Nancy Drew®: The Shattered Medallion

I was reluctant to buy this game due to the mixed reviews, but gave it a try anyway. I thought this game was fun and entertaining. Different from the rest and a little bit more up-beat and comical. Also the first time I felt I didnt get stuck all the time and to search the internet for answers. The storyline was clear on what was the next move to do, but all the same, it is clear that many thinks differently about this one. So I guess you need to find out for yourself. Just dont expect classic Nancy Drew drama and I think you might like it.

Yea, this is a weird one. Probably the weirdest ND game I've played so far. The pacing is horrible, the dialogue is confusing and janky, and the characters seem just really OUT of character. Even the voice acting is dull especially Nancy's. It feels as if her VA was getting tired of the job and just phoned it in. There's little to string you along and so much of it feels out of place as if the 'story' was either rushed or written by a computer program that barely understands 2+2=4. I was also disappointed in Sonny's character - we've had hints of him all throughout the ND series and I thought it would be cool to finally meet him. But he was a giant weirdo, just completely strange and not charming whatsoever. He was happy to put people at risk and came off as this sort of weak little villain for a while. It got to the point where I was so uninvested in the story that I just followed a guide to complete as many of the late stage puzzles as quickly as I could. Though some of the puzzles and tasks are fine, the strangeness of the story and lack of proper story development and pacing made this one a tough sell. You could definitely add it to your collection and find some enjoyment in it, but keep in mind this one is very much not like other ND games.

I played this for the first time in years just the last few days. I thought to myself “no, you’re remembering it too negatively, it’s not that bad.” No. I was right. Actually, I wasn’t right, I wasn’t right enough. What even was this game about. The “game show” with puzzles that are just…overall boring and hardly feels competitive at all. Trying to capture that survivor and reality show feeling and UTTERLY fails at that. Tbf I enjoyed like two puzzles but the rest were genuinely so boring, or too easy, or just ridiculously hard. I just pulled spoilers up for the last one because I have no clue, still, how you even start to solve that. Suspects? WHAT was going on with this game? No one here sticks out and the dialogue was just…so bad. None of these motivations make sense and everyone feels so one note. I like Bess a lot at least but it’s Bess. Like, yeah, she’s going to work regardless. Patrick? He’s stupid and that’s all you get. Leena? She’s okay. Standard suspect. Sonny? Manic pixie dream boy, he’s so…extra. Kiri? Nothing burger there too. The music is nice and the atmosphere is…like 25% good? Yeah, this game just really doesn’t hit the Nancy drew itch for me at all while every other one does, to varying degrees. This one is just bad 😭

[h1]Different Than Others[/h1] I have been playing all of the Nancy Drew games in order, and this is close to the end. While it's not my least favorite, it's not in my Top 5 either. [b]Likes/b] • Bess and George are back! I love when they team-up. I want an on-screen Ned SO much. ♡♡♡ • Nancy finally meets [spoiler] Sonny Joon. First introduced in "The Secret of the Scarlet Hand," he's has never been seen in-person prior to this game. He has just been a series of letters or references in previous games.[/spoiler] • I enjoy the puzzles - they're not too hard nor too easy, as I've encountered in previous games. • Lots of places to explore for fun with pretty scenery. [b]Dislikes[/b] • There isn't a real "mystery" to solve - everything is spelled out very early, and you're just assisting others. No bad guys, no stolen artifacts, no missing people, etc. • I just don't get the other supporting characters - they not interesting or fun, with the exception of the above mentioned. Theoretically, [spoiler] it's to help solve the puzzles, but they're only needed once? And Nancy's doing everything else? They're overqualified for their one, ambiguous task. [/spoiler] • The ending doesn't make sense to me, but you're welcome to comment if it does to you. [spoiler] Why does Kiri leave them for dead? She says Nancy "betrayed her," but there's no plot-line involving that. Why does she think that? Going to attempted murder for no reason seems extreme. And...why was the bridge cut again? Sympathy?[/spoiler] [b]Overall[/b] • If you're going for EVERY game like me, it's enjoyable. But if you're looking for the most exciting, it's not really up there. If you're in love with finally meeting a meme from previous games, absolutely worth it!

I really liked this game. I've played nearly all of them at this point, and it is beyond me why so many people are critical of it. It's a shame too, because I almost didn't buy it because of all the negative ratings. I saw many people mentioning that the game seemed unfinished or lazily thrown together, I disagree! I think the plot was multi-faceted, the characters were fun to talk to, and the puzzles were satisfying. You also have a lot of control over the gameplay. I could see how it would go quickly if someone ignored the side quests and extra games, but that's part of the fun. Playing the mini-games and talking with the contestants as much as possible to perform well in the overall contest. I also think the game seems half-done to people because it ends on a cliff hanger of sorts. You're lead to believe that you'll run into Sonny again at some point (wink wink). I would recommend this game for sure. It's a fun environment and one of the cozier games in the Nancy Drew franchise.

Definitely not the best ND. The plot was... something else, but the puzzles weren't too bad. It was nice having Sonny be revealed, but it could have been in a better story in my opinion. It was fun having the board games from Captive Cursed being involved again as a side quest option though!

This game was as others have said... just meh. I was hopeful at the beginning because I love the New Zealand setting and the added pressure/competition of the game show, however the flow of the game quickly becomes unhinged, and feels slow and out of order. I can't believe Nancy and Sonny never even have a conversation about all the same places they've been, and their meeting was definitely lackluster. The theme needed stome streamlining, too. Jumping from waterfalls and kayaking, to ancient relics and the Annunaki, to sheep shearing and panning for gold, it was like "pick a lane, game!" The ending was very uneventful. A couple neat characters but idk just could have been so much better.