Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Scarlet Hand
This is number six in the Nancy Drew Series, and there's no reason that this series won't
go on forever. The Scarlet Hand in the title refers to the imprint left as a signature after
the theft of a valuable Mayan artifact. The action occurs mostly within the confines of a
museum and its garden. Action outside of the museum – the hospital, the consulate's
office, the art dealer and Nancy's hotel room provide a dose of realism.
A couple of things contribute to making this mystery one of the harder ones to solve. Many
of the steps necessary to be able to get clues involve answering one word answers
gleaned from the exhibits on display. It takes a while to get your bearings as to where
everything is, plus there is a lot of going back and forth, first to get the question, then to
find the answer, and then to give the answer. Providing names of things doesn't
contribute much to learning, and at the beginning it feels more like rote schoolwork than
an adventure.
Three levels of puzzles must be solved in the 'temple' before coming to the final
sequence. It is important to save your game after a puzzle is solved, otherwise you will
have to go through it again. A tip - there are two computers on each level of the tomb. On
the first level it is easy to confuse the second one with the first, because of where it is
located. Turn slowly. The game becomes more fun when you get past answering
questions and do real sleuthing and snooping.
Being able to save often and to get a second chance are excellent inclusions in all of the
Nancy Drew games. Those familiar with the other games already know the importance of
manipulating the time of day or night by setting the hotel alarm clock. Newbies will have
to pick up that clue or read the manual. Even with an easy and a difficult level, there needs
to be a more consistent way to get hints. A game not finished, is to my mind, not a truly
successful game. (Note: This review was done on a beta version of the game).
Editor Review 7/02
Ages: 10 and up