Suspense and intrigue abound as Nancy Drew solves her latest mystery, The Final Scene, in a realistic theatre setting.

Nancy’s friend has been kidnapped while conducting an interview at the Royal Palladium Theatre.  Nancy has three days to find her and expose the kidnapper before the wrecking ball destroys the theatre.  The player assumes the role of Nancy Drew and has the exciting task of searching for clues and questioning suspects in a beautifully rendered, realistic old theatre.  There are a lot of rooms and hidden passageways to explore and a handful of puzzles to solve.  The plot thickens as clues are found and suspects are interviewed.  In many cases the player is given multiple questions to choose from and will receive a different answer for each question asked.  The element of surprise, and the appropriate use of background music heighten the air of suspense.  One wrong move though, and it’s curtains for Nancy.  Fortunately, if the player makes a fatal mistake, there is an option to receive a second chance rather than having to start over from the beginning. 

The game controls and inventory items are readily accessible and easy to use.  There are two levels of difficulty to choose from, and although it can be challenging at times, it doesn’t get to the point of frustration.  If hopelessly stuck however, the player can receive guidance by calling Nancy’s long-time friends, Ned or Bess, from a phone within the game.

The Final Scene is a joy to play and where it may lack in replayability, it more than makes up for in length and substance.  Mystery and adventure fans 10 and older will be truly captivated and glued to the computer screen until this mystery is solved.

Install:  Easy
Installs quickly and easily, and takes up about 240 MB of hard drive space.

Game play: 9.8
When moving the cursor around the screen a nice big arrow shows which directions can be taken.  The game is full of surprises, has depth and substance, and the controls are simple and easy to use.  Though not replayable by nature, The Final Scene is long and challenging enough to give mystery fans a run for their money and is an enjoyable experience over all.

Graphics: 8.5 
The graphics are beautifully rendered and full of detail.

Sound: 9.0
The excellent use of background music and sound effects, from creaking floors to clicking locks, ad a lot to this adventure experience.  The characters voices are clear and easily understood.  There is also the added benefit of captions for the sounds and dialogue, making this game usable for the hearing impaired.

Difficulty: 8.0
Featuring two levels of difficulty, The Final Scene isn’t frustrating or too difficult for beginners yet challenging enough to keep the interest of more experienced adventure gamers. 

Concept: 7.5 
Although adventure games containing puzzles are nothing new, the classic detective aspect is something the Nancy Drew series seems to have a corner on.  The Nancy Drew games also seem to be more accommodating to newer or younger players and are quite user friendly. 

Multiplayer: N/A  

Overall: 9.3
The Final Scene excels in most every respect.  Sure to be a big winner with mystery and adventure fans.