Spazn's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:128
- Reviews Submitted:35
- First Review:July 19, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 26, 2014
- Featured reviews0
Mystery is afoot at Castle Malloy! Unveil a ghostly legend and find the vanished groom in this chilling adventure game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Enjoyable atmosphere, just not enough content.
PostedDecember 18, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Ive been playing all the ND games in order of release. Like almost all ND games, this one suffered from horrific interior navigation controls, but once you got outside it was much better. Yet again, this was a typical ND game with regards to the necessity for loads of note taking. Have a notepad and pen with you, because you will need it.
Fun Factor: In actuality, it was overall boring. With only a few places you could travel to, a ridiculous storyline, and not very likeable characters.. well.. you were somewhat challenged to enjoy the game. Some of the mini-puzzles were lots of fun tho. The atmosphere was rather immersive, and probably what saves this game.
Visual/Sound: graphics were decent, animation was .. a little on the rough side, sound was .. O.K. but not impressive. The major ding in the game was how limited the space was. I noticed no bathroom visits were included in this one.. were they using an outhouse???
Level of challenge: The variety of challenges/puzzles was decent, and in fact I enjoyed the nice mixture of them. Most weren't difficult to solve but there were a couple that were a tad over the top which can kill the fun. Overall enjoyable, but you may need help with one or two of them. Warning.. the swamp notes you get .. just throw them out.. it really just comes down to trial and error which way to hop.
Storyline.. oh gads. Not believable, very weak, in fact, this is one of the very few ND games that really completely failed in this department. At least others with weak stories, had some secondary support system like history or something to fluff it all up.. but not this one. Just.. fell flat on it's face. So sad.
I enjoyed the game, good play length, but occasionally ridiculous challenges and very limited interaction. I guess I would recommend this game to intermediate or advance level players, but definitely not for novices.
I recommend this game!
Tour the Sunken City while interrogating suspects to nail the masked thief in this authentic Adventure game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
It's a Love / Hate type of game
PostedDecember 10, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Ive been playing all ND games in order of release, and while I can say navigation for once wasn't as much of a nightmare as many prior games, there were plenty of things to annoy you to no end. At the same time, there were perks that made it fun. Sometimes I hated it, sometimes I liked it.
Fun Factor was severely impaired by the wasps.. gads.. I cannot believe they put them in another game.. as if all the complaints about them in Crystal Skull wasn't enough to tell devs people hated it. This was by far the greatest game spoiler for me. Especially since I just couldn't resist buying ALL the outfits in the game. Another irksome part was the dancing. It just didn't seem to flow very well and didn't seem to fit into the storyline in any way whatsoever. Furthermore, it was too confusing figuring out which skill to use. =( On the upside, dressing up was a lot of fun, and I loved playing Scopa. I especially pigged out on the Gelato and Carb drinks for that zippy effect.
Visual and Sound were decent. It was a treat to see Venice, but I wish there had been more locations to go to. I was a bit disappointed that when you paid extra for singing and sights, it tended to loop the same images over and over again rather then showing a full series of different pictures of the city.
Level of challenge was only moderate. For the most part, you are practically handed all the clues. Most challenges are not hard to solve, and for most of the game, you could progress fairly easily. The only time I really got stumped was on the fax machine. Ok.. that one was NOT so obvious. You had to ask yourself .. what item/device remains in game that has numbers and has not been used yet?? After that, game progression was obvious. The sewer puzzle was the closest to a real challenge but still easy enough to figure out.
Storyline was decent. While I personally didn't find the reason for ND being brought in on the case plausible, it did make for a fun story. As long as you don't rip it apart and just allow yourself to enjoy it, the storyline is actually quite fun and almost immersive.. almost. lol
I would recommend this game to beginner players considering most of the clues come fairly easily. I also recommend a lot of patience tho b/c dealing with the wasps or dancing..it just comes down to picking which one you consider is the lesser of two evils.
Fun Factor was severely impaired by the wasps.. gads.. I cannot believe they put them in another game.. as if all the complaints about them in Crystal Skull wasn't enough to tell devs people hated it. This was by far the greatest game spoiler for me. Especially since I just couldn't resist buying ALL the outfits in the game. Another irksome part was the dancing. It just didn't seem to flow very well and didn't seem to fit into the storyline in any way whatsoever. Furthermore, it was too confusing figuring out which skill to use. =( On the upside, dressing up was a lot of fun, and I loved playing Scopa. I especially pigged out on the Gelato and Carb drinks for that zippy effect.
Visual and Sound were decent. It was a treat to see Venice, but I wish there had been more locations to go to. I was a bit disappointed that when you paid extra for singing and sights, it tended to loop the same images over and over again rather then showing a full series of different pictures of the city.
Level of challenge was only moderate. For the most part, you are practically handed all the clues. Most challenges are not hard to solve, and for most of the game, you could progress fairly easily. The only time I really got stumped was on the fax machine. Ok.. that one was NOT so obvious. You had to ask yourself .. what item/device remains in game that has numbers and has not been used yet?? After that, game progression was obvious. The sewer puzzle was the closest to a real challenge but still easy enough to figure out.
Storyline was decent. While I personally didn't find the reason for ND being brought in on the case plausible, it did make for a fun story. As long as you don't rip it apart and just allow yourself to enjoy it, the storyline is actually quite fun and almost immersive.. almost. lol
I would recommend this game to beginner players considering most of the clues come fairly easily. I also recommend a lot of patience tho b/c dealing with the wasps or dancing..it just comes down to picking which one you consider is the lesser of two evils.
I recommend this game!
Play as Nancy Drew and find an unearthly artifact before it falls into the wrong hands!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Very Immersive
PostedDecember 9, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Ive been playing all the ND games in order of release.
I'm gonna keep this review short b/c someone else perfectly expressed what killed this for me.
....they have you running back & forth between the cemetary & a book in the house.
...Then they keep sending you out to the loquat tree.
...Then they keep sending you out to the loquat tree.
The sound and visuals in the game were awesome. The idea behind the cemetary / book challenge was a really great idea, but Nancy should have just carried the book with her and used her flashlight! The tree with the wasps and the fruit would have been fine .. ONE time, but making you repeat it 4 times or more just ruined it.
I noticed a lot of people gave 5 stars for the storyline..but quite frankly the storyline was flimsy and the worst I have ever seen in all the ND games. Thankfully the immersive effects of the game allow you to fully ignore and blissfully forget about the storyline and still enjoy the game (aside from the back-n-forth nonsense).
I will recommend this game only b/c it was very immersive. I do so with the warning that - I hope you have a lot of patience b/c you will need it.
I recommend this game!
Play as Nancy Drew and do double duty as a maid and detective as you clean for clues.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Enjoyed the snowball fights
PostedDecember 9, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Ok.. so I have been playing all the ND games in order of release and this was about average overall.
Fun Factor for me was the snowball fights with the little girl.. I had a blast with those. Aside from that, I wasn't really impressed with the fun factor - it seemed somehow .. lacking.
Visual quality was ok, but I've seen better in other prior games. The sound was great tho. Excellent sound effects.
The level of challenge ranged from fairly simple to "oh gads.. get out the pen and paper do 3 pages of notes". I really hated that. Figuring out how to decode that old manuscript gave me a headache. Collecting the evidence for the dog to sniff.. ok.. there really needs to be something that lets you know there will eventually be more towels to grab b/c by time I got to this part.. no one needed the rooms cleaned and 3 days more there was still no need for room cleaning. It took progressing the game 4 days to finally get the last towel! GRRRRRrrrrrrr.. NOT FUN. Constantly having to run back and forth to prepare meals was ok at first.. but after the 3rd day.. I just quit doing it.. didn't seem to be a problem tho.
Storyline was .. well... hmm.. just didn't grab me. It was interesting reading about the history of the place, but the storyline was supposed to be about who was behind all the terrible events and that storyline wasn't very exciting. I just couldn't get into it. I almost quit the game for lack of enjoyment but forced myself to finish it because I did pay for it and I wasn't about to waste my money.
Visual quality was ok, but I've seen better in other prior games. The sound was great tho. Excellent sound effects.
The level of challenge ranged from fairly simple to "oh gads.. get out the pen and paper do 3 pages of notes". I really hated that. Figuring out how to decode that old manuscript gave me a headache. Collecting the evidence for the dog to sniff.. ok.. there really needs to be something that lets you know there will eventually be more towels to grab b/c by time I got to this part.. no one needed the rooms cleaned and 3 days more there was still no need for room cleaning. It took progressing the game 4 days to finally get the last towel! GRRRRRrrrrrrr.. NOT FUN. Constantly having to run back and forth to prepare meals was ok at first.. but after the 3rd day.. I just quit doing it.. didn't seem to be a problem tho.
Storyline was .. well... hmm.. just didn't grab me. It was interesting reading about the history of the place, but the storyline was supposed to be about who was behind all the terrible events and that storyline wasn't very exciting. I just couldn't get into it. I almost quit the game for lack of enjoyment but forced myself to finish it because I did pay for it and I wasn't about to waste my money.
I guess I was a little disappointed with this ND game. While the game did not appeal to me, it looks like plenty enough people enjoyed it so if you are a "i don't care if the game is good or not .. as long as it's an ND game I'm gonna like it no matter what" kind of person.. well knock yourself out and enjoy the game. I can't say that I would recommend this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Team up with the Hardy Boys® and investigate an ancient legend on the Big Island of Hawaii in this Adventure mystery.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Enjoyed this - very fun
PostedDecember 8, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Ive been playing all the ND games in order of development and I have to say I really enjoyed this one.
Most tasks were fun and the environment was fun as well. Even some of the characters you meet were fun.
Visual/Sound - very good sound, visuals were pretty decent as well.
Challenges seemed fairly e-z in this one, but there also didn't seem to be very many of them like some of the prior games. Despite this, the game was still fun.
Storyline seemed a bit flimsy and just doesn't measure up to prior ND game standards. To be honest, it really easy to forget what the storyline is about while playing and yet somehow even without much of a story it's still lots of fun. Must be because it's in Hawaii. LOL. I loved learning about Hawaiian history so in that regard I can look past the thin story.
I recommend this game!
Go behind the scenes of the fashion world in this enigmatic adventure game.
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
A few fun spots but mostly just OK
PostedDecember 8, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Ive been playing all the ND games in order of development. I have to say I'm not really wow'd by this one.
As far as fun factor goes, I can't say I found it very fun. It was entertaining at best. The funniest part was finding out the guy who got fired by the museum in Scarlet Hand had worked for the designer. I did enjoy sampling the menu at the restaurant.
Visual/Sound.. unimpressive.
Level of challenge was intermediate and hard. There were some e-z mode challenges but some were just annoying like developing pictures in pitch black. There was a lot of running around. Some of the puzzles I would not call intuitive, but most you could figure out without too much trouble.
Storyline was.. well how do I say this.. confusing? There seemed to be 3 different stories. 1 - the supposed main story of finding out about her, 2 - the side story about spies, and 3 the history story which was the best of them all. I did get a chuckle about the alien tattoo but that wasn't even part of the story.
Overall, it was ok. If you are playing the ND games, I do recommend this one, but if you are new to ND, you may want to try one of the other games first.
The Hardy Boys have invited you, as Nancy Drew, on a train ride out West hosted by beautiful and prominent socialite, Lori Girard.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Great game - intriguing and challenging
PostedDecember 8, 2013
Spazn
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved the setting, the story, the background, and the characters. Some of the challenges were a bit frustrating, but overall, I wouldn't say this was too difficult. There were plenty of clues to help you figure things out and keep you going in the right direction. If you got stuck, just run around and see if there was someone to talk to. You get a good amount of play time out of this game too. The only part that bugged me was the nav system which seems to plague most ND games. I really had fun playing this one. While I do recommend the game, I do not recommend it for novice adventure players. This is more suited to intermediate and advanced level I think.
I recommend this game!
Venture into the past and outwit a cunning criminal before time runs out in Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
I had a lot of fun playing this one
PostedDecember 8, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I've been playing all the ND games in the order they were developed. Let's just say, it isn't often I have given a 4 star rating to an ND game. With that said...
Fun factor - lots and lots of fun. A nice variety of things to do and very creative.
Visual/Sound was great as well. They did an excellent job on all the characters in the game and they did a great job with giving the characters personality.
Some parts were quite easy but there were also some rather challenging parts as well. Challenges came in a broad variety and were mostly fun and imaginative. I especially had a blast with the mini-golf course LOL.
Storyline was absolutely fun. I think this may be the first time the storyline didn't revolve around history. It was actually just a mystery and that does make this rather unique for an ND game. All the ND games up to this point have had some manner of history as the foundation.
I highly recommend this game - even people who are new to ND games should be able to enjoy this one.
Visual/Sound was great as well. They did an excellent job on all the characters in the game and they did a great job with giving the characters personality.
Some parts were quite easy but there were also some rather challenging parts as well. Challenges came in a broad variety and were mostly fun and imaginative. I especially had a blast with the mini-golf course LOL.
Storyline was absolutely fun. I think this may be the first time the storyline didn't revolve around history. It was actually just a mystery and that does make this rather unique for an ND game. All the ND games up to this point have had some manner of history as the foundation.
I highly recommend this game - even people who are new to ND games should be able to enjoy this one.
I recommend this game!
Delve into legends lurking in an English mansion! As Nancy Drew, find out what hides in Blackmoor Manor.
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Enjoyed it.. it was alright
PostedDecember 8, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Ive been playing all the ND games in order.
As usual, the navigation system was.. terrible.
Visual/sound was .. unimpressive - some of the prior games were better in this department.
It was challenging and had an interesting mix of puzzles etc, but the only one I really had fun with was the slide/target hitting.
I hate timed sequences and the whole thing with the ghosts just felt annoying.
Storyline was intriguing and will keep you interested. I loved the cut scene with the hairy hand - very creepy!
Visual/sound was .. unimpressive - some of the prior games were better in this department.
It was challenging and had an interesting mix of puzzles etc, but the only one I really had fun with was the slide/target hitting.
I hate timed sequences and the whole thing with the ghosts just felt annoying.
Storyline was intriguing and will keep you interested. I loved the cut scene with the hairy hand - very creepy!
Overall it was ok. The storyline makes up for many of the other shortcomings. I would recommend this game, but make sure you have played other ND games so you have an idea of how things work or else you may get very frustrated.
Take a wild ride into terror and trickery to rein in a ghostly secret! Discover the truth from the ghost stories before it's too late!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Enjoyed it - nav is still a pain tho
PostedAugust 30, 2013
Spazn
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Large File
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm playing all the ND games in order of release on Senior mode.
Fun Factor: O.K. but could have been so much better. I don't know why, but it seems that nearly all ND games are plagued by downright horrific navigation. Sadly, this really takes away from the fun factor. In addition, at times it could get a little bit frustrating trying to figure out what to do next. The vegetables were definitely frustrating and the penalty for getting it wrong was over the top. I noticed a number of other people who quit the game just b/c of that.
Visual/Sound: Voice overs were great (compared to other early ND games. They really had character even if the wrangler was a bit cliche. I loved the facial animation on the perpetrator at the end (if you first fail in your escape). They really nailed that one. Sound was o.k. but nothing special.
Level of Challenge: It had a good mix of challenges in it. Some tasks required reading, others common sense, some with problem solving skills, and some just plain good luck. I docked a bar on this tho because some of the challenges needed better explanation. For example, figuring out when to throw the lasso OY! Picking vegetables.. (GRRR)! Essentially, it wasn't quite as intuitive as it could have been.
Storyline: I enjoyed the storyline. It was so tragic. In the end, I felt a twinge in my heart b/c all I could think was how sad of a story it was. How what could have been never was and how so many lives were shattered. There was a very sweet counter balance love story which I thought was absolutely adorable and helped create a nice happy ending for the game.
Overall, the storyline is the main reason I gave it 4 stars. At times it offered creative new ideas for adventuring which I enjoyed but that stupid navigation system and some of the abrupt fails for silly things did take away from the fun factor. It is one of the longer games and I don't think the back and forth was too bad (compared to ie: Scarlet Hand and Deception Island).
I would recommend this game but only to experienced adventure players and preferably those who have some experience with ND game mechanics.
I recommend this game!