Master Detective Archives: Rain Code Reviews
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is a title "haunted" by a considerable legacy even before it was shaped in the development team head. Personally, I felt the final product was far less competent than said legacy but I can partly comprehend the creative challenges Spike Chunsoft underwent and if a new game showed up, I'd still have faith in this team that loves pink blood.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While I enjoyed the questioning and puzzle solving of who, what, why, and how? I did not fully get the bizarre death matches and surreal mundane mystery labyrinths. I guess you could argue it was a battle of the subconscious as to find a definitive solution in order to find the truth.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code improves after a slow start with some truly fascinating mysteries in later chapters. However, a central pairing that never quite works and long mystery labyrinths that are almost entirely uninteresting stop it from being all it can be. Fans of the Danganronpa series will still want to check it out, but most others should find another mystery to dig into.
If Kanai Ward's aesthetics, character design, art and environment are convincing, from a performance standpoint some frame rate breaks are detected, especially on the walk through the city. Some loadings are also time-consuming and there are passages where some approximations to objects or characters reveal fewer textures. Still and for the type of proposal that it proposes to build, in the universe of mystery and crime games, this title manages to entertain and provide a consistent challenge, with a pleasant variety of mechanics and segments of hints and clues, even if these mostly prove to be of great simplicity. However, it lacks the desirable balance between the slower moments of investigation with the fast pace of the mysterious labyrinth, to the point of providing a better rhythmic and more captivating experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Rain Code falters in too many areas for it to be seen as a true or great successor to Danganronpa. There are sparks of light, such as its setting and the twists featured in the final chapters, but the ridiculously linear Mystery Labyrinths, poorly written characters, long load times and graphical issues set things back. Danganronpa and whodunnit fans will still find something worthwhile here, but wait for a discount.
Master Detective Archives: RAINCODE has some interesting ideas in isolation, but they never fully come together in a way that’s fun or fluid.
Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE feels a bit like another entry into the Danganronpa series simply without the school approach, leaving it feeling like it's not really standing on its own two legs.
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.
A neon-lit murder mystery unable to uncover a deeper core.
"Kodaka's new inconsistently cool detective adventure."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Truthfully, our stay in Kanai Ward was a lot of fun, and we want to see more of the game's setting in the future. Master Detective Archive: RAIN CODE is a great narrative adventure with some truly satisfying detective work. It mostly comes down to this: approaching RAIN CODE like a visual novel with some unfortunate action elements means it's an enjoyable jaunt, and well-worth a look; expecting more from it beyond its engrossing world, charming mysteries, and charismatic cast, however, might make for a less than stellar stay in Kanai Ward for would-be master detectives.
A unique story in a fun setting and with a really addictive gameplay loop, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code feels really original while retaining a familiar formula.
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 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.
Overall, while not without its faults, Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE is still a highly enjoyable and ambitious game with a good narrative, a mostly lovely aesthetic, and fun gameplay elements. It isn't a game I'd recommend to everyone, but it at least provides an engaging experience for mystery and Danganronpa fans alike.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code falls short and ends up being mediocre. This game neglects the elements that made Danganronpa successful, such as well-written characters, engaging storytelling, and unexpected plot twists.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
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.
But stick through to the end, and Rain Code eventually delivers a satisfyingly twisty adventure in spite of its shortcomings – helping to somewhat fill that Danganronpa void.
Rain Code is a strange and quirky mystery adventure that just can't seem to step out of the shadow of its predecessor series, Danganronpa.
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.