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ConnectTheDots' Review
of
Secret of the Old Clock
of
Secret of the Old Clock
Bottom line: This quick game is great for beginners to the series, but may leave the regulars wanting more.
Plot
In Nancy’s first mystery, she is asked to visit Emily Crandall at the Lilac Inn. Emily has been running the inn all by herself since her mother died. Josiah Crowley, a close neighbor, told the Crandalls that he would leave a good portion of his estate to them in his will, but in reality, that promise was not carried out. It’s up to you as Nancy Drew to follow Crowley’s trail of clues and discover what made him change his mind before the inn closes for good!
The plot is very simplistic in comparison to other games, which is understandable. After all, this was based off the first book.
Characters
The characters aren’t bad, but they aren’t great either. There isn’t much to say to them, which is okay, because the characters in this game can be pretty bland. Jim Archer, the banker, is probably the dullest, mostly talking about the financial stuff. Jane’s voice is a little more than irritating, and I found myself wanting to turn down the sound when I talked to her. Richard Topham is my favorite character out of the bunch because he’s very well-developed. He claims that he can read minds, so, naturally, he thinks pretty highly of himself and acts accordingly!
Graphics
The bright landscapes are very fitting for the time period, in my opinion. The setting graphics are nice, but the characters are a little less realistic than previous games, especially in the hair and face. They just aren’t very detailed in looks, and their movements are a little choppy.
Music
The music is fun to hum along to and fits the era well. I especially like how it sounds like it’s coming out of an old radio or from a record. The music that is heard while driving is a little annoying, especially when Nancy’s wallet is light and tons of telegrams have to be sent. It made me a little impatient, to say the least!
Puzzles
This game really doesn’t have that many puzzles. I played this game on junior detective, and the puzzles were very elementary for ND games. This is why I think that the game is a good game for beginners to the ND games to try. There seems to be a balanced number of puzzles and tasks in this game. The tasks, such as pie sorting and sewing, are not very fun. I actually found sewing very difficult to do with a touch pad computer!
I generally consider the tasks where we have to arrange things by color or size the dullest ones, because they are time consuming and don’t take much thought. The games are made for ages 10 and up and kindergarteners can do this kind of stuff. There seems to be one of these kinds of tasks in every game.
Because there are so few puzzles, the game is very short and is therefore a good game for new ND gamers to get a taste of the series, but it won’t satisfy those who have played many of the other games in the series.
"The Scare Factor"
This game simply isn’t scary. There are no jumpy moments after the first few minutes of the game unless you are snooping (and there are a few snooping opportunities, by the way).
Other Odds and Ends
- My favorite thing about this game is the time period. This is the only ND game set in another time period. I love the little touches that Her added to the game to make it more authentic, such as party lines, a record player, black-and-white photos when a telegram is delivered and Nancy’s gorgeous car!
- Mini golf aggravated me. I went 10 over par several times! It was rewarding to finally win. Patience is necessary to succeed in this part of the game.
- I love the references to pop culture when delivering telegrams! That’s all I will reveal about that.
- The ending leaves some questions unanswered, and the ending “puzzle” is ridiculously easy. Nancy even hints at what you have to do to catch the culprit, at least in junior detective.
- It's nice to talk to Nancy’s father on the phone. The phone characters don’t provide very many hints in this game.
THANK YOU for reading my review! Feel free to comment with your own thoughts. Feedback is appreciated.
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