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ConnectTheDots' Review
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Message in a Haunted Mansion
of
Message in a Haunted Mansion
Bottom line: This game plays more like a tutorial. It's perfect for those new to ND games, but much too easy for everyone else.
Plot
Nancy's friend asks her to help with the renovation of her Victorian mansion. Lately, there have been strange accidents occurring all over the place. It's up to you as Nancy Drew to figure out who (or what) is behind these accidents. As you can see, it's a pretty simple plot.
Characters
The characters in this game were very, very watered down. I replayed this game a couple of days ago and didn't remember any of the characters except the culprit. Although we could spend a lot of time talking to the suspects, I didn't talk very much to them (besides Abby) because they were so dull. I ESPECIALLY didn't talk to Louis unless I had to because he talked so slowly.
The voice acting in this game was not up to par. I do understand that this was one of the earlier games, but some of the emotions expressed through the dialogue did not match what they were saying at all. One of the lines that I found unintentionally funny was at the beginning when Nancy says, "How did you meet Charlie?" It's not a serious question, yet Nancy said it with a voice filled with dread. The way she said it made me laugh out loud.
Graphics
The graphics in this game were not as bad as SCK, but they weren't good either. They weren't quite realistic enough to make me feel like I was there. The colors were either really bright or really dull. There wasn't any natural light in the mansion, so everything looked a little phony. It just wasn't visually pleasing.
Music
This game had a different song for each room. Some of the songs were very repetitive in rhythm and melody. I found myself turning down the music at times because it was so annoying.
Puzzles
This was my first Nancy Drew game. I remember it took me months to solve the case! When I replayed it the other day, it took me two hours. This is mostly due to the puzzles. There are very few puzzles, and the ones that are in this game are Her staples (meaning that the format can be found in several other Nancy Drew games). For this reason, I think that this game is perfect for those new to ND games to get a taste of the kinds of puzzles in the games. Experienced ND gamers will not be challenged by most of the puzzles.
"The Scare Factor"
MHM is right up there as one of the scariest ND games. The rooms themselves aren't creepy-looking but the stuff that might be encountered inside is pretty scary. I say "might" because there are plenty of scares in this game, and not all of them can be experienced the first time through. That's the coolest aspect of this game for me.
Other Odds and Ends
- The voice actor for Charlie does a certain person's voice in the later games. I didn't realize this until I replayed it, and I don't like this at all. I'm worried that I'll imagine the person looking like Charlie from now on.
- Bess and George give very specific hints in MHM. At one point, they even told me a sequence of things I needed to do! I think they were a little too generous in this game.
- The ending was really satisfying and fun! I was stumped the first time around.
THANK YOU for reading my review! Feel free to comment with your own thoughts. Feedback is appreciated.
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