A Cluckin' Fun Detective Story--Chicken Police

I've been on the lookout for cheap-ish but still enjoyable games popping up on Steam as part of their random sales.  I decided to roll the dice on an interesting but potentially odd-ball game--namely Chicken Police: Paint it Red!  For $9.79 I got to enjoy a somewhat predictable, but strangely creative film-noir style point-and-click story...starring anthopomorphized animals.

Sonny and Marty hash out the details.

What is it?

Chicken Police: Paint it Red! is a point-and-click detective story with a classic film noir setting and feeling.  Players follow the storied detective Santino Featherland as he tries to solve a case that involves a series of threatening messages aimed toward the local femme-fatale--Natasha Catzenko.  Like any good film-noir style story, it starts off with a pretty lady who has an unfortunate problem showing up in the office of a down-and-out detective who has had a bad run of luck.  The clincher that makes Chicken Police unique...the characters are all animals.

Part of the gameplay revolves around investigating different areas for clues.  The other part is interrogating people to learn pertinent facts related to the case.  Everything is point-and-click, so the mechanics are all simple.

I finished the story in 8 hours (and possibly missed 1 location) and that seems to be a pretty standard amount of playtime.  I didn't try to 100% anything (which might have taken longer but would've required looking up a guide.

Pros:

+ The anthropomorphic characters give the world and characters a unique spin.  Different types of animals live together in the city of Clawville--predators, prey, and insects--and the world has been developed with a deeper amount of lore than one would expect from a point-and-click detective game where you play a chicken detective.  

+ It's forgiving (maybe a bit too forgiving...) and there are plenty of chances to re-play interrogations you mess up.  Each time you interrogate a new suspect you receive a score based on how well you manage to keep the interrogation on the right track.  The goal is to pick the correct questions (based on character traits you learn during the interrogation) and to keep the conversation on track.  You're offered the chance to immediately re-play interrogation sequences once you've finished.

+ It has a fun film-noir feel--from the black and white graphics to the general vibe of the characters and world.  If classic films and old school detective stories are your jam, it'll be right up your alley.  Personally, I enjoyed the classic movie posters with new animal stars and names.

+ The story is somewhat predictable but was still entertaining.

+ The voice acting is shockingly good.  It's also carefully crafted to give the game that film-noir vibe.  The dialogue is pretty good and includes plenty of animal themed jokes.

Cons:

- It's the type of game that you'll probably play exactly once--for the price of $10, I guess that's fine.

- I wish some of the mechanics were a little bit deeper.  For example, there is an inventory where you can collect items pertinent to the investigation.  You can sort of take a closer look at the items (they will get somewhat larger and there's some commentary on the item) but I wish you could inspect it for clues.

- Most of the "puzzle" type of scenarios in the game are very simple but can be frustrating.  Namely, I wish there were a few nudges to point you in the right direction if you get stuck.

Recommendation:

I found Chicken Police to be a unique and fun detective game.  There's nothing overly difficult about it and the story, characters, and lore are entertaining.  If you are looking for something light, short, and fun, it'd be a great buy for about $10 (I'd grab it on sale give the fact that it's a one and done kind of deal).