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Unfortunately, it's time for me to review SPY. I honestly am disappointed that I'm going to be speaking very negatively and critically of the game and company in this review. I don't like being let-down with a game, that's always a bit upsetting--you build up anticipation and hope to enjoy the long-awaited experience. With SPY, I had strong reservations and didn't build up much, if any, excitement for it. And though I was clearly not fully open-minded about this game, I did try. I genuinely wanted to enjoy it. I hoped that I would; however, I was greatly disappointed. I don't enjoy the game and I'm feeling quite let-down and bothered by HeR Interactive's path.
I think they tried too hard to please a pocket of fans. Many people have expressed wanting to see development with the Drew family, particularly with Nancy's mom. HeR Interactive saw that. What I doubt they were aware of is the group of fans who did not want the family expanded upon. We don't get to voice our opinions, at least not as clearly as others. HeR sees what people WANT, via petitions. There's no place to share what we DON'T want. I feel like we were unintentionally ignored. We weren't considered when they made the decision to pursue this story, and I'm deeply saddened by that.
I feel that they touched something that was sacred--something that ought not to have been tangled with. I very much wish that this game hadn't been made, at least as far as Nancy's personal investment is concerned. Had this plot involved some unknown person of interest, other than Kate Drew, perhaps I'd enjoy it a bit more. But as it is, she was part of the theme, and that severely tainted how it worked out for me. I guess I'll lay it out for you and explain what, for me, were the various issues.
Characters
I found most of the characters to be annoying. I didn't enjoy interacting with any of them. They were a bore. I also greatly disliked calling Carson and Ned. I rarely call phone contacts as a rule, but given that you have to in this case, I was even more annoyed by the conversations. Though Carson's anger and fears felt genuine and he had every right to be mad (actually, I think he only had SOME right to be upset), I couldn't stand his attitude. Let's face it, he was a jerk. He was mean to his daughter and extremely rude to Ned. His behaviour would not fly around me. So I was disappointed with the characters.
Setting
I feel that much was left to be desired. So much more could have been done in each location. Nancy's hotel room looked the most developed to me, and yet, we don't spend all that much time there. And having a personal connection to Scotland, it felt empty. It didn't feel any different than any other random location.
Time
Suffice to say I am ticked that the game takes place over a single day. And given that Nancy gets mail from across the globe in a single day, it's just wrong. I'm so tired of this format.
Puzzles
One of two positive comments (the next to follow): I did enjoy the puzzles. They were smart, fun and different. I really did like those parts of the game.
Music
The music was very fitting. Honestly, it was the only thing that made the game feel like it was set in Scotland (even the tartans and accents didn't do that for me). The variations within the pieces were all very good and I enjoyed listening to them.
Plot
I've left this for last because it IS the story and it's the main thing I have criticism for (both positive and negative). Although the concept and the threat that Nancy had to deal with made me feel unsettled and very uneasy, it was a good idea to turn that into a game. It hasn't been touched on before. I do feel that it's much more of an adult concern (if I was 10-years-old and playing this game, I'm certain I'd feel very worried about my real personal safety for months on end, anxiously awaiting such an attack). I worry how the younger players will take to this game and how they'll be left feeling once they've finished it. It's a fair thing to address--and very real, as current events will show us! But it almost felt too real. I don't usually get that with these games, and I guess that's why it made me feel such a strong level of unease.
What bothered me with the plot, though (and as I noted at the beginning of this review) was the personal element: Kate Drew. Why did she have to be dragged into this? It felt so unnecessary, and was done, I can only guess, to please a few fans. I don't think it was the right move, not at all. I'm so unhappy with the decision to make this case so personal, especially on the level of bringing up Nancy's dead mother. Why drag that to the surface and tarnish something so sacred? She may have been a great person, but that doesn't matter. This story didn't need to be told. It should have been someone else's story.
To add insult to injury, I may have found the plot idea good, but the execution was poor. The overall game-play was dull. I was so bored. I had to force myself to get through it. I simply don't enjoy this game.
So with that, I give The Silent Spy what is probably my lowest rating to-date: 5/10.
I think some very poor choices were made. I could pick out a few specific instances, but this is already so lengthy that I'll stick to just one--the one that has bothered me the most and is the reason I'm feeling disturbed by this switch in style by HeR Interactive. There are repeated uses of the saying, "Shut up." It's said by two different characters. The first time I heard it, it wasn't said in an angry tone and, admittedly, fit the character a bit. I was caught by surprise when I heard it, but not enough to be truly bothered by it. However, when it was said again later, by an adult to a teenager, I was shocked, disturbed and very upset. It was completely inappropriate. It may be commonly said in today's society, but the scenario did not warrant it. I think it's appalling that the company chose to have a grown person tell someone off that like. It was so unnecessary. I am extremely disappointed in HeR Interactive's choice.
There has been a shift in the games of late. I felt it was most noticeable with GTH and it stood out immediately in SPY. The games are darker, more serious, the content is better fitting for teens than juveniles, and they feel more gruff. They don't feel like the family games they used to be.
And to make my feelings about this game (and other recent ones) even worse, I feel that the creators are getting lazier and lazier. The focus seems to have shifted to character appearances, and everything else falls short. To provide an example of something that's falling short, they don't take the time to meld movements smoothly. For instance, when characters move, it feels jolty when they return to their "regular pose." And when characters leave, they resort to a blackout. I didn't see this stuff in the old games. I felt everything was much more integrated back then. The last couple years, I haven't seen progress, I'm seeing worse than when they first started out. And to top that off, I'm finding less intriguing and captivating games.
I shake my head at all this because I spend my time representing this company on the forum, but I feel bitter toward their products. It feels wrong. But I can't sit back and not voice my concerns, and have only the "I wants" be heard. The company needs to know what we don't want anymore. I don't want any more lazy choices. I don't want them to try to fit in and become dark and rough like all the other computer games out there. And I don't want them trying so hard to do what people ask! I honestly think that by focusing on pleasing specific requests, they're doing more harm than good! I miss the wholesome, fun and comforting products this company used to make. And I wonder, will I ever see those again? Or are they only a memory?
I think they tried too hard to please a pocket of fans. Many people have expressed wanting to see development with the Drew family, particularly with Nancy's mom. HeR Interactive saw that. What I doubt they were aware of is the group of fans who did not want the family expanded upon. We don't get to voice our opinions, at least not as clearly as others. HeR sees what people WANT, via petitions. There's no place to share what we DON'T want. I feel like we were unintentionally ignored. We weren't considered when they made the decision to pursue this story, and I'm deeply saddened by that.
I feel that they touched something that was sacred--something that ought not to have been tangled with. I very much wish that this game hadn't been made, at least as far as Nancy's personal investment is concerned. Had this plot involved some unknown person of interest, other than Kate Drew, perhaps I'd enjoy it a bit more. But as it is, she was part of the theme, and that severely tainted how it worked out for me. I guess I'll lay it out for you and explain what, for me, were the various issues.Characters
I found most of the characters to be annoying. I didn't enjoy interacting with any of them. They were a bore. I also greatly disliked calling Carson and Ned. I rarely call phone contacts as a rule, but given that you have to in this case, I was even more annoyed by the conversations. Though Carson's anger and fears felt genuine and he had every right to be mad (actually, I think he only had SOME right to be upset), I couldn't stand his attitude. Let's face it, he was a jerk. He was mean to his daughter and extremely rude to Ned. His behaviour would not fly around me. So I was disappointed with the characters.
Setting
I feel that much was left to be desired. So much more could have been done in each location. Nancy's hotel room looked the most developed to me, and yet, we don't spend all that much time there. And having a personal connection to Scotland, it felt empty. It didn't feel any different than any other random location.
Time
Suffice to say I am ticked that the game takes place over a single day. And given that Nancy gets mail from across the globe in a single day, it's just wrong. I'm so tired of this format.
Puzzles
One of two positive comments (the next to follow): I did enjoy the puzzles. They were smart, fun and different. I really did like those parts of the game.
Music
The music was very fitting. Honestly, it was the only thing that made the game feel like it was set in Scotland (even the tartans and accents didn't do that for me). The variations within the pieces were all very good and I enjoyed listening to them.
Plot
I've left this for last because it IS the story and it's the main thing I have criticism for (both positive and negative). Although the concept and the threat that Nancy had to deal with made me feel unsettled and very uneasy, it was a good idea to turn that into a game. It hasn't been touched on before. I do feel that it's much more of an adult concern (if I was 10-years-old and playing this game, I'm certain I'd feel very worried about my real personal safety for months on end, anxiously awaiting such an attack). I worry how the younger players will take to this game and how they'll be left feeling once they've finished it. It's a fair thing to address--and very real, as current events will show us! But it almost felt too real. I don't usually get that with these games, and I guess that's why it made me feel such a strong level of unease.
What bothered me with the plot, though (and as I noted at the beginning of this review) was the personal element: Kate Drew. Why did she have to be dragged into this? It felt so unnecessary, and was done, I can only guess, to please a few fans. I don't think it was the right move, not at all. I'm so unhappy with the decision to make this case so personal, especially on the level of bringing up Nancy's dead mother. Why drag that to the surface and tarnish something so sacred? She may have been a great person, but that doesn't matter. This story didn't need to be told. It should have been someone else's story.
To add insult to injury, I may have found the plot idea good, but the execution was poor. The overall game-play was dull. I was so bored. I had to force myself to get through it. I simply don't enjoy this game.
So with that, I give The Silent Spy what is probably my lowest rating to-date: 5/10.
I think some very poor choices were made. I could pick out a few specific instances, but this is already so lengthy that I'll stick to just one--the one that has bothered me the most and is the reason I'm feeling disturbed by this switch in style by HeR Interactive. There are repeated uses of the saying, "Shut up." It's said by two different characters. The first time I heard it, it wasn't said in an angry tone and, admittedly, fit the character a bit. I was caught by surprise when I heard it, but not enough to be truly bothered by it. However, when it was said again later, by an adult to a teenager, I was shocked, disturbed and very upset. It was completely inappropriate. It may be commonly said in today's society, but the scenario did not warrant it. I think it's appalling that the company chose to have a grown person tell someone off that like. It was so unnecessary. I am extremely disappointed in HeR Interactive's choice.
There has been a shift in the games of late. I felt it was most noticeable with GTH and it stood out immediately in SPY. The games are darker, more serious, the content is better fitting for teens than juveniles, and they feel more gruff. They don't feel like the family games they used to be.
And to make my feelings about this game (and other recent ones) even worse, I feel that the creators are getting lazier and lazier. The focus seems to have shifted to character appearances, and everything else falls short. To provide an example of something that's falling short, they don't take the time to meld movements smoothly. For instance, when characters move, it feels jolty when they return to their "regular pose." And when characters leave, they resort to a blackout. I didn't see this stuff in the old games. I felt everything was much more integrated back then. The last couple years, I haven't seen progress, I'm seeing worse than when they first started out. And to top that off, I'm finding less intriguing and captivating games.
I shake my head at all this because I spend my time representing this company on the forum, but I feel bitter toward their products. It feels wrong. But I can't sit back and not voice my concerns, and have only the "I wants" be heard. The company needs to know what we don't want anymore. I don't want any more lazy choices. I don't want them to try to fit in and become dark and rough like all the other computer games out there. And I don't want them trying so hard to do what people ask! I honestly think that by focusing on pleasing specific requests, they're doing more harm than good! I miss the wholesome, fun and comforting products this company used to make.
And I wonder, will I ever see those again? Or are they only a memory?
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