Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock Review

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            Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock

Review by MrLipidSeptember 2005

Nancy’s Back … In Time!

The Secret of the Old Clock brings the number of games in the Nancy Drew series to an even dozen. While this is an impressive accomplishment for any series, that’s not Clock’s only distinction.  The game is based on the first book in the Nancy Drew canon, the game’s release date is the 75th anniversary of that book’s publication, and the game is done in period, right down to Nancy’s more-or-less Model A roadster. Clock carries all this baggage effortlessly, providing players with one of the most sprightly entries in the series.

Hot Wheels!

The menu system and interface of Clock will be immediately familiar to anyone who has ever played a Nancy Drew game. One chooses to play as a Junior or Senior detective with difficulty levels for certain puzzles adjusted accordingly. Driving the roadster might seem a bit daunting at first, since one drives it by leading it with the cursor. After a few spins around Titusville, though, players will be doing four-wheel drifts and 360-degree spins with no trouble.  As long as care is taken to avoid the potholes, there’ll be no need to change a tire. And as long as puddles are avoided during the thrilling chase finale (puddles slow down Nancy’s roadster), the villain will have no chance of escaping.

Considering that the game has “clock” in its name, it seems ironic that Clock dispenses with the “advance time by having Nancy sleep” feature. Once the game begins, the sun never sets. As someone who never much cared for the in-game timepiece, I didn’t mind its absence.

Our Story So Far …

Only purists are likely to object to the conflation of the plots of two Nancy Drew books (The Secret of the Old Clock and The Mystery at Lilac Inn) to produce the plot of the game.  The game’s story links the greed of Richard Topham for the estate of Josiah Crowley from the original Secret with the lost jewels of Emily Crandall from The Mystery at Lilac Inn. The resulting story opens with poor Emily mourning the loss of her mother.  A friend of her mother’s has come to help Emily run the Lilac Inn.  Did Josiah Crowley really leave his money to Topham? Is Jim Archer, the banker, on the level? Clues point, as is usual in Nancy Drew games, everywhere. Assuming Emily is innocent, the villain could be any of the other fully animated characters.

Timeless or Just Old?

Clock, by putting Nancy back in the era of her birth as a character, provides an object lesson in why Nancy is such a durable heroine. Even in the midst of the Depression, Nancy proves that a good heart, a keen mind and an observant eye could bring order and harmony to the world. Relieved of the modern conveniences of a cell phone or the internet, Nancy has ample opportunities to display the resourcefulness that made her a star.

In the world before cell phones, Nancy must use a pay phone. Every call costs a nickel, and Nancy’s only got $3.50 in her purse. Would the folks at Her Interactive drop in this resource management element without providing a way for Nancy to pick up some spare change?  Of course not. Whenever she pleases, Nancy can jump into her snazzy blue roadster and deliver telegrams all over Titusville for an impressive twenty-five cents apiece. And, like it or not, Nancy will spend time on the road delivering telegrams.

Only Money Makes the Mare Run

There are three separate instances in the game where only money will get the job done, and that means navigating, from an overhead view, the map of Titusville. Avoid the potholes or risk a flat tire and a $2 tire repair fee at Zippy Gas. Keep the roadster’s gas tank filled or risk a $5 towing fee. Fortunately, there is a puzzle to solve at Zippy Gas that can get Nancy back in action in case she’s too broke to pay for tire repairs or towing.

The driving sections of Clock, underscored with tunes that Raymond Scott imagined but never wrote down, brings an engaging velocity to the proceedings. They also give the player an opportunity to learn the layout of the roads in Titusville—something that will eventually prove essential.

Pleasing Diversions

Between arriving at the inn in the amazingly shiny blue roadster and pushing that roadster to its limits in the thrilling chase finale, Nancy must solve a pleasing variety of puzzles. While most lend themselves to contemplation, some require a bit of eye-hand coordination.  There is a miniature golf minigame (which can be skipped), a bit of fishing and the dreaded sewing machine. The sewing machine puzzle requires a steady hand as Nancy attempts to stitch a clean line.  Suggestion: Move your mouse cursor speed and acceleration toward the slow end. This will smooth out any twitches and help keep your seam true.

On a More Serious Note

The team at Her Interactive, by setting Clock in the Depression, have taken the bold step of letting the Depression weigh, however gently, on the game’s mood. The music is sprightly, as it was in the Depression, but money worries remain. Emily may lose the Lilac Inn if the inheritance of Josiah Crowley winds up going to someone else. The residents of Titusville are not immune to the money drought spreading across the country. Nancy cannot solve the mystery without earning money for gas and other necessities. For those playing this game with their children, this could be an opportunity to discuss this bleak period in America’s economic history.

Clock is the first Nancy Drew game to use black-and-white still photographs (reminiscent of Noir: A Shadowy Thriller) to provide visuals for some of the places (Zippy Gas, a mansion, an orphanage, a print shop) Nancy visits.  While initially somewhat jarring, the photos contribute to the period mood.

Back to the Future

Clock, with its sunny exteriors and perpetual daylight, feels like the adventure game equivalent of a beach book. It’s light, bright, and fun. For those who found Nancy’s previous outing, Curse of Blackmoor Manor, more to their liking, Nancy’s next adventure, Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon, looks a bit more moody. And a bit more modern. Nancy will be sporting a new camera cell phone for taking pictures and calling for hints. She’ll be joined by Frank and Joe Hardy, and there will be pachinko to play, heirloom dolls to sort and short-order cooking to do. In other words, another entry in the irresistibly predictable adventures of the indestructible Ms. Drew. I can’t wait. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Her Interactive Publisher: Her Interactive Release Date: July 2005

Available for: Windows

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

Windows 98/Me/2000/XP 400 MHz or greater Pentium II or equivalent class CPU 64 MB of RAM 300 MB or more free hard drive space 16 MB DirectX compatible video card 16-bit DirectX compatible sound card 12X CD-ROM drive

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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