Level-5's highly anticipated detective role-playing game, Decapolice, has been delayed from its previously planned 2026 launch and is now slated for release in 2027. The developer revealed the updated timeline alongside a new trailer showcasing gameplay footage.
First announced in 2023, Decapolice has experienced several delays. The game centers on Harvard Marks, a young detective and the leader of a rookie team within the Special Investigation Unit. Players will guide Marks and his colleagues, including negotiation specialist Carl Oxford, as they unravel mysteries in the sprawling, crime-ridden city of Broadstone. A key mechanic involves entering a virtual world counterpart known as Decasim, a perfect digital replica of Broadstone that stores memories of past crimes. By exploring Decasim, Marks aims to uncover these buried memories to solve cases and bring perpetrators to justice. The game's trailer demonstrated how alterations to Decasim's data can affect the appearance of its inhabitants, with Marks even transforming into a cat mascot.
Gameplay in Decapolice involves reconstructing crime scenes within Decasim to solve both story-driven and optional mysteries in the real world. This process includes managing evidence on a case board, profiling suspects, and ultimately confronting them. Confrontations can lead to suspects surrendering through dialogue or devolving into turn-based combat encounters, where they transform into creatures known as Crime Beasts. Level-5 has collaborated with Scrap, a developer known for puzzle and escape games like "Do Not Play," to conceptualize the game's case scenarios.
Decapolice is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5, Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2, and PC. In related Level-5 news, the company's other upcoming title, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, received a December release date during a recent Nintendo Direct presentation.