“… at least the culprit in only a snowstorm.” – Nancy Drew.

Nancy Drew was on a ski vacation when a sudden snowstorm trapped her in an old hotel. But with her sense of adventure, and outgoing personality, it seemed like it wasn’t a bad situation. After all, nothing dangerous, or even remotely looked like a mystery waiting to be solved.

That is, until she gets to the lobby, on a quest to mail a letter, and bumps into a photojournalist reading a magazine by the fireplace. The old library had been broken into and vandalized, and is now under lock and key. An elderly professor claims her room had been robbed and something of value stolen. And what about that old tower that is apparently sealed, but dates back to the time of Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution? Is there really treasure there?

Time to break out the magnifying glasses, young sleuths, because there is mystery afoot.

Her Interactive and DreamCatcher have released Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower for the PC, and it is a warmly rendered adventure game that, while have a decidedly female bent, should appeal to mystery fans of all ages.

The target age for this game is 10 years of age and older.

This is adventure, puzzle solving, and entertainment in the confines of a game that is user friendly, and mouse driven.

Nancy begins her quest in her room at the Wickford Castle Ski Resort. After exploring her room, she ventures into the halls, and finally down the stairs. This is a point-and-click style of gameplay. Arrows let you known when you can move in a direction; if the cursor (which is a magnifying glass) gets a red outline, you will know that you have found something to explore.

The game features a 360-degree environment, meaning you can turn and view the game board in all directions. Of course, it is a first-person perspective with you taking on the role of Nancy.

When you encounter one of the three-dimensional animated characters, you can prompt the conversation along by choosing from a list of answers or questions that will guide the conversation.

The animation is really quite good. The characters move smoothly, and you can easily get caught up in the storyline. It is best to keep a notepad by the mouse – just like any sleuth, you will need to keep information handy. You never know when a bit of knowledge you’ve seen or heard will come in handy.

The player interface is extremely easy to use, making this game fit nicely into the targeted age group. The sound is solid, though perhaps the vocal characterizations are delivered a little flatly at times. The graphics are bright and lush, and really add to the sense of mystery in the game.

Nancy Drew’s latest escapade is a delight that is certain to entertain, and get the brain working. There are two difficulty levels, which should allow a challenge for just about anyone.

This is a well-built game that offers 20-plus hours of adventure. But what did you suspect? After all, Nancy Drew is on the case.

Install: Easy
The minimum install is only 150 megs, while the recommended is 250 megabytes. This game installs quickly on the computer.

Gameplay: 7.5
While the game speed itself was not exactly fast, the game does move seamlessly through the game board.

Graphics: 8
The character animations are solid, and the castle is wonderfully rendered.

Sound: 6.5
The musical score can become a little old after a while, but the options menu allows players to turn it down. As mentioned, at times the vocal acting is a little flat – simply not enough emotion is put into the character’s remarks. Mostly this happens when selecting a phrase from Nancy’s repertoire during a soft questions and answer session. It could also be that the suspense of the player exceeds that of the in-game character.

Difficulty: 7
The game will challenge younger players, but may prove too easy for the older veterans of this style of mystery adventure gaming.

Concept: 7
Nancy Drew is having a successful run in the cyber format, and this game, though perhaps a little crisper visually, helps keep the series thriving and moving forward.

Multiplayer: N/A
While not a multiplayer game, there is nothing to say that parents and children can’t play this together, and thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Overall: 7.5
There may be minor disappointments in the sound quality, but the overall game is enjoyable and entertaining.  This program is rated for Everyone, and while featuring some typical girlish wistful thoughts about boys, can be played by either gender for the adventure qualities of the product.