Detective Pikachu finally got a release date at today’s Nintendo Direct. It’s been two years since the game debuted in Japan, and for a while, it looked like it would never see the light of day in the West. Fans can rejoice though, since not only is Detective Pikachu coming out soon, it’s bringing a giant XL amiibo with it.
In the world of Pokemon, most creatures act like smart animals. Few of them speak English, even fewer actually pursue human professions. However, one day a boy discovers a Pikachu that’s different. In Detective Pikachu you play as Tim Goodman and partner with the super-smart Detective Pikachu.
To solve cases in the game, you’ll walk around crime scenes, look for clues, and interview people and Pokemon to get the info you need to solve the case. This decidedly weird Pokemon spin-off plays more like an adventure game than the monster battling RPGs we’re used to.
Detective Pikachu makes its debut in North American and Europe on March 23, 2018, and comes out the next day, March 24, in Australia. If after playing you can’t get your fill of this strange side-story, a movie based on Detective Pikachu in under production by Legendary Pictures and is slated to release on May 10, 2019.