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    Video Games

    Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

    Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice

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    Other Views:
    From: Her Interactive
    Category: Video Games

    List Price: $19.99
    Buy New: $17.99
    You Save: $2.00 (10%)



    New (13) Used (3) from $15.01

    Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 24 reviews
    Sales Rank: 164

    Format: Cd-rom
    Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows Xp
    Genre: adventure_games
    ESRB: Everyone
    Media: CD-ROM
    Batteries Included: No
    Age: 5 - 20 years
    Operating System: Windows Vista
    Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
    Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.6

    MPN: 767861000685
    Model: 767861000685
    UPC: 767861000685
    EAN: 0767861000685
    ASIN: B0018XU9SQ

    Release Date: July 8, 2008
    Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

    Features:
      • Master Italian as you dig for clues
      • Create a fashion statement or a new disguise
      • Travel the canals and listen to singing gondoliers
      • Deal out the fun in the Italian card game Scopa
      • Cover costs with creative ways to earn Euros

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    Editorial Reviews:

    Product Description
    In the most exciting adventure yet, players will work to uncover the mastermind behind a series of unsolved thefts that have taken place in Venice -- one of the world's most unique cities known for its interlocking canals and sleek gondolas. In the 18th installment of the award-winning adventure series, the Italian police have asked Nancy Drew for help in unraveling a crime ring that is threatening to steal all of Venice's priceless artifacts. Assuming the role of Nancy, players arrive in Venice during Carnival and begin taking on a series of challenges, including an undercover spy mission for the Italian police. Along the way, players must take advantage of the unique Venetian culture such as learning the language and navigating the transportation system (gondola or walking) to accomplish the mission at hand. As the game progresses, the masked thief becomes bolder and players will need to correctly identify the phantom before he or she goes too far.


    Customer Reviews:   Read 19 more reviews...

    3 out of 5 stars Eh   September 5, 2008
    I am a major Nancy drew fan. I read most of the old and new books, and I have played/own almost every one of their games. Herinteractive makes really good games, but after Danger by Design, my cousin, sister, and I have ALL agreed that the games' plots have all gone downhill. The Phantom of Venice had incredible graphics, and the plot was okay, but the ending was a very big disapointment. You wind up expecting more as you get into the game, and they also give away the ending(but not the culprit) in the very beginning. I'd say buy an older game. They have awesome plots and endings, and the culprit's reasons are far more reasonable.


    5 out of 5 stars Nancy Drew PC Game - The Phantom of Venice   August 31, 2008
    D. Moore (Missouri USA)
    Another great PC game from "Her Interactive". Parents and grandparents can
    feel safe when their children are playing these games -- they provide fun
    and skill to PC game players of all ages.



    5 out of 5 stars Nancy's Most Exciting Mystery Yet!   August 27, 2008
    A. Gooding
    Nancy Drew 18: The Phantom Of Venice

    -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 game uses a point-and-click interface (meaning you click in a direction to move from environment to environment), which is easy to use and has been the preferred way for all eighteen games. On the bottom of the screen are the inventory, checklist, notebook, PDA (new icon for this game), save, load, settings, and exit icons. On the top of the screen there is Nancy's purse and her fashion icons. The fashion icon shows an outline of Nancy and what she is currently wearing. The PDA icon opens Nancy's PDA which has three features which come in handy with her undercover mission. I like this interface and I find it easy to use and the "Second Chance" option is great because you don't have to restart the whole game if you don't want to.
    *****


    -Plot
    Nancy is off to Venice, Italy, where she has been hired by the Gdif (Italian Police) to stop Il Fantasma (Phantom) dead in its tracks. This game has by far the most detailed plot in the series. The story has many twists and turns and leaves you guessing until the very end. It is so detailed and intriguing that you never want to stop playing the game. The plot flows along nicely and you don't come to an unexpected abrupt end like some past games (Usually leaving you with many questions instead of answers). Kudos to the writers at Her Interactive because the story is so great!
    *****

    -Characters
    There are five characters, each with different personalities, in this game. There are three main characters who preside at the Ca' Nascosta: Colin Baxter, Margherita Fauberg, and Helena Berg. Colin is an art restorer (with a rather noticeable crush on Nancy) who is working for Margherita. Margherita is a snooty Venetian socialite wannabe who owns the Ca'. Other characters include Enrico Tazza, the owner of Casa Di Giochi (House Of Game), and Antonio Fango, the electronics engineer and possible criminal Nancy is sent to spy on. Phone characters include Ned, and Prudence Rutherford, from Secret Of The Scarlet Hand (her voice can get very annoying after a while though!) All in all these characters were great. However one of the characters you do not even talk to at all in the game, but still a very important character. There was more character interaction than previous games but still not as much as I would have liked.
    ****

    -Setting & Graphics
    The setting was absolutely beautiful! It was so incredibly lifelike, from the glittering water to the old architecture in the squares and palazzos. It really was top notch. There were people talking in the background in Italian and although you couldn't see them it made the environment come to life with the rich Italian culture. There is even an activity in which you must know basic Italian to complete a mission. The graphics were also very beautiful and detailed. Each game progresses more and more with the graphics. Overall the Setting & Graphics were one of the best features of the game and really boosted the experience.
    *****

    -Puzzles/Activities
    There was a good mix of puzzles and activities in this game, and there were no filler puzzles. Also a good thing is absolutely NO chores unlike ICE, which included constant cooking & cleaning. There were a lot of new puzzles, plenty of codes and numbers and a lot of snooping & spying. The "Nancy Undercover" idea is really stressed in this game. You have to wear disguises, you have to plant bugs in people's everyday items, spy on someone and eavesdrop a couple times. Nancy was definitely on a mission in this game! On a difficulty level there is a good mix of easy, medium, and a couple of hard puzzles. None of the puzzles were overly frustrating.
    *****

    -Ending
    Sensibly the ending is the hardest part of the game. You have to navigate your way through a very different take on a maze. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I definitely found the ending pretty tough because it also includes a timed puzzle. Anyways, the ending made sense and everything clicked without a hitch, so you won't be like "What the heck?" when you get to the end. Also all your questions are answered at the very end, so no worries.
    *****

    -Overall
    I can honestly say this is the most exciting Nancy Drew game to date. The setting was magnificent, the puzzles weren't overly challenging but some were, and the plot was simply outstanding. You will not be disappointed with this game at all, it really is a incomparable to previous games like ICE, DAN or CRE. Her Interactive did a fantastic job on this game, I can't wait for the next one! The Haunting Of Castle Malloy

    Add all these up and divide by 6...
    5 *'s (Interface)
    5 *'s (Plot)
    4 *'s (Characters)
    5 *'s (Setting & Graphics)
    5 *'s (Puzzles/Activites)
    5 *'s (Ending)
    = 29 Stars Divide By 6 (Categories) = 4.8 = Rounded to 5 Stars

    -Recommended Games
    Danger On Deception Island
    Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon
    The Secret Of Shadow Ranch
    The Haunted Carousel

    Thanks for reading my review!



    5 out of 5 stars Best Nancy Yet   August 22, 2008
    Jane Dough (Ohio)
    1 out of 1 found this review helpful

    This is definately the best Nancy Drew yet. This game is TWICE as long as the other games. This has to do with some puzzles that are very long to get through. (such as a card game that you have to win twice). Very fun puzzles, many surprises throughout the game. The animations are more detailed, just a great game!


    5 out of 5 stars Nancy Drew does it again!   August 17, 2008
    Priscilla Borino (Branchville, NJ)
    If you are a Nancy Drew fan this is a great game to add to your collection. Again you play as Nancy Drew to help solve a mystery. Although this isn't my favorite Nancy Drew game, it comes a close 3rd best in my opinion. The only thing different about this game is you can't call home for clues like all the previous games.

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