Nintendo Switch drops 3 free downloads you can grab now

This month will see Nintendo revive an acclaimed series that we haven’t seen in years, The Famicom Detective Club.

You may recall seeing those creepy “Who is Emio?” teasers that surfaced on social media last month.

Well, Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club will see the mystery-solving series return in what is the first new entry in over 30 years.

The franchise kicked off in 1988 with The Missing Heir.

This was followed by 1989’s The Girl Who Stands Behind, both of which were created by developer Yoshio Sakamoto, also of Metroid fame.

Sakamoto now returns, bringing us a new story in Emio - The Smiling Man, and you don’t need any prior knowledge of the series to hop in.

Launching on 29 August, Emio - The Smiling Man kicks off when a student is found dead, his head covered with a paper bag adorned with a smiling face.

Not only does this harken back to an 18-year-old string of unsolved murders, but it’s also reminiscent of the urban legend of The Smiling Man.

“Has a serial killer returned, or is this the work of a copycat? Are these crimes inspired by the Smiling Man story, or the origin of it?” the synopsis reads of what is one of Nintendo’s few Mature-rated games.

Take a look at the game in action below.

As it turns out, you can get your hands on Emio - The Smiling Man ahead of its 29 August release date.

Nintendo will be releasing the game’s opening chapters as free demos in three separate instalments.

The first is available now on the Nintendo eShop with the second part due to drop on 22 August at 6pm PT.

This will be followed by the third and final part on 27 August at 6pm PT, just two days before the game’s full launch on 29 August.

These demos will introduce you to the game’s grisly mystery as well as its gameplay mechanics.

And the good news is that if you do check out the demos, your progress will carry over should you pick up the full game.

Consider my curiosity piqued.