I have not played the original Frog Detective game (The Haunted Island), so Frog Detective 2 (The Case of the Invisible Wizard) was my introduction to the series. Besides a few nods to the first game, there was nothing in the sequel that made me feel like I needed to play the first game. Frog Detective 2 can stand on its own just fine.
Unfortunately, it’s standing on some flimsy legs.
The major appeal of playing as a detective is solving mysteries. That is what detectives do and that is what I expected to do as the Frog Detective himself. Frog Detective 2’s titular mystery was a letdown. Beyond the brevity of the experience — which the developers clearly acknowledge on the Steam store page, to their credit — the detective gameplay wasn’t satisfying at all.
The game brings the Frog Detective to a small town that was planning a parade for its new resident, a mysterious wizard. When the parade is ruined, the townsfolk need the detective to get to the bottom of who spoiled their fun.
At the beginning of the game, players are given a notebook that houses a rundown of all the characters the detective interviews. Each time the detective speaks to a character for the first time, their profile is added to the notebook along with a brief description of their personality and what they’re looking for.
That’s where the game falls flat. Each character you encounter needs a particular item that another character has. There are no clues to find, no real mystery to solve….you’re simply finding items for character A who gives you the item character B wants, who then gives you the item character C wants, who then gives you the item character D wants…and so on.
The final clue turns out to have been in plain sight all along. I honestly don’t remember if the final item was actually there all along or if it spawned in after I gave the last character what they needed. It felt cheap. Even at the end, when the mystery is solved, Frog Detective himself remarks, “I’m slightly disappointed.” So was I.
Frog Detective 2, does have redeeming qualities. The music was great and I enjoyed every minute of it. There is nothing but music and the occasional sound effects, so the fact that the music was as enjoyable to me as it was really saved the game from being a complete letdown. The writing, as well, was great. It’s lighthearted, charming and, along with the music, it helped the gameplay experience be somewhat enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the music and writing weren’t enough for me. I wanted to solve a mystery, not play as an amphibious errand boy. Frog Detective teases you with a mystery, gives your a magnifying glass you can use but will never need, and sends you to a town where the residents are all friends but somehow refuse to give one another the items they need until the Frog Detective shows up.
It just didn’t add up for me.
Frog Detective 2 was reviewed using a retail copy provided to Epic Brew by the publisher.
