Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull - E
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this game contains no violence and presents a strong heroine and challenging puzzles. While it doesn't have a two-player mode, it's the kind of game that you can play with someone else because two heads looking for clues are always better then one. With two levels of difficulty, kids as young as 9 will enjoy the Junior Detective route, while older kids and adults will want to play on the Senior Detective level. Kids playing this game will hear some discussion of "hoodoo" (voodoo) beliefs and practices. They will learn about New Orleans' secret societies and an artifact that is rumored to provide the owner with immortality. While playing as Bess, she purposely causes someone to get sick (by putting hot sauce on his gumbo) so that she can search his store.
Families can talk about what makes this game scary. Would it be scary without the music turned on? How about the dark lighting in the scenes? The thunderstorm? Families can also talk about parts of the storyline they don't understand: What is voodoo and where did it come from? What are some of the myths about immortality? And what is the role of secret societies in helping to put on Mardi Gras? Also, do you think it was OK for Bess to make the store owner get sick by putting hot sauce in his gumbo?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
If you are looking for a spooky mystery that isn't too scary, then the newest Nancy Drew PC game fits the bill. To solve this mystery, you must explore an old mansion and cemetery at night, during a thunderstorm. Eerie.
NANCY DREW: LEGEND OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, the 17th computer mystery in this series, adds a new gameplay element to its award-winning formula. Not only do you play as Nancy Drew, but also, at times, you get to become her best friend Bess.
As with the past titles in the series, you solve the mystery by questioning characters and snooping around to find clues. This mystery takes place in New Orleans.
Bruno Bolet has recently died in the old mansion, and when you stop by to check on the deceased's grandson Henry, a person wearing a skeleton costume accosts you. Instead of being scared away, you decide to check into whether Bruno Bolet's death was really from a heart attack.
So begins this carefully constructed mystery where paying attention to details leads to clues. For example, early on you will find a miniature scale model of a cemetery in the great room of the mansion and discover that the cemetery is adjacent to the mansion's garden. By exploring the model carefully, you uncover a glass eye located inside one of the miniature mausoleums. This starts you on an odyssey to find all of the glass eyes hidden around the property. Likewise, you will stumble upon secret rooms, passageways with peepholes, and a cemetery full of clues including some that are found on headstones.
Unlike some of the past Nancy Drew mysteries where you could wander through a lot of scenes without finding anything, this one limits your scope. You can only explore a few rooms and areas at a time, with new ones opening up when you find the right clue. In this manner, the game never overwhelms you.
As with all the past Nancy Drew mysteries, this game is loaded with puzzles. For one, you will need to make grave rubbings to decipher a code to open a mini-crypt.
As for the game's spookiness, the music, rain, and periodic lightning help create an eerie mood, but it's never overpowering. And if you make a fatal mistake, the game returns you to the moment before that bad decision and gives you a second chance.
While the Halloween release time is perfect, this spooky mystery is fun to play anytime.
If you enjoyed this one, check out some of the others in the series such as: Nancy Drew: Danger by Design and Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock.
Rate It!
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Social BehaviorNancy is a strong heroine. Bess does a few devious things like putting hot sauce on someone's food to make them sick. |
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CommercialismThis is the 17th mystery in this software series. |
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Educational ValueThe puzzles require logical thinking. |
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