Morgan: Metal Detective is a delightfully Cornish adventure
There’s something so delightful about a game that wears its geographical identity on its sleeve. One of the first things you’ll spot in Morgan: Metal Detective is the iconic black-and-white Cornish flag, flying proudly on a fisherman’s ship. With characters being fully-voiced by authentic West Country accents and a fictitious island with all the charm of Port Isaac, this wonderful little adventure transports you directly to the picturesque shores of Cornwall, and it’s utterly joyous.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that conversations are fully voiced in Morgan: Metal Detective, and even more overjoyed to hear characters’ Cornish accents. It injects some welcome personality to the game and really helps connect us with the eponymous Morgan and the other residents of the island of Glasden she meets along the way.
But while I could listen to conversations between Morgan and her mum all day, that’s not the goal of the game. As the title suggests, in Morgan: Metal Detective, you’ll be equipped with a metal detector, with the goal of finding lost treasures around the island. Your first task comes from the distraught local fisherman who has lost the engagement ring he was planning to give to his girlfriend. Equipped with the knowledge of the last location he had the ring in, off you go with your metal detector to find it.
You’re free to use your metal detector anywhere — you can’t rely on waypoints and mission markers to know exactly where you’re going to find an object. As you go about your business, you’ll also find various other bits of trash and treasure. With your metal detector equipped, you can scan the ground and your meter will beep if you’re near something you can dig up. Only when you’re directly over something will you be given the prompt to pull out your shovel — it can be a little finicky to find the right location.
But that’s about the only complaint I can levy at this otherwise utterly delightful indie gem. Morgan: Metal Detective delivers on the cosiness it promises, and exploring the gorgeous island of Glasden is a joy. It’s wonderfully Cornish, brilliantly quirky, and a great way to while away the hours, whether you’re a budding metal detectorist or not.
Morgan: Metal Detective is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.
