Chicken Police – Paint it RED! is a recent game release by talented game developers The Wild Gentlemen, based in Budapest, Hungary. It’s a mystery-solving detective game, in which you get to play the role of the detective! This indie game was anticipated by gamers and was recently released on the 5th of November 2020. It mirrors 1940’s American perfectly in the fabricated city of Clawville. You will immerse in the world of this animal-filled and bizarre city as crime mysteries will appear that need to be solved. So bring your best investigation hat as you question suspects and piece together clues. You’ll need a top-notch investigating skillset, this is what will win you points on this game. Ask the right questions and think logically. And it’s now available to play on PlayStation 4, Xbox and the Nintendo switch. It’s time to investigate!
What’s the genre?
This game follows a crime mystery which two detectives work tirelessly to solve. Peoples lives are at risk so there’s no time to spare. You will play the role of a talented detective, Sonny Featherland, who is close to retirement. He has had a long history of successful detective cases behind him (so don’t let him down!). He takes on one last case when he’s approached by Miss Deborah Ibanez, an elegant antelope. Little does he know, this will be the biggest case of his career. Ibanez has been sent by her boss for help. We later find out that Ibanez’s boss is Natasha, the girlfriend of the infamous crime kingpin, Iban Westler. He runs the cities underground and is a highly dangerous criminal. You’ll have detective Marty MacChiken by your side to help you solve this case. Oh and if you haven’t already guessed, – you’re both chickens!
What’s the plot of this game?
Sonny and Marty will meet many distinctive and interesting characters along their crime-solving journey. You will have to question as many characters as possible to gather information. Of course, the characters who are deemed as suspects should undergo intense questioning as you piece together the evidence. At first glance, Clawville strikes the detectives as a peaceful and safe city. Where predators and prey live alongside each other in peace. But as the game progresses they start to find out they were very wrong. The welcome sign that says ‘Clawville- the most colourful place in the world’ is definitely misleading (to say the least) – the games in black and white for a start! The characters’ backgrounds get more corrupt as you move forward with your questioning. It’s difficult to not to be engrossed in this game as each character tells their story.
You will spend around 4-6 hours in the world of Clawville (depending on the accuracy of your questioning). During this time you will visit 25 new locations and meet many different animals that inhabit the city – you have a long list of suspects! When questioning each character you will be given 2-4 question options, you must choose the question that you feel is most appropriate. Sonny will always give you a small hint so make sure you pay attention. Depending on the accuracy of your question choice, you will receive negative or positive points towards the investigation. After each character, you will be given a grade for your performance as a detective. However, it must be mentioned that no matter how bad the grades are you can never actually fail the investigation. The game is quite linear and doesn’t allow this to happen. It will let you miss out on small details through your gameplay but not integral parts of the story.
Theme / design
The theme/ design of Chicken Police – Paint it RED! is very distinctive. The game is set in black and white which adds to the mysterious atmosphere and makes the game feel time period accurate. You will hear different jazz songs playing throughout the game which adds to the tone of suspense and enigma of characters. You would think the theme of animal heads attached to human bodies is rather disturbing (it’s not every day that you see this) but surprisingly it’s not. In fact, as the game progresses you will get familiar with the sight of these characters and they start to look very realistic. The voice-over of the characters is flawlessly fitting. The outfits and speech patterns also add to the great character design. The game is filled with action and adventure. So if you love a detective story, this games for you!