Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem

Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem is a detective adventure game with horror game elements. The game belongs to a series developed since 2006 and uses the character of Nancy Drew, known from young adult books and TV series. The development and publication of the game is the responsibility of the independent studio HeR Interactive - the creators of all previous installments of the series (including Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness, Nancy Drew: Labyrinth of Lies and Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion.

Plot

In Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem we take on the role of the title character, trying to solve the case of a fire in Salem. It soon turns out that the events are linked to the infamous witch trials from the end of the 17th century. Nancy has to face a situation she can't explain logically. Do ghosts and dark forces really work in Salem? Or maybe it's someone else's fault?

It is worth noting that during the game the player can get acquainted with the details of historical events, which are the background for the story. How much of that is true?

Mechanics

Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem is a classic three-dimensional point-and-click adventure game. We explore the locations prepared by the devs (inspired by real places, including one of the estates and the cemetery in Salem) and find objects and clues that help us move the plot forward. The latter is narrated through notes, dialogues and animated cut-scenes.

During the adventure we also interact with various NPCs. In Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem we will find a dozen or so characters that are important for the plot. The Hardy Boys are the protagonists of another novel series for young people who this time are helping the title character.

An important element of the game are various puzzles connected with the story, as well as side threads (while playing, we also encounter traces of other crimes, not only the aformentioned trials). We have the possibility of cooking (traditional New England dishes typical of the region are available - such as Johnny Cakes), and even brewing unusual potions and preparing ancient medicines.

Creators have improved several gameplay elements compared to the previous part - the interface has been improved and the ability to view multiple items in three dimensions has been added.

Game modes

Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem can only be played solo. The mainstay of the game is a story campaign, which provides several hours of fun.

Technical aspects

Unlike the previous installments of the series, which were two-dimensional games, Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem offers three-dimensional visuals. The graphics, however, are decent at best. Models of characters and objects do not surprize with detail, but the creators took care of the atmospheric, nice-looking locations. The setting adopts a rather dark atmosphere, which harmonizes well with the theme of the game.

Last updated on June 18, 2020