Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy – PC – Review

Fresh from her
adventures in Venice, Nancy is now in Ireland to attend the wedding of Kyler
Mallory, a friend. She has been asked to be the Maid of Honor for this friend,
who was an exchange student to the United States, where she and Nancy met. When
Nancy arrives, she discovers that Matt Simmons, the bridegroom, has disappeared
and no one knows what has happened to him. Kyler Mallory believes that he is
playing some type of practical joke, and asks Nancy to help discover where he
is. Nancy agrees to help and so begins the latest Nancy Drew adventure from Her
Interactive, The Haunting of Castle Malloy.

There is a
larger story besides this strange disappearance. Kyler Malloy has inherited a
castle in Ireland and is planning on having her wedding there. This castle is
supposedly haunted by a banshee, though, and the caretaker is convinced that the
banshee and/or leprechauns have done away with Matt Simmons, the hapless
bridegroom. Nancy will have to sift the myths from the facts to solve this
mystery.

This is the 19^th
installment in the popular series from Her Interactive, fresh on the heels of
number 18, The Phantom of Venice. Phantom was a little different from the other
games in that Nancy did a whole lot of actual sleuthing with the police, rather
than snooping around on her own. There were less puzzles than usual, and Nancy
spent a great deal of time traveling around Venice. In The Haunting of Castle
Malloy, the emphasis is on puzzle solving more than interviewing suspects or
traveling. Having the games all be a little different from each other is a good
thing in a series this long.

As stated
above, there are puzzles galore! Almost immediately Nancy is sliding tiles,
arranging dolls, playing a Towers of Hanoi game and measuring weights. Soon, she
will even be traversing a maze, an old adventure game standby. All of these
puzzles are fun, although somewhat difficult. They are really challenging even
for experienced gamers in the Sr. Detective mode, and not easy in the Jr.
Detective mode. However, I’ve never been very good at sliding tiles puzzles.

While these
puzzles are well-designed and interesting in and of themselves, they are made a
bit more difficult because of a “disconnect” between the story and the puzzles. Many of the puzzles, especially the early ones, don’t have much of an
introduction or reason why they are there and what connection they have with the
story. For instance, one of the first puzzles involves placing dolls in a
certain order according to rules of placement to other dolls. There is no
introduction or explanation for this dollhouse, or what the dolls have to do
with anything. This comes later in the story, after this puzzle has been solved
(Nancy will, however, revisit this doll puzzle a few more times in the game).

Another
isolated puzzle requires Nancy to balance varying weights, according to their
density on a scientific scale. There are many more that are similarly
disconnected from the story. While there are always a few of these “just for
fun” types of puzzles in most of the Nancy Drew games and other adventure games,
most of the puzzles in Castle Malloy are of this type.

Many of the
Nancy Drew games feature puzzles that teach and inform players with a common
theme. The theme here is that of Celtic tradition and symbols, with a less
emphasized theme of science. Some of the puzzles do focus on these dual themes,
but more do not. Many of the puzzles appear to be placed just for convenience,
rather than to tie to the story together or to educate the player.

Besides the
puzzles that are played to advance the story, there are also several mini-games
that players can play any time they choose. A “spot the difference” game, a
darts game, and a game where Nancy can mix drinks are the three that can be
played over and over again. Did I say “mix drinks”? Yes, I did. Nancy can mix
drinks in the local pub. Don’t be alarmed, though, these are juice and root
beer drinks. My eyebrows went up a bit at first, but I was relieved to discover
they were non-alcoholic. These pub patrons are modern, health conscious
citizens.

At first, I
thought the story was somewhat shallow. A bridegroom that would vanish before
his wedding as a practical joke? Why would his fiancée think that? However, the
characters are very interesting and believable, and the story soon takes on
other aspects. The characters are very animated and each has a distinct
personality. The dialogue is well-written and engaging. The excellent animation,
combined with good writing and nice voice-acting, really immerses players in the
game. The castle is drawn well and features great detail. This castle invites
players to explore.

I am impressed
with The Haunting of Castle Malloy. It is definitely one of the better Nancy
Drew games and one that will present a challenge even to experienced adult
adventure enthusiasts. However, this means it is probably too difficult for the
younger crowd. Unlike many of the Nancy Drew games, this game is not for a
10-year-old, even on the Jr. Detective setting. The puzzles, while very good and
entertaining, are just too hard for most young players unless they have some
help.

The Haunting of
Castle Malloy is a great game for players ages 12 and up, and one that ranks
with the best of the series, namely The Secret of the Scarlet Hand, The Ghost
Dogs of Moon Lake, the Curse of Blackmoor Manor, and Last Train to Blue Moon
Canyon. A wonderful choice for a game to play over the upcoming holidays!

Gameplay: 8.5
This is a fun
adventure! Fans of Nancy Drew will be pleased, and any adventure game fan will
enjoy it, even adults. The puzzles are well-designed and challenging. While many
of them aren’t interconnected with the story very well, that won’t faze many
players who enjoy these types of manipulative puzzles. The characters and story
are interesting, and players will be engaged throughout the game. The puzzles
could have been tied in better with the story, but they are still fun to solve.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are
excellent as usual, but the characters appear to be more animated and lifelike
than in previous games. I’m not sure if that is actually the case, but that is
my general impression.

Sound: 8.0
The music fits the
theme well, and the sound effects are nicely handled. The voice acting is
exceptionally good.

Difficulty:
Hard
The level of
difficulty can be either Jr. or Sr. level, but even the Jr. is hard. The main
difference is in the puzzle difficulty and the addition of a task list for Jr.
Detectives.

Concept: 7.0
Well, there is
nothing new here from most other adventure games, but the execution is very
nice.

Overall: 8.5
Kids will really
enjoy this game, and adults, as well. A great choice for a family game that
everyone can play without worrying about inappropriate content. Probably best
played as a cooperative effort between older and younger family members and
friends. Thanks Her Interactive, for continuing to design great games for teens.
I have the new Hardy Boys mystery on my desk, and am looking forward to seeing
how it compares to Nancy Drew. It has a lot to live up to, though!