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**yukixiaomeimei** · December 10, 2019, 02:14 PM

Note: I am currently grieving because I had written an extremely long reply to you, and I accidentally hit "quote" at the bottom of your review right before I finished it, which deleted everything I wrote. Then, the autosave saved that instead of what I had written previously.

ANYWAY, I will try my best to remember what all I had written, but I may not pull out everything I had previously quoted.

Stellar review! I have so been looking forward to your thoughts on this game after learning that it was your favorite. Since it is your favorite, I feel compelled to say a lot in response to give you more opportunity to gush about it than you already did. Besides, this has always been one of my favorite games as well, and it was either the first or second game I played after beating the original five (I got SHA and CUR bundled and CLK and TRN bundled at Target when I was eleven). Honestly, as nostalgic as it is, I think it is objectively fantastic and only gets better with time.

PLOT

I completely agree with everything you said about the plot. It is one of the strongest plots in the entire series, and I regard it highly for how well the two stories are interconnected throughout the game. Most of the games have a main plot and a subplot, but it is rare that the two are handled so effortlessly and with such incredible balance. There is never really a point where I feel like I am focusing on one mystery over the other, as there are always little (or even significant) things that tie the two mysteries together as you progress through the game. (Spot on about how progression feels earned in this game!) Even when exploring Cappy's, there are multiple clues for both investigations right there together. It's such an impressive feat, and both mysteries are really interesting. Now, when I think about the game, I definitely think about Dirk and Frances' tragic romance first, but I appreciate how the investigations are run parallel to each other pretty much the entire time and intersect often. You are totally right that you end up caring immensely for Dirk and Frances by the end of the game--I am heartbroken over their fates every single time I play--and I cannot give that part of the plot more praise for how perfectly everything unfolded and was tied up at the end.

SETTING

Our primary location for this game is Shadow Ranch, a working ranch in Arizona recently acquired by Bet and Ed Rawley. However, the greater scope of this game encompasses several locations in the general vicinity of Shadow Mountain. While we get a variety of locations, both outdoor and indoor, they all share a common denominator that makes them feel cohesive. What I mean by this is that the overall setting shines through no matter which location you’re in, and although Nancy travels a distance between them, they don’t feel at all “separate.”

You have perfectly put into words how I feel about the setting of this game, especially the part about things not feeling "separate." One of the things I love most about the setting is how it really does feel like parts of an organic whole. We travel to all of these distinct locations, using a mini-map no less, but they feel like they are all one with each other. It certainly helps that they are all tied so deeply into the plot, but there is still this sense of unity between them that we do not get in most other games with mini-maps (and certainly not the ones preceding this one). I do not feel like I am missing something by not seeing what connects these areas and what is between them. Naturally, what is between them is a vast, unbroken desert landscape, but it still feels like they all exist together at once and are there for more than just plot convenience. They are the Shadow Mountain Valley, not a bunch of disjointed locations thrown together for the purpose of gameplay. The way they open up to us organically is fantastic, too, rather than having them already listed on the map when the game starts.

The truth is, I could go on at length about ANY of these locations, but I think it’s much simpler if I just say that they are all fantastic. By far the most endearing thing about all of them is that they ALL connect back to the past in some way and help to tell the story we’re experiencing. Because of this, the player is able to not only visualize what these places might have looked like before, but is able to actually stand where these ghosts from the past were and turn their thoughts into action.

This is one of those scenarios where the setting is almost a character in itself, which has always, always been a great topic of interest to me in works of fiction. The Dirk Valentine plot really brings these locations to life, and, as you so poetically said, they feel haunted by the past. I think the game being set in the West certainly helps with that feeling, but none of the locations let you forget their colored pasts. There are little things in each that really make them feel like places where real life happened, whether it be Charlie's grave at the Trail Stop or the carvings at Cougar Bend.

The plot gives us so much to do in each and every area, at different times and in different ways and because the plot is SO intertwined with these locations, the player feels a highly rewarding sense of exploration throughout the game. This is because the very nature of what’s happening is reminiscent of a scavenger hunt, and attention to detail in these locations is an important aspect of progressing through the game. There may not be fifteen books to read like in the SCK remastered library, but there is a plank of wood SOMEWHERE in the game with a certain marking on it that you should probably keep an eye out for. Because the player needs to pay attention to things like this in their surroundings, the game sort of has this way of tempting the player into exploring deeply without it ever feeling forced.

Yes! I deeply appreciate how every location has so much to see. There's never a scenario where you explore a location one time and automatically find everything it has to offer. You are encouraged to explore and have to revisit locations repeatedly, and there is usually something new to "unlock" every time you travel back. I like how dynamic and real it makes the environments feel.

Lastly, let’s talk about the map. Yes, the dreaded map which I tend to dislike in every entry - EXCEPT for this one. The map works well here for a couple of reasons, first and foremost because of what we just discussed above. But it also works well because of the nature of the way Nancy is travelling. She’s moving around by horseback, which is NOT the fastest form of travel to begin with. We also learn that many of the locations she’s traveling to are more than an hour’s ride from Shadow Ranch. Because of this, the map sequences don’t feel out of place, and in fact do a really great job of making it feel like you’re traveling a pretty decent distance in-between locations. As a result, when you arrive at a location that we know is out of the way (such as Dry Creek), it really FEELS out of the way. It feels like Nancy is ALONE at these places, which packs a way bigger punch than you might think when it feels like somebody might be watching you, or you find yourself in a less-than-pleasant situation. For this reason, I’m not only okay with the map but am happy they went this route in this particular entry and feel as though it improves upon the exploration value of the game.

That is precisely how I feel about the map in this game. As you know, I am not particularly fond of it in most games, but it really works in this game. I love that the game forces you to travel from each location along a determined path, rather than taking a shortcut straight to it. Not only does it truly make me feel as if I am traveling the kind of distance the game tells me exists between these locations, distance that requires literal hours of riding to cross, but it makes everything feel so real. In all likelihood, the land between these areas that is not on the marked path is not able to be traversed on horseback, so it makes complete sense that I would have to ride considerably longer to reach my destination by following the trail. As you said, it also heightens my belief that I am, or at least SHOULD be, completely and utterly alone at all of these locations. When I don't feel alone (and I literally NEVER feel alone at Dry Creek), it is anxiety-inducing. Plus, we get to ride Bob, and Bob is way more adorable than a junky boat or bicycle.

By the way, I have even higher regard for the setting now that I know it checks out with an equestrian.

CHARACTERS

I love his voice acting, I love his character model, I love the layers that we know there are to his personality, and you know what? I think this man is actually my favorite character in this game - I know, unpopular opinion because of Dave. But there is just something about an irritable cowboy with a soft spot hidden under the surface that I just can’t help but love!

I could have quoted the entire section, but I would have ended up sounding like a mockingbird. However, I did want to say that I am in complete agreement on Tex. He TERRIFIED me as a child, but I honestly find him so endearing now, "nope"s and all. He is easily the most interesting living character in the game. Now, I get why people love Dave--he is so cute and the way he reverently says "ma'am" to Nancy makes me scream a little--but Tex is a far more fascinating person. Everything you said about everyone else is totally accurate, and Mary Yazzie...yeah.

[QUOTE]Our phone cast is SO GOOD this time around! Or regulars put on great performances, and our new contacts have really awesome dialogue and stellar voice acting. I have zero complaints about them. The only thing I might add is that it’s been so many games since we’ve talked to Ned, but I guess if I were Nancy surrounded by all those cowboys I wouldn’t be missing him too badly either.[/QUOTE]

You know how I generally feel about phone contacts, so you know it's a big deal when I not only notice them, but L O V E them and feel compelled to talk about them in my own review. The phone contacts in this game are BRILLIANT. I actively make a habit of exhausting all conversation with the characters in this game because they have such fun dialogue, from George being bored enough to read about nineteenth century fashion, to Sheriff Hernandez talking about Dave having a crush on Nancy, to Charleena Purcell's assistant telling me that I am important enough to not listen to the on-hold message about RIDING ON THE WINGS OF LOVEEEEEEEE.

They are all so good and add so much to the game, both in plot progression and just overall flavor and fun. Love, love, love them so much. Honestly, Charleena Purcell is probably my favorite of the bunch, and I sometimes wonder if she played a small part in me developing a preference for writing historical fiction (though not historical romances

). Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet are really fun to talk to, though, and I adore their dynamic. It's still tragic to me that we never got a chance to meet them or hear anything about them in future games.

PUZZLES

I absolutely think the balance of puzzles (and tasks) in this game is perfect. The best puzzle is easily Dirk's long-term puzzle, but I appreciate that the game gives me other puzzles to solve and tasks to do to keep the game from feeling like only one big, long puzzle. The way his puzzle is broken up into satisfying parts is really nice, too, and it helps me feel like I am actually making progress. They are so sweet and cute too.

Like you, I also like the tasks in this game a lot. I actually look forward to gathering eggs, collecting arrowheads, picking vegetables, feeding the horses, organizing rings, building a campfire, and baking Tex's birthday cake (especially this one; I'm a real sucker for the cooking puzzles).

All in all, I felt the puzzles in this game were challenging enough but not frustratingly tedious and I really enjoyed the particular balance found in this game. There were only two puzzles total that I found actually frustrating: The Run for Cover game is enjoyable the first time, but on your first playthrough you’ll likely wind up playing it several times. Since you’ll already know how to solve it, this is just tedious and annoying, and I highly recommend just saving in the appropriate place and reloading to avoid having to replay this game a million times. The second puzzle that I found frustrating is the maze. There is actually a trick to remove the pieces of wood, but even with them gone this thing is just IRRITATING. I disliked it greatly.

This two puzzles are BY FAR the worst. The problem with Run for Cover is that you have to play it so many times. It runs super slowly and gets all glitchy on my computer, too, which makes it an even more miserable experience than the repetitive banjo music achieves (aka making me want to rip my ears off). If it was a one- or two-time thing, it would not be that bad. The worst thing for me was the time I had to go back and get scrip for over an hour because the RNG gods cursed me on Cappy's game. I was so angry and annoyed by that point that I created a save right after I beat it so I never had to do that puzzle again. Terribleeeeee. The zebra rock puzzle is equally annoying, and it is an absolutely nightmare on the trackpad, even with the wooden bars removed. Just a headache and a half. Do not approve.

ENDGAME

This game's endgame is soooooo good. Definitely in my top five best endings. I prefer the long endgame sequences, so this one is perfect. The first time I played, I actually had found some of the pieces required for that last puzzle, which was nice. It was really difficult to find them all, and I was really worried about getting lost, but now I don't even bother memorizing the maze solution because the pieces are hidden off the path. I find it a lot more rewarding to fully explore the area on subsequent playthroughs, especially since it is my favorite area in the game and so beautiful. (Plus, I know how to get through it without writing down the solution, so I don't concern myself over getting lost anymore.) I absolutely love the culprit choice so much, and their dialogue is so chilling for whatever reason. The culprit confrontation/escape scared the daylights out of me as a child, and I still get a bit anxious and I fumble with my inventory.

I thought I was supposed to outrun/navigate around the culprit the first time, so I kept getting that gameover dialogue. OOF. I even noticed the solution earlier on, but I did not think about how to create the scenario necessary to outwit the culprit. It's so clever!

IMMERSION

This section is perfection through and through! You know, I have always wondered about the structure of that house as well. There is absolutely nowhere for the bedrooms to hide, unless the "front porch" is actually a porch in an inner courtyard the house is built around. Still, that is not typical of Southwestern ranch houses, and there would be no reason to call it a front porch if that were the case. Perhaps Nancy needs to solve the mystery of the phantom bedrooms next. Also, I appreciate your equestrian knowledge because I have next to no understanding of anything relating to horses, except that they are beautiful and I like them.

MUSIC
This soundtrack is

. Like you, I prefer the themes at the ranch the most. They make me so happy, especially Frances' theme.

EXTRA STUFF
Whattttttttt?!

I need to know this Harry Potter reference immediately. I cannot believe I have never noticed! I know The Shining one, but that is way easier to figure out because it is so memorable and terrifying.

Whew! I still don't know if I said everything I said the first time, but I tried to get everything down. You made so many incredible points that I give your review a 10/10. (Then again, I would probably give them all a 10/10.) All in all, a truly superb review for a truly superb game! Looking forward to your thoughts on CUR!

**Jett** · December 12, 2019, 08:38 AM

What an epic response, I greatly enjoyed reading it!!! I wish I could justify it with an equally long response in return, but I would basically just be agreeing with you entirely lol. Also, I plan on reading your full review after this reply, so I will most definitely comment more over there! But of course, I'll still comment on a few things

Most of the games have a main plot and a subplot, but it is rare that the two are handled so effortlessly and with such incredible balance. There is never really a point where I feel like I am focusing on one mystery over the other, as there are always little (or even significant) things that tie the two mysteries together as you progress through the game.

YES! I think the most interesting thing about this plot is that the "Ghost Horse" plot is obviously supposed to be the main plot, but the secondary plot of Dirk and Frances is SO GOOD that it feels like the main plot as well. So rather than a primary and secondary plot, we're left with two plots that both feel important when either takes the forefront.

I do not feel like I am missing something by not seeing what connects these areas and what is between them. Naturally, what is between them is a vast, unbroken desert landscape, but it still feels like they all exist together at once and are there for more than just plot convenience.

That's a great point, and I also think that is so important. Because we know it's just expansive desert, it both serves its purpose and doesn't make the player feel like they're missing out!

You know how I generally feel about phone contacts, so you know it's a big deal when I not only notice them, but L O V E them and feel compelled to talk about them in my own review.

YAY, FINALLY!!

I am so happy you appreciated them in this game, because this really is the most nostalgic (and just generally stellar) phone performance we get as a whole in my opinion. When I think of Nancy Drew phonecalls, I instantly think of George and her 19th century fashion, and Charleena Purcell, and the laptop guy pestering the Hardy Boys.

I thought I was supposed to outrun/navigate around the culprit the first time, so I kept getting that gameover dialogue. OOF. I even noticed the solution earlier on, but I did not think about how to create the scenario necessary to outwit the culprit. It's so clever!

SAME. I'm pretty sure I tried escaping indefinitely until I got frustrated and made my dad help me figure it out

He also struggled, by the way.

Whattttttttt?!

I need to know this Harry Potter reference immediately. I cannot believe I have never noticed!

THAT WAS MY EXACT REACTION WHEN I FOUND IT!!! Take a look at the small bookshelf in the corner of the ranch house! There's a collection of "Harvey Herring" books on the bottom left that are a play on the first five books. They're the appropriate sizes and everything, with titles like "Harvey Herring and the Border in Phoenix, AZ"

ANNND with that, I'm off to read your review!!! It is super busy right now with Christmas coming up, so if I don't get around to commenting on it quickly just know I most definitely will when I have time.

**Juliana+Walter** · December 12, 2019, 09:35 AM

EXTRA STUFF/NOTES:

Well, we can’t eat any food this time around. That’s sad.

You can actually eat a piece of cake the day after Tex's birthday, but all you do is click on it and Nancy makes her usual "mm-hmm" noise, and you can see that a good-size slice is gone. Any additional clicks will get you a "I'll let someone else have the last piece."

Excellent review! One of the best things about this game, in addition to good characters, is that all of the puzzles and activities (and even chores) are quite enjoyable and make perfect sense.

I have very few complaints. But if you’d like to know what they are, here you go! First of all, as far as I can tell, there is not a bedroom in the ranchouse, yet we know Ed was bitten IN THE BEDROOM. But if there is a bedroom, there is no door. If anybody wants to explain that one, I’d be grateful.

Exactly!!

I can offer no explanations, and always thought that there should have been a staircase put in the game that we just don't get to climb at the very least. There are plenty of other games with doors that you cannot open.

**yukixiaomeimei** · December 12, 2019, 01:12 PM

Originally posted by Jett View Post

What an epic response, I greatly enjoyed reading it!!! I wish I could justify it with an equally long response in return, but I would basically just be agreeing with you entirely lol. Also, I plan on reading your full review after this reply, so I will most definitely comment more over there! But of course, I'll still comment on a few things

I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it! Oh, no worries, as soon as I read your review, I knew that there would not be a lot to say without being like "I agree" over and over.

Even our game scores are the same!

YAY, FINALLY!!

I am so happy you appreciated them in this game, because this really is the most nostalgic (and just generally stellar) phone performance we get as a whole in my opinion. When I think of Nancy Drew phonecalls, I instantly think of George and her 19th century fashion, and Charleena Purcell, and the laptop guy pestering the Hardy Boys.

Definitely! There are a few others I find pretty memorable (e.g., Bess and George in TRN, everyone in SPY, everyone in SAW, everyone in GTH, everyone in CUR, Prudence Rutherford in DAN), but the phone conversations from this game are at the top of the list. The laptop fiasco with the Hardy Boys is great and totally underrated.

THAT WAS MY EXACT REACTION WHEN I FOUND IT!!! Take a look at the small bookshelf in the corner of the ranch house! There's a collection of "Harvey Herring" books on the bottom left that are a play on the first five books. They're the appropriate sizes and everything, with titles like "Harvey Herring and the Border in Phoenix, AZ"

Ahhhh, that is so COOL!!! Next time I play it, I am definitely going to check that out! I cannot believe I never noticed those book after so many replays.

ANNND with that, I'm off to read your review!!! It is super busy right now with Christmas coming up, so if I don't get around to commenting on it quickly just know I most definitely will when I have time.

Absolutely no worries! Things are crazy on my end as well, and I am struggling to try to finish these reviews before my self-imposed deadline of Christmas Day! I'm hoping I'm not being too ambitious, especially with all the decorating, cooking, baking, and shopping I need to get done, but I think things will progress a bit faster after I finish the GTH one. All that is to say that I completely understand and take your time on getting back to me!

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