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The Haunting of Castle Malloy
A Review by Songlily
Mode:
Senior Detective
Setting:
An old castle in Ireland, half blown up--pretty cool, I must say. The castle
did creep me out quite a bit. The graphics were lovely, and the grounds outside
to explore were extensive. The entire game takes place at night, though, so
don't expect the sunshine-y goodness of CLK here!
Plot:
The plot was certainly different than any other games we've played, and though
the outcome was a bit disappointing, it was a nice change of pace. Sometimes
the puzzles and activities did not seem to be working towards a unified end,
however, which made me feel a bit distant from the plot.
Gameplay:
There is some third-person gameplay, mostly in the form of navigating the
grounds of the castle. While I did find this somewhat annoying, it was
probably the best way to set up this part of the game. HAU is fairly sequential; there
is no passage of time unless you have completed specific tasks. No alarm
clocks/day changes, so if you're wandering around aimlessly, there's definitely
something you should be doing!
Puzzles and Activities:
HER provided a good mixture of puzzles, games, and chores in HAU. I would have
preferred more things to do [more puzzles to solve, really], but I was fairly
entertained. Some of the puzzles were different than any we've encountered
before, and I found most of them engaging, fun, and challenging.
Nothing like a good test of logic!
Snooping:
Regrettably, HAU falls into the same trend as most recent games wherein
there's just not enough to click! I prefer to click on anything and everything and
have only some items be important. But in HAU, if you can click on it, it's
important, which takes some of the fun out of snooping. On the positive side,
however, there are many different small locations to visit, and the game really
requires you to comb each area carefully before you can move on in the game.
Characters:
There was a general lack of them, but the few that were there I liked. I would
have enjoyed talking more with them throughout the game.
Scare Factor & Suspense:
I think HAU was a lot scarier than the most recent games. The setting itself is
definitely pretty creepy, and with a banshee running around, I was forced to back
away from my computer a few times :) Scary? Yes. Suspenseful? Eh, not really.
Value:
The game was a good length, and the puzzles and activities were enjoyable.
My only beef in this area would be lack of things to learn about/read. You don't
learn too much history or science or anything in HAU, when it would be the perfect
platform for that. You learn a little about Celtic festivals and Irish folklore, but
nothing more. So good play value, but not as much learning value.
Still, a recommended buy!
7.5/10
A Review by Songlily
Mode:
Senior Detective
Setting:
An old castle in Ireland, half blown up--pretty cool, I must say. The castle
did creep me out quite a bit. The graphics were lovely, and the grounds outside
to explore were extensive. The entire game takes place at night, though, so
don't expect the sunshine-y goodness of CLK here!
Plot:
The plot was certainly different than any other games we've played, and though
the outcome was a bit disappointing, it was a nice change of pace. Sometimes
the puzzles and activities did not seem to be working towards a unified end,
however, which made me feel a bit distant from the plot.
Gameplay:
There is some third-person gameplay, mostly in the form of navigating the
grounds of the castle. While I did find this somewhat annoying, it was
probably the best way to set up this part of the game. HAU is fairly sequential; there
is no passage of time unless you have completed specific tasks. No alarm
clocks/day changes, so if you're wandering around aimlessly, there's definitely
something you should be doing!
Puzzles and Activities:
HER provided a good mixture of puzzles, games, and chores in HAU. I would have
preferred more things to do [more puzzles to solve, really], but I was fairly
entertained. Some of the puzzles were different than any we've encountered
before, and I found most of them engaging, fun, and challenging.
Nothing like a good test of logic!
Snooping:
Regrettably, HAU falls into the same trend as most recent games wherein
there's just not enough to click! I prefer to click on anything and everything and
have only some items be important. But in HAU, if you can click on it, it's
important, which takes some of the fun out of snooping. On the positive side,
however, there are many different small locations to visit, and the game really
requires you to comb each area carefully before you can move on in the game.
Characters:
There was a general lack of them, but the few that were there I liked. I would
have enjoyed talking more with them throughout the game.
Scare Factor & Suspense:
I think HAU was a lot scarier than the most recent games. The setting itself is
definitely pretty creepy, and with a banshee running around, I was forced to back
away from my computer a few times :) Scary? Yes. Suspenseful? Eh, not really.
Value:
The game was a good length, and the puzzles and activities were enjoyable.
My only beef in this area would be lack of things to learn about/read. You don't
learn too much history or science or anything in HAU, when it would be the perfect
platform for that. You learn a little about Celtic festivals and Irish folklore, but
nothing more. So good play value, but not as much learning value.
Still, a recommended buy!
7.5/10
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