Our Favorite Detectives in Video Games

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From Sam & Max to Max Payne, here are some of the most iconic gumshoes in games.

By Chris Reed

When it comes to detectives, it’s always the ones from film and literature that get the attention. And yes, Sherlock Holmes and Rick Deckard can get the job done, but let’s give credit to the uncelebrated detectives from our favorite pastime. Video games have given us plenty of memorable detectives, and better yet, they let players piece together the mysteries themselves. Here are some of our favorite detectives in video games.

Max Payne

Sometimes criminals pick the wrong dude to mess with. That’s the case in Max Payne, when the titular detective’s wife and daughter are murdered and the series blasts off. He becomes a husk of a man, with nothing left to lose, a head full of police skills, and an unhealthy relationship with prescription medication. He’s kind of like the Punisher on PEDS (performance-enhancing drugs), which makes him bad news for bad guys.

Sam & Max

Yes, listing two characters at once might be a cheat, but you can’t have one without the other. This team of “Freelance Police” detectives is made up of a knowledgeable dog and a sociopathic bunny who operate out of a shoddy office in New York. Their early games are from LucasArts, and they fit in nicely with other adventure fare from the ‘90s, like the Monkey Island series. Their detective work takes them to all kinds of locations, from Ancient Egypt to the moon. All the while, this odd couple can cut through the lies of criminals and get to the meat of the mysteries. Just don’t get on Max’s bad side.

Sissel

If you haven’t played Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, let’s just say that the story is complicated. But in broad strokes, you play as Sissel, a character who wakes up as a ghost, with no memory of who he was or why he was apparently murdered. To get answers, he goes on a quest that involves a hidden dimension for the dead, the ability to rewind time, and the habit of manipulating objects to save people’s lives. It’s a long and winding road, but thanks to his nutso determination, Sissel is able to put the pieces together and figure out exactly what went down. And boy is it weird.

Dick Gumshoe

Like all the best detectives, Dick Gumshoe from the Ace Attorney series is unpredictable. Which isn’t to say he’s an especially competent police officer, but he’s entertaining and lovable, and that’s why he’s on this list. You play as Phoenix Wright, and you usually come to crime scenes after Gumshoe has combed the area for clues. Gumshoe generally works against you in order to help district attorney Miles Edgeworth win cases, but if he suspects you’re on the right side of the facts, he can be a great ally. And no matter how goofy Gumshoe is, the judge is even flakier.

Cole Phelps

In L.A. Noire, you play as Cole Phelps as he works his way up through the ranks of the 1940s-era LAPD. He quickly lands a job as a detective and from there ping-pongs between departments. He gets the crimes solved, but his level of talent is entirely up to you. If you read the clues right and perform successful interrogations, then Phelps becomes a brilliant detective. Fail, and he’s the laughingstock of the department. His fate is in your hands, dude.

Tex Murphy

If Tex Murphy fits the “classic detective” stereotype, it’s probably because he’s a giant fanboy of movies like The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep. But he pulls it off with his quippy remarks, goofy humor, and competent sleuthing. And thanks to the series’ backdrop of a futuristic post-nuclear San Francisco, he’s up to his neck with mutants and quirky mysteries. In short, don’t mess with Tex.

Professor Layton

Technically, Herschel Layton is an archeology professor. But he spends about as much screen time teaching classes as Mario does fixing toilets. For gamers, this puzzle-loving Englishman is a full-time detective, and a darn fine one at that. He and his sidekick-apprentice Luke Triton travel the world, solving puzzles, cracking cases, and generally making the world a better place.

Kyle Hyde

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 centers on Kyle Hyde, a former cop/traveling salesman/detective whose personality leans toward the doom-and-gloom side of things. Don’t judge, though — you would too if you were pencil-drawn and choppily animated. Hyde ends up at the eponymous hotel, in a room (guess which one) that’s said to grant the wishes of those who stay there. Whether he solves the mysteries of his fellow guests and finds personal solace is up to you. Just don’t be too rude or you’ll be evicted.

Scott Shelby

One of the most cinematic games ever made, Heavy Rain is a who-done-it starring four people on the hunt for the “Origami Killer.” One of the best characters is private investigator Scott Shelby, an asthmatic former cop who’s been hired by the victims’ families to find the killer. And that’s what he does throughout the game — he works with a methodical determination to follow where the clues lead. Shelby may have a secret or two locked behind his knowing, genial persona but, you know, other than that minor detail he’s about as dependable as detectives come.

ACME Detective Agency

The world isn’t always fair, so sometimes the bad guys get all the recognition. That’s the case in the Carmen Sandiego series. The title character is the leader of the Villains’ International League of Evil (V.I.L.E. for short), a group of thieves who travel the world, stealing valuable items. In these educational games, the good guys are the players, who work for the ACME Detective Agency and use their knowledge of subjects like world geography, math, history, and English to nab the red-coated villain. Even if the bad guys get all the fame, the ACME detectives show up to make the world a better place — and to learn where Tuvalu is on a map.

So that’s just a taste of some of the most iconic gumshoes in games. Did we leave off your favorite video game detective? Let us know! But be sneaky about it, because…you know…detectives and all…

Originally written and published by at IGN PS3. Click here to read the original story.