Nancy Drew
Curse of Blackmoor Manor was released several years ago, and is the eleventh
in the series. One of the better games of the series, it features challenging
puzzles and a darker, more serious story than some of the other games. At the
time, we rated it a 9 out of 10, and we rank it high comparatively to the
other games released since then. Now, Her Interactive has released a DVD
version for the TV. As we already have a review of Blackmoor Manor onsite, I
won’t repeat the review, but will instead discuss the differences between the
two versions and the overall content of the DVD version.
For those
who haven’t played the game, here is a quick rundown of the game. Nancy is off
to England to visit a manor house that is cursed. An older friend of Nancy’s
has requested that she travel to England check on her daughter, who has
recently married into an old, distinguished family. When Nancy arrives, she
finds the daughter has turned reclusive. The husband isn’t around, as he is
off on a diplomatic mission. However, the young daughter of the husband is
very friendly and talkative.
Curse of
Blackmoor Manor is chock-full of fun things to do. From the many fun games
that can be replayed, to the challenging puzzles, and the scary story, this is
a great game for teenagers and adults. There are also several humorous puzzles
and clickables. The Venus flytrap in the hothouse is too funny. The content
is quite good and varied. It really is one of the best Nancy Drew games from
the series.
The DVD game
is essentially the same game as the PC version, with a few changes. Players
use a remote instead of a mouse. There are codes for save points, which need
to be noted. There are “Jokers,” which are answers to puzzles. The Senior
level has three jokers, and the junior level has a few more. And, there is a
two-player mode. This allows friends to take turns solving the various
puzzles. A PC version of The Haunted Carousel is included as a bonus.
When we
popped the game in the DVD player and started playing, we immediately noticed
how the graphics looked different on a bigger screen with different color
technology. Overall, the appearance wasn’t better or worse, just different. However, the characters didn’t look quite as nice, as they were a little
“stretched” appearing.
Using the
remote was easy, but actually playing the game soon became a little
frustrating. It was slow, very slow, moving Nancy around. Scene transitions
were painfully slow.
The two-player mode sounds interesting, but the reality is that it doesn’t really make
any difference in gameplay. Friends play these games together, anyway. Having
an official method of taking turns just for the puzzles doesn’t add anything
to the game experience.
The final
analysis of the DVD version is that it must have seemed like a good idea, but
the game itself doesn’t have a reason to exist. The PC version is superior and
there isn’t any point to having a DVD version. Playing on the TV rather than
the smaller screen on the computer may have seemed like a good idea, but in
reality, one kid will still be just watching the other kid manipulate the
game. It will just be a bigger screen. And it is very sloooowwwww, so much so
that it is annoying after awhile.
I would
recommend that anyone who doesn’t have Nancy Drew: Curse of Blackmoor Manor,
to go get the PC version, and play it instead. They will have a great time!
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Gameplay: 6.0
This DVD version
is so slow it takes all the fun out of the gameplay. The PC version is much
faster. It’s just no fun waiting around for the interminable scene
transitions.
Graphics: 7.0
The colors were
brighter in this medium, but the characters weren’t as attractive on the
larger screen.
Sound: 8.0
The sound and
music is good.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
All of the Nancy
Drew games have two difficulty levels, a Junior and Senior Detective. In the
Junior level, players will have a task list to help keep everything clear.
This is one of the more difficult games in the series on the whole.
Concept: 5.0
This DVD concept
doesn’t work.
Overall: 7.0
It’s still Curse
of Blackmoor Manor, which is an exceptional game. However, this execution
reduces the game’s appeal. Sometimes new ideas just don’t work. Everyone is
better off with the PC version.
