Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The entire game only takes about 3-4 hours to play which was really my main disappointment with this purchase. However, I paid over twenty dollars to buy this on CD.Now, you can purchase it for less then seven dollars as a video download on Amazon -- and then it is a bargain. This is a new format for HER Interactive. It eliminates many of the aspects of the other Nancy Drew games that I find frustrating/boring. The dialog is snappier and there is much less of it. You spend less time navigating Nancy from location to location. There are plenty of mini games and the hidden object component is fun. The objects are very easy to find as your curser glows and sparkles as you pass over (or get close to) an object. Some of the mini games are repetitive although they do get more challenging as you progress through the game. If I was able to change the game, I would make it longer and add more puzzles and perhaps make it more challenging. I was able to complete the entire game easily without resorting to the Internet for hints. I would definitely buy more in this series if they were available as inexpensive video downloads.

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Product Description:
An unseen prankster plagues the exclusive Redondo Spa! Now it's up to you, as Nancy Drew, to catch the mischief maker before clients and celebrities retreat to another resort.Along the way, you'll uncover hidden switches, defuse tricky traps and reveal the identity of the true troublemaker!

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Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy Review

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(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew 19: The Haunting Of Castle Malloy

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. If you hate reading medium/long reviews or just don't have the patience I would not continue reading, but if you want to learn the most about the product before you buy it you'll continue.

-Interface
The interface is the same as always, point in the direction you want to go in a and click. However, moving around the castle grounds is through a third person view which offsets the whole "I'm Nancy Drew!" feel. But don't worry it's only when your outside in the dark so you never see Nancy, just a figure pretty much. What stupifies me is that Nancy talks on her cellphone in the opening scene but she loses it somehow and we have to use a payphone, so there is no cell phone icon in the interface. This interface is great, the only thing that bugged me was the third person affect when outside the Castle of Malloy.
**** -Plot
In this adventure, Nancy is off to Ireland as the maid of honor to Kyler Malloy, who is getting married to Matt Simmons in a couple days. But when Nancy arrives, Kyler says that Matt has vanished! It is up to Nancy Drew to find Matt and save the wedding. The plot is good but they could have emphasized different parts more. Like the fact that Kyler and Kit Foley (Matt's best friend) were a couple before. Sadly, there is very little drama about this love triangle (maybe because all the Nancy Drew games are quite modest). Very little of the castle history is revealed as well. The fact that half the castle is blown to pieces is interesting but not much more information is given on why it is blown up. I think the basics of the plot are there, but more development could have gone into it.
***

-Characters
There are four characters, each with different personalities, in this game. However, since one is missing, there are really only three characters. The character development and interaction was dissapointing. The backgrounds of each character are very briefly revealed and only one character stood out. Your bride to be is Kyler Malloy, who recently found out her family heritage. She is sweet and kind but not much else to her, she believes that Matt's dissapearence is a prank. Then there is Kit Foley, who is Matt's best friend. Kit is in the real estate business, and unfortunately even more boring than Kyler. He doesn't have much personality and simply believes that Matt has walked out on Kyler. Finally there is Donal, an old Irishman who is stubborn and quite a hoot to listen to. He is the caretaker and believes that "faeries" have taken Matt because he is not Irish. I would talk about Matt, but you don't see him until the end of the game, which is rather dissapointing. It would have been nice to at least meet Matt in the begining before mysteriously vanishing. Overall, the characters seemed to be irrelevant to the game at all because you hardly talked to them. The game could have been outstanding if they just developed the characters more.
***

-Setting & Graphics
First off, the graphis were amazing. However, everything else was completely wrong. I found it completely crazy that the game took place in ONE NIGHT! I thought Nancy was supposed to be there for a week or so, but no. This time constraint really affected the game. It was so dark and gloomy the whole game that you could not see Ireland's beautiful landscape when outside. There was a lot of places to go, but it was completely barren! The castle had only three rooms for you to explore: the Great room, the Library, and the Nursery. And each of those rooms had very little to read, touch or look at. It would have been nice if Nancy had her own room (It is a castle for heaven's sake! It should be pretty big inside, am I right?), but apparently everyone sleeps in cots in the Great room. Did I mention the Great room has a huge hole in it from the explosion years ago? The outside grounds and the Screaming Banshee Inn are also pretty barren as well. There is virtually nothing to snoop in, no historical documents about the castle, no artwork to admire, nothing. Extremely dissapointing, I would give this section two stars but the graphics are so amazing that it gets that extra star.
***

-Puzzles/Activities
The puzzles were outstanding! Most of the puzzles were original, challenging and thought provoking. This is the highlight of the game. If you liked Crystal Skull's puzzles you'll like these ones a lot. I really enjoyed the fact that there was always something for you to do. If you ever needed a break form the puzzles, you can go to the Inn and play minigames. None of the puzzles were randomly thrown in, they all made sense. There are chores, but you don't have to repeat them everyday (Mainly because the game is all in one night). And the chores are easy, fun, and make sense in the game. Overall, the puzzles made this game, without them, I would not reccomend this game.
*****

-Scare Factor
This is a new section that covers the scariness of the game. The mood was dark and gloomy, and you would always here an erie wailing (from an alleged Banshee). The Nursery in the castle was downright creepy to be in. There were one or two startling moments, especially as the game climaxed. I think the scariness was on a good level, not to scary but not too mild.
****

-Ending
Unfortunatley, the ending was abrupt like some previous games, but what was refreshing was that there was no timed puzzles or racing through mazes. You could take your time at the end, find/question Matt and finish the game peacefully. In fact, the ending puzzles were some of the easiest in the whole game, which was a let down after all you have been doing throughout the game to win. But you might be dissapointed with how Matt vanished, I was pretty dissapointed. Since the plot wasn't brilliantly detailed or anything, the resolution could be explained without leaving any facts or problems hanging in the air.
***

-Overall
I'm not going to lie I did enjoy the game, and I will be seeing myself playing it again and again. But it doesn't give you that "wow" factor that Phantom Of Venice gave me. It seemed like it wasn't all the way developed. Potentially, it could have been the best game in the series if they just developed the plot, characters, and setting more. Hardcore Nancy Drew fans may find that something is missing, but there is plenty good in this game to buy it. I would recommend this for its puzzles and its scare factor (Perfect for Halloween night). Nancy's next adventure is Ransom Of The Seven Ships, which includes Bess & George! Sounds promising!

Add all these up and divide by 7...
4 *'s (Interface)
3 *'s (Plot)
3 *'s (Characters)
3 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
4 *'s (Scare Factor)
3 *'s (Ending)
= 25 Stars Divide By 7 (Categories) = 3.5 = Rounded to 3 Stars

-Other Recommended Nancy Drew Games
The Phantom Of Venice
Danger On Deception Island
Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon
Legend Of The Crystal Skull

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Product Description:
Touted as the most romantic event to grace the ruined halls of Ireland's Castle Malloy, the Simmons-Mallory wedding was supposed to be a fairytale beginning, but now the groom is missing! Did a banshee crash the wedding or is this a case of cold feet? Can you, as Nancy Drew, unravel the knot of scattered clues and scary superstitions? You'll to catch more than a bridal bouquet to make this is a happily ever after!
Meet The Suspects
Kyler Mallory
A stock broker in London who lived with Nancy's family as an exchange student four years ago. She is now engaged to Matt Simmons and is excited to hold her wedding at Castle Malloy. Her grandfather, Edmund Mallory, recently passed away and named her as the sole beneficiary. He never spoke about his childhood and Kyle is just now learning about her true family history
Matt Simmons
A travel and sailing free-lance writer for magazines. Known for his dry wit, Matt loves to play pranks on others. Friendly and likeable, he had planned on getting married in the Bahamas, but agreed to change his plans to make his fiancee, Kyler Mallory, happy.
Kit Foley
Matt's best friend and accomplice on sailing trips. Kit was born in the US and is the son of a Krolmeister Inc. VP. The company transferred the family to London when Kit was young, but he never picked up the British accent. He currently works as a land developer, and he arrived early to help Matter and Kyler prepare for their wedding
Donal Delany
As Castle Malloy's ever-present caretaker, he's been watching the grounds for too many years to count. This Irish born gentleman isn't particularly fond of foreigners and he's the first to admit it. He is however the resident expert on Irish mythology and lore, which might explain his overly superstitious nature.

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Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After being sorely disappointed by the previous installment in HER's usually fun Nancy Drew series, I admit I was a bit apprehensive about this one. Happily, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this solid game.

Set at a girls' boarding school, Warnings at Waverly Academy offers a well-thought out plot centered around a mysterious series of threatening notes. As the story develops, it weaves both the fictitious history of the school as well as the real history of an American literary figure into a much more complex storyline than you might expect from the initial premise. There's a particularly clever twist that comes just when you think you've got it all figured out, and while you've probably pegged the bad guy--or girl, since Ned's the only male voice in this one--by the end, it's not a "well, duh," kind of solution.

Practically all of Nancy's tasks are seamlessly integrated into the storyline, making even the usually somewhat tedious chores such as cooking feel important to the advancement of the game. I found the game immensely less difficult than some other recent ones--I'm looking at you, Ransom of the Seven Ships--and although some of the puzzles were head-scratchers, none were so baffling to drive me to online hints. There's also a nice diversity of tasks: some visual, some logical, some skill-based.

The archetypal characters at the school are distinctive and interesting, with what come across as actual personalities and motivations--which is good, because there are quite a few of them, another welcome change from the last game. The addition of texting made the story feel very contemporary and real. Although the setting was fairly limited with little exploration available, the graphics were nicely rendered and the music quite pleasant.

So what are the downsides? The world of the game isn't as deep as it could have been, with few locale additions as the story progresses; equally, the game isn't perhaps as long as some others, although it's certainly not the shortest, either. Suspense or even a sense of foreboding is distinctly lacking. Nancy's perils involve demerits rather than actual danger most of the time. And the nature of the storyline seems to dictate the audience for this game to a degree: girls and young women will probably appreciate the characters and school life aspects much more than would some older players. For some, too, the puzzles are probably too easy. Those caveats aside, I recommend this games wholeheartedly for the ND player more interested in plot than in puzzles and in secrets than in secret passages.

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Product Description:
Threatening notes and dangerous accidents plague the valedictorian candidates at a prestigious boarding school. Suddenly the rumors start flying, and no one can tell the difference between fact and fiction. Does someone want to knock these students out of contention for top honors? What secret could the culprit be trying to protect? No one knows for sure, but thankfully, Nancy Drew's here to figure it out. Join her as she goes undercover to find out who's behind these strange occurrences.


Undercover at a top boarding school
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Beautiful Graphics
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Blend in with typical students
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Synopsis
In Warnings at Waverly Academy, it's up to you and Nancy Drew to blend in with the student body. Cram for projects, navigate social cliques and text your new friends just like every other high-school student. When no one's around, sneak through the dorm rooms and take pictures of possible evidence with your cell phone camera. Become part of the scene by running the school snack bar and playing air hockey in the student lounge. Can you crack the case before the threats begin to turn deadly?


Key Game Features:

Features young sleuth Nancy Drew as she goes undercover at a top boarding school
Help Nancy discover who has been threatening the academy's valedictorian candidates
Blend in with typical high-school student behavior: text your friends, cram for projects and become familiar with social cliques
Run the school snack bar and play air hockey in the student lounge to incorporate yourself on campus
Jr. and Sr. difficulty settings offer different levels of challenge
Returns you to the point immediately before you make a mistake so you don't have to start over from the beginning

System Requirements:

Windows XP/Vista, DirectX 9
CPU 1 GHz, 256 RAM
32MB DirectX 9.0 video card
1 GB of free HDD space
CD-ROM 24x

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Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Nancy Drew 23: Shadow At The Water's Edge

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. Then at the end of the review I round up the stars and give an overall rating.

-Interface
The interface is very simple, intuitive, and has not been changed from the latest release. Nancy's cell phone is a key element in the game: you use it to call off-screen characters, receive text messages, call for clues, and send pictures. Having the cell phone is very fun and a great addition to the overall gameplay. You can make avatars for your characters and even add phone charms to the side. Other than the cell phone, nothing of the interface has been substantially changed. Take a look at your checklist and journal for help during the case.
***** -Plot
The plot of this game is simply phenomenal and well thought out. Nancy Drew, is staying at the Ryokan Hiei, a traditional Japanese inn where a ghost is haunting guests and making things very difficult for the family running it. I won't go too much into the plot because you have to see it for yourself. There were lots of times during the game where I was wondering if the ghost was fake or actually real. There is plenty of evidence, but also some unexplainable events that can sway you to believing or not. I really liked how the plot developed and got even more dangerous as you continued on throughout the game. There were plenty of red herrings and twists that kept you on your toes, I was surprised when the game ended.
*****

-Characters
There are only four characters that you see face-to-face in this game but they are absolutely great and well-developed. I was happy to see that each character had its own quirks and different relationships in the family. The fact that the whole cast of characters was basically a family lead to some very interesting conversations. There was even a bit of romance between two characters, Miwako Shimizu and Rentaro Aihara, which was entertaining to analyze from both perspectives of the relationship. There are also the other characters of: older sister Yumi Shimizu, and grandma Takae Nagai. Yumi, the rebellious older sister to Miwako, runs her own bento stand in the bustling city of Matsue and wants nothing to do with the Ryokan Hiei that her family has owned for generations. Miwako is a stressed and overworked younger sister who fell in love with her childhood friend Rentaro. Rentaro is the unofficial handyman of the Ryokan and is very goofy and geeky. Finally the grandma Takae is very serious about Japenese tradition and loves the Ryokan with all her heart. As you play the game you will find that some characters have stronger motives than others, but all have secrets to hide.
*****

-Setting & Graphics
The graphics are just outstanding this time around. Every scene is so beautifully detailed, I found myself walking very slowly through the environments just to take in all the eye candy. I really imagined myself in Japan from the bustling, bright cities, to the quaint and picturesque (oh and creepy) gardens of the Ryokan Hiei. Her Interactive really outdid themselves with the graphics in this game, even the characters have such a lifelike quality to them. There were so many environments to explore. The game includes the main location of the Ryokan (which is huge), and three city locations: the Technology Expo/Bento Stand, Yumi's apartment, and the Pachinko Parlor. I felt like there was plenty to see and do without having to get lost in all the different locations.
*****

-Puzzles/Activities
Gone are the chores that we saw in the last release Trail of the Twister, this game has all organic puzzles that make sense to the game and aren't just busy work assigned to do by others. There were a lot of puzzles that I found pretty challenging but fun at the same time. You also play some traditional Japenese brain games like sodoku and renograms, and nonograms.I would say that this game is somewhat puzzle heavy, but it doesn't take away from the mystery. The only thing I sort of didn't like was there was a bit of repetition of puzzles, like doing a nonogram & sodoku in the beginning and ending up having to do bigger, harder, versions later. But still, even the repetition made sense in the context of the game. Also if some of the puzzles are taxing on your brain you can go play some pachinko or make some Bento with Yumi for a phone charm. There was always something for the player to do if you just wanted to take a break from the mystery which I thought was great. Another thing I loved was the amount of snooping. You get to do PLENTY of snooping, mostly at the middle of the night. It was so much fun to explore every nook and cranny and get new evidence on your own when nobody is watching.
*****

-Ending
The ending was split into to two parts, similarly to Trail of the Twister. It was scary and heart pounding for sure. The "catching of the culprit" was logical yet pretty simple, and you get two options that affect the end scene, which was nice. I felt like the second part of the ending could have been just a bit more dramatic and a level scarier. But the conclusion/wrap-up of the mystery was all worth it, especially since everything was explained. A great way to end the game though, I felt happy and that I accomplished something.
*****

-Scare Factor
So this game is probably the scariest Nancy Drew game to date. I don't want to spoil your scare but be prepared for spooky music, eerie locations, and hauntings from a very "Grudge" like ghost. There are multiple scary moments in this game that keep your heart racing, which I just loved. There are also a lot of bad Japenese omens that Nancy gets. I was definitely freaked out during the course of the game. I would definitely recommend playing this game in the dark, at night, or on Halloween for the ultimate scariness. Everything from the ghost to the actual story behind it brought shivers down my spine. Granted this is only an E-10+ game, so there is no blood, gore, or intense violence. So if you are worried about kids being scarred for life, it won't happen with this game. But I would definitely recommend this game to the recommended 10+ age range so they can actually understand what the back-story is, and not get extremely frightened by this game.
*****

-Overall
I can honestly say that this Nancy Drew game has to be the best one out there. Everything about it was exceptional. The characters, plot, setting, graphics were all very well-developed and intricate. I was impressed by all the different aspects and how it was all pulled together in one nicely organized mystery. Her Interactive really brought back all the elements of a great game that fans have been missing. If you are already a fan of these games, I recommend this game with no question that you will enjoy it (unless for some reason you hate Japan or are very easily scared). If you are mystery game fan, than this is a great game to get you started on the Nancy Drew game series. I just loved this game because: it was really long (12+ hours of gameplay), the setting was beautiful, the puzzles were challenging but fun, it was pretty scary, the characters' personalities were multi-dimensional, and the plot was involved yet focused. This game is literally my most favorite of the whole series, they put every different thing I liked about all of the Nancy Drew games and melded it together to make an all around great mystery. This is the first Nancy Drew game that I have given 5 stars in each category, and it rightfully deserves it. I am so excited for the next installment of the series: Nancy Drew 24: The Captive Curse, taking place in a castle in Germany!

Add all these up and divide by 7...
5 *'s (Interface)
5 *'s (Plot)
5 *'s (Characters)
5 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
5 *'s (Scare Factor)
5 *'s (Ending)
= 35 Stars Divide By 7 (Categories) = 5 Stars

-Recommended Games
Secrets Can Kill REMASTERED (See my review of this game)
Warnings At Waverly Academy (See my review of this game)
The Phantom Of Venice (See my review of this game)
Danger On Deception Island

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Product Description:

Nancy Drew: Shadow at the Water's Edge is the 23rd release in "HerInteractive's" popular single player Nancy Drew mystery game series.Compatible with both PC and Macintosh computer platforms, Shadowat the Water's Edge finds Nancy and pals Bess and George investigatingthe haunting of a traditional inn in Kyoto, Japan. Along the way sheand players of the game find that things are not quite what they seem.Additional features include immersion via the game into elements ofJapanese culture, the ability to use in-game cell phone technologyin sleuthing, two difficulty levels and more.

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