Detective Pikachu Returns

Like its predecessor and the live-action movie before it, Detective Pikachu Returns shines less as a complex mystery game than it does as one of the most refreshing explorations of the Pokémon universe. When you take out the competitive sport, the Pokémon world is full of new ways for people and the titular critters to relate to one another, and Detective Pikachu Returns is all about exploring new kinds of relationships.

The sequel finally wraps up the story the original left on a cliffhanger, though if you’ve seen the movie you’ll likely see some developments coming. But Detective Pikachu Returns manages to pull them off in far more compelling ways than the movie did in 2019, which makes it worth experiencing even if you’ve seen the film. Pokémon has been reaching its narrative potential lately, and Detective Pikachu Returns is another example of The Pokémon Company finding the sweet spot between the collectathon and really exploring why we love these little guys we shove into Poké Balls. — Kenneth Shepard