Mouse: P.I. For Hire Preview - Spilling Buckets of Ink

I've been following Mouse: P.I. For Hire for quite a while now, and it really is awesome to see a game grow into something truly special. The progress Fumi Games has made since first showing off Mouse is nothing short of incredible.

To that end, I was honored to get a hands-off look at Mouse: P.I. For Hire during Summer Game Fest 2025. We followed the protagonist, Jack Pepper, as he shoots his way through an Opera House in order to prevent an assassination.

Taking on Big Mouse

Before my presentation, I was under the impression Mouse: P.I. For Hire was a boomer shooter. The type of FPS that's mostly pure run-and-gun, non-stop shooting. That perception is wrong, and I'm actually glad to see it's something much more.

Boomer shooters are great and all, but it's quite a saturated field at this point. Mouse: P.I. For Hire may or may not have started development as a simple shooter, but it's definitely grown into its own thing.

It's more narrative-laden and exploration of levels also seems to be emphasized in the demo. Jack Pepper talks with several different NPCs throughout the demo, and each character has its own voice actor, too.

Jack Pepper is voiced by Troy Baker, so you know that his performance is going to knock it out of the park. Other characters have a squeaky, gangster-like accent which is what I'd expect from the noir vibes Mouse: P.I. For Hire is going for.

So, our player explores ways to enter the Opera House to prevent an assassination of a mouse named Stilton. It's a bit difficult to understand the context of the story at this point, but the main thing I want to focus on is that there is definitely a goal in the story Jack is working towards. 

He combs his way through this Opera House, first incognito through the kitchen (staffed by cartoonish mice, of course) then through an air duct. Either way, his plans on going in quiet go awry, and it's time to take out the big guns.

Spilling Ink

Gunplay in Mouse: P.I. For Hire looks nothing short of excellent. Every 2D element in the game is hand-drawn the old-school way, so that means guns are expertly animated, as are various NPCs, since they're all 2D too.

Guns have this wiggly look to them that oozes with old fashioned charm. Everything about the firing animations are exaggerated. Enemies die in the goofiest ways. Words really can't do it justice.

One gun, in particular, left me laughing. The Turpentine Gun melts enemies, literally. Since Mouse: P.I. For Hire enemies are hand-drawn, turpentine, a paint, strips their skin down to the bone. Regular guns make enemies bleed ink, which is just as ridiculous and silly.

After fighting through various rooms across this surprisingly large opera house, we reach the backstage and foil the assassination plot. Prima Donna, a portly mouse, drops from the ceiling and attacks Jack. 

A short mini-boss battle ensues. Prima Donna seems tough, but it's nothing you can't handle. Her gimmick is charging after you, so dodging and weaving is the key here. She takes more bullets than your normal enemy,  but the turpentine gun makes short work of her. 

Mouse: P.I. For Hire Preview | Final Thoughts

The remainder of the demonstration involves a chaotic, mad dash to the exit of the building. The building is now burning down, and various enemies are charging after you while parts of the environment crumble away, trying to bar your path.

I really can't praise Mouse: P.I. For Hire enough. It's a game that oozes with creativity in a genre that's already highly competitive. I would still love to get my hands on it and play it for myself, but for now, just watching it is more than enough to know I'm sold. 

Mouse: P.I. For Hire was previewed Summer Game Fest.