Note: The images you will find in this article were captured on the Steam versions of the Frog Detective episodes.
Peacekeeper, but above all a detective
If I say investigation game to you, you surely have several titles that come to mind. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One For example, Alan Wake 2, Paradise Killerthe series of Ace Attorney, LA Noire or even Return of the Obra Dinn. So many games which have, at first glance, not much in common, except this initial idea of an investigation, police or not. Let us add to this consistent list of very distant titles a certain Frog Detective: The Enchanted Islandthe first part of a trilogy featuring, I’ll give it to you, the Frog Detective. A low poly game, in other words it can seem rudimentary, which adds to its charm. Few titles feature such a simplistic yet effective and memorable aesthetic. So there’s no need to try to create realistic graphics to leave a lasting impression on players.
In Frog Detective: The Enchanted Island (Or The Haunted Island in English, which doesn’t exactly mean the same thing, but let’s move on), you therefore play Detective Frog, who begins the adventure in his office. A small room of three square meters at most, which contains only a photograph, two small tables, and a telephone. The latter begins to sound as you familiarize yourself with controls in first person view, in first person if you prefer. When you pick up, you begin a discussion with The Boss, who is, as his name rather openly suggests, your boss. So far, nothing too complicated. He has a big investigation on his hands, and he wanted to involve his best agent in it. Unfortunately, Inspector Langoustine is already busy, so it’s up to you to take care of it…
From the first minute, we understand that the game is not taken, and will never be taken, seriously. This first dialogue is absurd, and therefore rather surprising, clearly giving a glimpse of what awaits you for the rest of the adventure… and in the next two, for that matter. In other words, a lot of humor, a small gallery of completely crazy characters, and bizarre situations, which add to this offbeat atmosphere. So many elements which constitute the qualities of this series for which it is difficult to find faults, apart, it is true, from a very short lifespan, fortunately counterbalanced by very affordable prices (the titles can also be purchased in batches). If you wait for a promotion, you can get the complete trilogy for less than five euros on Steam, which is to say nothing at all.
At this price, however, don’t expect devious investigations and advanced gameplay. You are there to laugh, have a good time, and nothing more. The developer’s intentions are modest, but honest. Whatever the game, you will find yourself on a small space (an island, a village of five houses, and a town in the Far West) in which several characters will wait quietly for you to come and talk to them. Everyone has a little something to say about the events that led to the investigation, and they often have a request for you. In truth, due to its simplicity, and the fact that we are generally placed on rails, the series could almost be described as a Visual Novel. All we ultimately do is chat with the different and strange protagonists, who all have a little something funny.
And it’s very good like that, especially since each episode adds a little extra subtlety to the recipe, so that we still have the impression of not playing exactly three chapters of the same game. Subtleties which hardly bring new ways of playing, however, so you might as well know where you are putting your feet. If reading, even short, well-written dialogues (damn well translated into French) doesn’t interest you, then you’re not made for it. Frog Detective (turn instead to Untitled Goose Game in a pinch). However, if you feel like enjoying some well-felt dialogues, which will bring you many smiles and a few hearty laughs, then you can go for it with your eyes closed, we guarantee that you will not regret it.
Because few titles convey good humor so easily, even if we are not in the condition to receive it. This is also the whole reason for writing this article: the start of the year is not easy! It’s cold, we’re coming out of drunken parties, the weather is turning gray, and spring seems far away, hidden behind the layers of ice that make our car slip in the morning when we leave for work.
So we really wanted to recommend this little trio of fun games, full of good feelings, for which writing a proper review wouldn’t really have made sense: not only are we talking about extremely short titles, but what’s more, the gameplay is reduced to its strict minimum. And then, as mentioned earlier, Frog Detective it is above all dialogues, a story, and incredible situations narrated in an absurd tone. So, if your heart tells you to warm your soul by the fire (or the radiator), sipping a good hot chocolate while enjoying experiences full of good feelings, you know where to go!