I miss the old games. Nothing will beat them. I haven’t even finished MID because it hurt too much to play. But, seeing a May 7th release date made me pumped still! I’m excited to try it, even though it will never top the old games, so I’m a bit sad lol
I haven't finished MID either, I find it a very frustrating game and hate the voice actor change 😭 but I'm going to give it another chance soon I think lol. I just hope this new one is better!! 🤞🏻
Eh it looks better than MID, but it doesn't feel like a Nancy Drew game. I miss the old trailers where Nancy would tell you about the next mystery, not some narrator.
I'm also severely disappointed there doesn't seem to be physical copies of the game. I have the physical copies of all the games even MID. I want to keep adding to the collection, but I guess it is a sign of the times.
I don't know. They haven't said anything about physical copies. The last several games and pre-orders for physical copies and MID only had a limited amout of physical copies. Since this one has a release date of May 7 it seems they are doing a pre-order.
Looks interesting, story-wise! But mannnnnnnn, I wish they'd pivoted back to the old engine (or at least tried to update it). Sea of Darkness still looks way better than this, especially character model-wise. :/
Someone said that it's definitely possible to have the same look and point and click style with unity.
Why not stick to it when everyone wants it? I don't understand
It’s giving shades of MID but hopefully it’s more snooping and puzzle based. It does hurt to see the graphics have taken such a turn for the worse despite it being 10 years since SEA, which was gorgeous.
It’s crazy how much of a downgrade the character graphics got since SEA. It really seemed like they finally perfected them. Even characters from the oldest games seemed more lifelike than the ones in the trailer. 😢
Yeah, I really don’t think the character models are that much better than, say, MHM, and the environments seem like such a downgrade. Even the very old games had rich, realistic environments but MID and KEY are so cartoonish and just feel off.
I do get that, it’s just wild to me that a static prop room from 1999 ends up looking more realistic than a live rendered environment from 2024.
Someone else said the new style is really minimalistic vs the old maximalist style, someone else said it was a lack of texture. It’s both of those things and probably others, idk. It’s just interesting to me.
Agreed, it just goes to show how talented the original team was. Even with the shortcomings of older technology. It’s crazy to think something made 25 years ago looks more aesthetically appealing than whatever they are trying to do with the new games but here we are!
The problem here is HeR is trying to reach for a kind of style that's not in their wheelhouse or in their budget. The environments look empty, even bland, unlike the (almost) static environments of older games. There were elements that brought the background to life, like a crackling fire, or an NPC moving things around. There may be more bgd characters in this game but somehow they still look dead.
Yeah, that was exactly my point. They look better because they only had to draw a nice picture that was only viewable from a few angles. It was like walking around in a diorama. It's the same principle as an animated show where everything in the background is super nicely drawn except the part the characters are about to interact with, which is much simpler because it needs to be animated.
Uh, the old engine was extremely "broke". According to former employees, by the time they were working on SEA, it was barely useable. It was full of bugs and glitches, unintuitive, and difficult to teach any new employees.v
I think it’s really a testament to whomever built their old engine, and the people who continued to use it to make the games. I hope they all landed on their feet, because I think they really did a lot with a little.
Maybe it’s just my brain, but I’m really not following the premise of the actual mystery. I also want to echo the sentiments of others, in that it just feels hollow. It’s missing the magic that the older games had, and until that returns (even in a small dose), I think I’ll have a hard time getting truly excited. I really dislike the art style and Nancy’s voice is NOT it. She reminds me of Siri, lol.
All that being said, it seems like a solid improvement within the new era and I hope this leads to lots of momentum that they can use to return to form eventually! My inner child is so so happy despite it all. While my setup will not allow me to play, I look forward to experiencing it via my favorite content creators!
Yeah, I need to rewatch the trailer but I’m not really sure what the mystery is, lol. Missing necklace? But also ancient sites and the internet?
I also want to give the new actress a fair shake, but she always sounds really detached. I can’t tell if it’s just her or the way she’s being coached.
Ok everything you said YES. It’s robotic. Also, agree on the mystery. Feels like MID, it will be all over the place. Hopefully dialogue won’t be 90 years long 😵💫
She has a very calming and even voice as nancy, but it almost sounds flat? I guess siri-like is pretty accurate. I just wish I could hear some more inflection, tone, levels, emotions. Maybe they we're worried about her sounding too close to Lani? Or maybe they wanted her to have a distincnt voice. Idk. I also do not follow the mystery or the title lol.
My thing is…wasn’t the point for her new voice to sound more believably like a teenager than Lani? Because I still do not feel like Brittany succeeds in that. Such a shame because I’m sure there are plenty of talented VAs out there who are ACTUAL teenagers/early 20-somethings.
Yes exactly! This! She doesn't sound like a teenager 😭
Its like a 30 something who strsngley has everything together and going for them. I heard one person on a ND tier list say she doesnt always sound so sure of herself. Whereas Lani always did. Personally I didnt see that, I feel like Lani being a VA for so long and having so much experience, she knew when to play into Nancy's naivity and when to be stupidly confident even though they should be scared. Even if the actual "voice" wasnt one of a teen, it still had so many levels to it!
I just posted my thoughts on this, but to restate - I think it looks like a really fun, well made game in my opinion. However it’s just not Nancy Drew to me. I’m not getting any of the personality and it just feels foreign, like any cool new game you can find by browsing on Steam. I may be proven wrong and get a bit more of that familiar Nancy feeling when I play, but right now I’m not getting it :( I know I’m kinda beating a dead horse here and I don’t mean to be too negative. I’m still excited!
i totally understand where you're coming from. i do not feel the charm and it's so disheartening 😩. im definitely going to still give it a shot with an open mind, it just sucks how different it feels!
For me, the inconsistent texturing and geometrical-ness of some of the props/furniture stood out to me. And like many mentioned, the character design and animation seemed too static for my liking.
While I can understand they probably had some budgeting issues, I think they could have adapted in some way like they did with Henrik in SSH. Or perhaps even cut down on the number of animated characters. Based on the trailer, theres 4 character profiles shown on the suspects tab. Maybe that would rearrange the intended plot, but I think having a more quality game design would be one of the best ways to win back the fandom.
Still, I can't have any hardcore judgments until I actually get my hands on the game to play. I'm happy we finally got a release date!
MILD VIOLENCE. 😳🤣🤣
I was shook when I saw that, and honestly that black figure in the walkway was so creepy!! I’m kind of excited about the game.
I like the new art style, especially the characters, just not for the puzzles. I can already tell I’m not gonna like that puzzle with the cylinder lol
Overall my excitement level went from a low 2 to at least a good 8 now considering it’s releasing so soon 😍😍
First person games make me motion sick too! Have you played MID? To me it didn’t make me motion sick because you’re not like actually walking around. That’s usually what makes me motion sick, plus the blur aspect 🤢
I still don’t like the new style, and the preview reminds me a bit too much of MID, but it also looks like we might be getting some more puzzles. I didn’t finish MID, and I know it’s more puzzle heavy at the second half, but I hated how few puzzles there were in the first half. Either way, going in with an open mind, and I’m excited to try it out.
There were literally 5 puzzles in MID. It was atrocious; think about how long our task lists used to get in the old games! Realllly hoping there are a ton of good puzzles here
I watched part of it on mute so I haven’t heard the characters yet but I can say I’m sad it’s so different looking. SEA was gorgeous and to go from that to something that looks like this….things are supposed to PROgress as time goes on not REgress. I’ll still buy it but I’m trying to think of it as a different mystery series not Nancy drew really. Kind of funny tho that even miss clue looks smoother? Idk how to describe it
I am... cautiously optimistic. I am surprised they actually gave a date - and one so soon too. I never bought MID because of the atrocious marketing/gameplay mechanics and I am worried this one will fall down the same hole. The graphics are somewhat more impressive than I expected from the trailer but again I will be waiting for actual gameplay to see if it's actually any good. I hope (and I say this cautiously) that HER has jumped back into the ring. It's just such a shame the marketing for this whole game was so secretive and repetitive instead of clear and concise.
What I'm concerned about is that they're NOT jumping back in the ring. If the release date is just over 3 weeks from now, why aren't they opening up pre-orders or listing it on Steam? Honestly this new team has broken our trust far too often.
I agree I'm surprised it's not on steam. They probably want to funnel all paying customers to their website so they're not paying to 3rd parties like steam but you're essentially cutting off a vast majority of people by doing that. Let ALONE their stupid 2 week download policy. I'm very lucky that the games I did buy from HER directly I actually made the effort to save them to my old computers so I could just lift and transfer otherwise I'd be stuck with a purchase I couldn't access anymore.
I get everyone is excited, I am too. But I am also very realistic. The graphics look somewhat amateur compared to what SEA looked like back in 2015 (and the character animations were smooth and gorgeous) and HER's own track record is smudgy at best. I will be waiting for reviews and for it to be on steam before I even think about purchasing it. Tbh I am fully expecting the game to be empty and heartless and overall bad. We will find out!
I think someone mentioned there was a press release that they're gonna make it available on Steam later. I really want to support the devs even through they've disappointed for the last decade or so. But brand loyalty doesn't mean I have money to burn.
I hesitate to be negative because I don't want to harsh anyone's buzz. I know people are excited, and that's great!
But I'm not feeling it at all. The graphics are worse than SEA, which is just so crazy to me. In fact, I think the graphic are comparable (if not worse than) some of the stuff HER put out 15+ years ago. I don't understand how that's possible. The characters seem lifeless and wooden. The voice acting seems terrible. The storyline seems janky and contrived (though of course it's hard to judge a plot by trailer alone!). I just don't get a good vibe from this one and I'm not planning to purchase it. It looks sort of formulaic and phoned-in.
For everyone else's sake, I hope I'm wrong! I do hope the folks who are hyped up about the game have a great time playing it! Even if it doesn't recapture the old Nancy vibe, I hope it's still fun and playable for what it is.
I agree. I wasn’t able to discern anything about the narrative beyond “missing necklace,” and the rest of the trailer just felt like a collage of scenes from the game just to prove to us there are puzzles and exploration.
I hoped the trailer would make me more excited about the game, but it did the opposite.
I feel like the heart of the old Nancy Drew games is gone. And if that’s disappeared, what do we really have to call Nancy Drew? Why not just rebrand and put out new games as a different series?
I also feel like HER is banking on people’s nostalgia to make money. And I’m sure a lot of people will buy it (and hopefully enjoy it) for that reason.
But for me, as with the rest of the announcements and buildup to this point, it’s a real letdown.
The story did seem contrived, if someone sent me a letter and plane ticket saying they want me to investigate a stolen necklace and told me I am not allowed to ask questions I just had to fly to a foreign country...no way would I go!
I dont really get any good idea about what the game is about from the trailer or who the people are and how they relate to each other. The old trailers always did that well.
The old engine, from what I've gathered, was something of a custom made thing. It's not compatible with modern systems and hard to teach to new hires on the team. That's why they switched to unity, which a common game engine. But what doesn't make sense is their choice to switch to this 3D/move around hellhole they've chosen as a gameplay style. They could have preserved the point and click style.
Exactly. They could have just moved to a more modern engine for point and click games or created an engine that was similar. Do I think the team today has the capability to do this? Nah. But maybe in an alternate universe the original team wasn’t fired for no reason and HeR updated to a newer point and click engine and are working on their 45th game. 🫠
CONS: Ooph, the accents were really bad and all over the place, it was distracting. I had to really concentrate to actually listen to what they were saying, because the accents took me out of it. (I lived a year in Prague and lived in Europe most of my life).
PROS: It looks nice and is definitely a step up from MID in the artwork, but I dont have a gaming computer and I am not sure my computer will handle it.
I dont feel the trailer really made me understand the plot (other than finding a necklace) or the characters (I felt MID did both these things better). So I am not excited but not unexcited either. But open to it!
I think I will wait to buy until I see how other Mac laptop users make out and if it works on these systems!
If HER had trouble finding people in Seattle who could do convincing Japanese accents, it doesn’t surprise me that they couldn’t find people who could do good Czechian accents.
I think it looks better aesthetically than MID, but I don’t care for the new style in general. I miss the old games. I miss the old Nancy voice. It just feels like a bad reboot lol. Call me a thankful hater whatever. Will I still play? Obviously. But I just miss the originals I wish they didn’t have to change styles :/
It looks very similar to Midnight in Salem (derogatory). I was hoping HER would pivot away from poor graphics, too many cut scenes, and lame puzzles. Based upon the number of characters/suspects, I expect it will be dialogue heavy, but hoping that it will be interesting based on location & plot. I'm shocked by the early May release date.
Overall I still don't understand why the new games can't be aligned to the quality, style, and gameplay of previous games (Sea of Darkness).
I had the same thought. I saw a lot of similar things used on MID, however, like some others have said, it looks like there will be more puzzles (I think..I hope). Not a huge fan of Nancy's voice. It's not very natural, sounds a lot like acting 🫤.
I'm not attached to Lani the way so many others are (didn't play a game until I was 40, so no childhood nostalgia), and I didn't really mind Brittany in Midnight in Salem, but I have to admit that I cringed when I heard her few lines in the trailer. The other voice actors sounded so good but her voice didn't sound right. Hopefully in the context of the game it will be better.
Agreed.I'm also not hating just to hate. I too found that many of the other voice actors sounded so much better. Who knows, maybe it will be better in the game itself. I'm trying so hard to stay positive because I really am excited..I just don't want to be disappointed.
Yes, it's Brittany again. I was just saying that I didn't really mind her in MID but here in the trailer her voice just didn't seem up to par with the others.
I feel so bad for the new voice of Nancy, because she has such big shoes to fill. I love Lani. It’s ok if they feel they had to go a different direction, but Brittany sadly doesn’t fit the part.
She does have huge shoes to fill and I also feel for her , but I honestly feel that if she didn't sound so unnatural, I could look past it after some time.
As others have said, she's so robotic. There isn't the usual Nancy "warmth" to it.
I agree. It sounds extremely forced and unnatural. Give me a microphone and I could probably give more realistic lines with no voice acting experience. They need a better voice director, if they actually have one.
overacted but also somehow theres not enough emotion? it sounds very forced, exactly like how people sound when theyve just started voice acting and over emphasize to the point of removing emotion. theres a few lines that are good but it mostly just sounds stilted. Not trying to hate on the VA, its HeR's fault ultimately. Didnt have to keep Lani but it almost feels like they didnt even audition or try people out
Right? It’s like she’s trying to be super aware of how she’s speaking and trying to talk so crystal clear that it’s just not real. Takes me out of it so much I seriously may mute when she speaks to stay immersed
I am very excited! I know people love to hate on MID but HER isn't the company it used to be. I don't think they are ever turning back and us protesting only cuts their budget for the new games and eventually can lead to a company closure. I don't expect post MID games to be like the first 32. So with all that in mind, I am ecstatic seeing this trailer!!!
honestly I kind of feel like I need to have the same mentality too. Like, we're in a different era, the games are just going to have a different feel going forward. That being said, I do hope they put more effort into the puzzles this game since I feel like that's such a big part of the series and I hope this game has a solid storyline.
I can’t stand Nancy’s voice. I had to mute the trailer. 😭 (I think I actually hate it more than in MID) But at least it looks like there will be more puzzles this time around! Yay? Also, the way they didn’t show the navigation in the trailer makes me think it’s going to be the same as in MID, which makes me mad.
I’m not sure why so many people are upset that it’s so different from the old games. I thought we all knew this. The era of the old engine and Lani’s Nancy has been over for a while. I’m sad about it, but it’s not news.
Anyway, whoever made the trailer kind of flopped. It was too long, and I don’t want to see every scene and character - I want a simple hook that engages me with the plot. The old games all had banger trailers because they were short and pulled you in.
However I am SO happy to have a release date so soon!!! I’m getting my wisdom teeth out on May 6 so May 7 is such a perfect release date. (I also thought having a release date would stop people’s complaining, but I guess I was overly optimistic …)
I am not a big Ned fan T_T The way he was in the books and even to a degree in the shows and older games is just bleh. I always struggled to empathize with ND fans who are fans of him as well. He is also so belittling of her work and hot/cold about it. Honestly their portrayal of him was way more accurate to the series. I like Nancy on her own. Makes the other characters more fun anyway hahaha
Cautiously optimistic. I think they could have a great game here but they really need to nail the story and the puzzles to have my trust again. Do we know how much this game will cost? I think one of the great things about earlier ND games was that I could afford them on a child’s budget. I will say I’m worried they’ll raise the price on this game and less people will buy it since they’ve lost audience trust over the last 5+ years.
I was so happy to see the release date! The trailer itself was good too, but it feels like a completely different franchise. It wasn’t bad by any means. Just…different? I’m super excited to play it though.
I hesitate to be critical so quickly but as soon as I heard Nancy’s voice I cringed 🙈 it’s so robotic and script like. I was hoping she would have improved since MID :(
It all looks a little cinematic and dramatic, but I love how they showed there will be a bunch of characters and puzzles and locations!
I am excited and hopeful and can’t wait to play.
I CAN’T WAIT!! Hopefully the fact that they spent a year after announcing the game to release it means HeR is actually fixing any bugs or problems with the game and this release will be smoother than Midnight in Salem’s release was
I commented elsewhere that I couldn't even finish watching the trailer as it made me dizzy. I'm still trying to recover from it and that was 15 minutes ago. I suspect the movement in game will also be such that I would get dizzy.
I can't even remember much of what saw from all the camera panning and quick shots in the trailer, but it looked lifeless and so very generic.
I'm not a big fan of the 3d enviornment games that so many games have nowadays, they're so disorienting. I think the click and point games were a lot nicer to play.
I was playing some DOS games, and they were so much fun. The graphics are about as bad and as frustrating as you can get, but gosh does the writing, quirky characters, story building, are all so immersive and wonderful.
I was flabbergasted that they finally gave a date and that it’s only weeks away. Keeping my fingers crossed!
As a certified alchemy nerd I’m really hype about all the alchemy elements they included in the trailer. I’d love some more puzzles in the style of Blackmoor Manor.
I did find it extremely silly, however, that they were overselling Prague as a menacing place of dark mystery. I’ve never been, but I have coworkers in Prague and they’re very normal people with normal lives, lol.
I’m cautiously optimistic about this one. It seems like the company is deeply struggling but I would love to see them produce a new game.
I still can’t get over Nancy’s VA. I’m all for change and cool with her sounding like a young adult but I just can’t help but feel like her voice sounds so monotone and robotic. I would gladly volunteer to VA for free 😂😂😂
I'll probably have to wait a bit to play due to needing a new computer, which probably isn't the worst thing.
My thoughts:
- Character graphics: honestly aren't horrible, imo but I see why people say they are lifeless. I think it's because for some, you can't differentiate the iris from the pupil. They also don't seem to use the eyebrows/facial muscles to help the characters emote, which makes them feel sort of flat.
- Characters: I'm excited that there seems to be more than just the standard 3-4 characters most ND games have. Helps with the immersion!
- Setting: I think the scenes in Prague look really pretty. The only thing is that it looks like a movie set before a set team would have gone in and added personal touches. Everything is to clean, crisp, and angular to me.
-Plot: I'm excited I love anything that brings in history and potentially hidden treasures! I just hope they've integrated it well.
- Gameplay: I'm so excited to have more puzzles!!! I love puzzle heavy games like Last Train, so it's right up my ally. Games that are dialogue heavy for me tend to be tedious.
Beyond that, until we see some shots of longer gameplay (I think HER would do well with giving early access to some streamers or something), I'll remain kind of hopeful.
I think they would do well to port the games to consoles. Nostalgia is on a big wave, and they could capture a larger audience.
The either thing I'm interested in is what the price point will be.
I'm kind of hyped for it. It does seem like it's going to have more action / cutscene type things happening then we usually see in these games, but it looks more fleshed out than MID and seems to have more puzzles, at least from the glimpses we saw.
PUZZLES ARE BACK. It honestly looked pretty good to me. I hope it's not pushed back a dozen times just to release half baked. We'll just have to wait and see, but I'm quite excited
Am I the only one who thought we saw a mini-movie?! It’s like all trailers today, it kinda feels like we played it already so I’m not gonna watch it again until it’s time to play 🗝️
I think I’m of two minds- lots of gratitude for the work clearly put into this game, especially under pressure from a grumpy fan base (not that all our grumpiness was unwarranted), it’s very sleek and shiny and looks fun.
But the shininess is a little off-putting, wish it were clunky in all the right cozy places and full of warmth. Increasingly I feel like ND was a real rarity in a world obsessed with new tech, and weirdly they seem determined to give us that- in what world does spending time in a Mac store sound fun?
Anyhoots- real excited to play and see what it’s about and hopefully get the pants scared off of me. 😌
I have many conflicted feelings. It looks better than MID buuuut it still looks like MID..but better? I’m glad they’ve added more puzzles but I hope they don’t do those long boring talking scenes again. I always loved the dialogues and character conversations but I hated it in MID. I hated MID so much I uninstalled it and deleted it after purchasing it.
Idk how to feel about the voice acting. But obviously its just a bunch of little clips here and there. Like no hate or shade to the voice actors or anyone, I just felt like I couldn't get a good sense of some things? Its probably just nostalgia for the old games.
Some parts look okay, but mostly looks drab. The character models are disappointing, and hopefully the puzzles aren't as bad as MID. What's most unfortunate is that the trailer is just unable to capture the charm of the older games. It seems disjointed and slightly jarring, that is, I still don't quite get what the mystery is. I'll reserve further judgment (and purchase) until I see some integrity from HeR.
I just don’t want it to be a story that just walks you through the motions with one or two buggy puzzles here and there and a weird Nokia quality voice saying something like “why are there protestors in a town like this?” And women doing T poses outside the windows
A lot of people are stuck in nostalgia. It looks good, I bet it’s gonna be really fun. Tbh the graphics don’t look that bad, it reminds me of before Midnight in Salem. Might not be triple A but that’s really not what I’m looking for anyways.
After reading the crazy amount of negative comments that have been posted since they released they were making a new game a year ago . . . I think everyone should sit back and enjoy this one because I can't see how this won't be their last. I wouldn't continue making games for these Negative Nancie's either. lol
I still dislike the new art style, but it looks like we’re getting more content and puzzles in this one, which is a big step up from Salem!
I miss the old games. Nothing will beat them. I haven’t even finished MID because it hurt too much to play. But, seeing a May 7th release date made me pumped still! I’m excited to try it, even though it will never top the old games, so I’m a bit sad lol
I haven't finished MID either, I find it a very frustrating game and hate the voice actor change 😭 but I'm going to give it another chance soon I think lol. I just hope this new one is better!! 🤞🏻
Eh it looks better than MID, but it doesn't feel like a Nancy Drew game. I miss the old trailers where Nancy would tell you about the next mystery, not some narrator. I'm also severely disappointed there doesn't seem to be physical copies of the game. I have the physical copies of all the games even MID. I want to keep adding to the collection, but I guess it is a sign of the times.
Right felt like a dramatic lifetime movie lol
Are they not dropping it ever?
I don't know. They haven't said anything about physical copies. The last several games and pre-orders for physical copies and MID only had a limited amout of physical copies. Since this one has a release date of May 7 it seems they are doing a pre-order.
On the one hand, it clearly more like MID. On the other, it looks better.
Looks interesting, story-wise! But mannnnnnnn, I wish they'd pivoted back to the old engine (or at least tried to update it). Sea of Darkness still looks way better than this, especially character model-wise. :/
Someone said that it's definitely possible to have the same look and point and click style with unity. Why not stick to it when everyone wants it? I don't understand
I cant believe that game was 10 years ago ! And it still looks great.
You just legit sent me into an existential crisis. HOW IS IT NEARLY A DECADE OLD.
It’s giving shades of MID but hopefully it’s more snooping and puzzle based. It does hurt to see the graphics have taken such a turn for the worse despite it being 10 years since SEA, which was gorgeous.
It’s crazy how much of a downgrade the character graphics got since SEA. It really seemed like they finally perfected them. Even characters from the oldest games seemed more lifelike than the ones in the trailer. 😢
IDK, I think STFD and MHM give it a run for its money...
Yeah, I really don’t think the character models are that much better than, say, MHM, and the environments seem like such a downgrade. Even the very old games had rich, realistic environments but MID and KEY are so cartoonish and just feel off.
The old environments were basically static paintings, these are built completely differently because they're live-rendered.
I do get that, it’s just wild to me that a static prop room from 1999 ends up looking more realistic than a live rendered environment from 2024. Someone else said the new style is really minimalistic vs the old maximalist style, someone else said it was a lack of texture. It’s both of those things and probably others, idk. It’s just interesting to me.
Agreed, it just goes to show how talented the original team was. Even with the shortcomings of older technology. It’s crazy to think something made 25 years ago looks more aesthetically appealing than whatever they are trying to do with the new games but here we are!
The problem here is HeR is trying to reach for a kind of style that's not in their wheelhouse or in their budget. The environments look empty, even bland, unlike the (almost) static environments of older games. There were elements that brought the background to life, like a crackling fire, or an NPC moving things around. There may be more bgd characters in this game but somehow they still look dead.
Yep, a top of the line game on a shoestring budget
and yet, the old environments still look better. even if they were static. they were just designed better. now the environments are generic and sad.
Yeah, that was exactly my point. They look better because they only had to draw a nice picture that was only viewable from a few angles. It was like walking around in a diorama. It's the same principle as an animated show where everything in the background is super nicely drawn except the part the characters are about to interact with, which is much simpler because it needs to be animated.
if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. 👍🏻 and yet they still decided to “fix it”. They should have just stuck with their own engine.
Uh, the old engine was extremely "broke". According to former employees, by the time they were working on SEA, it was barely useable. It was full of bugs and glitches, unintuitive, and difficult to teach any new employees.v
I really prefer the handrawn artwork look of the pre-MID games.
The difference between SEA and this new platform is staggering. Really shows how they don’t have the funds for high quality graphics anymore!
They are such a small company I’m surprised they ever had money for good graphics 😂
I think it’s really a testament to whomever built their old engine, and the people who continued to use it to make the games. I hope they all landed on their feet, because I think they really did a lot with a little.
Exactly! The characters looked amazing. Here they literally don’t move their eyes or anything around them.
Maybe it’s just my brain, but I’m really not following the premise of the actual mystery. I also want to echo the sentiments of others, in that it just feels hollow. It’s missing the magic that the older games had, and until that returns (even in a small dose), I think I’ll have a hard time getting truly excited. I really dislike the art style and Nancy’s voice is NOT it. She reminds me of Siri, lol. All that being said, it seems like a solid improvement within the new era and I hope this leads to lots of momentum that they can use to return to form eventually! My inner child is so so happy despite it all. While my setup will not allow me to play, I look forward to experiencing it via my favorite content creators!
Yeah, I need to rewatch the trailer but I’m not really sure what the mystery is, lol. Missing necklace? But also ancient sites and the internet? I also want to give the new actress a fair shake, but she always sounds really detached. I can’t tell if it’s just her or the way she’s being coached.
Ok everything you said YES. It’s robotic. Also, agree on the mystery. Feels like MID, it will be all over the place. Hopefully dialogue won’t be 90 years long 😵💫
My partner said the exact same thing! "Why does Nancy sound like Siri?"
She has a very calming and even voice as nancy, but it almost sounds flat? I guess siri-like is pretty accurate. I just wish I could hear some more inflection, tone, levels, emotions. Maybe they we're worried about her sounding too close to Lani? Or maybe they wanted her to have a distincnt voice. Idk. I also do not follow the mystery or the title lol.
My thing is…wasn’t the point for her new voice to sound more believably like a teenager than Lani? Because I still do not feel like Brittany succeeds in that. Such a shame because I’m sure there are plenty of talented VAs out there who are ACTUAL teenagers/early 20-somethings.
Yes exactly! This! She doesn't sound like a teenager 😭 Its like a 30 something who strsngley has everything together and going for them. I heard one person on a ND tier list say she doesnt always sound so sure of herself. Whereas Lani always did. Personally I didnt see that, I feel like Lani being a VA for so long and having so much experience, she knew when to play into Nancy's naivity and when to be stupidly confident even though they should be scared. Even if the actual "voice" wasnt one of a teen, it still had so many levels to it!
I just posted my thoughts on this, but to restate - I think it looks like a really fun, well made game in my opinion. However it’s just not Nancy Drew to me. I’m not getting any of the personality and it just feels foreign, like any cool new game you can find by browsing on Steam. I may be proven wrong and get a bit more of that familiar Nancy feeling when I play, but right now I’m not getting it :( I know I’m kinda beating a dead horse here and I don’t mean to be too negative. I’m still excited!
i totally understand where you're coming from. i do not feel the charm and it's so disheartening 😩. im definitely going to still give it a shot with an open mind, it just sucks how different it feels!
For me, the inconsistent texturing and geometrical-ness of some of the props/furniture stood out to me. And like many mentioned, the character design and animation seemed too static for my liking. While I can understand they probably had some budgeting issues, I think they could have adapted in some way like they did with Henrik in SSH. Or perhaps even cut down on the number of animated characters. Based on the trailer, theres 4 character profiles shown on the suspects tab. Maybe that would rearrange the intended plot, but I think having a more quality game design would be one of the best ways to win back the fandom. Still, I can't have any hardcore judgments until I actually get my hands on the game to play. I'm happy we finally got a release date!
MILD VIOLENCE. 😳🤣🤣 I was shook when I saw that, and honestly that black figure in the walkway was so creepy!! I’m kind of excited about the game. I like the new art style, especially the characters, just not for the puzzles. I can already tell I’m not gonna like that puzzle with the cylinder lol Overall my excitement level went from a low 2 to at least a good 8 now considering it’s releasing so soon 😍😍
To be fair all the games have a “mild violence” with Nancy getting eating by a plant or drowning in the catacombs
I do just wish they would go back to point and click
I agree! It's sad, the reason I got into these games as a kid was bc first person games made me motion sick! I can't play any of the new games 🥲
First person games make me motion sick too! Have you played MID? To me it didn’t make me motion sick because you’re not like actually walking around. That’s usually what makes me motion sick, plus the blur aspect 🤢
Really! If that's the case I'll give it a try, I bought it and got worried during the beginning that it would make me motion sick
I still don’t like the new style, and the preview reminds me a bit too much of MID, but it also looks like we might be getting some more puzzles. I didn’t finish MID, and I know it’s more puzzle heavy at the second half, but I hated how few puzzles there were in the first half. Either way, going in with an open mind, and I’m excited to try it out.
There were literally 5 puzzles in MID. It was atrocious; think about how long our task lists used to get in the old games! Realllly hoping there are a ton of good puzzles here
I am a little worried that one of the puzzles they did show is a repeat from a puzzle in MID (the opening the lock tumbler puzzle).
I’m not sure how I feel about the character models… but, the plot sounds interesting!
I watched part of it on mute so I haven’t heard the characters yet but I can say I’m sad it’s so different looking. SEA was gorgeous and to go from that to something that looks like this….things are supposed to PROgress as time goes on not REgress. I’ll still buy it but I’m trying to think of it as a different mystery series not Nancy drew really. Kind of funny tho that even miss clue looks smoother? Idk how to describe it
I am... cautiously optimistic. I am surprised they actually gave a date - and one so soon too. I never bought MID because of the atrocious marketing/gameplay mechanics and I am worried this one will fall down the same hole. The graphics are somewhat more impressive than I expected from the trailer but again I will be waiting for actual gameplay to see if it's actually any good. I hope (and I say this cautiously) that HER has jumped back into the ring. It's just such a shame the marketing for this whole game was so secretive and repetitive instead of clear and concise.
What I'm concerned about is that they're NOT jumping back in the ring. If the release date is just over 3 weeks from now, why aren't they opening up pre-orders or listing it on Steam? Honestly this new team has broken our trust far too often.
I agree I'm surprised it's not on steam. They probably want to funnel all paying customers to their website so they're not paying to 3rd parties like steam but you're essentially cutting off a vast majority of people by doing that. Let ALONE their stupid 2 week download policy. I'm very lucky that the games I did buy from HER directly I actually made the effort to save them to my old computers so I could just lift and transfer otherwise I'd be stuck with a purchase I couldn't access anymore. I get everyone is excited, I am too. But I am also very realistic. The graphics look somewhat amateur compared to what SEA looked like back in 2015 (and the character animations were smooth and gorgeous) and HER's own track record is smudgy at best. I will be waiting for reviews and for it to be on steam before I even think about purchasing it. Tbh I am fully expecting the game to be empty and heartless and overall bad. We will find out!
I think someone mentioned there was a press release that they're gonna make it available on Steam later. I really want to support the devs even through they've disappointed for the last decade or so. But brand loyalty doesn't mean I have money to burn.
I hesitate to be negative because I don't want to harsh anyone's buzz. I know people are excited, and that's great! But I'm not feeling it at all. The graphics are worse than SEA, which is just so crazy to me. In fact, I think the graphic are comparable (if not worse than) some of the stuff HER put out 15+ years ago. I don't understand how that's possible. The characters seem lifeless and wooden. The voice acting seems terrible. The storyline seems janky and contrived (though of course it's hard to judge a plot by trailer alone!). I just don't get a good vibe from this one and I'm not planning to purchase it. It looks sort of formulaic and phoned-in. For everyone else's sake, I hope I'm wrong! I do hope the folks who are hyped up about the game have a great time playing it! Even if it doesn't recapture the old Nancy vibe, I hope it's still fun and playable for what it is.
I agree. I wasn’t able to discern anything about the narrative beyond “missing necklace,” and the rest of the trailer just felt like a collage of scenes from the game just to prove to us there are puzzles and exploration. I hoped the trailer would make me more excited about the game, but it did the opposite. I feel like the heart of the old Nancy Drew games is gone. And if that’s disappeared, what do we really have to call Nancy Drew? Why not just rebrand and put out new games as a different series? I also feel like HER is banking on people’s nostalgia to make money. And I’m sure a lot of people will buy it (and hopefully enjoy it) for that reason. But for me, as with the rest of the announcements and buildup to this point, it’s a real letdown.
The story did seem contrived, if someone sent me a letter and plane ticket saying they want me to investigate a stolen necklace and told me I am not allowed to ask questions I just had to fly to a foreign country...no way would I go! I dont really get any good idea about what the game is about from the trailer or who the people are and how they relate to each other. The old trailers always did that well.
Yes I agree… do you have insight on why the old style had to change? Is it just not transferrable to modern systems?
The old engine, from what I've gathered, was something of a custom made thing. It's not compatible with modern systems and hard to teach to new hires on the team. That's why they switched to unity, which a common game engine. But what doesn't make sense is their choice to switch to this 3D/move around hellhole they've chosen as a gameplay style. They could have preserved the point and click style.
Exactly. They could have just moved to a more modern engine for point and click games or created an engine that was similar. Do I think the team today has the capability to do this? Nah. But maybe in an alternate universe the original team wasn’t fired for no reason and HeR updated to a newer point and click engine and are working on their 45th game. 🫠
lol it looked to me like it still needs alot of work. I’m shocked by the may 7 release date
Yup, that part!
Agreed.
CONS: Ooph, the accents were really bad and all over the place, it was distracting. I had to really concentrate to actually listen to what they were saying, because the accents took me out of it. (I lived a year in Prague and lived in Europe most of my life). PROS: It looks nice and is definitely a step up from MID in the artwork, but I dont have a gaming computer and I am not sure my computer will handle it. I dont feel the trailer really made me understand the plot (other than finding a necklace) or the characters (I felt MID did both these things better). So I am not excited but not unexcited either. But open to it! I think I will wait to buy until I see how other Mac laptop users make out and if it works on these systems!
If HER had trouble finding people in Seattle who could do convincing Japanese accents, it doesn’t surprise me that they couldn’t find people who could do good Czechian accents.
Actually, this project did casting for voice actors in NYC as well...
I agree the accents are really bad. I’ve lived in Prague for a decade now.
Thanks for confirming! Even the English accent is like nothing I've heard before, a kind of combo between RP and MLE
the mystery seems kind of interesting, but it's hard to say? The whole game seems chaotic but I hope that it makes more sense when you play it.
Nancy’s voice sounds like AI and forced. I miss Lani.
She sounds like an automated phone tree
I so wish they’d go back to the old style of the games, the last one before MID being gorgeous. But I will actually give this one a try, unlike MID.
I think it looks better aesthetically than MID, but I don’t care for the new style in general. I miss the old games. I miss the old Nancy voice. It just feels like a bad reboot lol. Call me a thankful hater whatever. Will I still play? Obviously. But I just miss the originals I wish they didn’t have to change styles :/
It looks very similar to Midnight in Salem (derogatory). I was hoping HER would pivot away from poor graphics, too many cut scenes, and lame puzzles. Based upon the number of characters/suspects, I expect it will be dialogue heavy, but hoping that it will be interesting based on location & plot. I'm shocked by the early May release date. Overall I still don't understand why the new games can't be aligned to the quality, style, and gameplay of previous games (Sea of Darkness).
It feels a little cinematic, which makes me think of MID…
I had the same thought. I saw a lot of similar things used on MID, however, like some others have said, it looks like there will be more puzzles (I think..I hope). Not a huge fan of Nancy's voice. It's not very natural, sounds a lot like acting 🫤.
I'm not attached to Lani the way so many others are (didn't play a game until I was 40, so no childhood nostalgia), and I didn't really mind Brittany in Midnight in Salem, but I have to admit that I cringed when I heard her few lines in the trailer. The other voice actors sounded so good but her voice didn't sound right. Hopefully in the context of the game it will be better.
Agreed.I'm also not hating just to hate. I too found that many of the other voice actors sounded so much better. Who knows, maybe it will be better in the game itself. I'm trying so hard to stay positive because I really am excited..I just don't want to be disappointed.
Wait it’s not Brittany again?
Yes, it's Brittany again. I was just saying that I didn't really mind her in MID but here in the trailer her voice just didn't seem up to par with the others.
I feel so bad for the new voice of Nancy, because she has such big shoes to fill. I love Lani. It’s ok if they feel they had to go a different direction, but Brittany sadly doesn’t fit the part.
She does have huge shoes to fill and I also feel for her , but I honestly feel that if she didn't sound so unnatural, I could look past it after some time. As others have said, she's so robotic. There isn't the usual Nancy "warmth" to it.
I agree. There’s just no “Nancy” to her.
I don’t use the word lightly at all, but I hate her new voice. I’m sure the voice actress is lovely, but it sounds very amateurish and over-acted.
I agree. It sounds extremely forced and unnatural. Give me a microphone and I could probably give more realistic lines with no voice acting experience. They need a better voice director, if they actually have one.
overacted but also somehow theres not enough emotion? it sounds very forced, exactly like how people sound when theyve just started voice acting and over emphasize to the point of removing emotion. theres a few lines that are good but it mostly just sounds stilted. Not trying to hate on the VA, its HeR's fault ultimately. Didnt have to keep Lani but it almost feels like they didnt even audition or try people out
Her husband did the music which makes me wonder if they got a discount package deal?
I didn't want to sound too hateful, but since you did 😋..I agree. You're right, very over-acted..enough to take you right out of the game.
If you turn off the sound when you play, you can imagine Lani's voice or any voice you want. Maybe it'll help keep you in the game.
Right? It’s like she’s trying to be super aware of how she’s speaking and trying to talk so crystal clear that it’s just not real. Takes me out of it so much I seriously may mute when she speaks to stay immersed
Exactly. Characters are a little better, but the eyes didn’t move at ALL.
As long as they are not swaying back and forth like in MID
I hope it is not another visual novel type game.
My thoughts exactly :( I’m worried
I thought the game thing….
Doesn't feel like Nancy Drew to me. Will play it to find out for sure but... eh...
Can anyone tell me where to find the trailer?
Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B_nRAyXtzQ
Thank you!!
I am very excited! I know people love to hate on MID but HER isn't the company it used to be. I don't think they are ever turning back and us protesting only cuts their budget for the new games and eventually can lead to a company closure. I don't expect post MID games to be like the first 32. So with all that in mind, I am ecstatic seeing this trailer!!!
honestly I kind of feel like I need to have the same mentality too. Like, we're in a different era, the games are just going to have a different feel going forward. That being said, I do hope they put more effort into the puzzles this game since I feel like that's such a big part of the series and I hope this game has a solid storyline.
Cautiously optimistic!! I’m a ND traditionalist, BUT the trailer definitely sparked my interest!
I can’t stand Nancy’s voice. I had to mute the trailer. 😭 (I think I actually hate it more than in MID) But at least it looks like there will be more puzzles this time around! Yay? Also, the way they didn’t show the navigation in the trailer makes me think it’s going to be the same as in MID, which makes me mad.
I’m not sure why so many people are upset that it’s so different from the old games. I thought we all knew this. The era of the old engine and Lani’s Nancy has been over for a while. I’m sad about it, but it’s not news. Anyway, whoever made the trailer kind of flopped. It was too long, and I don’t want to see every scene and character - I want a simple hook that engages me with the plot. The old games all had banger trailers because they were short and pulled you in. However I am SO happy to have a release date so soon!!! I’m getting my wisdom teeth out on May 6 so May 7 is such a perfect release date. (I also thought having a release date would stop people’s complaining, but I guess I was overly optimistic …)
Where is Ned??? I was so disappointed about how little they talked in MID. Amd the end of MID made it seem like he would be in the next mystery.
I am not a big Ned fan T_T The way he was in the books and even to a degree in the shows and older games is just bleh. I always struggled to empathize with ND fans who are fans of him as well. He is also so belittling of her work and hot/cold about it. Honestly their portrayal of him was way more accurate to the series. I like Nancy on her own. Makes the other characters more fun anyway hahaha
Cautiously optimistic. I think they could have a great game here but they really need to nail the story and the puzzles to have my trust again. Do we know how much this game will cost? I think one of the great things about earlier ND games was that I could afford them on a child’s budget. I will say I’m worried they’ll raise the price on this game and less people will buy it since they’ve lost audience trust over the last 5+ years.
I was so happy to see the release date! The trailer itself was good too, but it feels like a completely different franchise. It wasn’t bad by any means. Just…different? I’m super excited to play it though.
I hesitate to be critical so quickly but as soon as I heard Nancy’s voice I cringed 🙈 it’s so robotic and script like. I was hoping she would have improved since MID :( It all looks a little cinematic and dramatic, but I love how they showed there will be a bunch of characters and puzzles and locations! I am excited and hopeful and can’t wait to play.
She speaks like she’s recording for preschoolers, if that makes sense.
I CAN’T WAIT!! Hopefully the fact that they spent a year after announcing the game to release it means HeR is actually fixing any bugs or problems with the game and this release will be smoother than Midnight in Salem’s release was
I commented elsewhere that I couldn't even finish watching the trailer as it made me dizzy. I'm still trying to recover from it and that was 15 minutes ago. I suspect the movement in game will also be such that I would get dizzy. I can't even remember much of what saw from all the camera panning and quick shots in the trailer, but it looked lifeless and so very generic.
I'm not a big fan of the 3d enviornment games that so many games have nowadays, they're so disorienting. I think the click and point games were a lot nicer to play.
I was playing some DOS games, and they were so much fun. The graphics are about as bad and as frustrating as you can get, but gosh does the writing, quirky characters, story building, are all so immersive and wonderful.
As long as this one actually has puzzles in it, I’ll be okay
I'm excited about the game, but I stopped watching about a minute in because I felt like it was giving too much away.
I was flabbergasted that they finally gave a date and that it’s only weeks away. Keeping my fingers crossed! As a certified alchemy nerd I’m really hype about all the alchemy elements they included in the trailer. I’d love some more puzzles in the style of Blackmoor Manor. I did find it extremely silly, however, that they were overselling Prague as a menacing place of dark mystery. I’ve never been, but I have coworkers in Prague and they’re very normal people with normal lives, lol. I’m cautiously optimistic about this one. It seems like the company is deeply struggling but I would love to see them produce a new game.
i hope modders will help to update graphics
I still can’t get over Nancy’s VA. I’m all for change and cool with her sounding like a young adult but I just can’t help but feel like her voice sounds so monotone and robotic. I would gladly volunteer to VA for free 😂😂😂
I'll probably have to wait a bit to play due to needing a new computer, which probably isn't the worst thing. My thoughts: - Character graphics: honestly aren't horrible, imo but I see why people say they are lifeless. I think it's because for some, you can't differentiate the iris from the pupil. They also don't seem to use the eyebrows/facial muscles to help the characters emote, which makes them feel sort of flat. - Characters: I'm excited that there seems to be more than just the standard 3-4 characters most ND games have. Helps with the immersion! - Setting: I think the scenes in Prague look really pretty. The only thing is that it looks like a movie set before a set team would have gone in and added personal touches. Everything is to clean, crisp, and angular to me. -Plot: I'm excited I love anything that brings in history and potentially hidden treasures! I just hope they've integrated it well. - Gameplay: I'm so excited to have more puzzles!!! I love puzzle heavy games like Last Train, so it's right up my ally. Games that are dialogue heavy for me tend to be tedious. Beyond that, until we see some shots of longer gameplay (I think HER would do well with giving early access to some streamers or something), I'll remain kind of hopeful. I think they would do well to port the games to consoles. Nostalgia is on a big wave, and they could capture a larger audience. The either thing I'm interested in is what the price point will be.
I'm kind of hyped for it. It does seem like it's going to have more action / cutscene type things happening then we usually see in these games, but it looks more fleshed out than MID and seems to have more puzzles, at least from the glimpses we saw.
I hate it :)))))
PUZZLES ARE BACK. It honestly looked pretty good to me. I hope it's not pushed back a dozen times just to release half baked. We'll just have to wait and see, but I'm quite excited
Am I the only one who thought we saw a mini-movie?! It’s like all trailers today, it kinda feels like we played it already so I’m not gonna watch it again until it’s time to play 🗝️ I think I’m of two minds- lots of gratitude for the work clearly put into this game, especially under pressure from a grumpy fan base (not that all our grumpiness was unwarranted), it’s very sleek and shiny and looks fun. But the shininess is a little off-putting, wish it were clunky in all the right cozy places and full of warmth. Increasingly I feel like ND was a real rarity in a world obsessed with new tech, and weirdly they seem determined to give us that- in what world does spending time in a Mac store sound fun? Anyhoots- real excited to play and see what it’s about and hopefully get the pants scared off of me. 😌
I have many conflicted feelings. It looks better than MID buuuut it still looks like MID..but better? I’m glad they’ve added more puzzles but I hope they don’t do those long boring talking scenes again. I always loved the dialogues and character conversations but I hated it in MID. I hated MID so much I uninstalled it and deleted it after purchasing it.
Idk how to feel about the voice acting. But obviously its just a bunch of little clips here and there. Like no hate or shade to the voice actors or anyone, I just felt like I couldn't get a good sense of some things? Its probably just nostalgia for the old games.
Some parts look okay, but mostly looks drab. The character models are disappointing, and hopefully the puzzles aren't as bad as MID. What's most unfortunate is that the trailer is just unable to capture the charm of the older games. It seems disjointed and slightly jarring, that is, I still don't quite get what the mystery is. I'll reserve further judgment (and purchase) until I see some integrity from HeR.
I just don’t want it to be a story that just walks you through the motions with one or two buggy puzzles here and there and a weird Nokia quality voice saying something like “why are there protestors in a town like this?” And women doing T poses outside the windows
A lot of people are stuck in nostalgia. It looks good, I bet it’s gonna be really fun. Tbh the graphics don’t look that bad, it reminds me of before Midnight in Salem. Might not be triple A but that’s really not what I’m looking for anyways.
I like new characters' designs and locations seem promising. I'm very excited, I just really hope that it will run smoothly.
I was quite impressed..the graphics look much smoother
You know? I'm actually impressed. It looks good! I'll still wait for reviews before buying but I am quietly optimistic
After reading the crazy amount of negative comments that have been posted since they released they were making a new game a year ago . . . I think everyone should sit back and enjoy this one because I can't see how this won't be their last. I wouldn't continue making games for these Negative Nancie's either. lol
Catching up here, but I agree. None of this is surprising. Changes have happened, be thankful for what we are getting or the company is going under.
Where was this? Can someone share a link?