon many of the core systems that made that series of games resonate so well with so many around the world. It features a greatly written story filled with quirky and interesting characters, and is almost fully voiced, helping the story be more engaging and cinematic. While I did find it to be a little easy overall, with some sections that should have had serious consequences for failing being too forgiving and some characters that failed to live up to their potential, it’s still a game I would recommend to anyone that’s interested in murder mystery games or the previous works of Kazutaka Kodaka. The game’s narrative definitely lives up calibre of story I knew the team invloved in the development was capable of telling.
In conclusion, Spike Chunsoft delivers another excellent murder mystery that adds a good layer of renewal. If you like Danganronpa, AI The Somnium Files or Zero Espace, Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is right up your alley. It's a game full of twists and turns, aimed at a mature audience with a taste for wacky adventures. It's an easy recommendation to make, and brings yet more variety to the Nintendo Switch's library of exclusive games.
Review in French | Read full review
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
All in all, I enjoyed Master Detective Archives: Rain Code and you probably will, too. The presentation is slick, the setting is gorgeous, and the premise is genuinely brilliant. Making rapid-fire deductions while dodging accusations and falsehoods is one way to make solving mysteries a heart-pounding experience.
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
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
An intriguing adventure with noir overtones and 100% japanese madness, featuring an intriguing story involving a team of super-detectives, an unscrupulous multinational corporation remotely reminiscent of Resident Evil's Umbrella Corporation, and a protagonist whose past and future are shrouded in a thick blanket of mystery.
Review in Italian | 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.