What is Story Jump Mode in Detective Pikachu Returns? – Answered

Jumping the gun.

Screenshot of the Detective Pikachu Returns intro screen.
Screenshot by Prima Games

As you load up Detective Pikachu Returns on your Nintendo Switch, you’ll notice that underneath the “New Game” button, there’s something called “Story Jump Mode.” If you’re confused like I was when I first saw it, here’s everything you need to know about Story Jump Mode in Detective Pikachu 2.

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What Does Story Jump Mode Do in Detective Pikachu Returns?

As the name implies, Story Jump Mode allows you to skip to different parts of Detective Pikachu Returns’ story. You cannot use Story Jump Mode if you’ve not completed the prologue yet, though, which takes around 30 minutes. So, this isn’t something you’ll be able to do right off the bat.

When using the Story Jump Mode in Detective Pikachu Returns, you can choose any of the cases once you’ve finished the prologue. And once you’ve started a case, you get the ability to jump to a specific section you’ve already played within that case rather than starting from the beginning.

The reason Nintendo decided to implement this option is so that Detective Pikachu 2 feels more like a detective novel. When you’re reading a book in real life, you can skip pages until you get to the part you want to read or reread a chapter you’ve already finished. And that’s the effect the developer is going for here, just with detective cases.

Is Story Jump Mode Worth it in Detective Pikachu 2?

Essentially, Story Jump Mode is Detective Pikachu Returns’ replay feature, where you can hop back into previous cases if you feel like going over a crime you’ve already solved. So, I’d definitely say it’s worth it if you want to replay parts of the story or if you missed any Local Concerns side quests and you’d like to go back and clear up. Outside of that, it doesn’t serve too much of a purpose.

About the Author

Meg Bethany Koepp

Meg was Managing Editor at Prima Games until April 2024.