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ConnectTheDots' Review
of
—The White Wolf of Icicle Creek--
of
—The White Wolf of Icicle Creek--
**Bottom line:** ICE is - dare I say it - chill. It's not fantastic, but it's one of the most relaxing games in the series, sans Fox and Geese.
Plot
Nancy has been invited to Icicle Creek Lodge in Alberta, Canada. The ski lodge has been experiencing some strange accidents lately. Every time one of these accidents occurs, a white wolf appears. The accidents and the ominous animal seem to be scaring off customers! It’s up to you as Nancy Drew to find out who’s behind all of this before the lodge shuts down.
Yes, we’ve seen similar plots before. This case works because the plot continues to develop as the game moves forward; more accidents occur, certain characters become more suspicious, and other characters become unlikely suspects. It’s pretty complex, too, because there are kind of two different plots going on – the wolf and the accidents. The problem with this complexness is that the two plots don’t really mesh together well. Even though so and so believes the wolf is a hindrance/thinks the wolf should be protected, why should I suspect them of causing the accidents?
Although there is a bit of a treasure hunt going on, it has a purpose in this game because of a simple shred of clothing, so I was pleased with that!
Characters
The character development in this game is fantastic, considering that there are five suspects! Some are much more developed than others because you interact with them often. Most of them have strong opinions about the wolf issue AND reasons why they might be behind the accidents, but others have one or the other. They are a pretty likeable bunch of characters. Even though they are working/staying at such an expensive ski lodge, none of them are snooty. They’re very open with the maid/cook.
Graphics and Setting
The graphics are very nice. Once again, though, the characters seem to come from a different world; they’re more cartoony than their surroundings. The character movements are great. I love that Lou and Bill play Fox and Geese together. Other than Frank and Joe in TRN, this seems to be the first time that we see two suspects constantly interacting with each other, even in conversation.
I’m particularly impressed with the movements and facial expressions of the culprit near the end. That is some of the best animation I’ve seen from HeR!
The stillness of the snowy surroundings adds an element of suspense to the game. I was constantly waiting for the wolf to pop up or something to happen outside!
Music
Rarely is there any music in this game. It seems like no music plays while Nancy explores outside, but I think I recall one song outside. There’s a kind of tip-toe sounding song that plays while snooping around the lodge. That’s all I remember. A little more music would have been nice!
Puzzles, Tasks and Mini-Games
Once again, I stopped taking a tally of the puzzles mid-way through the game (I forgot about it!) but there actually aren’t that many puzzles in ICE. As stated, there is a sort of treasure hunt, but the puzzles related to that are very laidback and easy… for the most part. Fox and geese is definitely a game for those that like to develop strategies. I’m not one of those people, so I use a walkthrough when I play. I think the fact that you have to solve it four times makes it more frustrating.
Nancy is the maid and cook, so she does have some tasks that she has to do. One of those is making the beds and picking up dirty towels, which could probably be accomplished with your eyes closed. It’s not that big of a deal. Plus, it gives you an excuse for snooping around someone’s room.
Another task is cooking. Cooking in ICE is my favorite food task in the entire series. At first, you might make a few mistakes, but it does get easier after a while. While I was playing, I challenged myself to see how many items I could cook at the same time without burning anything or how fast I could get out of the kitchen . It became really fun! You have to cook three times a day and time moves fast in this game so, depending on how skilled you are with cooking, it may seem like you’re always in the kitchen.
Scraping off the ice rink comes with the job, but the task is a fun puzzle like Minesweeper. You only do this puzzle twice in the game.
"The Scare Factor"
The wolf may scare you, but that’s pretty much the only scary element in the game. There’s an optional threat that Nancy may receive that gave me chills.
Other Odds and Ends
- The conclusion took me a while to understand, and even though I understand it now, I don’t agree with the culprit choice. The ending puzzle is one of my least favorites in the series because it’s third person.
- The snowball fights with Freddie are really easy, which is a good thing! Lots of heat packs are needed to be able to explore around the lodge.
- There was a time when my checklist was completely checked off and I couldn’t think of what to do. I don’t like when this happens in the games.
- The easter egg in this game is my favorite in the series.
THANK YOU so much for reading my review! Feel free to comment with your own thoughts. Feedback is appreciated.
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