Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club

"In the end, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club successfully bridges the gap between classic and modern visual novel formats with ease. Because while, on the surface, it appears to share a lot in common with the revitalised …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a superbly told story, and is engaging from start to finish."

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a great return to the novel graphic formula. A title that is not for everyone, but perfect for the fans of this kind of experiences."

"When you buy Emio: The Smiling Man, you get a solid visual novel with good detective work throughout the entire game. But I think the developers lost track of what they wanted when they mixed crime and drama storylines, and …"

"After the remake of the first two episodes of Famicom Detective Club I was really hoping for a return of the franchise, and Emio - The Smiling Man does not disappoint thanks to first-class art direction, an interesting plot and …"

"The story is around 12 hours to complete and, as I mentioned above, there were some bugs and some minor gameplay frustrations. But do give it a chance if you enjoy strong narratives that keep you on the edge of …"

"Although not without its faults in due part to the trial-and-error situations that require exhausting all options in conversations, Emio - The Smiling Man is a game that will keep fans glued to the end, topped off with a very …"

"I lost sleep over this game. I can’t stop thinking about it, and reminiscing about my favorite moments gives me chills. It’s haunting, funny, beautiful, tragic, and so very human. I did not know Nintendo was capable of publishing something …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a gripping, well-crafted, and thoroughly solid detective adventure that leaves players wanting more. I sincerely hope this won’t be the final entry in the series, as there are far too few …"

"It gives just what one expects. Few surprises in the gameplay, but quite a few in the plot, which is what it is about, in this case. Ideal for those who want a slow-paced adventure."

"Emio - the Smiling Man has a good story to tell, held hostage by mechanics from the early days of Japanese interactive fiction that refuse to give way to fresher, more current game design ideas. It&s;s a bit of a …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is an intriguing option for Nintendo Switch users looking for a mature and dark story. The game allows players to find a wide cast of characters, any of whom might be considered …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club improves on the old-school mystery visual novel mechanics that the 2021 remakes refined, eliminating some of the trial-and-error frustration while keeping things focused on interviews with witnesses. While the mystery of Emio …"

"A visual novel rated 17+ that will appeal to fans of the genre and the Famicom Detective Club series, and will be able to capture the general player audience with its story and visuals."

"Emio - The Smiling Man looks like it came out from the &s;80s, thanks to gameplay mechanics unbelievably dated that hold up its true potential."

"Despite thin detective gameplay that may be light on actual deduction, Emio — The Smiling Man makes up for that with a slow-burn visual novel story that goes in completely unexpected directions. Its grisly tone and M-rating may feel surprising …"

"Nintendo&s;s commitment is evident, with competent voice acting, attractive graphics and, overall, a project with a strong identity. The narrative presents moments of suspense effectively, remaining creative, exciting, fun and sinister, without ever losing interest."

"More than just a blast from the past, Emio fully revitalizes the Famicom Detective Club series, making it better than ever before."

"While it doesn&s;t reinvent the wheel, Emio - The Smiling Man succesfully uses drama and horror to great effect, crafting a story that&s;s equal parts gripping and shocking."

"Emio: The Smiling Man – Famicon Detective Club delivers a gripping, genuinely creepy and intriguing detective themed adventure, which will satisfy both adventure and visual novel fans. The mature subject matter feels fresh and unique, especially for Nintendo Switch owners …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is an amazing offering from Nintendo and a welcome addition of something more mature for their catalogue. It offers a tight and engaging story that fans of mystery stories are really going …"

"For fans of murder mysteries, thrillers, and visual novels, Emio: The Smiling Man is a must-buy. For everyone else, it’s a solid recommendation with some caveats. You’ll have to adjust to an old-school play style, and it won’t deliver the …"

"Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a successful homage to the venerable series, which tells an enticing story despite its repetitive nature."

"Nintendo and MAGES defy all expectations, delivering a grim murder mystery filled with heartbreaking characters and a tragic narrative that stands among the visual novel genre&s;s best. Hopeful just as much as it is haunting, Emio - The Smiling Man: …"

"To say anything else about Emio would be doing you all a disservice, as it’s a winding, twisting mystery that is best enjoyed unspoiled. If you did play the remakes of the first two Famicom Detective Club titles then you’ll …"

"The brand new Detective Club title brings very compelling plot luring players to discover murders and mystery. On the other hand, gaming options might be limited and linear for some adventurers &s; if you come for the lengthy dialogues and …"

"If you can look past the often frustrating and confusing gameplay design, Emio – The Smiling Man will blow you away with a dark, gripping tale full of major twists and tragic turns. The game’s great character writing coupled with …"

"Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club really sneaks up on you. For much of its runtime the game is a likable, if somewhat by the book, throwback detective visual novel, but Nintendo swings big in terms of narrative …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man has a rich, empathetic heart, there&s;s just not enough of it. Solid character work and a decent setting can&s;t get around the fact that the game isn&s;t ever all that thrilling."

"Emio – The Smiling: Famicom Detective Club is presented as an authentic detective experience with which Nintendo has met each and every one of the expectations. Both its plot, as well as the characters and its development, is a real …"

"Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club is a chilling and atmospheric visual novel that brings the long-dormant detective series back with a haunting mystery and mature themes. While its gameplay is limited and occasionally frustrating, (most of) the …"

"Emio - The Smiling Man has been hyped up a little too much in terms of how dark in tone the whole thing is. This is still silly, kooky stuff, just like its predecessors. The sometimes frustrating core mechanics also …"

"While presenting the same structural conformation as the episodes published 30 years ago and without trying to correct the slight congenital distortions, Emio, the Smiling Man, offers a story robust and flowing enough to keep players glued for its entire …"

"Famicom Detective Club’s third entry will sate fans but isn’t compelling enough to bring in new players."

"I can see why longtime Famicom Detective Club producer Yoshio Sakamoto was so excited to share the story of this game. Emio - The Smiling Man is an intriguing story that takes us on a deeply emotional journey. The characters, …"

""Visually stunning, yet otherwise dated murder mystery.""

"Just because something has dark themes like mental illness and domestic abuse doesn&s;t suddenly make it a great commentary on them. Games such as Mother 3 and Captain Rainbow being left unlocalized compared to the cavalcade of embarrassment in Emio …"