Nintendo released a new clip from its latest game, Detective Pikachu, and it’s a bit of a bizarre one. When the first Japanese trailer dropped for the game, we were all pretty shocked to hear our favorite, adorable yellow Pikachu trade his regular Pokémon-speech for the voice of a middle-aged human man. In this latest clip (via The Verge), Pikachu is still featured talking with a deep, human, male voice, and it is just as bizarre.
Set in Ryme City where humans and Pokémon live side by side, Pikachu and his human friend Tim go on a journey to find Tim’s missing father. The disappearance seems to also be tied to the strange behavior of some of the local Pokémon. And while we love the retro feel of this game with its puzzles and point-and-click fun, this game also feels like a really bizarre entry into the Pokémon franchise, what with Mewtwo brainwashing local Pokémon to attack Ryme City, and the full weight of that responsibility falling on a young boy and his man-voiced Pokémon.
The main thing we just can’t get over is Pikachu’s voice. It’s a truly bizarre choice for Nintendo to make, especially since the rest of the Pokémon in the game don’t seem to share Pikachu’s unique vocal abilities. We know that Ryan Reynolds will be voicing Pikachu in the Detective Pikachu movie, but there’s just something about this old-school film noir detective-style voice that is really unsettling when it comes from an adorable yellow Pokémon in a tiny Sherlock Holmes hat. Whether this is something just happening in Tim’s head (because the clip almost makes it seem like Tim gets all of the credit for Pikachu’s detective work) or if Pikachu’s dulcet tones are his new normal, it’s going to take some time for us to get used to Pikachu’s new sound. Still, we’re excited to see what adventures await us in the game.
What do you think of the new clip for Detective Pikachu? Are you excited for the game? Does Pikachu’s voice bother you, or do you think it’s an interesting development? Let’s talk in the comments!
Images: Nintendo
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