Every puzzle has an answer, no matter how terrifying it may be.
In 2017, Kazutaka Kodaka, who worked on the Danganronpa trilogy, left Spike Chunsoft and established Too Kyo Games. One of his notable releases after this retirement was World’s End Club, a title I was very much looking forward to. Although the game fell short of the brilliance of Kodaka’s early work, Too Kyo Games worked with Spike’s Chunsoft to produce Master Detective Archives: Rain’s Code, which seems fitting for its own series. A long and interesting Dirk has created his adventures. .
“RAIN CODE” is a work that depicts the activities of Yuma Kokohead, an apprentice detective of the World Detective Organization (WDO). Yuma is sent to Ame no Kanai Ward to solve a global mystery, but does not fully understand his mission and purpose due to his amnesia. Throughout the story, Yuma is followed and mentored by Shinigami. Reaper facilitates much of the game’s mechanics and provides much of its humor. Whether it’s blaming Yuma or jealous of Yuma’s attention to another girl, Shinigami is great for balancing the dark, drizzling setting with the murder and creepiness of each chapter. It adds lightness. Her transformation from a tiny ghostly tag to a puffy free woman is a perfect example of how Rain Code juxtaposes playful moods with tension and death.
RAIN CODE follows a similar structure in each of its six chapters. The first third includes story setup and light exploration. Yuma also has a chance to complete simple side quests here to earn detective points that can unlock various perks. In the second half, Yuma and Shinigami are investigating murder scenes and other areas of interest. The pair are usually joined by fellow detective characters who join Yuma in Kanai Ward, and these moments provide fun dialogue exchanges that showcase the game’s excellent scripting and voice acting. Investigating crime scene elements to collect the “keys” to use in the final stages is easy, but engaging until the end.
The third, generally longest section of each chapter focuses on putting all the clues together to solve the central murder/mystery that occurred. Step into a mystery labyrinth of supernatural worlds. There, Yuma fights the culprit and anyone who stands in his way before the truth is revealed. The labyrinth’s long walking segments offer opportunities for exposition, but they also feel like pads that can drag the experience down. Luckily, there are segments of different mini-game types that are heavily inspired by Danganronpa. The most common is a detective deathmatch where Yuma faces off against a ghost who seeks to refute the facts of the case. Here, Yuma uses clues he’s gleaned through his investigation to cut through the Phantom’s false claims in his Dodge ‘Em Up his-style action sequence. Other events include Hangman-like games with a bikini-clad Reaper, various Quick Time his events, and comic book filling panels.
We cannot ignore the fact that the theme of death has always been present in “RAIN CODE”. From the opening tutorial-style chapter and its multiple murders, and the fact that solving each crime results in the death penalty for those responsible, Yuma’s detective exploits are shrouded in darkness, consistent with the game’s dark setting. I’m here. There’s a chance to explore different districts of the city, but there’s not a lot of visual variety in the environment. In fact, the minute look is actually quite muddy and washed out. Character art and a few cutscenes are the only aesthetic highlights. Performance on the Switch is mostly okay, except for a lot of slow-paced loading screens due to frequent loading screens.
As with any good mystery novel, the real fun lies in unraveling the main plot, and Rain Code does not disappoint in this regard. Each chapter drops a little hint about the setting, introduces new and exciting characters, then wraps up its own little mystery, culminating in a satisfying loop. It’s worth getting to the end of the story, and I hope Kodaka and his team consider further entries in the Master Detective Archives.
Detective gameplay, compelling characters, and a compelling plot serve as compelling evidence to recommend Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE as you make closing arguments in a courtroom overseen by a busty Shinigami. Pace and loading issues aside, the storytelling hallmarks that made the Danganronpa trilogy exhilarating are on full display here. By the end of the game, I had come to truly adore the combination of Yuma and Shinigami. It’s a testament to how well both characters are written and voiced. This murder-filled mystery adventure has some rough edges, but it’s well worth the experience.
