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I had not planned on creating a review for this game, but after reading the varied opinions being posted on this board, I have decided to write a spoiler free review of my own. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for taking the time to read my review! I really appreciate it!
~k9
×.·´¯`·._Ransom of the Seven Ships_.·`¯´·.×
Plot: 7/10
The storyline of this game was okay. Though not very complex, in my opinion, it was still pretty interesting. A kidnapping in a ND game is always exciting, and I enjoyed the sub-plots provided by the island’s history while on my quest for finding Bess. And of course, what’s a mystery on an exotic island without buried treasure?? Even though quite a few games involve lost treasure, it still made up a fun part of the plot.
Characters: 5/10
This is one part of the game I was very disappointed with. I understand that this is a deserted island, but I still think they could have added more in the way of interaction with the few characters that were stranded with Nancy. Other than exchanging a few very brief conversations with the characters every once and a while and interacting with the island’s animals, there was hardly any social aspect to the game. In fact, I think Nancy talked with the parrot, Coucou, most out of everyone! Conversing with other people is one of my favorite things in Nancy Drew games, so this was a big let-down for me.
Setting: 8/10
For the most part, I enjoyed the setting of this game. It was fun having Nancy on an island in the Bahamas, and at times it felt pretty realistic. One drawback of the setting, however, was that you saw most of it through the 3rd person perspective while sailing and driving around the island. I’m no fan of the 3rd person point of view, so naturally this was disappointing. However, the places that aren’t in the 3rd person were very beautiful and pretty impressive (Sangre Beach, in particular.)
Puzzles: 6/10
To better understand my rating for this section, let me explain. The puzzles in this game were, for the most part, very well made and challenging. If I was basing this score solely on how creative and well-done the puzzles were, this would get a 9/10. However, I am basing this score on how well the puzzles fit in with the plot and the rest of the game. The main problem was, there were simply too many for my taste. If you’re a fan of puzzles, you’ll love this. Me – not so much. It seemed that HER was trying to make up for the lack of sleuthing and characters with an outrageous amount of puzzles, which just didn’t seem to fit. While I did enjoy some of the puzzles, most were just tedious and unnecessarily complex. I much prefer snooping.
Graphics: 7/10
My score on the graphics of this game is primarily due to the 3rd person perspective, once again. As with the other games that have it, the graphics always look less detailed and more “cheap-looking” while in this mode, in my opinion. While some parts of the game had excellent graphics, most of this was out shadowed by the appearance of the 3rd person point of view. I can only hope HER lessens the use of this feature in future games.
Music: 9/10
Music was one of the aspects of the game that I really enjoyed. The rather lighthearted tone of game was reflected perfectly with the tropical-themed music. Like some other reviews have mentioned, I couldn’t help but feel reminded of Pirates of the Caribbean while navigating throughout the island and in the sea.
Scare Factor:
I’m not even including this in the overall rating, because this really wasn’t meant to be a scary game. Despite Bess’s kidnapping, the tone is very light-hearted and almost cheery. There isn’t anything I can think of that could be thought of as scary. Whether this is good or not, that is up to you. While I enjoy scary games, I understand this was not meant to be one, and I’m happy with that.
Length: 9/10
I was actually quite happy with the length of this game. I didn’t properly time myself, but it’s safe to say that I easily spent over 10 hours playing, which is pretty long compared to the amount of time it usually takes me to complete ND games. I was very satisfied with this game’s length.
Ending: 10/10
Oh my goodness, the ending is definitely one of my favorites!! I can’t give too much away, but I will say that my jaw literally dropped (which is something I’ve never done at the ending of a ND game before.) This ending was a real treat, and in my opinion, nothing short of a brilliant twist! Way to go HER!! *claps enthusiastically*
Overall: 7.6/10
This game definitely has its fair share of ups and downs. While my expectations for this game had been a bit higher, I’m still not that disappointed. It was an enjoyable game, and in my opinion, definitely worth adding to my collection. I am, however, crossing my fingers that everything this game lacks will be made up for in the next.
Plot: 7/10
The storyline of this game was okay. Though not very complex, in my opinion, it was still pretty interesting. A kidnapping in a ND game is always exciting, and I enjoyed the sub-plots provided by the island’s history while on my quest for finding Bess. And of course, what’s a mystery on an exotic island without buried treasure?? Even though quite a few games involve lost treasure, it still made up a fun part of the plot.
Characters: 5/10
This is one part of the game I was very disappointed with. I understand that this is a deserted island, but I still think they could have added more in the way of interaction with the few characters that were stranded with Nancy. Other than exchanging a few very brief conversations with the characters every once and a while and interacting with the island’s animals, there was hardly any social aspect to the game. In fact, I think Nancy talked with the parrot, Coucou, most out of everyone! Conversing with other people is one of my favorite things in Nancy Drew games, so this was a big let-down for me.
Setting: 8/10
For the most part, I enjoyed the setting of this game. It was fun having Nancy on an island in the Bahamas, and at times it felt pretty realistic. One drawback of the setting, however, was that you saw most of it through the 3rd person perspective while sailing and driving around the island. I’m no fan of the 3rd person point of view, so naturally this was disappointing. However, the places that aren’t in the 3rd person were very beautiful and pretty impressive (Sangre Beach, in particular.)
Puzzles: 6/10
To better understand my rating for this section, let me explain. The puzzles in this game were, for the most part, very well made and challenging. If I was basing this score solely on how creative and well-done the puzzles were, this would get a 9/10. However, I am basing this score on how well the puzzles fit in with the plot and the rest of the game. The main problem was, there were simply too many for my taste. If you’re a fan of puzzles, you’ll love this. Me – not so much. It seemed that HER was trying to make up for the lack of sleuthing and characters with an outrageous amount of puzzles, which just didn’t seem to fit. While I did enjoy some of the puzzles, most were just tedious and unnecessarily complex. I much prefer snooping.
Graphics: 7/10
My score on the graphics of this game is primarily due to the 3rd person perspective, once again. As with the other games that have it, the graphics always look less detailed and more “cheap-looking” while in this mode, in my opinion. While some parts of the game had excellent graphics, most of this was out shadowed by the appearance of the 3rd person point of view. I can only hope HER lessens the use of this feature in future games.
Music: 9/10
Music was one of the aspects of the game that I really enjoyed. The rather lighthearted tone of game was reflected perfectly with the tropical-themed music. Like some other reviews have mentioned, I couldn’t help but feel reminded of Pirates of the Caribbean while navigating throughout the island and in the sea.
Scare Factor:
I’m not even including this in the overall rating, because this really wasn’t meant to be a scary game. Despite Bess’s kidnapping, the tone is very light-hearted and almost cheery. There isn’t anything I can think of that could be thought of as scary. Whether this is good or not, that is up to you. While I enjoy scary games, I understand this was not meant to be one, and I’m happy with that.
Length: 9/10
I was actually quite happy with the length of this game. I didn’t properly time myself, but it’s safe to say that I easily spent over 10 hours playing, which is pretty long compared to the amount of time it usually takes me to complete ND games. I was very satisfied with this game’s length.
Ending: 10/10
Oh my goodness, the ending is definitely one of my favorites!! I can’t give too much away, but I will say that my jaw literally dropped (which is something I’ve never done at the ending of a ND game before.) This ending was a real treat, and in my opinion, nothing short of a brilliant twist! Way to go HER!! *claps enthusiastically*
Overall: 7.6/10
This game definitely has its fair share of ups and downs. While my expectations for this game had been a bit higher, I’m still not that disappointed. It was an enjoyable game, and in my opinion, definitely worth adding to my collection. I am, however, crossing my fingers that everything this game lacks will be made up for in the next.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review! I really appreciate it!
~k9
"For Girls Who Aren't Afraid of a Mouse"
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