As a Commodore 64 gaming veteran, I am often disappointed in the lack of character in modern games. Games like Gears of War are unquestionably superior in terms of graphics and gore, but they lack the quality of entertainment that many of the old classics had. Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships doesn’t quite have the character of a Commodore classic, but it does have a surprisingly similar feel. It’s not hard on the eyes either.

In Ransom, players take on the role of legendary literary sleuth, Nancy Drew. As Drew, they are invited to take an island vacation with long-time friends Bess and George. The vacation becomes less pleasant when George discovers that Bess has been kidnapped – or at least – it should become less pleasant. Strangely enough, the revelation doesn’t seem to faze Nancy, who responds to everything in an upbeat manner. Maybe this is because Nancy loves a good mystery, but you’d think she would at least show some concern for poor Bess (she did in the books!).

A view of the dock, just after Nancy Drew arrives.

Maybe, instead, the problem lies in the poor voice-acting, which is, by far, the biggest flaw in the game. The characters look like girls in their teens or twenties. The voices sound more matronly. Once in awhile, they even sound a little like some text-to¬-speech programs. This is not particularly appealing.

Yet, if you can get past the voices, the game itself really is fairly enjoyable. It combines elements of games like Carmen Sandiego (searching dossiers, point-and-click exploring with a magnifying glass, literary research) with elements arcade style games. For instance, if a player walks out the back door of the beach house in the opening scene, they will find a golf cart, which they can board and steer about, arcade style.

Exploring the island in a golf cart

While embarking on the main quests to find Bess and to locate a lost treasure, players find themselves plunged into a myriad of cryptograms and puzzles – and while some are easy to crack, others present very satisfying challenges. There are slide puzzles, engineering troubles, digital patterned door locks and player versus monkey challenges. Players must captain a ship, engage in deep sea diving, face off against rival treasure seekers and battle bats to complete their quest. Most of the puzzles are entertaining, but one integral part of the main quest is aggravating. Players must constantly converse with a rather grating parrot, Cou Cou.

Cou Cou’s main activities consist of hurling childish insults at both Drew and her friend George, and demanding fruit. This is likely to appeal to younger audiences, for whom the game is mainly intended to reach. For anyone else, Cou Cou’s antics will get old fast. Unfortunately, Drew needs Cou Cou’s help to solve many of the puzzles that make up the main quest. In return for fruit, Cou Cou gives clues, does tricks and even provides objects necessary to win the game.

One neat twist to Ransom is that in certain circumstances, players can take on the role of Nancy’s friend George. George, famous in the books for her tomboyish nature and love of sports, is a great favorite with many readers, and this opportunity is sure to please her fans. George is able to do a few things that Nancy cannot, and when Nancy gets into situations she cannot possibly get out of, players are allowed to free her by walking in George’s shoes.

While some games meant to appeal to the younger set are quickly beaten and discarded, Ransom is challenging enough to keep the average player involved for days. In addition to solving the aforementioned puzzles, players must use their skills to program a GPS unit, fix a pulley and navigate a ship using latitude and longitude. Players also have the opportunity to search for clues by combing the sandy beaches with a metal detector. They must dive deep into dark caves and survive when these caves cave in. Before the end of the journey, players, as Drew will read charts and maps, dig for buried treasure, translate gibberish from the pages of school notebooks and personal journals, entertain, bribe, and stand strong in the face of amazingly clever monkeys, hoist sails, build a bat detector, climb cave walls while dodging objects thrown objects, become stranded, receive written threats, become the victim of vandalism and theft, operate a sundial, avoid stinging jellyfish, face off against an enormous, shell cracking Octopus.

A monkey regards Nancy with scrutiny.

Ransom’s graphics are more than passable. They are not the most realistic I have ever seen, but they are, at times, breathtakingly beautiful. The game boasts a beautiful seaside hotel, vivid green palm trees and beaches that are reminiscent of Caribbean paradises like St. Maarten. Particularly impressive are the scenes aboard the ship. The artists do an amazing job of making the player truly feel like he is standing on deck. The views out of the ship’s telescope and off the deck are, perhaps, the most realistic in the game.

The underwater scenes are also a pleasure to view. As Drew, players are able to scuba dive through misty waters to see brilliantly colored, finely textured coral reef. They come face to face with sharks with fearsome teeth. Striped fish, some bloated, some beautiful, swim past to vanish in the mist. The depth of the underwater graphics is superb. Players will feel completely immersed.

The audio compliments the video very well. Particularly commendable are certain background noises that provide clues to what Drew must do next. For instance, at the beginning of the game, while Nancy speaks to George at the hotel’s front desk, players can hear several, soft noises in the background. One of these is the sound of the sea. Another is the voice of Cou Cou the parrot. Both are important. Cou Cou offers Nancy suggestions like “monkey-see-monkey do” to hint that her next clue lies in a monkey habitat. Meanwhile, if players follow the sound of the crashing waves, they eventually find themselves at the side of a ship that will eventually help them rescue the lost Bess.

Overall, this is a pleasant, relaxing game that provides intellectual stimulation and eye-candy for adults, while remaining simple enough for younger gamers to play.