Nancy Drew - Curse of Blackmoor Manor
by Kelli BruckenIf you love the thrill of a mystery, the Nancy Drew series of games is for you. The Curse of Blackmoor Manor is #11 in the series.
In this game Nancy Drew visits the creepy home of the Penvellyns, Blackmoor Manor. Linda Penvellyn, who is the daughter of your Nancy's door neighbor, has married a British Diplomat, Hugh Penvellyn. Unfortunately soon after her marriage Linda falls ill. She hides behind a curtain in her bedroom and refuses visitors. As you search for the reason for Linda's plight you hear rumors of family treasures and a ferocious beast. Collect the clues to solve a mystery hundreds of years in the making!
This is a very entertaining game. It is directed at ages 10 and above, which I think is very appropriate. As the game starts you have an option to click on a game overview. This option is very helpful: If you haven't played the game before, it goes over all the game functions, gives great instructions and lets you try out different ways to move around the game.
When you are ready to play, you can choose to play in Jr. Detective mode or Sr., which is harder. You are given the option to save games to return to later, or start a new game. A strategy guide is included with the game. This booklet is invaluable to playing. If you follow along in the book as you play, you won't find yourself wandering aimlessly through the manor with no objective.
For additional help, there is a cell phone icon, a journal icon and a help icon at the bottom of the screen. The cell phone gives Nancy access to the web, a little checkmark appears next to it when a helpful website has been found for Nancy to view. The journal holds notes about the people Nancy has met and things she needs to accomplish. There is a checklist included with the journal that can help keep you on track. It will not allow you to check off functions until you actually complete them. As you move through the game, you must complete various puzzles to get tools or clues that you need to continue.
The graphics in this game are very good. I played in Jr. detective mode and it was challenging enough to keep my interest and I must say I am a bit over 10 years old. Seeing everything through the eyes of Nancy Drew gives the game an interesting perspective. With lots of puzzles to solve and clues to find, this game provides many hours of super-sleuth fun!
