Developer: Her Interactive
Publisher: Her Interactive
Platform: PC, Mac
Nancy Drew: Labyrinth of Lies – Review
Nancy Drew: Labyrinth of Lies is the 31st game of the Nancy Drew franchise. It might make you wonder if the game will offer anything new or if you won’t get bored. Well, it has to be said, the developers did a great job on this one. Be ready to dive into a world of lies and deception.
Story
Nancy gets an invitation of her friend Melina , the curator of the Phidias Cultural Centre in Greece, to help her with some things. On arrival, our dear detective learns that she has to help with the museum’s biggest event of the year: a play called “Persephone in Winter”. Although she expects a big welcome, it seems that Melina isn’t there. She left a note for you with your errands but when you wander around the perimeter, you notice that there aren’t any employees. The only living beings you’ll find are the actors for the play. When some pieces of the museum go missing, your senses go wild and you get the task to find out more about these mysterious disappearances. As you start your investigation, it becomes clear that nothing is like it seems.
The story might seem strange at the beginning and you might seem lost in all the information you’ll get. Although, as in most point and click detective games, when you gain more pieces of the puzzle the story gets more and more interesting.
Graphics
Quality wise the graphics are even better than the previous game. The characters feel lifelike and have stunning curves. The clothing has an authentic touch and when people walk, the clothes even have a natural way of moving .The facial expressions are really well done as well. You can read several emotions from your interlocutor right off their faces and their non-verbal gestures.
Some of the surroundings feel a bit more static and aren’t that detailed, although the interactive objects still have that great lifelike feeling. The items in your inventory seem like real objects and the manipulation doesn’t change a thing graphic wise.
Sound
The graphics were great but the music could be better. Whilst the quality of the music is great, there are only a few songs implemented. When you play the game for a longer period of time, you’ll notice that you’ll hear the same tune over and over again. Sometimes, there isn’t even a tune but plain silence. After a while you start to wonder if the music has died on you. When you enter another area in the game, you’ll be happy to hear another tune… again and again.
There is a bit more variation when it comes down to sound effects. For example, touching certain interactive areas without the proper items or at a wrong time will give you a nice ‘Mhm?’, while turning pages of a book sounds like a nice swirl. When it comes down to voice acting, the game really stands out. Each voice has their own specific sound and really fit the corresponding character. The synchronization between lips and voice is splendid as well.
Gameplay
If you’ve already played one of more games from this franchise, the next part might seem familiar. Though it might be a good idea to read it, since there are some new elements as well.
As you might know, “Nancy Drew” is a point and click game where you’ll need to get in touch with your inner detective. The game offers you two difficulties: “Amateur” and “Master”. The differences are mostly the amount of the hints you receive and the difficulty of the puzzles. If you’re new to the genre, it would be wise to stick with ‘Amateur’ as the more expert detectives can go with ‘Master’ .
The game is in first-person view, so you will have first row seats when something happens. This makes the conversations with the others more lifelike though. You can move around by clicking on the several arrows that pop on your screen and you can sometimes look around you by moving your mouse to that side of the screen.
If you aren’t used to this kind of movement, it might be a bit hard at the beginning. Also, the movement system is a bit too responsive at times. Sometimes you want to take a look at a certain item, but instead you’re at the next area. Some areas are only accessible when you are in a particular spot. Venturing the area isn’t that great as well since you don’t have a map. Although it has it charm, making it more realistic.
There are some new aspects as well. Nancy has modernized! She keeps her dairy in her cell phone now. It is great to see that the developers keep up with the latest evolutions, but the game loses a bit of its charm. Another addition are the games on the cell phone. You can choose from a variety of games, although there isn’t a real reason to play them. At last, you will have to use your camera function to progress in the game. It is clear: your phone is more important than ever.
Conclusion
Her Interactive has done a great job with the 31st game of the Nancy Drew franchise. This game still has the renowned elements but has quite some new things as well. The graphics are superb but the music could be better. The voice acting and sound effects make up for that though. The story will keep you busy and makes you wonder who is the culprit. If you want to play a great point and click detective game, this game might be a good idea.
Nancy Drew: Labyrinth of Lies - Review,
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