Nancy Drew: The Final Scene Review

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Nancy Drew: The Final Scene

Review by Old RoosterSeptember 2002

Be Careful Inviting Nancy for a Visit!

Not having a daughter, I had never read a Nancy Drew book or played any of the PC games. I was pleased, therefore, to accept this assignment and approach the task, as much as possible, from an open, naive, innocent perspective—trying, as much as an old geezer can, to adopt the vantage point of a teenager, in terms of game appeal and marketing. An interesting challenge, and one I enjoyed!

The Final Scene comes packaged with volume 162 of the Drew series: The Case of the Lost Song. Reading this pleasant little mystery prior to playing the game gave me my first sense of Nancy’s world and offered some generalizations which I suspect apply to most of her books and games.

Much like my favorite mystery heroine, J.B. Fletcher, crimes seem to happen when Nancy’s around! Lock the doors, bolt the windows, put on extra security if you’re having her for a weekend stay. Wherever she goes, a crime has or is about to occur! Of course, the converse is true—if a crime does occur, it seems good to have this ace problem-solver around.

Nancy, her cousins, and boyfriend have a high level of self-confidence in Ms. Drew’s crime-solving ability. “I have a knack for solving mysteries,” claims our 18-year-old Sherlock. Also, her “experience has taught her that the simpler the theory, the more likely it was right.” As raves cousin Beth, “her gut instincts proved her right again!”

Our young sleuth carries with her most of the time a penknife and pick-lock set, as well as a magnifying glass in the PC games—very handy indeed for spontaneous detecting!

The language employed in conversations is quite sanitized and youth-oriented.  You’ll find such phrases as: “What a two-faced skunk,” “this is beyond a bummer,” “she was middle-aged but very pretty.”

When Nancy’s cousin, George, put on a miniskirt and danced with Jason, I was worried, until reading a bit more carefully that George had been referred to earlier as “her” and “she.”  Whew, what a relief!

“Step into My Shoes; You’ll Be My Eyes and Ears!”  —N. Drew

The Final Scene is the fifth game in Her Interactive’s Nancy Drew series, and the first I’ve played. Much as with the books and previous games, our Nancy walks into a serious situation as she visits her old friend Maya in St. Louis. Excitedly preparing for a visit to a movie premier at the old Royal Palladium Theater, and an interview by Maya of the star, Brady Armstrong, Nancy very quickly finds herself embroiled in a desperate search for Maya, who is kidnapped shortly after entering the theater. The police won’t take the allegation seriously for 24 hours, and the theater is scheduled for the wrecking ball in just three days! So it’s up to our resourceful heroine to explore this huge facility, interview potential suspects, solve puzzles and problems, all within a three-day timeline.

Clearly, the developers have honed their craft in terms of presentation, interface and general management of Nancy. As the youngster says in the fine but simplified (remember the target audience of age 10+) tutorial: you’ll “choose what I do. Trust your instincts and have fun!” There are two levels of play, Junior and Senior Detective, with the paths separated primarily by difficulty of puzzles and relative lack of hints at the senior level. Rooms and corridors can be viewed in 360-degree horizontal panning (not vertical), but only one section at a time. The first-person interface is point-and-click, with only the mouse required for play. The cursor shows movement options and lights up clearly when an interaction is possible. Inventory is large and obvious; conversations are legible; main menu and help options are there for the asking. Indeed, the relative dominance of the interface is my main criticism of the game—using a ruler, I found that only 53% of the screen is occupied by the game proper, while the other 47% is interface and border! This is a major concern with some RPG games, where complications of character-building and magic-selection abound, but it seems quite unnecessary with an adventure title. It certainly took away from the overall involvement for this gamer.

A Little WD40, Please!

With four suspects, Nancy has some heavy interviewing and extensive exploring to do. The three-day division is interesting in that it allows considerable freedom of movement on each of the days, but still the game insists on certain tasks being accomplished before one graduates to the next day.

The theater is huge and beautiful. The background renderings, from frayed wallpaper to old posters, are lovingly done and worthy of exploration. Hidden passages and trap doors are encountered, along with magician secret rooms and an assortment of interesting games—a jazz/dance puzzle; the Amazing Monty Magician card game; a rabbit slider puzzle. Nancy can come to a nasty and premature end in this game, but the developers have placed a thoughtful “second chance” option in the menu, taking you to the spot just before you “died.”

Although the characters (suspects) are nicely depicted, I found them a bit static and lifeless. Indeed, there is little in the way of nonplayer character interaction in the game, and much of the time it seems like you’re exploring an empty theater. Background music is pleasant and voice acting well-done.

The story-movement puzzles are well-integrated into the overall design and logically solved. Note the WD40 reference! Rarely is there anything bizarre or not sensible required of you to accomplish your goal. This, again, points to the value of experience in game construction.

A Good Story, Well Told?

With this kind of narrative-driven adventure title, the story becomes primary for me, with the nature and design of the puzzles secondary.  The Final Scene has a fine tale to tell, undoubtedly one that has previously found its way into one of the 100+ Carolyn Keene/Drew novels. The graphics are crisp and detailed; character management is clear; hints are available at the junior level; voice acting and sound are nicely done. I would strongly recommend the game to younger or newer adventure players. It’s safe, comfortable, finely tuned, and well-constructed. What, then, keeps me from giving it a coveted Gold Star award?

Although there is not much in the way of direct competition for this niche of the market, other adventure titles (Syberia, Atlantis series), and other blended-adventure games (Zanzarah, Harry Potter), have demonstrated a level of production quality, especially in the graphics area, that makes The Final Scene seem almost as static and dated as the theater it portrays. Further, the 47% interface is unnecessary and certainly not required when we see what can be done with newer adventure titles such as The Watchmaker and Mystery of the Druids.

Yet being a player who values content over graphics, substance over form, I still enjoyed the game and had a good time with it.  I will look forward, though, to the time when Nancy and her pals can be portrayed full-screen, and in seamless 360-degree, real 3D graphical splendor! The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Her Interactive Publisher: DreamCatcher Release Date: November 2001

Available for: Windows

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

P166 16 MB RAM 150 MB free hard disk space

Where to Find It

Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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