PC (Microsoft Windows)Mac2014
Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion
No One is Immune to Sudden Death on this Reality TV Show!
Screenshots
552
Mixed
112 Steam reviews
Review History
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Y | — | Y |
No One is Immune to Sudden Death on this Reality TV Show!
Mixed
112 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Y | — | Y |
I was really excited for this location because I love New Zealand... That being said this is one of the more disappointing games. I am a completionist so I did beat it! There is one achievement that I HATE and think that any achievement that can take 20 minutes or more than three gameplays of exactitude to complete is bologna. I am trying to be evasive for other ND'ers. ANYWAY, TLDR play it if you love Nancy, it's fine. Buy it on SALE ONLY and don't get too excited. If you expect mediocrity you will be pleasantly... satiated? TOO MANY REPEAT PAST PUIZZLES LAZY LAZY LAZY
I'm writing this review quite a long time after having finished playing the game with my mom, yet I'm sure enough of these details to write them here in this review. I *generally* recommend this game to other players looking for a mystery puzzle game to pick up and play. However, I do not believe this is one of the best Nancy Drew games that we have played, nor, I suppose, does it have to be. At times, it was a little bit confusing on what exactly we needed to do to progress, but the puzzles were not obtuse and offered some challenge. I also recall there being quite a few mini games to offer some side-quest level entertainment or a means of offering players who can't quite find what they should do next an alternative way to spend their time in-game. Otherwise, I believe that the ending felt a little abrupt, but that the game was still of adequate length and had enough fun puzzles to make for a (just barely!) sufficiently enjoyable installment of the Nancy Drew series.
Oh, and I suppose the general story was... not very memorable? I'm sure it was still okay, just a little odd at times.
The first Nancy Drew game after about 30 titles that I don't understand the plot of, nor really understand the ending puzzle. I guess it's all about the journey... right? What?
nice
I thought I liked Nancy Drew games enough to tolerate even what may be considered the worst release in the franchise. I was wrong, and that has nothing to do with my affinity for the series - this game is just that bad. It is not worth buying (especially now that they've arbitrarily raised prices and reduced sales). It will never be worth buying. It is not worth watching someone else play it, even. There are not enough words in the English language to dissuade anyone from playing this thoroughly enough. Do not waste your money.
All of the tasks, none of the mystery.
Only the second Nancy Drew PC game I've played now (altough I pretty much know them all already) and it's been quite fun. Lots of puzzles in this one, altough i did get quite stuck on a few, particularly where you had to put names to the sheep, the hints made me be able to solve it but I still don't really know how I was supposed to find out. Btw, the hints are all pretty obvious so they don't often help at all. The last puzzle i also had to look up because I wasn't able to keep track of anything anymore and had basically tried every possible way to position the things already. The starship puzzle was really tricky but also rewarding too, so that was one of the cool ones but there were so many nice ones here!
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 😭
Alright, so I finally caved and bought it because i played through all the other ones and never got to this one specifically because of the reviews. Now i get it. Definitely not the usual investigation style game, i think of it more as like a gauntlet of some of the better mini-games/puzzles from the previous games. I really enjoyed that gave you the option to play raid and the monsters vs farmer/cows mini-games. While it wasn't so much a mystery game like the others, it was fun solving the puzzles and the dialogue (soony's and that other dude's) was lowkey hilarious but i blew right on through it so fast since there really wasn't a classic mystery to solve so don't expect anything complicated or as satisfying as the others. If you just wanna play solve puzzles and mini-games for the heck of it like me then get it but preferably while its on sale
Ah, I just replayed this game with friends and it was so much fun!!
My friends and I have a semi-bi-monthly game night where we play video games together. For my birthday meeting, I got priority pick, as we had just finished our latest venture (the entire Phoenix Wright trilogy). And when I realized I had never introduced them to my childhood obsession—the Nancy Drew games!!—I knew I had to rectify that. Now, I own all the games, so I had to make a choice here, and while I remember a lot of games fondly, if not all of them, one of my immediate contenders was The Shattered Medallion, and ultimately it was the one I went for.
Why? Well, there are several reasons, but mostly… [b]the characters are so damn insane in this one[/b]. They are utterly hilarious. Patrick? [i]love of my life[/i]. Bess and George? Utter gems. The mythological Sonny Joon? Lives up to his hype. They’re all so kooky and funny that I knew that, at the very least, my friends would enjoy that aspect of it.
The setting is also one of the more unique and fun the ND games have ever gone for – a reality TV show, with Nancy and her friends as contestants. And of course, the aliens. The setting also gives more credibility to the many puzzles in the game (after all, sometimes you do wonder why this ship, school building, house, ranch, etc, etc, have so many secret nooks and crannies with hidden compartments and puzzles to open them. My house sure doesn’t come with any of those!).
Speaking of the puzzles – I really like them. Their level of difficulty varied, but they all felt solvable to me, in a way some Nancy puzzles do not. I’m not going to lie, I am the type of gamer who, if stuck too long on a puzzle, will go to look for spoilers. I didn’t really need to do that with this one – we had all the information, and each one of us got to solve at least one puzzle on their own, so bonus points for feeling good about ourselves, lol.
While I feel like the mystery element takes secondary importance in this one, I genuinely had so much fun with the game that I am likely to replay it again sooner rather than later!
amazeing story
A fever dream in all the wrong ways. Every single conversation feels like someone wrote the line without reading the responses of any other character, the puzzles are not fun, the story is weird and makes zero sense at all. And how dare you make a title with Sonny in it and butcher his character???? I was so disappointed with this one.
I really enjoyed this one! It's not my favorite of the Nancy games but it's much better than some of the previous I've played. I was surprised by the reviews but I can also see this wasn't the strongest storyline mystery. The big advice I have is to talk to everyone frequently and also call people even if you talked to them in person the dialog is different depending on in person or on phone.
I did not like this one. It's a lot of puzzles and they just aren't fun. Challenging but not fun. I don't mind getting stuck but these puzzles make me want to look up the answer, I don't care to solve them. Also, there is barely a mystery. Maybe it comes later after the 20th boring puzzle.
Newer of the old style , Would love this style of Game back again as I am sure many would love to have new experiences with the more of the old game play style
This game actually felt like a joke. The story was very confusing. Felt like they just threw you in the middle of an already started game. Nothing like the typical Nancy Drew game vibes/feel.
Compared to other Nancy Drew games, The Shattered Medallion seems sloppily put together. It's all over the place and gives off a strange vibe considering it is a competition.
P.S.
WORST. ENDING PUZZLE. EVER.
I honestly don't know what other reviewers are talking about. This game is hilarious and awesome. It's really unlike other ND games in that it's not a standard "mystery" per-se but I thought the plot was goofy and weird and fun. Plus, it felt like some great fan service given that this is the third to last game before Her interactive completely ruined this franchise. Highly recommend.
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!
I have played Nancy Drew games since I was nine years old... this isn't a favorite by any means.
I won't break it down into pros and cons, because they are not as clear cut with this game, but some of my main thoughts are that:
* My biggest issue is plot... it doesn't really have one. Sure, you are trying to "win" the show, but your actions don't affect that directly.
* It is nice to meet Sonny, but he felt a little disconnected from the man fans know from previous games.
* The graphics are not bad and there are a decent number of places you can visit.
* The puzzles were not my cup of tea... but that may be in part because I wasn't interested in the game most of the time.
* No solid reason for the villain to do what they did. Yes, there were hints as to why they might have done it... but really, I felt let down and was glad for the game to be over.
All in all the game is not for me; if you, like me, want to try it in spite of the negative reviews, then of course do so... but if you can get it on sale, all the better.
[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!
PROS:
-Cool premise(s)
-Interesting scenery and lots of places to go
-Easy puzzles
CONS:
-Limited direction on gameplay/plot and "what next" moments
-Dialogue with all characters completely stops early on in the game
-Flat, boring characters (or insufferable, annoying characters; no in-between)
-Unsatisfying ending
-Poor execution, overall
TLDR:
I'm glad I waited for a sale; this game is easily skippable, in my opinion.
Oh... What was this? I have been a player of Nancy Drew games since I was a child, when I mostly played for the stories. This remains true for me as an adult, but I have developed an equal appreciation for ND puzzles in recent years. Both of these elements were... strange in this one, to say the least. I have waited years to play Medallion; the concept was unique enough (by ND standards, in which Nancy finds herself in many out-of-pocket situations), but the execution was seriously lacking. The characters felt like an afterthought with limited conversation opportunities and zero motive. I learned NOTHING about any of them. Talking to Patrick, Sonny, and Bess was completely fruitless, confusing, and frankly, annoying. Bess contributed nothing to the storyline, besides serving as a distraction for Nancy quite literally one time. The other two characters provided no direction or valuable information. Even Nancy's own dialogue seemed strange and disconnected from her previously consistent personality. The multiple locations were cool, but limited in what could be explored. The puzzles felt repetitive and directionless at times. And worst of all? The plot. It genuinely felt like the game developers had multiple story ideas but couldn't come to a consensus on what to include, thus including...everything? I believe that the two (?) plot points could have been explored in separate games. I could have seen myself enjoying these stories separately, had they both been developed fully and given adequate attention. This game was not my cup of tea, but I can see how it could appeal to others.
A different sort of Nancy Drew game, this one you are on a scavenger hunt type reality show, trying to solve puzzles to win the game. It was a fun time
This game was different than the others, but still fun!
I actually found this game to be a lot of fun. Disclaimer: I like reality shows like Survivor and Amazing Race. The dialogue was really funny at times. I had no expectations going in...and the reveal of the actual plot was wild and hilariously random! The puzzles were challenging and fun. I liked that I didn't HAVE to do any mini-games to progress the plot (I am not a fan of most of the Nancy Drew mini-games). I think if you have a kooky sense of humor, like reality shows, and enjoy medium-difficulty puzzles, this game will satisfy you.
In my opinion, this game isn't quite worthy of the negative votes it has received, BUT it is also by-far my least favorite Nancy game. I recommend you play it...but not until you can get it on sale!
This felt like a practical joke. At no point was I sure what the plot was, what my goal was, or what on Earth anyone was doing or talking about. It all felt very confusing and sporadic. The characters were odd and unhelpful, even Bess, particularly Bess actually. Overall the weirdest ND game thus far. It's still better than Trail of the Twister, but only because the puzzles were pretty decent and there wasn't a ton of useless tasks/chores to do.
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.
Puzzle heavy game with a lack of interesting characters or a driving plot. Of the more modern Nancy's play Ghost of Thorton Hall for plot, Tomb of Lost Queen for characters, or the Deadly Device or all around great game play and puzzles.
I've been a Nancy Drew fan for decades at this point, so I've seen many ups and downs. This is a big down and as far as I'm concerned, it's one of their worst.
Negatives
-Most puzzles lacked instruction and while I realize you have to suspend disbelief a lot for these types of games, this was ridiculous.
-The story was a hot mess and entirely contrived. We're literally thrown into this without much introduction, creating a sense of urgency to rush through challenges but guess what, there's no time limit and it's all rigged! This could have been a fun mechanic or at least an option to turn on/off before starting.
-The mystery was such a footnote, it was mostly just trying to "win" the rigged reality show instead of trying to figure out what happened to our friend and it quickly side-tracked to helping Sonny solve his ridiculous quest.
-The villain has such a weak motive.
-Idle animations are abysmal. Seriously, you expect me to believe Bess is just going to stare off this entire time? She could at least be in character and sit in the Puzzle Palace which presumably has a/c instead of standing in grass the entire time. Or have her sit near Sonny if she's that in love with him. Also, for someone as competitive as Kiri, why is she just standing around as well? Why can't you have her drinking water and checking her watch as if she's taking a break to make sure she's hydrated and such before running off?
-Sonny Joon looks so much cooler in the cover art than in the game. I've loved his character from the beginning so I guess the "don't meet your heroes" saying is really appropriate here. He's more dorky than charismatic. His voice actor did a nice job though.
-The alien subplot was rough. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.
-Not enough Koko Kringles.
-Navigation for this game was oddly terrible. I don't think I've ever been so annoyed trying to get around.
Positives
-Lots of Bess dialogue, although not nearly as clever as usual and her text messages made me scream since I was in the middle of a task. I wish her and George could have interacted a bit more since their banter is some of the best.
-Most of the voice acting is great and some of the character's stories are fleshed out, making them a bit memorable. Hate the narrator, but I hate reality TV so maybe they're right on point.
-Comics were fun for getting clues.
-George looks great! She's been done dirty in the games in the past and she finally looks perfect.
TL;DR - only get this on sale if you're a Nancy Drew game fan and you want to officially play them all, otherwise this is a big pass for the logic leaping puzzles, lackluster story, and a sleeper of a mystery.
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.
Like most of the other reviews listed here, this was one of the few Nancy Drew games I hadn't play yet until going on sale here on Steam - somehow it's one of the more expensive ones on here, which adds to my confusion. The biggest emotion I felt playing this game was confusion; and not because of the puzzles, but because of the location, the plot, and the characters. I personally really enjoyed all of the puzzles, but that was all the joy I could really get from this game in comparison to other Nancy Drew games where it's fun to guess the culprit, each character has some depth and history to them, the location is interesting and has great historical facts - this was all missing in my opinion from this game. Historically, I feel like all that I learned is a few types of New Zealand plants, that it's a place to mind for gold (which isn't strikingly unique), and that it's home to lots of natural disasters which ultimately played no part in the plot anyhow when it could have like other Nancy Drew games. We know who the culprit is from the beginning, there's really not much guesswork to do, it seems that all of the information is more so laid out in front of you like cards on a table, and you're just jumping obstacles to get to the end. Which, I guess in retrospect aligns with a reality TV survival show, but it definitely didn't feel that way playing it. I never leave reviews on games, but this one left me so confused.. I couldn't help but share. I agree with the majority of avid players here in that unfortunately this game was just a checklist item for me when it comes to the Nancy Drew games and not one I'd replay as opposed to some others.
Plot wanders and doesn't connect well, puzzles aren't well-done
It's not THAT bad. The story is easily the weakest element of this game. Everything else is good enough to keep me engaged to the end. Only really worth a playthrough if you seek to complete every nancy game.
Join Nancy Drew, her insufferable friend Bess and somewhat tolerable George on a trip to New Zealand to participate in a reality game show a la Amazing Race. This game explores playing nice with others to get what you want, stealing people's personal belongings, flagrant disregard of competition rules and features characters with all the signs and symptoms of a personality disorder.
You are supposed to be on a team with your sporty friend George who promptly gets taken out like the amateur she is. She THEN has the audacity to tell you to break the rules and visit her while she convalesces in a state of fluctuating consciousness, removed from the game.
This deeply unfortunate accident forces you to team up with your friend Bess who's suffering from histrionic personality disorder and will rarely do as you ask, instead forcing you to determine Sonny's relationship status and is he into screaming blondes in pink tracksuits? Why HER Interactive does Bess so dirty in every game makes no sense to me. She does not have to be this obnoxious and dense.
This leads us to our next character Sonny Joon, who has plagued previous games with his was-funny-the-first-few-times-then-became-exceptionally-annoying alien doodles and bizarre scribblings in books (uhm public defacement much) random scrap papers, you name it.
Sonny is so completely delusional about his true purpose in life that he forces teenagers, the elderly and adults who have nothing better going on to risk their lives so he can ultimately determine if his grandpa was trolling him all those years ago or not.
Cannot forget about Patrick who sits on a rock for the whole competition and uses approximately 3 brain cells to communicate with others. Whoever thought up this character and wrote his dialogue deserves to fired. I'm sorry for being harsh but ???
Setting of this game was not bad, the puzzles aren't overly difficult but halfway through it becomes fairly unhinged and the last puzzle made me want to throw my whole computer away. People really don't like this one and I can see why, but I think the difficulty of this one (aside from last puzzle, just save your sanity and use hints) is good for younger players or those new to ND games.
Worst Nancy Drew game ever, even the old games from early 2000's were better than this. Ending sucked and made no sense. Puzzles were also lame. Like other Nancy Drew games you can pick up stuff even though you can't use it for a while. this game only lets you collect items immediately before you have to use them. Also this game was supposed to be about the calumniation of Sunny Joone, but was a crappy confusing story with a ton of crappy characters. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!!!!!!!!! (for context I have played ~20 of the Nancy Drew game and this one was nothing like the others.)
Pretty solid ND game. I really enjoyed the challenges aspect of this game!
Surprised at the Mixed reviews here. I loved the game and enjoyed it very much! Puzzles were fun, and the story kept me hooked throughout. Hope to get to see more of Sonny Joon in subsequent games!
I'm sorry. Even though I enjoyed some of the puzzles in this entry. The story just feels very disjointed and some of the puzzles feel more like chores or feel very obtuse. While Sonny's story eventually was very intriguing to uncover, the process to get to that intriguing part felt like a very bizarre way to move with the story. Though I will definitely give this a more mixed review, so if you want to play through all the Nancy Drew games, this is still worth a play, but if you are looking at only playing a few Nancy Drew games, you can skip this one.
Fever dream simulator.
I have played almost all of the Nancy Drew games, and this one was by far the most disappointing. As other reviews state, the plot is lacking and the storyline somewhat basic. I am glad I played it to mark it off my list, but that is it. Pretty underwhelming.
I think this gets crapped on because its somewhat different than the other games, but i honestly loved it. if you're a fan, you have to at least try it.
It's not the best ND game, however, I don't hate it as much as everyone else seems to. Kind of fun if you like Survivor (the TV show). It did go by quite fast without having to talk to everyone.
This game sucks. lol Terrible plotline, puzzles are either impossible or stupidly simple. I didn't even bother to finish it
I've played every Nancy Drew game, and while I don't love them all none have ever felt like a chore. I had to really force myself to slog through this game, and after seeing the ending I wish I hadn't.
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I'm playing my way through all of the ND games, and I suspect most people reading this review are too, regardless of reviews! But here are my thoughts anyway.
I agree with other reviewers that this is only a title I'd recommend to people like myself who want to play them all. I don't think SM was....terrible, but it wasn't good. I actually really liked the setting and premise, i thought it was a very unique idea and of course exciting to finally meet sonny! however, i found myself speeding through the game via walkthrough after about the halfway point because i just really wasn't into it. the characters in this one are really painfully boring and one-note, and they really could have done so much more with sonny! the ending was really anticlimactic, and the overall plot of the game wasn't intriguing to me and just unsatisfying. didn't enjoy most of the puzzles. i feel rather lukewarm about this one, it just felt like so much wasted potential.
total drama island minus the drama
Story is nonsense but pleasant to play. Beautifully designed scenic setting of New Zealand
The idea of trying to survive a cut-throat reality tv show gone wrong sounds like a great premise for a mystery game. But the execution isn't here. If I had to sit down and list out the major flaws with this game, it would be the following three things:
1) The writing is bad. None of the characters feel compelling in the slightest, with all of the characters saying bizarre, cryptic things without follow up. I think this was done to try and create an air of mystery and intrigue as befitting the setting, but instead it makes talking to people an annoyance. It reached a point where I stopped bothering to talk to people, as nothing they said sounded like natural conversation and it all led in circles. This is really disappointing considering that past, and future, games in this series usually nail the characters.
2) The Puzzle Palace. This is easily the worst part of the game, and also what makes me not recommend this game. For those who don't know, there's a building you can go to in-game called The Puzzle Palace. Going there is sometimes mandatory to complete challenges, thus progressing the plot, but you can also go there to play optional mini-games for bonus points. You can then use these bonus points for extra rewards, like gifts or tickets that you can use to boost your score in the competition. On paper this sounds like a great idea. But in practice it's extremely tedious. The main flaw with this place is that there are only two mini-games. One is a logic puzzle game involving cows and monsters that is decent enough. The other is a card game so loaded with RNG that there is no point in ever playing it. This means you're stuck playing the cow minigame over and over and over again if you ever want to boost your score or win certain achievements, since aside from progressing the main story it's the only way to earn more points. The worst part though...
3)... Is that the game is entirely linear. It doesn't matter how quickly you complete challenges in the contest, or how well you do in the puzzle palace. Everything in the game is pre-scripted, meaning your performance as a contestant is irrelevant. Normally, I don't mind the linearity in the Nancy Drew series, since the whole point is that by interviewing suspects and solving puzzles you uncover the story that is taking place. In addition, Nancy Drew games are normally quite cozy, allowing you to take them at your own pace. Trying to rush through as fast as possible isn't how you're supposed to play them.
That being said, I feel like in a game set in a Game Show would benefit from rewarding players for how well they do. But it doesn't. Once you realize that you can't lose, there is no longer any incentive to win. It doesn't matter how you rank in the leaderboards, because the game won't let you fail. There's no point in collecting gift shop items or doing minigames because they don't do anything. It totally ruined my suspension of disbelief, along with my investment in trying to finish it.
There are much better games in this series, and I'd happily recommend most of them to anyone who loves puzzle games or point-and-click adventure games. Unfortunately, The Shattered Medallion is not one of those titles.
Wow, the other reviews were not kidding saying this one is the worst, because it just might be. It's as if they were trying to make a deadline, "sure that's good enough, ship it out."
Nothing anyone says makes any sense, the plot is never really established, and the puzzles are irrelevant. Even the endgame is undercooked, you finish the final puzzle and get nothing from it, no big reveal or anything.
It's disappointing, because the Survivor reality show premise is fun, we have both Bess and George here, and we finally see a character who had been on the sidelines from most of the previous games. We have all these interesting pieces, it just seems like the makers didn't include the pieces needed to finish the puzzle, in the box.
The other negative reviews are legit. It really is the worst.
I love Nancy's, but this one was really not great. The plot made pretty much no sense, and the puzzles weren't great either.
It was non-linear and silly. A lot of funny Bess moments! Good ol' Nancy.
This one had awful reviews so I wasn't too excited for it, but I honestly really enjoyed it. The story wasn't anything like the other ND games, but that didn't make it bad. The characters were somewhat awful and annoying, but the puzzles were great and there were quite a bit of them. It very much had a "Survivor-esque" feel to it, which I'm sure would not be enjoyable for some, but I really recommend this one if you just genuinely enjoy playing ND games for the puzzles.
This game is a unique, unusual addition to the Nancy Drew games! Centered in a New Zealand game show, Nancy and her best friends tackle a completely new challenge: can they survive their ruthless competitors, and discover whether the game show is more than it seems? This mystery is fun to unravel - I enjoyed playing it! It's definitely not one of the best ND games out there, but still worth it. I wouldn't suggest it for beginners though - I would suggest a game following a more traditional format. All the same, the puzzles are a good difficulty level, the exploration is always expanding, and most of the characters have fun/unique personalities!!! To conclude, if you are interested in game shows or Sonny Joon, its worth a go!
there was just no flow to the game, they reused old puzzles Now i get why everyone hates this game NOT worth it
not at one single point during this game did the plot make any sense. and why did they do bess so dirty that was out of pocket
I love the Shattered Medallion! Apparently people hate it, and I get why. The deal is you're in a contest competition thing and you are competing, but spoiler alert the points are meaningless. There are ways to boost your score and take others down but it doesn't mean anything. For me though, this didn't bother me, because I am a role-player. Nancy doesn't know it's rigged! It's fine. Also I love Sonny...i love that he's obnoxious, but still nice and not mean. I also love the puzzles and the plot gives me a feeling of "something outside of me". 'Course, that could just be me slightly believing in aliens? Not the kind they talk about though.
This was hands down the worst of the Nancy Drew games I've played. The puzzles were not the best and I wasn't entirely sure why I was doing things half the time.
If you're someone that <i> has</i> to play all of the ND games, go for it, otherwise, play one of their other games.
Really liked this game! Good puzzles, games, good locations, good chats with characters with the option to fast forward (which is so handy if you're a fast reader!) Story was good albeit a lil silly. Bess is annoying as per!
Not sure why there is so many negative reviews - I've played loads of ND and this really stood up. I recommend playing on senior detective.
I enjoyed that game, but... This is my first ND game, so I have nothing to compare it too.
The Pros -
Fun Puzzles, felt satisfied when I solved them on my own
The task list and hints were helpful
New Zealand is cool
Entertaining characters
The Survivor Game we never got... sort of
The Cons -
Scientology vibes for some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ reason (Seriously, why is no one talking about this? It's weird)
Story feels a little contrived and railroad-y, was hoping for a little more agency over how well we did during the contests.
Some of the puzzles are frustrating and i'd like a few more hints before solution reveal
♥♥♥♥ the kayak race
Honestly I played this cause a twitch streamer played it, and it looked like the kind of chill puzzle game I would enjoy and it was. There's probably better ones to pick up as your first ND game. At least story wise, this sort of feels like a [spoiler] conclusion to Sonny's story arch [/spoiler] that I'm guessing has been leading up to in previous games.
Also I was hoping for something to satisfy my want for a better Survivor video game, this did not do that... But that's on me.
If you like point-and-click adventure mystery games, Nancy Drew games are fun and dorky. Highly recommend all of them - there's like 30 of 'em.
Definitely the worst Nancy Drew game I've played yet. Its like they tried to make a game show, and also a mystery game, and drastically failed at both of those.
I'm going to start out by saying that I'm a HUGE Nancy Drew game fan. I've played all the games in the series more than once. I stream them on Twitch. I'm what you might call a "Nancy Drew Veteran" with all the times I've played these games. I'm going to start out by saying that I can understand the negative reviews and critiques with this game. I would like to address these critiques now before going into my full review.
There is a character in this game named Sonny Joon. Sonny is a character that has been around since Nancy Drew: Secret of the Scarlet Hand, dating back to the early 2000's Nancy Drew games. Wherever Nancy goes, she always seems to "just miss" Sonny. Which is both sad and intriguing and because we, as the Nancy Drew Clue Crew, are always wondering, "who is this Sonny Joon!?" Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion, gives us the opportunity to FINALLY meet Sonny Joon in the flesh.
I bet you're wondering, "Now that we get to meet him, what's the big idea? Why is this game negatively reviewed?" While I can't speak for ALL the Nancy Drew game fans out there, I think the biggest critique with Sonny's involvement was the following: a lack of acknowledging past experiences between Nancy and Sonny resulting in no closure, Sonny's character model looking vastly different from the cover art of the game, and finally the overall mystery being on a game show set in New Zealand wasn't exactly a "choice destination" for players and fans to meet Sonny.
I'll start with the first of the critiques. Yes, it was disappointing that we didn't get any amount of closure between Nancy and Sonny. Sonny's been referenced in a A LOT of Nancy Drew games, and for HeR Interactive to not include any kind of conversation between them, addressing any of the past games was a HUGE disappointment. The only reason as to why HeR may have not done this was to avoid spoilers from past games, but even then wouldn't it be free advertising for players to go back and play/buy those games? The lack of conversation or any sort of heart to heart with Sonny and Nancy felt anti-climatic, and it's sad we never got the chance to see it done here. Without spoiling too much of the game, I'm suspicious that HeR Interactive's story team may have done this on purpose in an attempt to bring Sonny back in a future game. After all, there isn't any Nancy Drew games that solely revolve around an "alien" theme. I digress.
On to the second point: Sonny's character model. This kind of feels like a chicken and egg scenario. Which came first? The cover art or the in-game 3D model? Both characterizations look completely different, and a lot of fans noticed. For example, cover art Sonny has a wild aurora borealis hair style, and in game it looks like he got a haircut. For being on this game's FRONT COVER and making Sonny the focal point of the game, it's disappointing that they didn't spend more time perfecting Sonny's 3D model. A lot of fans were disappointed by this oversight and it's apparent here.
Finally, the last critique, the game's environment. Before this game came out, HeR ran a contest to let a Nancy Drew fan "pick" the next destination for THIS game. The fan picked New Zealand from a list, and that's why we have this Nancy Drew game environment. This is one of those things that I think HeR probably shouldn't have let a fan pick. Don't get me wrong, community involvement is great, but a lot of these in-game environments look like they could be potentially anywhere. What makes this place look like New Zealand? Sure there might be sheep and native flowers, but there isn't exactly anything else that indicates this game's environment. I think this disjointed environment came across to a lot of fans and players, and I think a lot of people struggled with it. I agree as well. One of the problems with International Nancy Drew mysteries is being able to capture the environment that Nancy is in, and in this case, it just seems like any other great outdoors place in the world when this game could've just taken place somewhere more realistic or less expectations on trying to capture the essence of New Zealand and moreso the "reality show".
Now that we've talked about those three, glaring critiques, let's move on to my review.
I'm going to start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the Shattered Medallion and that I think this would be a great game for "Beginner" Nancy Drew fans. The story is paced quickly, the puzzles are easier for a Nancy Drew title, and a new Nancy Drew fan might find the story exciting and fun, and perhaps entice them to purchase all other Sonny Joon games.
What makes Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion a "good" Nancy Drew game is that coming from the previous game, Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy, Nancy, timeline wise, is probably exhausted from her emotional journey trying to fight an evil organization bend on taking over the world. I feel like HeR Interactive wanted to pick a game and storyline that wasn't as "intense" and decided that this reality TV show mystery would be a great way to bring back the humor and positive charm of Nancy Drew titles. And I can't blame them, Nancy Drew: The Silent Spy is a masterpiece and also one of the most emotional Nancy Drew games in the entire series. Switching over to Shattered Medallion may seem like a confusing turn of events for Nancy , but in my opinion, it was much needed. The puzzles in Shattered Medallion range from tile placement and picture difference finding, to word searches and scavenger hunts. I personally enjoyed these puzzles. They fit the "game show" format very well, and I think they are effective in keeping the game's pace consistent.
The Story of this game is on the lighter side. We don't have any greater evil organizations here. Sonny Joon's involvement in this game is important, and while I won't spoil anything, I will say that HeR Interactive did do an amazing job at pacing this game well. I genuinely feel like the "game show" format was fantastic. Nancy going around asking other contestants about their lives, deeply personal questions actually felt appropriate this time around. I imagine producers of the show being so happy to have casted "a detective" because of Nancy's barrage of non-stop questioning to each of the contestants. It was really cool getting the opportunity to be in the mind frame of both a contestant on the show AND a detective trying to find out what or who could be the show's saboteur. Nancy's friends, Bess and George also make an appearance in the game, and their involvement is well needed. George serves more as a plot device, while Bess is on the humor side of things. I'm happy that HeR was able to include both characters in this game, and it helped not only carry the story, but gives fans the opportunity to spend time with Nancy's friends in-person rather than phone friends. Speaking of phone friends, including Jamila from Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen was a welcoming surprise and I'm glad we got the chance to talk to her in this game. It helped the story a lot and if we aren't going to get any sort of conversation with Sonny about past cases, being able to contact Jamila was an emotional experience and very welcoming. I always love it when we find out what happens to past Nancy Drew characters, and HeR did a great job with letting us hear from Jamila again.
Without spoiling the game, I will also address this game's ending and miscellaneous points. The ending was on par with other Nancy Drew titles in the series. HeR Interactive sometimes has a tendency to go in directions of "the fantastical" to tell a story (I'm looking at you, Haunting of Castle Malloy), but it was well deserved here and if HeR ever decides to make an aliens themed Nancy Drew mystery, I hope that writers will reference this Nancy Drew game.
Overall, if this is your first time into the Nancy Drew series, Shattered Medallion is a great place to start. It's funny, the pacing is spot on, and the game show format is great.
I just couldn't get into this one. I am a big fan of the Nancy Drew games, but this one just didn't feel right for me. Maybe it's the setting of the story or maybe it's just that I feel like the other games are more story driven from the start. This one makes you go into puzzle mode from the start without a real story to push you (except that you need to do these tasks to stay in the reality show, but there is no real motivation otherwise).
I may give it another try at some point, but for now I gave up within an hour of playtime and haven't felt like wanting to dive back in. I'd say if you're in the Nancy Drew series for the quirky characters and story then you may want to skip this one. And if you want to give it a try, wait for a good sale.
I know ND fans give this game ♥♥♥♥, and I tried it a long time ago and never finished, but I am REALLY glad I gave it another try. It ended up being my favorite of the series, honestly. SUPER puzzle heavy (which I like) and it was honestly the first game I didn't need a walkthrough to solve any of the puzzles, they all made sense with some thinking, and everything I needed fell into place wonderfully. I had a lot of fun with the setting of it being a reality tv competition-- it was great to finally put a face to Sonny Joon that we see tidbits of in other games by his crazy notes he leave behind. I thought the whole thing with the acting was refreshingly witty and funny, it almost had a very... internet dry humor to it. I loved the whole thing.
I liked this game a lot. It had me laughing the entire way through.
The format of this mystery is a little strange but overall this game is really satisfying and straightforward.
While the actual gameplay leaves something to be desired, this is by far the funniest entry in the series.
If you're looking for a low stress Nancy Drew game this one is good. It was not my favorite, but it was enjoyable.
This was really difficult as I love Nancy Drew Games and own almost all of them. So from a fan's perspective, it is not great story-wise. And, dare I say, the puzzles were fairly easy. I didn't need a guide for almost all of the puzzles.
It felt like 90% of the conversations were pointless. I like learning about all of the characters in these games but their personalities were flat or had very repetitive conversations. Especially Nancy's friends who are supposed to help out and are at least a bit more intelligent than the average person were both absolutely useless in this one.
The story didn't feel like the usual mystery the others were. Nancy is just following along with the games and there isn't much detective work. The true "villain" wasn't much of one and the perceived "villain" was just weird and had the personality issues as mentioned earlier.
The deaths weren't integrated well. They felt very random instead of suspenseful situations. There were many conversations where in old games the characters would have been like "how did you know that?" and you'd get in trouble or lose. This game is missing the conversational tact a detective needs. Along with that, no pressure when sneaking around in restricted areas. Maybe I just didn't encounter any interesting "deaths" but this game is lacking well thought out ones.
If you want to play every game then still get it and you'll be annoyed, confused, and somewhat entertained. If you are new to Nancy Drew and made it this far, pick a different one.
The game worked just fine the first time I opened it, but after I closed it and reopened it, it would not reopen. I tried restarting steam, my PC, reinstalling the game, and none of those worked. It is a great game, but if it isn't playable, it's not.
The game was just okay. I liked the concept of reality show and competing against others with the help of friends. There were many great ideas in this game. But overall there is no continuity. The plot seems like a patchwork with clashing edges. The games and puzzles were good, but the plot is like Sonny Joon, it made no sense. I passed the game but I did not get the ending. Nancy and others went through all of the challenges just to get something seemingly useless, at least it was not shown what was the point of final discovery.
I have played many, many of the ND franchise, and I am disappointed in this one. It just doesn't seem coherent and is harder to navigate than others. I wasn't even sure what mystery I was supposed to be solving through the game....
Good, solid story, albeit a little out of this world ;) The puzzles were very hard and therefore, as usual, very in style with Miss Nancy Drew
I was near the end and just didn't have the motivation to finish the game. I had more fun in the game area playing that weird board game than I did with the actual game lol. I have played plenty of Nancy Drew games and I thought this one being newer and more expensive would maybe mean it would be an even better experience, but no dice. I personally hate reality TV and the alien crap was dumb to me. I didn't like having to participate in the challenges of the show when I would prefer to be exploring and solving things less linearly than in this game. The characters were also incredibly unlikable and I hated speaking to a majority of them.
leuk deel
Incredibly disappointing. Possibly one of the worst games in the series.
Usually the game has characters have interesting motives, conversations, etc. Not here. Pretty much every character is just plain booooring.
The game just plops you in with little introduction, and no real character interactions.
The puzzles felt rather simple, and dull.
The story, and background details were all super uninteresting. Normally in past games we would have interesting facts about things to learn (I.E. The french revolution in Royal Tower), a creepy/mysterious scenery (I.E. Haunted Mansion/Ghost Dogs), or some sort of interesting plot (I.E. Blue Moon). This games story & setting was so bland it's up with Kapu Cave for me.
This ND game was alright but I was kinda disappointed by some things, like how it starts out by you just being put into the game not really knowing what you should be doing or why you're there, it also didn't really seem like there was much of a mystery to solve. But what I disliked the most was Sonny Joon's character and the lack of explanations for why he did what he did. For being in mostly every other Nancy Drew game I came to expect more from him/his character.
"There's no 'OH NO KIRI DIED IN A MINE AND IT'S ALL SONNY'S FAULT' in team!" - Sonny, a legend.
This nancy drew game was hard. The tube puzzle took a month to solve. Only play if you have patince ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed this game, it is different from all the other Nancy Drew games before it. This game doesn't try to solve a mystery, its a game show and stuff happens along the way. I was getting competitive trying to beat the other teams. It was a pretty short game, this game includes "Monster" and "Raid" I have a special save to replay those games, the game puzzles ranged in difficulty. I really liked the character models in this game and how they moved and talked.
I really enjoyed this game. I loved the plot and while the ending could use some work with how quick it went. I very much enjoyed this installment of Nancy Drew. I loved being able to play with Bess and George plus the rest of the characters were really cool. I definitely recommend this game.
2/10 - Not good. Setting is blah, challenges and puzzles are not intuitive, and all the characters suck. Pass.
has a lot of ties to other games in the series. I recommend playing the egypt one first tho
CONS: I was not impressed by this game and after looking at the mixed reviews, I am not alone. The problem here is that there is not even a mystery to be solved until the very end. Nancy is part of a game show and some weird things happen... but nothing that really seems like a mystery that really needs to be solved. Only 2 of the characters were actually interesting. It was fun to see Bess and George... but Bess is written to be really dumb and George is asleep the whole time! They are actually helpful in the other games.
PROS: I liked the mini games and the locations were fun, kinda like Kapu Cave (which I enjoyed) and the animations are impressive. ... that is about it...
Wow, this game is a bit of a mess. Very different than most other Nancy Drew games. The story line doesn't follow the traditional type mystery ND fans are accustomed to. The puzzles were great, nothing too difficult but enough to be slightly frustrating before you figure them out. The main issue with this game are the characters. Bess & George are here but they might as well not be for how much impact they have on how the game is played. Two of the suspects can only be seen a handful of times and your conversations are pretty limited. The dialogue is not bad, I just wish there was more. Also the mini games are not great. I like Raid fine enough but it takes too long to play a round, but I despise the monster/cow game and could not be bothered to play no matter how many extra points it would give Nancy's team. Bring back Scopa! I do like the setting and the concept of Nancy being on this challenge type game show, just some missed opportunities prevent it from joining the ranks of classic Nancy Drew games.
ive played all the games and this was the worst. The story was not cohesive. you literally just run around and play puzzles. theres no story holding it together like in the other ones.
I've played a lot of ND games and this has gotta be the worst one yet. I still don't understand what the villian's motive was? I had such a hard time following the story line (or lack of?). Dialogue is super confusing and nothing seems cohesive. It's also anti climatic in my opinion. Puzzles were extremely hard even on the junior level. Overall, big flop for me but still glad I played it. I felt like they could've done a lot better with Sonny.
This just... wasn't my cup of tea. I love Mr. UFO, don't get me wrong, but... I wasn't big on a lot of the game-show aspects... nor the relatively open-ended ending? Like, you solved a puzzle for someone else's mission; you don't really get the closure that comes with many of the other games. Also, that last puzzle sucks chicken butt. I think I'll stick to the good old haunted houses and family drama, thank you very much.
The plot of this game didn't make a lot of sense to me which really made it hard to enjoy. I played this a week ago and have been thinking about it since - I still don't understand why the villain was villaining. I found the navigation really frustrating (the two main places to go were hard to click on correctly in a hurry because they didn't line up and I found myself having to backtrack every time I tried to cross the main area.
Overall, this was my least favourite ND game in the series (I have played all but 2). There wasn't really a mystery - just a series of tasks that often didn't make sense.
good
I have played all the Nancy Drew games except this one (because of the mixed reviews). I finally got "The shattered Medallion" because there is simply no more games (likely) from her interactive coming.(sad)
The shattered Medallion is great and so much fun. I enjoyed this one more than most. Kayaking, mini submarine driving, panning for gold, aliens and your on a game show! Sonny has rigged the game show to solve a case his grandpa left him. Help Him!
I enjoyed this story a lot! The tasks were fun, the twists were exciting, and the characters were entertaining. Finally meeting the mysterious Sonny Joon was awesome, as was the depth of his backstory and quest. I always play Amateur Detective mode and have to look up answers from time to time, but this time the puzzles were a bit too easy. I didn't have to look up anything online once except for some in-game tips. Being able to cruise through the game without getting stressed was nice. However, I did miss the challenge. The only criticism I have is that the final puzzle made absolutely no sense, even after being given the solution. I still can't figure out what it means, and never would have without the pictures. Usually the ones I can't get at least make sense with the answer. This one could not have been figured out from clues or logic.
I don't really get why the reviews on this weren't great. There was lots of puzzles and gorgeous art. I thought the reality show setting was a plausible explanation for needing to do a puzzle for every mundane task (other Her games are...a little less plausible). There was some re-use of puzzles and mini-games from previous Nancy Drew games, but that's not the worst thing in the world. After all, there's only so many good puzzles, and it's much better than having barely any puzzles at all (looking at you, Midnight in Salem). Only three things bugged me. First, some of the activities were a bit repetitive (the submarine, the dial at the end). Second, a whole lot of the dialog was inscrutable. I know that it's part of Sonny's and Patrick's characters to be goofballs, but it was a little too disorienting. Third, I wish there had been a Maori character, and more background on Maori culture.
Boooooo. I've played Nancy Drew games on and off for years and this one was just terrible. The puzzles were meh, some super easy, others just seemed to not have any directions. The story was by far the worst. After all these years, Sonny was such a let down and I really felt they could have unfolded and told that story in much more detail. Bess was downright embarrassing. The setting of a reality game killed it for me. It really felt more confusing than anything.
If you're wanting to play all the games at least once, I get it. If you're looking for a good Nancy Drew game, this isn't it. Pick another one.
This is easily the weakest game of the entire series to date. I've played every Nancy Drew game prior, it has been one of my favorite series' since I was little.
This game didn't really even seem to have a clear mystery. It was shabbily thrown together, unbelievable, and right from the start it throws you in so quickly with 0 explanation. Rather than feeling like an actual Nancy Drew game it felt more like a poor excuse for a Survivor video game. The reality TV show plot could have been done SO much better. The characters were bland and uninteresting, too, and the big Sonny reveal was a serious letdown. One of those situations where they'd have been better off keeping him as a mysterious easter egg.
I did play it all the way through and the ending didn't really make it any better. The puzzles felt predictable and much too easy (while simultaneously offering next to 0 explanation on simple things, like a switch at one point that was in a completely bizarre spot on the screen.) I also kind of felt like they're regressing in graphics & animation quality? I actually prefer the character motions & 'art style' of much earlier games..
Overall this one definitely fell flat. I really recommend playing literally any other game in the series aside from this one.
I've loved Nancy Drew ever since I was young (ten? fifteen? years ago was when I played ND for the first time!) and was thrilled to find a game that I'd purchased but never played before.
Unfortunately, that game was Nancy Drew: The Shattered Medallion .
There's three things that make this game one of the weakest in the series: the story is very sporadic (especially at the start, when the game just...plops you on to the set...and doesn't explain anything at all), the characters have very little personality (or they seem totally out of character like Bess - absolutely useless addition to the game), and the world seems incredibly empty.
The story (or what I could make of it) seemed very thin in comparison to prior games, and the 'twist' was so-so. The story is key to Nancy Drew games and this one was a dud. (There's also events that happen - some, endangering Nancy - that aren't commented on at all...and Nancy doesn't even react to them!)
On the flip side: the puzzles are decent, there's an option to skip through the dialogue (after you've heard Patrick make the zebra joke once, you won't want to hear it again - or maybe you will?), and the graphics are very good for a Nancy Drew game.
I'd only suggest buying this if you're a fan of Nancy Drew and want to collect/play them all (and it's on sale - don't buy it at full price). If you're looking for a good mystery game or you're new to Nancy Drew, skip this one for sure.
Not much of a storyline. Not as many puzzles.
