Shadow at Waters Edge was quite the pleasant surprise and is easily my favorite so far. The game didn't really follow the exact same pattern as the other games prior. Nancy wasn't there to investigate a case initially and there was no pile of gold or treasure used as a possible motive for the suspects. However, like every supernatural case that involves Nancy Drew the ghost is always an illusion invented by the culprit. What sets Shadow at Waters Edge apart from the other games I've played is that this game still manages to come off as creepy and unsettling which is something the other games failed to do. Between the haunting atmosphere, the music that bounced from peaceful to ominous in a matter of minutes and some hair-raising cut scenes, this game put me on edge at times.
I found the characters to be really fun and interesting even though some of the dialogue dragged a bit. I really enjoyed the mystery in Shadow at Waters Edge, probably because it was somewhat emotional, and I didn't really know what to expect outside of the ghost not being real of course. When it came to revealing the wrongdoer, I wasn't really surprised, but I wasn't disappointed either. The ending, like all the other games, is short but it was satisfying and had a good conclusion to the story which was nice.
Unfortunately, though, this is where I have to talk about the not so good parts of this game. This game has some of the worst puzzles I've played in this series. So many number puzzles...my god. I could use the word exhausting, but I really think that would be a serious understatement. Outside of a handful, most of these puzzles take way too long to solve even with a guide so that should give an idea of how truly awful these puzzles are. So, I hope you like Sudoku and nonograms, because if not well you're in for a bad time.
Overall:
Shadows at Waters Edge wasn't quite what I expected and that's a good thing. At its core it is a true Nancy Drew mystery, but it also generally tries to be spooky at the same time and honestly it does a good job at combining both together. The only thing that really weighs this game down is some of the gameplay and awful puzzles, but even still I'd recommend this game to other fans of the series who haven't played this entry yet.
Pro:
+ interesting characters
+ good mystery
+ good ending
+ good atmosphere
Con:
- annoying puzzles
- frustrating controls
- hints that aren't that useful
I found the characters to be really fun and interesting even though some of the dialogue dragged a bit. I really enjoyed the mystery in Shadow at Waters Edge, probably because it was somewhat emotional, and I didn't really know what to expect outside of the ghost not being real of course. When it came to revealing the wrongdoer, I wasn't really surprised, but I wasn't disappointed either. The ending, like all the other games, is short but it was satisfying and had a good conclusion to the story which was nice.
Unfortunately, though, this is where I have to talk about the not so good parts of this game. This game has some of the worst puzzles I've played in this series. So many number puzzles...my god. I could use the word exhausting, but I really think that would be a serious understatement. Outside of a handful, most of these puzzles take way too long to solve even with a guide so that should give an idea of how truly awful these puzzles are. So, I hope you like Sudoku and nonograms, because if not well you're in for a bad time.
Overall:
Shadows at Waters Edge wasn't quite what I expected and that's a good thing. At its core it is a true Nancy Drew mystery, but it also generally tries to be spooky at the same time and honestly it does a good job at combining both together. The only thing that really weighs this game down is some of the gameplay and awful puzzles, but even still I'd recommend this game to other fans of the series who haven't played this entry yet.
Pro:
+ interesting characters
+ good mystery
+ good ending
+ good atmosphere
Con:
- annoying puzzles
- frustrating controls
- hints that aren't that useful