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.......................................MyCat Tilly Presents,
I got this game not long after it came out, and started playing it right away. Then several months went by and I realized that I never finished it! That's never happened me with a Nancy Drew game before, and think that it speaks volumes about the quality of CRY.
Plot
Nancy and Bess are off to enjoy a relaxing vacation in New Orleans, with no sleuthing in sight. While she's there, Ned asks her to check in on a classmate, Henry Bolet, whose uncle recently died. But when she arrives at the Bolet mansion, she encounters a bone-chilling skeleton man who is not too pleased with Nancy's arrival. In her quest to find out who the skeleton man was and what he was after, Nancy stumbles upon the legend of a mysterious crystal skull known as the Whisperer. With a giant cemetery to explore and a secret society to infiltrate, she's going to need all the help she can get. Luckily, she has her best buddy, Bess Marvin, to lend her a hand.
I love the way the game starts, pulling you right into the action and giving you a good scare at the same time. However, I can't say that the plot blows me away. I don't really have any complaints but it lacks a certain "wow" factor.
7/10
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Graphics and Setting
The graphics are pretty darn good. The characters are a little blurry, and Renee never really seems to be looking at you, but by golly, it really looks like the characters are saying the words! At times the color choices were a bit odd, causing things in the garden to look like they'd be a little more comfortable in Willy Wonka's factory than a Nancy Drew game, but it was only slight and didn't distract from the game. However, there is an animal that seemed poorly done to me.
There are some things about the setting that strike me as odd. As Nancy, you're stationed at the Bolet "mansion" which is little more than two bedrooms, a library, and a parlor. Whats really weird is that, in the hallways of the house, it looks as though some objects are drastically crooked while others are not. The purpose of this? I don't know, but it made me feel nauseous. You do get to explore the garden and the cemetery as well but, unfortunately, the cemetery is in third person. I found this really confusing at first, and disappointing.
As Bess, you see the view from your hotel room in the French quarter and then click to choose where you want to go. Your options are a store, a gumbo stand, and a character. I didn't mind this way of navigating, but it would have been nice to actually walk from place to place.
9/10 for the graphics, 4.5/10 for setting
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Puzzles
I found the puzzles to be a bit of a let down. Most of them seemed to be eerily similar to puzzles from past games, and that was disappointing. However, the ones that weren't, were pretty fun with a nice range of difficulties.
There are some puzzles that leave Nancy's first person view, but this has become a common occurrence in the newer NDs so it's not a total surprise. Another odd thing is that a few times in the game, the computer would take over the mouse and do a simple task for you. Not sure why they thought that was a good idea.
Overall, the puzzles get 5/10
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Characters
I thought that two out of the three main characters were pretty decent. Back stories, complex personalities, and you learn more about them as the game progresses. The character I didn't care too much for was Renee who is pretty stereotypical, predictable and remains static throughout the game. She could also be considered offensive to a number of different groups.
7/10
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Ending *Spoiler Free*
About halfway through the game, it becomes really obvious where the ending takes place and how you're supposed to stop the culprit (similar to TRT, only more explicit) It's disappointing but, after five really terrible endings, at least this is on the right track. As for the culprit, it wasn't really a surprise and there really wasn't anything special about the choice. There isn't anything threatening about the end either, and doesn't require much quick thinking.
Oh, and the puzzle that comes just before the real Nancy/Culprit showdown was way too easy.
I give it 4/10
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Overall
Ok, so I have to eat my words a little bit, because I don't mind switching characters in CRY. I don't feel that it really adds anything to the game (besides some humorous dialogue between Nancy and Bess) but I really like the tasks that Bess was sent to do. The only weird thing is that Nancy spends most of her time doing puzzles while Bess does all of the real snooping.
If you're concerned that the game might be too scary for you, I wouldn't worry about it. HER spent way too much time hyping CRY as "the scariest game yet" but, personally, I don't find it to be as scary as CUR or MHM. Most of the scary things are just little unexpected touches to make you jump, rather than anything truly frightening.
There's an odd lack of music in CRY. Music really sets the mood, and this game could have used the extra touch.
Overall, CRY had potential but it felt rushed and unfocused. It has moments that I really enjoy, but it's not one that I can see myself play over and over. It's Decent but not amazing.
Oh my goodness, I just wrote a book! If you read through all that, I commend you :P
Overall score: 5/10
Creepiness (10 equals terrifying): 5/10
Difficulty (10 equals hair pulling): 6.5/10
"Should I buy this game?"
There isn't a single ND game that I wouldn't recommend. If you end up not
enjoying this game, don't let that stop you from trying others in the
series. There is a ton of variety.
Happy Gaming!
What I Really Thought:
l
l
l
!
" The Legend of the Crystal Skull "
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Edition
l
l
l
!
" The Legend of the Crystal Skull "
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Edition
I got this game not long after it came out, and started playing it right away. Then several months went by and I realized that I never finished it! That's never happened me with a Nancy Drew game before, and think that it speaks volumes about the quality of CRY.
Plot
Nancy and Bess are off to enjoy a relaxing vacation in New Orleans, with no sleuthing in sight. While she's there, Ned asks her to check in on a classmate, Henry Bolet, whose uncle recently died. But when she arrives at the Bolet mansion, she encounters a bone-chilling skeleton man who is not too pleased with Nancy's arrival. In her quest to find out who the skeleton man was and what he was after, Nancy stumbles upon the legend of a mysterious crystal skull known as the Whisperer. With a giant cemetery to explore and a secret society to infiltrate, she's going to need all the help she can get. Luckily, she has her best buddy, Bess Marvin, to lend her a hand.
I love the way the game starts, pulling you right into the action and giving you a good scare at the same time. However, I can't say that the plot blows me away. I don't really have any complaints but it lacks a certain "wow" factor.
7/10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Graphics and Setting
The graphics are pretty darn good. The characters are a little blurry, and Renee never really seems to be looking at you, but by golly, it really looks like the characters are saying the words! At times the color choices were a bit odd, causing things in the garden to look like they'd be a little more comfortable in Willy Wonka's factory than a Nancy Drew game, but it was only slight and didn't distract from the game. However, there is an animal that seemed poorly done to me.
There are some things about the setting that strike me as odd. As Nancy, you're stationed at the Bolet "mansion" which is little more than two bedrooms, a library, and a parlor. Whats really weird is that, in the hallways of the house, it looks as though some objects are drastically crooked while others are not. The purpose of this? I don't know, but it made me feel nauseous. You do get to explore the garden and the cemetery as well but, unfortunately, the cemetery is in third person. I found this really confusing at first, and disappointing.
As Bess, you see the view from your hotel room in the French quarter and then click to choose where you want to go. Your options are a store, a gumbo stand, and a character. I didn't mind this way of navigating, but it would have been nice to actually walk from place to place.
9/10 for the graphics, 4.5/10 for setting
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Puzzles
I found the puzzles to be a bit of a let down. Most of them seemed to be eerily similar to puzzles from past games, and that was disappointing. However, the ones that weren't, were pretty fun with a nice range of difficulties.
There are some puzzles that leave Nancy's first person view, but this has become a common occurrence in the newer NDs so it's not a total surprise. Another odd thing is that a few times in the game, the computer would take over the mouse and do a simple task for you. Not sure why they thought that was a good idea.
Overall, the puzzles get 5/10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Characters
I thought that two out of the three main characters were pretty decent. Back stories, complex personalities, and you learn more about them as the game progresses. The character I didn't care too much for was Renee who is pretty stereotypical, predictable and remains static throughout the game. She could also be considered offensive to a number of different groups.
7/10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ending *Spoiler Free*
About halfway through the game, it becomes really obvious where the ending takes place and how you're supposed to stop the culprit (similar to TRT, only more explicit) It's disappointing but, after five really terrible endings, at least this is on the right track. As for the culprit, it wasn't really a surprise and there really wasn't anything special about the choice. There isn't anything threatening about the end either, and doesn't require much quick thinking.
Oh, and the puzzle that comes just before the real Nancy/Culprit showdown was way too easy.
I give it 4/10
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Overall
Ok, so I have to eat my words a little bit, because I don't mind switching characters in CRY. I don't feel that it really adds anything to the game (besides some humorous dialogue between Nancy and Bess) but I really like the tasks that Bess was sent to do. The only weird thing is that Nancy spends most of her time doing puzzles while Bess does all of the real snooping.
If you're concerned that the game might be too scary for you, I wouldn't worry about it. HER spent way too much time hyping CRY as "the scariest game yet" but, personally, I don't find it to be as scary as CUR or MHM. Most of the scary things are just little unexpected touches to make you jump, rather than anything truly frightening.
There's an odd lack of music in CRY. Music really sets the mood, and this game could have used the extra touch.
Overall, CRY had potential but it felt rushed and unfocused. It has moments that I really enjoy, but it's not one that I can see myself play over and over. It's Decent but not amazing.
Oh my goodness, I just wrote a book! If you read through all that, I commend you :P
Overall score: 5/10
Creepiness (10 equals terrifying): 5/10
Difficulty (10 equals hair pulling): 6.5/10
"Should I buy this game?"
There isn't a single ND game that I wouldn't recommend. If you end up not
enjoying this game, don't let that stop you from trying others in the
series. There is a ton of variety.
Happy Gaming!
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