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An "Icy" Surprise!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 27
Date: June 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Nancy Drew: The White Wolf Of Icicle Creek (16)

-Before I Begin...
My review will be spilt up into sections and have a in-depth look at that topic. If you hate reading medium/long reviews or just don't have the patience I would not continue reading, but if you want to learn the most about the product before you buy it you'll continue.

-Interface
The interface of this game has changed quite a bit compared to the last ones. The Book Menu has disappeared and starting the game only needs one click, which is nice but if you want to load your saved game you have to click the icon instead of a menu. And that can be difficult when Nancy Drew is showing you her room and introducing herself. I like how easy it was to start a new game with almost no clicking. The text when talking to people pops out into a semi-transparent window, which means less scrolling up & down through text. The Inventory, Checklist, & Notebook are now viewable in semi-transparent boxes as well, and can be viewed while moving around, solving puzzles, talking to people, dialing numbers on the phone (very helpful), and anything else you can think of. The Notebook is organized so you don't have to read paragraph after paragraph to find what your looking for. On the top of your screen is a view of the clothes you are wearing, a in-game clock, and when your outside a hypothermia meter is present. Overall the interface has improved quite a bit but maybe a small menu (like "Please select: Load Game or New Game") should be present before we head up to Nancy's bedroom.
*****

-Plot
This time someone has been causing quite a ruckus at Icicle Creek Lodge, from food poisoning, slashing tires, breaking windows, exploding bunkhouses, gas leaks, deadly icy stairs and a howling wolf that arrives at the scene of each "accident". Chantal, the owner of the fine lodge, wants you as Nancy Drew to find out who is causing all these strange events, by stepping in as the new maid and cook. This has been one of the most exciting plots that Her Interactive has made, every secret unveiled twists into another one. They certainly kept you on the edge of your seat a lot. Then there was a sub plot that centers around Trapper Dan, the builder of the lodge and a nearby monument. Trapper Dan created the hunting lodge which may have been smuggling goods, hence there are some secret passageways in the game. The main plot is very exciting and it connected fairly well with the Trapper Dan story without leading you off track on the case.
*****

-Characters
Finally our character interaction has improved! The last two games CRE (15) and DAN (14) have been a disappointment in character interaction, but this game has proved to be a step forward. There was a good variety of characters in this game. They all had interesting backgrounds and there is a bit of incriminating evidence toward each and every one of them. There is Yanni, a foreign skier; Bill, the ice fisher; Guadalupe, a bird watcher; Ollie, the handyman; and Lou, the college student. There is also a little girl named Freddie (who is Ollie's daughter) that only spends her time in a snow fort at the lodge. The guests actually move around, not a lot but they do move around, in fact two of the guests check out of lodge later. You will enjoy learning secrets and talking to these characters for sure.
*****

-Setting & Graphics
The graphics keep getting better and better! And more detailed! The snow is so realistic and the lodge is so cozy, the passageways are eerie (not to mention very green). Her Interactive has outdone themselves again. I loved how they included much more animated scenes. You definitely felt like you were in Canada! Personally, I love the hotel/B&B industry, and I thought that working as a maid and cook was fascinating as well as the lodge atmosphere. The snow would crunch under your feet and the lodge was beautifully decorated in a nature theme. You'll actually feel like your there, until you see lime green lines that is... Yes I hate to say it but there are annoying green lines that outline everything that you are supposed to touch, manipulate, or look at. It will annoy you at first but I got over it, hopefully CRY (17) won't have this problem.
****

-Puzzles/Activities
Another thing to look forward to is the puzzles in this game! They are very original and fun. Some puzzles include commanding a wolf through vaults, jumping from ice floe to ice floe, deciphering a journal, a Chinese checkers like game, driving a snowmobile, filling out a survey for Tino (Yes I mean Tino Balducci from TRN [13]), and ice fishing. However every day in the game you have to clean the guest rooms and cook three meals a day. You won't get tired of them because you get to snoop in the rooms and overhear a conversation. The maid duties are really easy and at a certain point in the game Ollie will do all of the cooking for you. Some peole get over dramatic about these chores and say that you have to abruptly drop whatever you are doing to complete your daily duties. I disagree, when you have the chores it makes the game more realistic and add to the overall setting. You do not have a super tight schedule with the cooking, you have plenty of time between meals to do other things outside the lodge.
*****

-Ending
Very interesting ending, after finding the room under "Trapper Dan's Needle" you run into two of the suspects and find belongings of another one (no this does not mean there is more than one villain). You'll still be guessing who the culprit is until the very end. This time the ending was not as abrupt as the last two games. Catching the culprit is almost exactly the same as CLK (12), you have to chase the culprit down and the culprit looses control of what they are driving. I thought that they could have been something more creative. Catching the culprit actually took a long time and you can find yourself careening out of control into trees and snow, but it was not impossible. The wrap up after confronting the culprit was thorough but there were a couple loose ends about the other characters.
****

-Overall
This game was very good. I thought that it was way better than the last two games and Her Interactive is definitely back on track with their games. The game was neither too long nor too short, it was about the length of The Secret Of Shadow Ranch. The game was very exciting and there were a lot of red herrings(false evidence) which kept you guessing to the very end. I would definitely buy this at the $20 it asks for. It is so worth the money. I think that ICE has been a redemption for Her Interactive's past two games (which were good but were definitely lacking compared to the much earlier games). However, I'm sure long time Nancy fans will be heartbroken because of the edited interface, but Her Interactive was right to keep up with new technology. If people miss the old game interfaces so much they need to play the old games over and over again, all things change sooner or later. You need to buy this game, whether you are an avid Nancy Drew fan or not!

Add all these up and divide by 6...
5 *'s (Interface)
5 *'s (Plot)
5 *'s (Characters)
4 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
4 *'s (Ending)
= 28 Stars Divide By 6 (Categories) = 4.6 = Rounded to 5 Stars

-Recommended Games
The White Wolf Of Icicle Creek (This one!)
Danger On Deception Island
Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon
The Secret Of Shadow Ranch

Thanks for reading my review!

Enjoyable

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 23
Date: June 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've played all the Nancy Drew games, and was so disappointed with the last two (Danger by Design, and The Creature of Kapu Cave) that I thought about not buying this one at all. But I really haven't found anything else to compare to these addictive games, and I enjoyed this one much more than the last two. The resort setting was similar to Treasure in the Royal Tower, and I found the puzzles to be interesting and mildly challenging. There was no weird switching back and forth between Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys like in Kapu Cave (the Hardy Boys aren't in this one at all).

A common complaint with these games is that they're too short, but the basic formula works for me. And I've never had any trouble playing any of the games on my computer, a 3 year old laptop that's not suitable at all for high graphics games.

A thumbs up - wait, no - a standing ovation from an experienced gamer.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 16
Date: June 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

"The White Wolf of Icicle Creek" is Her Interactive's best game yet. Being an avid Nancy Drew gamer, I've played more than half of the 16 games so far. For seven games in a row, I'd already had a favorite one. But this beats it by far.

Some of the recent Nancy Drew games have been short, which was a big concern of mine when I bought this. The thing is, I finished this game in two sittings. But those were two very, very long sittings. It will probably take you three days, tops, if you're new to the game. It took me two.

The plot was great. Nancy Drew came to the lodge to learn about guests' accidents. There was a lone wolf roaming around that seemed to appear whenever something bad happened.

I also liked the characters. The caretaker, Ollie, reminded me of two characters from two other Nancy Drew games (If you have played Treasure in the Royal Tower and Secret of Shadow Ranch, you'll know almost IMMEDIATELY of who I'm thinking of.) Some of the characters were very dull and I never thought about them except when I was talking to them. Others were very detailed and interesting, however. Most of them were phone contacts only, but it still amused me to talk to them.

In comparison to ALL of the previous games, the graphics of this were the best. The best. There were times, especially when walking around and seeing the wolf, when my mouth actually dropped open because of the beauty.

There are some things, however, that I didn't enjoy about the game:

Most of the action could only happen between 7 AM and 5 PM, because other than that, the sun was down. Because it was the winter, hypothermia and staying warm were big factors in the game. Nancy would not go outside if it was after 5 PM or before 7 AM. There was some events that happened in the lodge, yes, but too many times I went and set the alarm clock to progress later on.

There were a lot of actionless parts, where I was walking around and around, wasting time or looking for something that would deepen the plot. The in-game hints were, for the most part were very unhelpful. Tino Balducci (the person that Nancy had to consult for advice) either gave advice that everyone would know or didn't give advice to the current problem at all. For instance, in a previous game, I was walking around with nothing to do. When I called for a hint, they suggested that I do an action (take a break, maybe use the elevator. .) which then triggered the next step in the game. I had to walk around blindly and hope I ran into something in order for the game to progress.

Overall, though, the negative aspects make only a tiny dent in the game. In fact, I still give it at 10/10. Although I JUST finished the game, I just might go back and start it over. I haven't done that with a Nancy Drew game in awhile.

If you enjoy Nancy Drew games, or games with a similar style, you will love it. If you loved to be scared at every moment, you might start to become off guard and relaxed because there is little constant danger. And when that moment arrives, the moment when you've let down your guard, BAM! You'll find yourself with your back against the chair, laughing sheepishly for screaming outloud.

Get this game. It's worth more than it costs, which is something you can't say about a lot of games.

Great game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: June 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I own all but one of the previous Nancy Drew games, and I love this one just as much as the others. In fact, I think it may be my favorite so far. Having to go back to the lodge to cook meals at set times is kind of annoying, but that also makes the game more realistic, so I can't complain too much. Besides that, I found that after a while I was able to cook the meals much more quickly.

I loved the interaction with the characters, especially the one who helps you get out of a couple dangerous situations and helps you in a lot of other ways too. (You'll have to play the game to find out who I'm talking about!)

Overall, this is a really great game, so I highly recommend it for anyone who loves Nancy Drew games. I noticed that some people gave this game bad reviews on here because they couldn't play it on their computers. I didn't have any trouble with it, but make sure you check the computer requirements before you buy it to make sure it will work on your computer. If you're new to Nancy Drew games or have had trouble figuring them out in the past, I would recommend playing this at the Junior Detective level first, because there are times when things are a bit hard to figure out. But remember that you can always go to the HerInteractive website and find hints on the message board, too. Have fun!

thanks A.Gooding

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 11
Date: June 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Thank you so much a.gooding. I really want this game but didnt know alot about it.All I knew was that you travel to canada to solve who has been sabatoting the lodge.None of my friends have it.(Thats who tells me if the game is good or not.) So I was sorta feeling I dont know a squat about this game and how fun is it.But your review is really wonderful.You said all of the stuff what you do, The characters background, what it looks like, and how fun it is.Thank you so much for writing this review I have made my chose and am going to buy the game when I get my laptop.

THANK YOU Her Interactive, this one was worth the time...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: July 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

My daughter and I own every Nancy Drew game: some are great, some are too short, some are too easy, this one was juuuust right. We had a blast and the puzzles were challenging for this Mom.

Can't wait for the next game. Keep 'em comin' !!!

The Wolf= Amazing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I loved this game. I think it was because of how the wolf had a lot to do with it. Many people wouldn't think of a wolf to use in a game the way HerInteractive did. The end does take a while which makes it be very annoying and the ending wasn't as thrilling as some of the other ND games. I think HerInteractive is running out of ideas for the chase. But, other than that, the game was really fun and of course, there are more different types of puzzles. Great game for ND lovers.

Now THIS is the Nancy Drew we know and love!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: July 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm extremely pleased with this game! There was an actual mystery to investigate (unlike Danger by Design. What was the point of that again?), and this game actually made you think without getting really irritated (unlike Creature of Kapu Cave. Frass jars anyone?). I must admit though, the cooking portion of the game was irritating at times, but it WAS necessary to the game. You are undercover as a maid and a cook. This is a realistic game. People won't lie to a maid as much as they will lie to a detective, and that's the point HerInteractive is trying to make. Eventually, you no longer have to make meals, and you can continue your investigation un-interupted. Cooking actually gives you something to do if you're not sure what to do next.
I only had to use online help a couple times, and I probably could have figured out most of it. The story of this game is incredible, and you feel for the characters/wolf. Someone mentioned the ending being too long. I agree that it should have been slightly shorter, but then again if this were a real chase, you might be chasing for hours. There's no way of knowing. It was NOT, however 30 minutes long. It took me about 2 and a half minutes at most. The characters in this game were very amusing, and it was interesting to learn more about them as the game progressed.
There really is no downfall to this game. I will mention that this game was similar to a combination of a couple of other great ND games, Shadow Ranch, Scarlet Hand, Deception Island, Royal Tower, and Blue Moon Canyon but this game has a different story and it is just as classic as the other Nancy Drew games. Also, I am aware that this game will not work on older systems. That is very disappointing to me, because I had a ME and I know how it feels to have a system that won't operate with certain CDs. To these people I sincerely appologize. This game will work with Vista, and XP as well.
Whether you're just starting out with Nancy or an old friend, I highly recommend this game to you!

Best game after deception island

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: June 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game was so good i can actually compare it to my my favorite nancy game danger on deception island. the graphics were amazing. But the ending wasent like the other games Ive played where you actually have to think. the snowbobileling was really a bad way to end the game. The puzzles were satisfying because they were hard enough where you had to actually think about them but not so hard I had to go online for hints. making meals was a little disapointing but still fun. Ive only played 3 of the nancy game but The wolf of icicle creek made me really excited for the the next one that I play.

Other than the cooking, great fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: July 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I played this as senior detective for the first time and enjoyed it. The only nuisance was all the cooking you had to do in the midst of sleuthing. I thought the games were simpler than before except for snowmobile chases, just cause I'm no good at that stuff. Overall, good mystery and lots of suspects. Enjoy!

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