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The Captive Curse
A review by Songlily
Mode:
Senior Detective
Plot
A German businessman invites you as Nancy Drew to sort out the horrific monster
sightings at Castle Finster before the ancient legend drives away his customers.
By unearthing the secrets of the castle and its residents, you hope to unmask
this monster. But will you survive the night at Castle Finster, or will you become
the monster's next victim?
HeR did a great job of finding a plot we haven't seen ten times before.
A bit convoluted, but engaging nonetheless. Had they wrapped up the
loose ends, it would have been perfect. By the end, I did not feel like I knew the
whole story, though the ending itself was decent [not great, but decent].
Setting, Graphics, & Music
Thank you, HeR, for once again testing my navigational skills! Castle Finster is
roomy and mazelike, with a wealth of staircases, passages, and more than
one way to get everywhere. It is what Castle Malloy and Bolet Manor should
have been in terms of capaciousness. The Castle is a bit short on rooms,
but I was more than satisfied with the amount of ground to cover, and having
a small trail outside made the whole game less claustrophobic. Setting graphics
are brilliant and detailled; character graphics are back to what I consider
HeR's best [though some of the dubbing is off]. Music is mostly forgettable.
Scare Factor & Suspense
After SAW, CAP seems pretty tame, but I was startled a few times. Perhaps because
of the music, the game lacks true suspense, though the fear of getting caught is
subtlely present!
Time & Gameplay
CAP is another endless night game [like HAU and CRY], though it's not nearly
as gloomy. It's not as sequential as some other games, so I didn't find myself bored
because I felt there was always something to do next; I was never waiting on
anyone or anything. And I'd like to point out that it's now been four games
in a row without third-person gameplay!
Info & Learning
I needed a fair number of notebook pages for this game, which is always
a sign of an engaging mystery. While there are some German vocab words to
pick up, most of the learning involves legends and fairytales, but that fits the
mood of the game. And best of all, not all of it is relevant! I definitely hopped
down more than one rabbit trail.
CAP also thrusts you into this weird space between history, legend, and the
contemporary world. The castle is a throwback to Germany's history and its myths,
but business concerns and security alerts ground the game in present technology.
It's an odd limbo, and by the end, you're left sorting out the role of history and
legend in preserving and furthering the present. Good stuff to chew on.
Characters & Phone Friends
HeR has really stepped up to the plate with their characters in the most
recent games. CAP is no exception. The characters have distinct personalities
and hidden secrets; you really feel as if you get to know them. On the CAP
post-game discussion boards, I read posts like "so-and-so wouldn't do something
like that" or "that would be out of character." Rarely do we get to know the
characters well enough to make these definitive statements. So bravo, HeR!
Also, yes, there is another child character, and he's irresistable. Definitely a treat.
Phone friends are satisfactory and provide not a few laughs. Some drama occurs,
but I [mostly] understand why HeR included it. Does not ruin the game.
Snooping
CAP is a snooper's dream come true. Snooping drives the plot and really is the
most prevalent activity in the game. Props to HeR for listening!
Puzzles, Games & Activities
As aforementioned, snooping is the primary plot engine rather than puzzles.
Rather refreshing, really. But do not fear--there are some puzzles for you
puzzle fans, and two intricate mini-games for you gamers. I think the puzzles are
just right on the difficulty scale, though I wish Nancy hadn't been so forthcoming
in her helpful comments. Still, I'm satisfied. And the best part? No chores! Yes, that's
what I said. You didn't hear me wrong. No. Chores.
Overall
CAP is a fun game, and it took me longer than I expected. I have heard
complaints of its lack of difficulty, so I'd suggest playing the game on Senior for
better value. Overall, it has many characteristics of the older games while retaining
the best parts of the newest mysteries. A bit of plot-polishing, and CAP
would be one of my favorites.
9.0/10
A review by Songlily
Mode:
Senior Detective
Plot
A German businessman invites you as Nancy Drew to sort out the horrific monster
sightings at Castle Finster before the ancient legend drives away his customers.
By unearthing the secrets of the castle and its residents, you hope to unmask
this monster. But will you survive the night at Castle Finster, or will you become
the monster's next victim?
HeR did a great job of finding a plot we haven't seen ten times before.
A bit convoluted, but engaging nonetheless. Had they wrapped up the
loose ends, it would have been perfect. By the end, I did not feel like I knew the
whole story, though the ending itself was decent [not great, but decent].
Setting, Graphics, & Music
Thank you, HeR, for once again testing my navigational skills! Castle Finster is
roomy and mazelike, with a wealth of staircases, passages, and more than
one way to get everywhere. It is what Castle Malloy and Bolet Manor should
have been in terms of capaciousness. The Castle is a bit short on rooms,
but I was more than satisfied with the amount of ground to cover, and having
a small trail outside made the whole game less claustrophobic. Setting graphics
are brilliant and detailled; character graphics are back to what I consider
HeR's best [though some of the dubbing is off]. Music is mostly forgettable.
Scare Factor & Suspense
After SAW, CAP seems pretty tame, but I was startled a few times. Perhaps because
of the music, the game lacks true suspense, though the fear of getting caught is
subtlely present!
Time & Gameplay
CAP is another endless night game [like HAU and CRY], though it's not nearly
as gloomy. It's not as sequential as some other games, so I didn't find myself bored
because I felt there was always something to do next; I was never waiting on
anyone or anything. And I'd like to point out that it's now been four games
in a row without third-person gameplay!
Info & Learning
I needed a fair number of notebook pages for this game, which is always
a sign of an engaging mystery. While there are some German vocab words to
pick up, most of the learning involves legends and fairytales, but that fits the
mood of the game. And best of all, not all of it is relevant! I definitely hopped
down more than one rabbit trail.
CAP also thrusts you into this weird space between history, legend, and the
contemporary world. The castle is a throwback to Germany's history and its myths,
but business concerns and security alerts ground the game in present technology.
It's an odd limbo, and by the end, you're left sorting out the role of history and
legend in preserving and furthering the present. Good stuff to chew on.
Characters & Phone Friends
HeR has really stepped up to the plate with their characters in the most
recent games. CAP is no exception. The characters have distinct personalities
and hidden secrets; you really feel as if you get to know them. On the CAP
post-game discussion boards, I read posts like "so-and-so wouldn't do something
like that" or "that would be out of character." Rarely do we get to know the
characters well enough to make these definitive statements. So bravo, HeR!
Also, yes, there is another child character, and he's irresistable. Definitely a treat.
Phone friends are satisfactory and provide not a few laughs. Some drama occurs,
but I [mostly] understand why HeR included it. Does not ruin the game.
Snooping
CAP is a snooper's dream come true. Snooping drives the plot and really is the
most prevalent activity in the game. Props to HeR for listening!
Puzzles, Games & Activities
As aforementioned, snooping is the primary plot engine rather than puzzles.
Rather refreshing, really. But do not fear--there are some puzzles for you
puzzle fans, and two intricate mini-games for you gamers. I think the puzzles are
just right on the difficulty scale, though I wish Nancy hadn't been so forthcoming
in her helpful comments. Still, I'm satisfied. And the best part? No chores! Yes, that's
what I said. You didn't hear me wrong. No. Chores.
Overall
CAP is a fun game, and it took me longer than I expected. I have heard
complaints of its lack of difficulty, so I'd suggest playing the game on Senior for
better value. Overall, it has many characteristics of the older games while retaining
the best parts of the newest mysteries. A bit of plot-polishing, and CAP
would be one of my favorites.
9.0/10
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