I bought this game a while ago and I don't think it's too innaporopriate. There is some violence, a few deathss, and a lot of language. The game is fun but hard, and the reading is very Heavy, Most of the game is hearing what everyone has to say and deciding what to say yourself. The rest is solving puzzles thar are fun but tough. One of the puzzles near the end (*s*p*o*i*l*e*r* *a*l*e*r*t*) I accidently figured out when I kept losing and then put it on sleep, and later opened it up to figure out that I was supposed to close the DS!(s*p*o*i*l*e*r* *o*v*e*r*). The story is a good one but very coplicated to understand. But the game is a very good one!!!
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Hotel Dusk: Room 215
(2007, Video Games - Action/Adventure, Rated T, Play it on: Nintendo DS)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 12. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Decent, dialogue-heavy detective story.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 12–14
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of Hotel Dusk: Room 215 was written by Chris Jozefowicz
Parents need to know that this mystery game requires players to slow down, do lots of reading, and solve puzzles. Though the story is involving, this will be a hard sell for fans of fast-paced action games. The mystery centers on crime and murder and includes a few gritty elements: drinking, some swearing, and brief scenes of violence (a shooting and people being knocked unconscious). But the overall vibe isn't bleak thanks to bright artwork, an upbeat soundtrack, and plot threads focused on family love.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the role of a story in video games. It's essential in this game, but is it for all games? If the mystery wasn't compelling, would this game still be worth playing? Families who get deep into the plot can also discuss the themes of parental love and abandonment.
More on Hotel Dusk: Room 215
What’s the Story?
Nintendo is marketing HOTEL DUSK: ROOM 215, an adventure game for the DS, as an "interactive mystery novel." The star of the show is Kyle Hyde, a New York City police detective-turned-traveling-salesman who just can't quit his sleuthing ways. When Hyde finds himself at a seedy Los Angeles hotel in 1979, he discovers that nearly all the guests have mysterious pasts. Players will guide Hyde -- a man with a troubled past of his own -- through one long night in the hotel as he unravels the tangled relationships around him.
To play Hotel Dusk, players turn the DS on its side, like an open book. The screens either display a map and what Hyde sees, or they show Hyde in text-heavy conversations with the guests. The game often looks like a limited-motion comic book on two screens, with the characters depicted in a captivating hand-drawn style.
CloseIs It Any Good?
Players with twitchy fingers and minds may get bored reading through pages of text, but those up for a stylish and moody story probably will find Hotel Dusk to be a unique and satisfying experience. Players select from questions and conjectures Hyde can make. Selecting the wrong thing can make guests clam up or even get Hyde booted out of the hotel. The game also sprinkles in some traditional adventure game-style logic puzzles that utilize the touch screen.
Since the 15- to 20-hour game is so story-heavy, actual play sometimes feels awkward. The game lets players walk all over the hotel, but it maintains control over the story by making guests available in a very linear manner. The mystery plays at being hard-boiled (with guns, murder, and hard-drinking), but that toughness wanes against a backdrop of bright artwork, an upbeat soundtrack, and plot threads focused on family love.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 02/28/2007, price $34.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: T (for mild violence, use of tobacco and/or use of alcohol, mild language)
ESRB rating: T (for mild violence, use of tobacco and/or use of alcohol, mild language)
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Very Hard!
- I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
Excellent game, for me.
I played this game myself, and while I don't really think it's inappropriate for children...I don't think the average child could keep up with the game. And what's the point of buying it, if you're not able to understand what's going on? I loved it, but I think a 10-12 year old would quickly tire of the reading.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
I don't really care 4 it
Kids my age are looking for games that are teen rated!This is teen rated game and it isn't to bad!You'd have to know right from rong to really injoy tis game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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