I recently started to go through the genre of mystery adventure video games. This journey started with the Danganronpaseries, then Nintendo’s Famicom Detective Club series, and most notably, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Right before the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, I decided to start one last title on my Switch OLED.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE (2023) was a Switch exclusive published by Spike Chunsoft and was developed by the Danganronpa team. The story follows detective in-training Yuma Kokohead, who has amnesia from a contract he formed through Shinigami, a death god. Throughout the game, he encounters murder cases and has to use Shinigami’s abilities and solve the mysteries of an eternal rainy city, Kanai Ward.

RAIN CODE’s gameplay is structured for you to investigate mysteries and solve the case through the Mystery Labyrinths sections. Through this, you are able to ask yourself the whys and hows of a case, using  the Solution Keys to deduce potential conclusions on how a case happened. RAIN CODE follows a similar structure across each chapter. Players will get used to how each chapter is set up and executed as they investigate and solve each new case.

In RAIN CODE, each chapter plays out in a specific order. There’s the initial exposition/exploration of an area, then you go to the newly available areas of the city, Kanai Ward. The story leads to you investigating the crime that happened, and finally comes solving the mystery through the Mystery Labyrinths.

During the investigation, you will gather Solution Keys, facts of the case from examining the crime scenes and people’s testimony of what occured. Through these facts, you are able to piece together what happened that led to the murder and possibly think of who the culprit is. I have been satisfied with myself for some of my predictions on how things were done.

The Mystery Labyrinths are explorable dungeons manifested by the mysteries in the real world. Making progress requires you to logically answer questions regarding the mystery with Solution Keys from investigations. During this, Yuma and Shinigami go through the Labyrinths, asking questions regarding the case in order to unravel the truth. While going through these labyrinths, questions are asked that I have asked myself regarding the investigation and sometimes I had the answer to it.  Other times, I had to think about the Solution Keys and come up with the logical solutions to how the murders happened. Sometimes, paying attention to entire details can help with the case. For example, the very first case of Chapter 0.

If you are interested and do not want to read more, I highly recommend picking up the game. The Mystery cases and a good cast of the characters were some of my favorites in recent memories. The endgame in particular was a highlight in how it railroads you to the solution before revealing all of its twists. It is on modern platforms with Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE+, a port of the game supporting higher visuals and other features that the Switch version does not have. For those staying, the rest of the article covers the case of Chapter 0.

In Chapter 0, “Massacre on the Amatarasu Express,” has Yuma waking up from amnesia in a storage closet in a train station. He checks his pockets and finds a letter to Yuma Kokohead with a train ticket. The letter tells him to go to Kanai Ward via the Amatarasu Express. Upon arrival, more information will be shared at Kanai Ward. The letter is from the World Detective Organization. Yuma runs to the train platform and barely gets on before departure. He goes through the cars and comes across others on Car 2.

The five onboard reveal that they are each Master Detectives and they all have orders from the WDO to investigate Kanai Ward. Master Detectives are detectives from the WDO with special abilities called Forensic Fortes. Their job is to solve mysteries around the globe.

Zilch Alexander is a master detective with the Forte Animal Investigation. He is able to control and recruit four-legged mammals to use for investigation, such as using mice to overhear others.

Next is Aphex Logan with his Forte Life Detection. He can detect life within a 50-meter radius from him. He is rough with Yuma and the other Master Detectives.

Pucci Lavmin has Audial Aptitude. When concentrating, she can hear anything within a 500-meter radius. She is even able to hear  a heartbeat no matter how still someone is.

Melami Goldmine is a Master Detective who can serve as a spirit medium. She can summon the soul of the dead when she wears the clothes they wore when alive.

Lastly, we have Zange Eraser, the oldest of the group. His Forte is Thoughtography, an ability that allows him to transcribe images of memories into electronic devices. The transcribed image is of what happened 5 minutes prior. The images last around 48 hours, but they can be copied and used more permanently.

After introductions, the detectives cut to the chase over the situation. All were told on their invitations that five Master Detectives would gather on the Amaterasu Express to Kanai Ward. Since there are six of them, one of them is a possible suspect. The five other detectives showed their Detective Deeds, a badge of a Master Detective. Yuma does not have a deed, just his letter from the WDO.

They speculate on the possible culprit and motive. Aphex and Pucci confirmed with their own Fortes that they were the only passengers on the train. They discuss the possibility of Amaterasu Corporation being involved since they set up this train. Zilch explains to Yuma that Amaterasu is a large company that makes many, many products, from toys, industrial goods, electronics, pharmaceuticals, to fighter jets. They are a large corporation that runs the entire city of Kanai Ward.

Since Amaterasu is a large corporation, there is the possibility of how deep their secrets are. With Kanai Ward being their destination, it is essentially run by Amaterasu. Amaterasu built Kanai Ward, with factories, research labs, and affiliate companies. Three years ago, they isolated themselves from the rest of the world, closing entries and departures. And the world turned a blind eye to it, but nobody knows why.

During the discussion, Yuma had a cup of coffee to relax. Soon after, Zange showed his abilities by transcribing an image of Yuma drinking a cup of coffee in front of Melami. While looking at it, Yuma gets dizzy from a headache. He goes to Car 1 to rest in the infirmary. However, it is locked, so he goes to the bathroom. Soon after, he fainted.

Waking up from the haze, he meets a ghost-like spirit. She introduces herself as the Death God, Shinigami, and will be haunting Yuma according to a contract they made. She clarifies that she cannot reveal certain details of the contract, such as Yuma’s past and why he made such a contract. It is part of the contract. They leave the bathroom to check on the Master Detective but upon entering the hallway, Yuma smelled smoke. He goes to the infirmary and sees Zilch laying on the bed, with a knife stabbed on him.

There was a fire started on the end of the sheet covering him. Yuma tries calling out to him but to no avail. The infirmary is locked. He looks around and finds a fire extinguisher on the floor. He uses it to break the window of the door to unlock it. He cuts himself on the glass before opening the door and putting out the fire. Left behind was a burnt corpse of Zilch Alexander.

You discover the body of Zilch, which is when the investigation and the culprit’s plot begin. You try to find the other detectives to tell them that Zilch is dead, but you end up finding the rest of them burned in the rest of the train cars. Melami in Car 2, Pucci in Car 3, Zange in Car 4, and a burnt body beyond recognition in Car 5 with Aphex’s necklace as an identifier.

As you progress through the train, you also find information about the train and certain events that can also give you an idea of what plays out before you have to solve the mystery in the game itself. From my first playthrough, I figured some of the events out during this section of the game for this Chapter, and the rest of the game does give you enough to figure some of it out on your own.

As for the investigation in Ch. 0, it starts with paying attention to the small details at the start that becomes relevant later. Zilch’s body was burnt beyond recognition, with a knife in his chest. Nothing else to note in the infirmary room.

In Car 2, there’s nothing to note regarding Melami’s death, outside of being burnt. But right before you enter Car 3, the train shakes and there’s a brief blackout before the lights return. Then the train enters a tunnel.

In Car 3, you find Pucci burnt in her room. You also find the Central Control Room. You investigate in there and you come across the Route Map and the Status of the Control System. The Route Map shows the rail line from the station to the Kanai Ward. I noticed the tunnel and a route that goes around the tunnel, right before either entrance. As for the Control System, it said that the backup control system is on.

I was still in a panic of seeing the other detectives being burnt, not knowing what was going on.

In Car 4, Zange was dead, in the same manner as Pucci, in his room. With his phone open to the frame of Yuma drinking coffee earlier. Before entering Car 5, the train exits the tunnel and soon after the train shakes again. Yuma recalls the door to Car 5 was locked, so it was curious when it opened with no issues.

Seeing the state of Car 5 and its layout, I started to realize what was happening. The car was burned down, with the number plate burnt on the floor. The layout was familiar to an area from earlier. Then I recalled the map route and the tunnel. I thought this was Car 1. The Car disconnected at some point and went around the tunnel via the other line. Once the main train left the tunnel, it attached at the end, making it Car 5. What added to this was the body found.

The body in Car 5 was burnt beyond recognition, with two notable characteristics. It had Aphex’s necklace as an identifier and a stab wound in the chest area. It was similar to Zilch’s body, with how badly it was burned and the placement of the stab wound. This added to my theory that Car 1 and Car 5 are the same.

This opportunity to investigate and to think about the possibility of what happened from seeing information and experiencing it, becomes useful once you solve the case in the Mystery Labyrinths. It allows you to try and come to your own deductions to come to your own conclusions to how it all happened.

This plays exceptionally well during the late game. The investigations become more than just figuring out how the culprit did it but also setting in the dread of not wanting to know the truth. The truths near the end gave me a sense of dread before I even have to start solving them. The deductions I thought of from the Solution Keys set the darker twists that were to come.

RAIN CODEwas a great mystery game to experience for how I was able to try and figure out the twists of the game before it is revealed before me. I doubt this game is alone in doing this, but it was the first time I noticed while playing a mystery adventure game. Not to mention the characters and the story that happens in this title was a roller coaster of emotions. From a murder in a bell tower to a mass global conspiracy, this title offers a unique experience for the player.