So I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews on this one. Nothing specific, just that people either love it or it's Boring. So I went in fairly neutral, but the last game had me slightly hesitant about this seemingly new era of Nancy Drew Games.
Setting: ok so I liked a lot about this game, but idk the environment was very bland. We’ve seen plenty of old buildings in these 28 games and you’re not even gonna let me go outside in this one? I mean, the game looked visually pleasing, but the location was just boring compared to the usual exotic or thematic locations in these games. The different rooms you have access to are all distinct, but forgettable and generic. The big laboratory is easily the most interesting and busiest area, but it’s just too busy. There’s so much visual clutter and clickable spots that I always felt lost trying to navigate that section.
The navigation in general also felt a bit finicky. Though I didn’t miss any plot-critical details like the last game, I did have kind of a hard time turning corners and accidentally advancing to the wrong part of the map. I usually find myself rapidly clicking through the map like an aspiring speedrunner and in most games it works out fine! But in some games it just ends up taking longer because I keep clicking the wrong hotspot and ah shit not that room, no not that way, no no just let me- just let me turn around again- no the other way. fuck i accidentally clicked on a person again
ugh and that elevator did not need to be so slow. Just give me some stairs so i can spam click my way around the map
Characters: The cast is much more memorable this time around! Unfortunately, still not very likable but I’ll take memorable over likable any day (in game at least). Everyone is obnoxious and shady in their own way, but it keeps the conversations interesting at least. Ryan was a bit…cringe with some of her dialogue. These later games tend to have at least one character that’s written kinda like That and I’m not a huge fan of the trend.
I’m pretty split on how I feel about the day/night cycle and how you have to switch constantly to be able to speak to different suspects. It works best in the early game where there’s a lot of new information and things to explore, it keeps some of it sectioned off so you’re not completely lost and overwhelmed starting out. But once you narrow in and get towards the end, you suddenly have to go to bed just for one conversation or so you can access a certain room just so you can look at something again. It helps the pace when there’s a lot to do, but eventually it just gets tedious.
Puzzles: There were a lot of puzzles to like this time around! And some not so good ones! Please don’t make me do math and try to pass it off as a “puzzle” Her Interactive!!
But honestly, the majority were solid, fairly unique and overall enjoyable puzzles. A few that required notetaking and figuring it out on paper, some that you just need to brute force by clicking different colors for 8 minutes until the hidden time limit comes back to spook you. I refused to draw a grid for that logic puzzle and had a hell of a time solving that one. I want to like logic puzzles but my brain just. it can’t. it has to work on them in the least efficient way possible.
I really wish there weren’t so many time limits on these puzzles. I hate feeling rushed, even if it’s an invisible timer and a fairly gracious one at that (I think you have like 8 minutes if a suspect is distracted temporarily?) But losing all of my progress on the overlapping colors puzzle hurt and i'm pretty sure i was really close to solving it that time
I also just did not understand what was happening in that last puzzle, I don’t think I was very good with circuits when I took physics in high school like, oh god, was that actually 8 years ago? so maybe that’s why I couldn’t understand the picture. Oh and there was another piano puzzle, one of my least favorite recurring puzzles besides slide puzzles. I just insta cheat on these now, please stop making me play the piano Nancy Drew.
Plot: Finally I get to solve another murder thank you i love a plot with actual stakes. And murder mysteries are just more fun honestly. It was decently interesting too! A handful of scenes managed to feel pretty suspenseful and the ending itself felt like a natural conclusion. I correctly guessed the killer fairly early on, but the story still kept me second guessing with the red herrings.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the theme for this game, science, electricity, Tesla, etc. Not really my vibe. The Tesla aspect was probably cooler when the game came out, but now it’s like “yeah, I get it. Tesla was a genius and was robbed”
But the puzzles, the characters, and the story were all, for the most part, really solid this game! And those are the actually important criteria for me, everything else is more nitpicky. Anyway, The Deadly Device? Good Game. Is it in my top 5? eh probably not, but i had a good time and came away with no major complaints
Setting: ok so I liked a lot about this game, but idk the environment was very bland. We’ve seen plenty of old buildings in these 28 games and you’re not even gonna let me go outside in this one? I mean, the game looked visually pleasing, but the location was just boring compared to the usual exotic or thematic locations in these games. The different rooms you have access to are all distinct, but forgettable and generic. The big laboratory is easily the most interesting and busiest area, but it’s just too busy. There’s so much visual clutter and clickable spots that I always felt lost trying to navigate that section.
The navigation in general also felt a bit finicky. Though I didn’t miss any plot-critical details like the last game, I did have kind of a hard time turning corners and accidentally advancing to the wrong part of the map. I usually find myself rapidly clicking through the map like an aspiring speedrunner and in most games it works out fine! But in some games it just ends up taking longer because I keep clicking the wrong hotspot and ah shit not that room, no not that way, no no just let me- just let me turn around again- no the other way. fuck i accidentally clicked on a person again
ugh and that elevator did not need to be so slow. Just give me some stairs so i can spam click my way around the map
Characters: The cast is much more memorable this time around! Unfortunately, still not very likable but I’ll take memorable over likable any day (in game at least). Everyone is obnoxious and shady in their own way, but it keeps the conversations interesting at least. Ryan was a bit…cringe with some of her dialogue. These later games tend to have at least one character that’s written kinda like That and I’m not a huge fan of the trend.
I’m pretty split on how I feel about the day/night cycle and how you have to switch constantly to be able to speak to different suspects. It works best in the early game where there’s a lot of new information and things to explore, it keeps some of it sectioned off so you’re not completely lost and overwhelmed starting out. But once you narrow in and get towards the end, you suddenly have to go to bed just for one conversation or so you can access a certain room just so you can look at something again. It helps the pace when there’s a lot to do, but eventually it just gets tedious.
Puzzles: There were a lot of puzzles to like this time around! And some not so good ones! Please don’t make me do math and try to pass it off as a “puzzle” Her Interactive!!
But honestly, the majority were solid, fairly unique and overall enjoyable puzzles. A few that required notetaking and figuring it out on paper, some that you just need to brute force by clicking different colors for 8 minutes until the hidden time limit comes back to spook you. I refused to draw a grid for that logic puzzle and had a hell of a time solving that one. I want to like logic puzzles but my brain just. it can’t. it has to work on them in the least efficient way possible.
I really wish there weren’t so many time limits on these puzzles. I hate feeling rushed, even if it’s an invisible timer and a fairly gracious one at that (I think you have like 8 minutes if a suspect is distracted temporarily?) But losing all of my progress on the overlapping colors puzzle hurt and i'm pretty sure i was really close to solving it that time
I also just did not understand what was happening in that last puzzle, I don’t think I was very good with circuits when I took physics in high school like, oh god, was that actually 8 years ago? so maybe that’s why I couldn’t understand the picture. Oh and there was another piano puzzle, one of my least favorite recurring puzzles besides slide puzzles. I just insta cheat on these now, please stop making me play the piano Nancy Drew.
Plot: Finally I get to solve another murder thank you i love a plot with actual stakes. And murder mysteries are just more fun honestly. It was decently interesting too! A handful of scenes managed to feel pretty suspenseful and the ending itself felt like a natural conclusion. I correctly guessed the killer fairly early on, but the story still kept me second guessing with the red herrings.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the theme for this game, science, electricity, Tesla, etc. Not really my vibe. The Tesla aspect was probably cooler when the game came out, but now it’s like “yeah, I get it. Tesla was a genius and was robbed”
But the puzzles, the characters, and the story were all, for the most part, really solid this game! And those are the actually important criteria for me, everything else is more nitpicky. Anyway, The Deadly Device? Good Game. Is it in my top 5? eh probably not, but i had a good time and came away with no major complaints