Spike Chunsoft has revealed new gameplay details for their upcoming mystery adventure Master Detective Archives: Rain Code. Firstly, the Kanai Ward’s busiest area, the Kamasaki District, is introduced. It houses several shops, pedestrian bridges, and stairs alongside an underground passage leading to a riverbank.
The Sun & Moon Hotel is a notable spot, though it rarely has visitors because of the city’s isolation. Master Detectives are the only usual guests here. On another note, the water here is dangerously polluted due to the Amaterasu Corporation inducing pollution. After the Nocturnal Detective Agency was evicted from a building in the district, they relocated here.
Another newly highlighted area is the high-class commercial Ginma District. The prominent blue lighting gives the place a tranquil vibe and is orderly compared to the Kamasaki District’s appearance. Cafes, restaurants, and landmarks like a clock tower and an art gallery at the public square with two dinosaur fossils are also noteworthy.
Of the last introduced areas is Kanai Station Square, serving as Kanai Ward’s gateway. This station is the only way to enter the city, but it’s now isolated, and the number of travelers is exceptionally low.
Regarding the previously revealed Mystery Labyrinths, their designs will differ depending on the case they embody, reflecting the culprit’s personality and tactics. Puzzles will also spawn here, representing the mysteries that must be solved. They will take form in a myriad of ways, including action-oriented sequences and multiple-choice questions. One of the strangest puzzle implementations regards spelling out words from a rotating barrel the Shinigami resides in.
Reasoning Death Matches will appear multiple times until the entirety of the Labyrinth is dealt with, with the more complicated cases causing more than one Mystery Phantom to cause havoc. The Phantoms’ statements are essentially attacks, requiring the player to dodge, jump and crouch to avoid them.
To combat these Phantoms, the protagonist’s Solution Blade must be equipped with the corresponding Solution Keys found throughout the Labyrinth to contradict their falsities. The slash that results from this action is called a Rebuttal. In addition, a returning element from the Danganronpa games, Noise, will become apparent as pink statements acting as distractions, though they can be slashed away.
Interestingly, despite the Phantoms mimicking the supposed culprits, they’re depicted by Qs, beings that reside in the Mystery Labyrinths and have no connection to who they portray themselves as.
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code has players control an amnesiac detective who is followed by a Shinigami and solve cases by examining crime scenes and evidence. The Shinigami will create a realm connecting the crime scene to the truth. Mystery Phantoms will try to impede your progress, and defeating them by utilizing the truth is the only way to go.
The gameplay comprises exploration throughout the Kanai Ward, which is entirely 3D. Players will have to examine several crime scenes and other locations alongside interviewing involved parties. Hidden clues are emphasized as being hidden via specific camera angles.
- Nintendo Direct September 2022 Coverage
- November 2021 Coverage
- Collector’s Edition Now Available for Pre-Order
- Famitsu Info
- Setting & Gameplay Details; Renders, Screenshots & More
- Translated Denfaminicogamer Kodaka Interview
- Introduction Trailer
- Release Date Trailer & Box Art
- Character Profiles #1
- Character Profiles #2
- World Detective Organization Trailer #1
- Prequel Novel Detailed
- English Screenshots
- World Detective Organization Trailer #2
- No Current Plans to Port the Title Off Switch
Master Detective Archives: Rain Code will launch for Nintendo Switch on June 30, 2023.
