Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved it!, December 3, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
"Legend" is, simply, fun. HER Interactive manages to interest an enormous age range of players from 10 years old and up. And I mean UP: I am 77. I was gratified that there were no tedious chores to do in this game, however.
The story takes place in New Orleans in a spooky mansion to which is attached a huge cemetery. You have to find the Crystal Skull and determine whether the owner of the mansion, Bruno Bolet, was murdered. As usual, there are four suspects. Plenty of atmosphere to titillate young and old player hearts. You collect, of all things, glass eyeballs. One of your tasks is to find the graves of various people via outrageous puns such as Myra Maines (my remains) and Constance Norring (constant snoring). OK, OK, that may seem a bit juvenile but I laughed my head off, and of course 10 year olds will be right in their element.
The puzzles are well-integrated into the plot and they are not all that easy.Several require good mouse technique and a good eye, and at least in my case, many tries before success. However, if an old lady can succeed, so can you!
The graphics are excellent as is the voice acting.The four human suspects are well done and their mouth movements match their speech. The huge cemetery is suitably creepy. It never stops raining and I really felt quite sodden sitting here.
You encounter a potpourri of stuff including hoodoo, a lesson in dentistry, a live iguana which you dress up in costumes after enticing him with a loquat, New Orleans gumbo, a Rube Goldberg device, skeletons...what more could you ask for?
5 stars.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Nancy Drew!, October 17, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
My daughters and I await each ND with anticipation. Fun scares, good thinking games and entertaining stories keep us coming back for more. Sadly, we finished it in about ten hours so now it's just a waiting game until the next one.
I love the family-friendly story line mixed with little "scares" and snares. A+++++
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delving into the dark side of New Orleans..., December 9, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
On Nancy's seventeenth mystery, she's plunged deep into a world of illusions, secret societies, family secrets, and dark magic in New Orleans. Nancy had only planned to visit a friend of a friend while sightseeing the French Quarter, but as fans know, nothing ever goes as planned. Orphan Henry Bolet, a self-styled Goth with dyed black hair, eyeliner, and tattoos, is the sole heir of his only relative, great-uncle Bruno. Bruno was unconventional to say the least: an unmarried dentist, he had a large collection of glass eyes (which Nancy must find throughout the game), domesticated "pets" (some more tame than others) that he trained to perform tricks, and he was caretaker of the nearby cemetery, which explains the model cemetery and list of "residents." When Nancy goes to check up on Henry, she's knocked out by a skeleton, and her sleuthing skills kick into high gear as the late Bruno's secrets come to light. He was the last known owner of The Whisperer, a crystal skull from antiquity that is said to give its owner immortality.
Bruno's mansion is filled with odd collections of games and books, and the slanting, twisted halls are bathed only in candlelight as the fierce storm has knocked out the electricity. Nancy must solve the mystery of Bruno's death and the location of the Whisperer while battling wasps, poisonous spiders, cranky alligators and other hazards. On this trip, her friend Bess Marvin provides moral (and sleuthing) support in the French Quarter. Reluctant Bess plays an important role and is the key to solving several puzzles; she must dig up clues and interview suspects in order to help the investigation progress. Players switch between Nancy and Bess by calling each other via cell phone.
There are several potential suspects in Dr. Bolet's death: his nephew Henry, his housekeeper Renee, (who dabbles in voodoo), Dr. Gilbert Buford (Bruno's best friend and physician), and Lamont, owner of Zeke's curio shop. This may be one of the most complete Nancy Drew titles; there is ample backstory and character development, including appearances from characters in earlier ND games. The plot twists had me thinking I knew who the villain was until the very end, when it turned out I'd been wrong. Also, this ending was a vast improvement over the last three ND games, which featured lackluster endings and villains. Puzzles are varied, including several arcade-style games, musical puzzles (these are closed captioned), riddles, and matching games. I can't think of a single puzzle that qualified as filler. There is plenty to explore outside the mansion, including a mazelike cemetery and garden. My only gripes would be with the underdeveloped mansion (you can only explore five rooms, including Renee's bedroom, an empty spare room (where exactly does Henry sleep??), and the study) and limited exploration of the French Quarter (more variety would have been nice).
The graphics are at an all-time high. Lightning flashes and dynamic rain really create an atmosphere of dread. Candles flicker in the gloom. The game starts with a warning to play with the lights off...this isn't because of the scare factor, but rather because the game takes place at night, in the rain, by candlelight. If you try playing with the lights on, you literally won't be able to see. Character animations are fluid and natural. Cutscenes are cinematic. All of these create a feeling of realism unmatched in earlier games. The sound effects are equally impressive, from the different rain sounds (rain on windows, foliage, and rooftops) to the haunting snippets of jazz and foreboding music that fade in and out at random.
There is also a great deal of humor present, including nods to earlier games (there are three Easter eggs to discover). One of the puzzles involves finding graveyard denizens via a series of clues which lead to name puns. I was laughing out loud as I finally put two and two together.
Some parents may be hesitant to purchase this game because of its focus on death (cemeteries, skeletons) and dark magic (voodoo, spells, magic herbs, curses), but these elements are handled tastefully. There are some genuinely creepy moments (such as a meeting that Bess must infiltrate), but no worse than one would find in a PG halloween movie.
This was by far the most entertaining, well-put-together Nancy Drew game that I've had the pleasure to play (and I've played all seventeen numerous times). Let's hope that Her Interactive's return to its former greatness continues on the next title "The Phantom of Venice."
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