Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 70 | 11 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 77% | 72 | 855 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 87% | 81 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 7 reviews sampled · 6 total reviews in window · weighted 4 up / 0.6 down · computed 17m ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (26)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Despite some instances of odd acting, The Shapeshifting Detective is a fun supernatural crime drama that will leave you wanting more. This works well, since the story can be finished in a short amount of time. Coupled with a variety of decisions and character interactions via the shapeshifting mechanic, this gritty detective story is a great entry for the Switch library.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The Shapeshifting Detective is a unique game with noir vibrations and the flavor of Twin Peaks, which offers 4 hours of real screen enjoyment with mysterious events, people who reliably guard their secrets, and a killer-maniac capable of delivering the next blow in any moment of the story.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The Shapeshifting Detective is certainly an unusual game, which means it won't appeal to everyone. It focuses much more on conversation and characters than puzzle solving. The clever use of multiple identities to reveal new bits of information brings satisfaction in itself. Between the excellent acting performances, additional set pieces, and tonal background music, you'll enjoy the game from start to finish.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“If you’re down for a somewhat unusual narrative where you’re a very active participant, able to hit characters from a variety of angles to tease out the truth, The Shapeshifting Detective may appeal to you. As long as you walk in with the expectation that there’s only so much room for player choice it may not be too disappointing. Compared to previous titles as a whole this entry feels a bit more jerky with the camera work and isn’t quite as cohesive, but it is certainly a novel experience with some decent acting propping it up. To get a taste for it’s style it is definitely recommended that you check out some video of the gameplay first to see if it suits you.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Shapeshifting Detective is a bit of a disappointment overall, but the central concept is very interesting and well-implemented. It might be somewhat underwhelming, but genre fans will find it worth a look.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Shapeshifting Detective is an interesting idea that seems to have love and care put into it. Unfortunately, it's a little too basic, and despite the gimmick of changing into other characters, becomes dull after about an hour of play. The actual narrative is an interesting case however, with additional hinted backstory for your main character, which is somewhat compelling. The visuals and tone are good too, but the hit and miss acting and slow pace make for a slightly underwhelming shapeshifting whodunnit.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“At its core, The Shapeshifting Detective has a good hook and a compelling enough story structure, but is marred by not feeling like your choices matter, uneven pacing, and the impression that not all the story beats were well thought out or executed. Without sticking the landing on either the story or interactivity, what had potential to be great feels more middle of the pack.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I can only recommend this if you feel like something different, or you’ve got some company around to enjoy trying to figure it out with. It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not a fast paced roller-coaster of suspense. But it is a delightful, self-aware romp that plays more like Clue! and less like Identity, so have a laugh with it.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Wales Interactive deliver a game that excels in taking the player into a mysterious and unsettling place rife with oddball characters, creepy radio stations and untimely death. However, it is not without issue and at times feels a little disjointed in delivery.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Acceptable murder mystery FMV game with poor actors, fair story and good replayability. ”
read full review ↗ - 60
“All in all, The Shapeshifting Detective is a functional but disappointing experience. The investigation lacks the twists and turns of a truly suspenseful narrative and the overriding feeling of weirdness is never really allowed to take centre stage. My initial playthrough seemed to end before it really got started and even though I correctly targeted the murderer, I didn't feel that this was anything more than a lucky guess. If you haven't yet played Doctor Dekker then I would recommend that over this any day. If the idea of a digital murder mystery night floats your boat, then there is still plenty to enjoy in The Shapeshifting Detective, but it does nothing to really advance the genre or push the envelope. It's sadly mediocre rather than transformative.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The Shapeshifting Detective is another example in the return of games based on the use of Full Motion Video and one which boasts a very good quality in that medium. The environment of mystery and suspense and the ability of the protagonist to assume the shape of any character stand out as the game's best qualities at the same time that a certain lack of interactivity and a plot with pacing issues keep this work from becoming a must buy.”
read full review ↗
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NintendoWorldReport
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TheSixthAxis
FNintendo…and 14 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- The Shapeshifting Detective is on sale!Apr 26, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Minor UpdateSep 14, 2021
- More languages now supported!May 13, 2019
- The Shapeshifting Detective is on sale!Mar 4, 2019
- New Feature: Skip SceneNov 14, 2018significant · resets scoring window