Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull – Review

Here I am for another Nancy Drew Review! This time it’s about Legend of the Crystal Skull, the title sounds a bit creepy, but the game isn’t really that scary. Anyway, here’s my review for the game.

Why Legend of the Crystal Skull?

The Nancy Drew adventure game series by Her Interactive has long been a favorite among mystery and puzzle enthusiasts. Legend of the Crystal Skull, the 17th installment in the franchise, continues the tradition of engaging sleuthing, cryptic puzzles, and atmospheric storytelling. This game takes players into the heart of New Orleans, where eerie mansions, shadowy secrets, and a legendary artifact set the stage for an intriguing investigation.

Nancy and her friend Bess Marvin arrive in New Orleans for what is supposed to be a relaxing trip, only to stumble into another mystery. The case revolves around the recent passing of Bruno Bolet, a wealthy eccentric rumored to have owned the fabled Crystal Skull—an artifact said to protect its owner from death. When Bruno’s heir, Henry Bolet Jr., seems indifferent to his uncle’s passing and the Crystal Skull goes missing, Nancy takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. The search leads her through a labyrinth of hidden passages, cryptic clues, and a cast of quirky characters, including a secretive housekeeper, an eccentric cemetery worker, and a ghoulish figure in a skeleton mask.

There’s also some humor in this game that had us laughing. Nancy tossing her cookies, funny potions and other moments that cracked us up.

The gameplay in Legend of the Crystal Skull follows the classic point-and-click mechanics of the Nancy Drew series. Players navigate through various locations, interact with suspects, collect items, and solve puzzles. The game offers a mix of logic-based, pattern-matching, and inventory-based puzzles, some of which can be quite challenging. The mansion setting is particularly effective in creating an eerie and immersive experience, enhanced by ambient sounds like thunderstorms and creaking floorboards.

For “scary things” This game mostly just has a “creepy” vibe. There’s gargoyles, cemeteries, people dressed like skeletons, things like that.

How We Test Games

For testing games we use a Ryzen 7 1700x CPU, AMD RX580, running on Win 10. Tests are done with up to 5 players. We take turns playing and evaluating games.

This game is only 1-player and it’s for PC/MAC. We’ve been playing together on two computers on the Steam version for this game.

Whenever possible we play multiple players. We use a Nintendo Switch firmware version 2H. Hardware includes Joy-con and Pro controller on a large screen TV. We also use a Nintendo 2DS, DS XL.

Pros

One standout feature in this game is the ability to switch between Nancy and Bess, offering a fresh perspective and unique interactions. While Nancy handles the main investigation, Bess engages in lighter, often humorous segments, balancing the game’s tone.

The game’s atmosphere is one of its strongest aspects. The dark and stormy setting, combined with creepy imagery—like a room full of preserved oddities and a shadowy figure lurking in the background—adds a layer of suspense. While the graphics are somewhat dated by today’s standards, they effectively create an immersive and moody environment that enhances the mystery.

The characters in Legend of the Crystal Skull are well-developed and fit seamlessly into the game’s gothic, mystery-laden setting. Henry Bolet Jr. is distant and brooding, while Renee Amande, the housekeeper, adds an air of mysticism with her interest in voodoo and herbal remedies. Other suspects, such as Lamont Warrick, a quirky antiques dealer, and the unsettling cemetery worker, help deepen the story’s intrigue. The dialogue is well-written, with voice acting that adds personality and charm to each character.

This is one of the few games with the ability to play as both Nancy and Bess. It’s fun to be able to play as Nancy and her friends, it adds a nice touch.

Engaging mystery with a well-paced storyline.

Varied and challenging puzzles.

Cons

Some puzzles can be overly difficult. While this may just be a matter of opinion but most Nancy Drew games have some hard puzzles.

Unforutunly just like most Nancy Drew PC games, once you solve the mystery you know who the culprit is. Although after a while you could forget but for us we usually remember as soon as we see them.

Summary

Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull is a standout entry in the Nancy Drew series, offering an engaging mystery, atmospheric setting, and well-crafted puzzles. While some of the puzzles may be frustratingly difficult, the game’s compelling story and eerie ambiance make for a captivating experience. The ability to play as both Nancy and Bess adds variety, and the game strikes a nice balance between suspense and humor. For fans of the series or newcomers looking for a well-crafted detective adventure, this is a mystery worth solving.