Every puzzle has an answer, however grisly it may be.
In 2017, Kazutaka Kodaka and others who worked on the Danganronpa trilogy split off from Spike Chunsoft to form Too Kyo Games. One of the notable releases from this departure was World’s End Club, a title for which I had a great deal of anticipation. While that game failed to live up to the greatness of Kodaka’s earlier works, in teaming back up with Spike Chunsoft to create Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, Too Kyo Games have created a lengthy but entertaining dark adventure that feels deserving of being its own series.
RAIN CODE follows the exploits of Yuma Kokohead, a trainee detective with the World Detective Organization (WDO). Yuma is sent to rainy Kanai Ward to help solve a global mystery, but his amnesia means he doesn’t fully understand his task and purpose. Throughout the story Yuma is followed and mentored by the death god Shinigami, who facilitates many of the game mechanics and offers up much of its humor. Whether she’s berating Yuma or acting jealous about him giving attention to another girl, Shinigami adds a nice levity to balance out the dark, drizzly setting and the murder and macabre of each chapter. Her transformation from a small ghostly tag along to a chesty and uninhibited woman is a perfect example of how RAIN CODE juxtaposes a playful mood with tension and death.
Across each of its six chapters, RAIN CODE follows a similar structure. The first third involves the set up of a story and some light exploration. Yuma also has a chance to complete brief sidequests here to earn Detective Points that can unlock a variety of perks. The second part sees Yuma and Shinigami conducting an investigation of the murder scene and other areas of interest. The pair are typically joined by a fellow detective character who has joined Yuma in Kanai Ward, and these moments offer fun dialogue exchanges that show off the game’s excellent writing and voice acting. Looking over elements of the crime scene and collecting “keys” to use in the final phase is straightforward but remains engaging throughout.
The third and generally longest segment of every chapter focuses on putting all the clues together to solve the central murder/mystery that has taken place. Enter the Mystery Labyrinth, a supernatural representation of the world wherein Yuma does battle with the culprit or anyone standing in the way of the truth being uncovered. While long walking segments in the Labyrinth do offer a chance for exposition to take place, they also feel like padding that can drag down the experience. Fortunately, there are a variety of mini-game type segments that are very much inspired by Danganronpa. The most common one is the Reasoning Death Match where Yuma squares off against a phantom intent on refuting the facts of the case. Here, Yuma uses the clues acquired through his investigation to slice through the phantom’s incorrect assertions in a dodge-’em-up style action sequence. Other events include a Hangman-like game with a bikini-clad Shinigami, an assortment of quick-time events, and a comic book with panels to fill in.
There’s no ignoring the fact that the theme of death is ever-present in RAIN CODE. From the opening, tutorial-style chapter and its multiple homicides and the fact that solving each crime results in a punishment of death for those responsible, Yuma’s detective exploits are shrouded in darkness, matching the game’s shadowy setting. While you do have a chance to explore different districts of the city, there isn’t a lot of visual variety to the environments. In fact, the minute-to-minute look is actually quite muddy and washed out; the character art and some of the cutscenes are the lone aesthetic highlights. The Switch performance is largely fine except for the copious number of loading screens, which end up dragging down the pacing as they frequently pop up.
Like with any good mystery story, the real joy comes from the unraveling of the main plot, and RAIN CODE does not disappoint in this regard. The way in which each chapter drops minor hints about the setting, introduces new and exciting characters, and then wraps up its own smaller mystery culminates in a satisfying loop. Getting to the end of the story is worthwhile, and I’m hopeful we’ll see Kodaka and his team consider further Master Detective Archives entries.
As we present final arguments to a court overseen by a busty death god, the detective gameplay, captivating characters, and enticing plot serve as compelling evidence for recommending Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE. Pacing and loading issues aside, the signature brand of storytelling that made the Danganronpa trilogy so refreshing is on full display here. I genuinely grew to adore the pairing of Yuma and Shinigami by the game’s end, and that’s a testament to how well both characters are written and voiced. There are some rough patches in this murder-filled mystery adventure, but it’s a ride well worth experiencing.
