What Parents Should Know
Parents should know NANCY DREW: SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK
contains no objectionable material, and instead presents
players with a strong heroine and challenging puzzles.
Families playing this software might want to discuss how the world of the 1930s depicted in this game is different from the world today. Since one of the characters claims to be an expert in Extrasensory Perception (ESP), families may want to explore whether the accomplishments of this character are real. The mystery is based on the very first Nancy Drew book, so if your child is new to the series, this is an easy one to start with.
Common Sense Media Review
The year is 1930, and you are behind the wheel of classic
blue roadster, driving to meet your friend, 17-year-old Emily
Crandall, who has recently inherited the Lilac Inn in the
sleepy town of Titusville. While visiting, inexplicable
happenings motivate you to start investigating your
surroundings and the people of the town. The next thing you
know, you have solved a mystery, helped your friend, and
launched a career as a detective. That's because you've been
playing NANCY DREW: SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK.
This game, the 12th interactive mystery created by Her Interactive, offers a compelling storyline that kids will want to solve. Many Moms, daughters, and even grandmothers find that this is a fun software title to play together.
Her Interactive has built a reputation for delivering top-notch, family-friendly entertainment based on the Nancy Drew license. And this release won't disappoint loyal fans. It has all the Her Interactive trademarks: first-person play as Nancy Drew, intruiging characters, a rich storyline that is constantly branching, fabulous graphics, a "second chance" button so Nancy never dies, and challenging puzzles.
New to this mystery is the player's ability to drive Nancy's car. When you're driving, a small car appears on a map of the town; you direct the vehicle by using the arrow keys or the mouse. The software incorporates your driving into many aspects of solving the mystery.
Compared to the others in this series, Secret of the Old Clock is an easier and less scary mystery, making it a good entry for kids as young as age 10. Cyber-sleuths will enjoy the period music, a playable mini-golf course, research in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and a nice variety of classic and novel puzzles. Testers particularly enjoyed a Rube-Goldberg type sequence that happens when they solve the puzzle of how to focus light from a window through a series of four mirrors to make it hit a radiometer.
If your kids have never tried one of these Nancy Drew interactive mysteries, this is the perfect one to start with because this is based on the first Nancy Drew book. And, playing this software with another person can be a terrific bonding experience for parents and kids -- especially mothers and daughters. Families who enjoy this game may want to check out Nancy Drew: The Haunted Carousel.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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