KingRyanSorcerer Apprentice
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Joined: 25 JAN 2004
Status : Online | Nancy Drew:
Curse of Blackmoor Manor
AROUND THE WORLD IN 11 GAMES
Nancy’s first international adventure begins in London, England, where she is called upon to meet her old neighbor, now-married Linda Penvellyn. Linda has been acting a bit strange lately and her parents are worried, so our intrepid Miss Drew volunteers to see what’s wrong.
This game is billed as the spookiest game yet, and its only competitor (Message in a Haunted Mansion) is certainly no competition, for the most part. There are dark passageways and scary creatures that you will encounter during the game that really add to atmosphere. The opening sequence may even have you on the edge of your seat, as well as some of the nightmares Nancy has. The visuals are stunning, as are all the graphics. Everything is crisp, clear, and beautiful. Interface is the same as it has been; some have minor quibbles, but overall it gives you a larger view of the game itself.
But the best word to describe the game from here is ‘uncomfortable,’ as if the developers weren’t sure what to do at times and took a tentative step forward. Let me explain why.
WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING?
The puzzles are one of the weakest aspects of the game. They are much like some of the challenges presented in Stay Tuned for Danger, in which answers are provided by hidden codes and riddles spread throughout nooks and crannies instead of straightforward. In the beginning, there are some really mediocre puzzles where somebody simply didn’t jump on the logic train. One involves you roaming the manor at night searching for holographic ghosts that are hidden on walls and floors only at that time. There was no sense to the puzzle and why it was there, or how somebody would set up something like that.
As the game progresses, the puzzles get harder and cleverer, requiring you to take notes on every chart, diagram, and book you can get your hands on. The real stumper is a rotating room, just like in Mystery of the Mummy. I’m not sure that this is really something for a 10-year-old to be solving, but experienced gamers will enjoy the scent of a challenge!
BRRRAACCKK! BRRRAACCKK!
Whoever fell asleep in the puzzle design department for the previous game (- thanks, Ray!), Secret of Shadow Ranch, apparently passed on the epidemic to the voice actors. The dialogue is pretty poor for a Nancy Drew game. When seeing a photo of a girl’s dead hamster, Nancy literally yells at her, “You had a hamster?! When?!” as if this is a new concept to her. Loulou, the parrot, squawks, “Don’t leave me! I love you!” in a voice strangely similar to Cartman from South Park. The other actors simply don’t put much enthusiasm into anything they say, and Mrs. Drake is probably the best of them all, with her authentic British nanny accent.
The other problem with dialogue is that sometimes Nancy’s words are easy to hear but the other person appears to be speaking softly. You have to put your ear to the speaker in order to hear them, which is a nuisance. This also happens with the music; I think I went through the whole game without hearing a single note.
SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?
By the end of the game, we have been treated to a Scooby-Doo potpourri of witches, werewolves, gargoyles, knights, and suspicious robed figures in black. By then most of it has become incredibly hard to swallow, especially when Nancy starts to believe some of it. The ending does not wrap up everything, and is rather disappointing, again as if it was just too much to create a more logical mystery.
Overall, a satisfying game – but Her Interactive has done better.
FINAL GRADE: B
[size=14][b]Currently Playing:[/b]&&Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis[/size]
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