Xbox Game Pass just quietly released the most inventive horror detective game of the decade

Late last year, pop culture enthusiasts became embroiled in an online debate in which fans argued over which fictional detective could solve the supernatural Kira case from the film. Obituary anime. The list of potential detectives included everyone from real-life music journalist Nardwuar the Human Serviette to Columbo to Phoenix Wright to Detective Pikachu. But one name overlooked in the sleuthing zeitgeist was a rookie detective from an underrated horror game who recently got a second chance to show his genius on Xbox Game Pass.

In FireworksDeveloped by Shiying Studio, you play as a rookie investigator named Lin Lixun, who is tasked with investigating a fire that broke out during a funeral in a remote mountain town. From the very beginning, something is amiss in the misty town: creepy paper dolls appear out of nowhere and doors materialize in the bloodstained brick walls of abandoned buildings. To make matters even more dangerous, Lin must reinvestigate a cold case of family murder in order to solve his current endeavor.

While any other novice investigator would recoil at the fact that their first case is set in a superstitious town full of ghosts and the like, Lin is built differently. Like Patricia Arquette in the 2005 NBC supernatural show MediumLin has the uncanny ability to communicate with the dead and navigate through psychic projections of events that lead to their demise. Fireworks is not just a game with a nice gimmick, it is a sophisticated horror game that shows that the genre is more than just cheap jump scares.

No jump scares, just atmospheric horror

Fireworks is a horror game wise enough to eschew the low-quality jump scares that have long since oversaturated and devalued the genre. Instead, it’s rich in atmospheric horror that’s almost cinematic in its execution. Much of the game has you wandering in the shadows, armed with only the faintest glimmer of light from a candelabra to illuminate your path. Here, the game’s sidescrolling camera functions as a spot-the-difference minigame that sees Lin hunting down clues in abandoned apartments and hospital rooms. Much of Lin’s detective work comes with the occupational hazard of looming ghosts behind him, phantom noises from crime victims, and being drawn into artwork and mirror dimensions to uncover clues hiding in plain sight.

And what’s a horror game without puzzles? While Fireworks puzzles are far from being downright challenging or overly simple, they effectively stoke the flames of Fireworks unnerving atmosphere. For example, in Chapter 1, Lin must scour a bathroom for clues on how to articulate the dials on a washing machine. While the three clues are easily identified by having Lin rub against furniture until a magnifying glass icon appears, one specific clue considers that the dial illustration is written on a mirror. This means that players must reverse their clues to complete the puzzle. This clue is not only clever in its attention to detail, but also leads to a neat ode to Silent Hill 3where Lin reveals his disgust for his reflection.

Furthermore, the game’s revelations never feel like a butt-pulling exercise in which deductions are made without you having to attach the thread of Lin’s logic to the proverbial bulletin board yourself. All in all, Fireworks is worth a look for any fan of horror and puzzle games and the protagonist deserves to be added to the pantheon of investigators who can solve any supernatural case that comes across their desk.

Fireworks is available via Game Pass on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.