Customer Reviews

Touch Detective 2 1/2

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this little game! TD 2 1/2 is even better than the first TD. The strength of these games is that they don't depend on random minigames to progress the plot like so many other titles. The developers of TD aren't lazy. Everything you do--find, use, and combine objects, search places, question the many quirky inhabitants of this odd little town--makes sense within the context of the game. And the dialogue is quite witty, in the mold of the Phoenix Wright series.

I agree with the previous reviewer that the gameplay is too short--you can't play these games for weeks at a time like you can with the Harvest Moon series. But that's the nature of the whodunit genre. I'm looking forward to more TDs!

"Touch Detective 2 1/2", even though it sounds like it's awesome, isn't so great. Since I enjoyed playing the first "Touch Detective", I wanted to play this one, thinking it was going to be good also.

This game has five episodes. I was happy to hear that, except when I began to play I got through two episodes in a day- they were way too easy. The first game was more challenging and I actually got stuck a few times, while in this one I never got stuck. It was completely predictible.

"Touch Detective 2 1/2" has one "enemy" that shows up in each of the episodes. It gets tiring to know who it is that's causing the trouble. All one has to do is figure out what the trouble is. The surprise of figuring out who's the "enemy" vanishes in this game.

There are a new set of characters, although we still have some of the main ones from the last game- Mackenzie (obviously), Funghi, Penelope, Chloe, Cromwell, and a few shopkeepers and skeleton-looking people. Some of the new characters are not as interesting as in the previous game. Some of them are even quite annoying- the dialogue seems to drag on forever.

New locations were added to this game and they are quite great, actually- some of the new investigation places are fun to explore; however, others (not many, though) seem completely pointless. Locations from the previous game that are included are Mackenzie's house (again, obviously), the shopping place and the apartments.

There's a "Bonus Episode", which isn't really an episode because one just goes around collecting information, running errands and participating in games. Again, it's easy and made the game slightly boring.

I gave "Touch Detective 2 1/2" three stars for fun because some of the new locations are fun to explore and the game just keeps one occupied, even when it's uninteresting. Overall, it's two stars because it was too easy to play, which makes it disappointing.

I've always been kind of a fan of Adventure games, ever since I played "The Curse of Monkey Island," as a young child. I haven't actually played very many of them since then, but I have a certain fondness for the MacGyver-esque way they're played. This game really captures the best of what an adventure game is. Very low risk, logic based gameplay. Sometimes you get into zany situations, but the way out of them is always pretty straight forward.

Some gameplay issues: Sometimes I had to walk around in circles talking to different people trying to figure out who I'd failed to interrogate. Also, there are some unresolved plot issues. That could be wishful thinking for a sequel. Also, the difficulty level is pretty low, so if you're sharp and you don't have much to do, this could be a one-nighter.

Regardless, the characters are cute and interesting, and the plot is quirky and kid friendly.

I love this game! I haven't completed it at the time of this review, but I am on case 4. Atlus is known for making great games and this is another one that has the humor,cute animation, and interesting storyline.
The story revolves around a cute little super-def. girl named Mackenzie. She is a detective and has a little mushroom(?) sidekick that can't talk, but helps along the way. There is a great cast of characters ranging from cute to peculiar. The point of the game is to touch things to find out information about them, as well as add them to your list as an extra. Question everyone, find items and use them in the right places to figure out the puzzles, and replay to find things you may have missed. Another great thing about this is the replay value of collecting things and the extras menu that has screen-shots, music, and profiles from the game. If you like the mystery games, Japanese games, you will like this. Not recommended for little kids because you have to figure things out and it's alot of text reading.

Despite the fact that it is a kid's game, I loved it! Thoroughly cute, fun characters, and simple stories. Some if the tasks were difficult to figure out, but I liked it so much I'm buying the first one. It's a lot like Myst for the PC or Xbox, but with an adorable, anime feel!

After playing and enjoying the first Touch Detective, I was quite excited to get my hand on the sequel! I was hoping that this game would deliver more of the surrealist and quirky story, characters, and humor that the original game did, and I wasn't disappointed...

Graphics (score 8/10): Well, the graphics are exactly the same as the first game's visuals. They are cute-looking cartoony-style visuals. Everything is very detailed and crisp with no fuzziness, so it makes it easy to see everything in the environment. Overall, they are quite nice.

Music (score 7/10): The music is pretty good, but not spectacular. The tracks set the tone for each area pretty well (and are nice to listen to while you play), but you probably wouldn't want to own the soundtrack or anything (if a soundtrack actually existed). There are some cute sound effects here and there, but no voice acting.

Characters (score 8/10): Many of the characters from the original game make a return here: Mackenzie the main character who is a self-proclaimed detective, Penelope, her ditzy best friend who loves bananas way too much, and Chloe, her irritable friend who is always trying to be a better detective than her (but fails at it). Oh, and Mackenzie's creepy butler Cromwell also makes a return. If you've played the original, you'll also notice the return of several side characters, but the game also injects some new characters to keep you from getting bored. One significant side character is the "cornstalker" who serves as a recurring antagonist who always steals things. He basically shows up every episode and steals something, which creates a case for Mackenzie to solve; this helps tie episodes together better than the random nature of the original game's story. The rest of the side characters are quirky enough to be interesting, and the main characters, while they don't show any real character growth, do have distinct and amusing personalities to keep you entertained.

Story (score 8/10): If you've played the original Touch Detective, then you already know what you're in for here. If not, then I'll explain. Basically, Touch Detective 2 ½ is more of a surrealist experience than a detective game. I guarantee that this game is nothing like any other detective-themed games you may have played in the past (such as Jake Hunter or even Phoenix Wright). The "mysteries" you solve (if I can even call them that) are often so weird as to be completely crazy (such as when you must find out who stole all the pink noodles in town and replaced them with white noodles - then it turns out that a guy dressed as a stalk of corn did it in order to somehow open up a portal to an inter-dimensional treasure). Everything that happens in this game just feels surreal. Well, you may be wondering if the actual story is any good. It really depends on what you mean by "good". It's certainly weird. It was weird enough to be entertaining. I can't say that the story is emotionally gripping or anything but it's certainly an interesting experience... Really, your main incentive to continue in the story is just to see what crazy thing will happen next. If this sounds appealing to you, then you'd probably enjoy the story. If this sounds horrible to you, then you'd probably best avoid this game. I personally enjoyed myself quite a bit once I got used to it. Just don't go into the is game expecting your typical detective game.

Gameplay (score 7/10): This is a bit of a catch-all category for me. Well, Touch Detective 2 ½ DOES feature a return of a lot of the previous locations from the first game, but it wisely also includes new places to explore (there's even a train journey at one point). This is good for those who played the original so that they won't be bored. As for the actual puzzle solving and detective gameplay, it's exactly the same as the original game. The controls work great: you use the stylus for everything, including character movement, and basically you just tap on things to investigate and tap on items to use them, etc. It's all very intuitive and I had no problem with it. Also, the control scheme is exactly the same as the original game, so since I've already played that, I didn't even need to go through the tutorial. Now, let's talk about the puzzles themselves. If you haven't played the original game, then you probably won't be expecting just how weird the answers are. Just like the original game, the world of Touch Detective is a very surreal, strange place that plays fast and loose with logic and reality. In fact, this game series will probably make you a better lateral thinker than any of those old "brain teaser" questions. For example, near the beginning of the game, Mackenzie is asked by one of the town's strange residents for a digging tool to help dig a hole for his goldfish pond. What do you find for him? A shovel? No. A jackhammer? Nope. You solve this by giving him a high-powered electric egg beater. It just gets more crazy from there. Honestly, it's somewhat refreshing to play such a weird game because just trying to solve their crazy problems is entertaining in and of itself, but it is also the game's main detriment in that it can be difficult sometimes to figure out exactly what you need to do. Sometimes there is a lot of frustrating wandering around talking to everyone and trying all your items on EVERYTHING due to the fact that you often have no idea what crazy thing will yield you the right result. On the other hand, even though there were confusing parts, once you get the hang of this game's logic it gets easier to figure out what you need to do.

Overall (score 8/10): NOTE this score is not an average; it's my subjective overall score. Well, I had lots of fun with this sequel. If you're looking for a fun surrealist artistic experience under the guise of a detective game, then this is a good choice for you. I do, however, strongly suggest you pick up the original and play it first. Although the story is explanatory enough that you could play them out of order, there are lots of references to the first game in this sequel, so you'll be getting more out of it if you play the original first. This sequel is pretty much exactly the same as the original game in gameplay style, narrative style, etc., so if you liked that one and want more of the same, then give Touch Detective 2 ½ will satisfy. Even if you haven't played the original Touch Detective, if you are just in the mood for a weird point-and-click adventure game, then give this game a try!

Maybe a little too easy for him, better for a younger crowd, but he seemed to enjoy it.

I really can't figure out this game. Have to ask a 10 year old.

Atlus' first Touch Detective for the DS had an undeniable charm, but alas was too linear and shallow for it's own good. Touch Detective 2 1/2 is no different as it offers more of the same in terms of gameplay and presentation, which makes it basically the same game you've played before. Now, this may not be such a bad thing for those who actually enjoyed the first game, but for the rest of us, there's really nothing to see here. Young and touchy detective Mackenzie returns to solve the five cases that make up Touch Detective 2 1/2, and depending on how much you enjoyed the first game will decide how much you enjoy this outing. Like the previous game, Touch Detective 2 1/2's most entertaining moments come from interrogating various people, thanks to the insanely hilarious dialogue and Mackenzie's own inner thoughts. The art style still offers plenty of charm and personality, even though most of it is used again from the last game. What really kills Touch Detective 2 1/2 are the same things that did in the previous installment: the repetitive and shallow gameplay, and just plain inane puzzle elements. Combine these with the overly linear feel of the game, and you get pretty much what we got the last time around. The first Touch Detective was a surprise hit when released, and for those who enjoyed that game, you'll probably dig this sequel to some extent. For the rest of us though, Touch Detective 2 1/2 is best left on the shelf.

I have had fun with this game, although it is kind of silly and annoying at times. If you dont like games where you have to read alot then you wont like this game. It is just a silly fun game.