Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion (PC)

• Platform:   Windows Me / 98 / XP / 2000 / 95
• PEGI Rating: Ages 7 and Over
• Media: CD-ROM

Play Message in a Haunted Mansion in one of two modes: new or younger players can sign in as junior detectives for more simplified play, while old pros can log in as senior detectives for serious sleuthing. Once you're in, you may never want to leave--the graphic detail of the Victorian-mansion setting is stellar. The Chinese-influenced décor is authentically and exquisitely reproduced, and many elements can be highlighted to better focus on the level of detail. Also realistic are often-overlooked touches that add a true-to-life ring, such as photos of family and friends on the wall, and sunglasses kept in the kitchen drawer. The sound effects further add to the sense of realism and heighten the air of suspense. You'll hear doors and cabinets creak open and shut, haunting cries, and loose chandeliers swaying overhead.

This title in the popular Nancy Drew interactive series is successful not just for its design and production, but for its thoughtful features that keep players hooked, even as things start to feel hopeless. When you're in a bind, you can call home for old friends Bess and George to help. And if you make a game-ending decision, simply pick up right where you left off before the terminal mistake by utilising the Second Chance feature. There's even a self-updating journal in Nancy's suitcase that records clues as you find them, to help you keep track of all the facts you unearth. And, of course, you can save your game after each session--no backtracking through clues you've already found, or conversations you've already had.

Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion takes some time to instal but once you're in the game and can see the wealth of what awaits, you'll realise that it's worth a lengthy installation. A nice improvement over previous games is the inclusion of a tutorial to explain gameplay to new users. (Ages 10 and older) --Leah Ball

Manufacturer's Description
An interactive mystery adventure PC game, Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion lets players assume the identity of teenage super-sleuth Nancy Drew as she unravels the mysterious happenings inside a haunted mansion.

Legendary teen detective Nancy Drew is invited by a friend to San Francisco to assist in the renovation of a charming Victorian mansion. But there are other uninvited guests as well – visitors from the past – spirits who want the place all to themselves. Nancy suspects that there is another force at work: greed. According to legend, a fortune in long-lost gold is hidden somewhere on the property and someone is determined to find it. But in a house full of trap doors and secret tunnels, breaking glass and suspicious fires, finding the truth won’t be easy. One misstep and Nancy won’t stand a ghost of a chance.

• PC & Video Games > Games > Children's