Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
- July 17, 2009
- HeR Interactive
Get on SteamIn Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, players assume the role of the famous detective Nancy Drew, tasked with solving a mystery at a jinxed resort in the Canadian mountains. Explore rich environments, interrogate suspects, and solve puzzles to uncover the truth behind mysterious wolf howls and explosions. Participate in snowmobile rides, snowball fights, and cooking to immersively experience life at the resort while working to reveal hidden secrets and sabotage.
PC
Windows
Wii
Reviews
- The atmosphere and setting of the lodge are cozy and immersive, enhancing the overall experience.
- The incorporation of the wolf character adds a unique and engaging element to the story.
- The game features a variety of puzzles and tasks that can be enjoyable, especially for fans of the series.
- The Fox and Geese mini-game is frustrating and requires repetitive play, leading to a negative experience for many players.
- The cooking and cleaning tasks can feel tedious and detract from the main mystery-solving gameplay.
- Several puzzles lack clear guidance, making it easy for players to get stuck and lose interest.
- story102 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its cozy atmosphere and engaging plot, particularly the intriguing elements surrounding the wolf character. However, the narrative progression is often hindered by tedious mini-games and puzzles, which detract from the overall experience and can make the story feel slow or convoluted at times. Despite these frustrations, the game maintains a traditional mystery feel that resonates with fans of the genre, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate exploration and character-driven narratives.
“I enjoyed the setting and plot a lot, very traditional mystery feel all holed up in the lodge with bad weather outside!”
“The ending was wonderful, tying the story together excellently and it felt very satisfying to finish this game.”
“The vibes of this game were on point and the plot was very interesting; a few times I had to get some hints, so it was pretty challenging at times but still a good one.”
“More time is spent sleeping to skip time forward to cook and then hope the characters you need to talk to are available than it is playing the actual story.”
“The overall story of the game was held back from the various tedious puzzles and activities like fox and geese, snowball fights, cooking, and other time-scheduled maid duties.”
“I spent 6 hours on this piece of crap game playing fox and geese only to realize it had nothing to do with the story.”
- grinding30 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for being overly tedious and focused on repetitive chores rather than engaging puzzles or investigation. Players feel that the constant need to manage cooking and other mundane tasks detracts from the overall enjoyment and progression of the story, making the experience feel more like a grind than a satisfying adventure. While some argue that these elements add realism to the undercover detective experience, the consensus is that they significantly hinder gameplay and narrative flow.
“The chores are tedious and get in the way of a satisfying game progression.”
“However beyond all of that, the thing that I found to be the most aggravating is that this game takes all of those mini games from previous Nancy Drew games, multiplies them, and makes every advancement of the plot completely reliant on tedious, repetitive tasks.”
“You're able to interact with very little in the environments, making them very dull. You have to spend a lot of time on the phone, there are little things that are never solved/explored, and throughout much of the game, it felt like I was grinding instead of enjoying the game.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its cozy and immersive elements, particularly the lodge setting, snowy landscapes, and the accompanying music, which create a captivating experience. Many players return to the game specifically to enjoy its atmospheric qualities, despite some criticisms regarding the coherence of the puzzles and story. Overall, the atmosphere significantly enhances the gameplay, making it a standout feature of the title.
“I always enjoy coming back to this game for the atmospheric elements of the lodge, snow, and the surrounding Canadian mountains.”
“The location and atmosphere really carry this game and, for me, elevate it a great deal.”
“It's one of those few cases where the atmosphere and the gameplay merge seamlessly, and you can tell how much thought went into both the story and the playing aspect.”
“White Wolf has some distinct drawbacks, but I think the mystery itself, the atmosphere, the location, and most of the puzzles are what make it worth playing.”
“It's one of those few cases where the atmosphere and the gameplay merge seamlessly, and you can tell how much thought went into both the story and the gameplay aspect.”
“Throw in a cozy cabin atmosphere, and you have me hooked.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively difficult, particularly due to challenging puzzles and the need to revisit areas without guidance. While some appreciate the integration of story and atmosphere, others feel that certain mechanics, like the cooking tasks, do not significantly enhance the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a double-edged sword, offering both engaging elements and frustrating challenges.
“Great story, great graphics and great gameplay!”
“It's one of those few cases where the atmosphere and the gameplay merges seamlessly and you can tell how much thought went into both the story and the playing aspect.”
“The gameplay is too difficult.”
“I didn't mind the food-making mechanic, but I do agree it gets a little excessive having to do it 3 times a day, and they do not give you any time at all to solve a certain timed puzzle, which was super frustrating!”
“The gameplay is different from that of the other two, and though I see what the developers were trying to do, making it a bit more about deduction and detective work, they failed.”
- music14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality, with notable contributions of Native American-inspired tracks that enhance the atmosphere, evoking a warm lodge feeling. However, some players noted the absence of music during gameplay, relying instead on ambient sounds, and reported a glitch in the opening credits where expected music was missing. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated, its implementation appears inconsistent.
“As always, the music is great in these games, and White Wolf contributes some lovely Native American inspired music in its soundtrack.”
“This game nails the feeling of a warm lodge, and the soundtrack elevates the feeling.”
“I really appreciated the atmosphere of this game as well as the music.”
“There isn't any music in-game, just ambient sounds.”
“There seems to be a glitch in the opening credits - the music I swear is used in this line of games just isn't there.”
“Music/sounds:”
- graphics12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game received mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful artwork and overall quality, while others criticized them as outdated and poorly rendered, likening them to graphics from an earlier era. Additionally, the lack of customizable graphics settings was a common complaint, leaving players frustrated with the resolution and visual quality. Overall, the graphics seem to be a significant point of contention among players.
“Great story, great graphics, and great gameplay!”
“Also, beautiful artwork.”
“It has wonderful graphics, and the time being involved in the mystery makes it a real challenge to manage the timetable.”
“The graphics were bad, even for the standards of the time.”
“And that's not even covering the fact I had to put up with graphics that look like they were rendered by a potato.”
“There's no graphics settings, so you're stuck in some crappy resolution built for a computer from the Stone Age, and everything in this game looks like a big steaming pile of garbage.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game primarily through the amusing one-off phone contacts, which add a lighthearted touch to the overall experience.
“The one-off phone contacts are hilarious!”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with multiple users reporting frequent glitches and delays that hinder the overall experience. This instability detracts from the potential enjoyment of the game.
“I think this game could've been fun, but I ran into so many glitches and delays.”
