Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower is such a captivating game that we could barely stop playing long enough to write this review. The fourth adventure in the Nancy Drew series from Her Interactive finds Nancy vacationing at an old ski lodge in Wisconsin. But, as usual, trouble is afoot. The library has been vandalized (as if someone was looking for something?), a violent storm has snowed in everyone, and you must play as Nancy to unravel the mystery. Similar to the other Nancy Drew adventures, you get to step into Nancy's shoes and explore the old lodge to uncover clues through objects you pick up along the way and conversations with the other guests. Things heat up when Nancy learns that the lodge contains an old tower that has been sealed off. You quickly learn that the tower was brought over from France, and was Marie Antoinette's hiding place in her final months before her beheading during the French Revolution. Could Marie's famed treasure be hidden in the tower? Is that why the library was vandalized? And why is everyone acting so suspicious?
Why do we love this game so much? The first reason is that it gives young girls an outstanding female role model, the likes of which we haven't encountered in any other kids' games to date. Who else, besides Nancy, is so smart, brave, witty, and adventuresome? The second is that it's hardly dumbed down the way many girls' games are. We're way above the minimum age range for this game (ages 10 and older), but playing in the senior detective mode we were challenged (there's also a junior detective mode for younger players)--it took us hours and hours of thrilling gameplay to unravel the mystery. And yet, it moves quickly and is satisfying enough to keep anyone playing for long stretches. Lastly, Treasure in the Royal Tower gets girls engaged in history. The integration of the Marie Antoinette story and related French history was enough to make us purchase a book on this intriguing royal figure to learn more.
Other outstanding things about Treasure in the Royal Tower include gorgeously designed backgrounds and 3-D environments, smooth gameplay, interesting and amusing characters, and the ability to use the Second Chance feature and go back to right before you made a fatal mistake. You can also tap into the minds of young women around the country on the message boards on the Her Interactive Web site. If you're ever stuck, you can ask this knowledgeable audience for hints or clues that might help you out of a jam.
We could go on and on about all the great surprises and twists in this game, but that would just spoil the plot, wouldn't it? Why don't you just check this one out for yourself... we really can't say enough good things about it. --Ara Jane Olufson
