Secret of the Scarlet Hand

Plot
Nancy lands an internship in Washington D.C. as a deputy curator for a small museum. Despite her intentions to get their newly placed exhibit off the ground for its grand opening, things go downhill fast. If the museum's most prized acquisition being stolen isn't bad enough, Nancy must find the thief and help the exhibit reach its opening. To do this, she must explore a centuries' old secret centered around a monolith and delve into the life of Maya culture.

I think this is an excellent plot. I like how there was no mystery before Nancy came, but then she dives into adventure to find out what happened. It kept me interested and it didn't seem like it was too far out.

Characters
The characters were interesting and beliveable. They each had well-defined, yet realistic personalities and traits. They were dynamic and had depth to them. They were real--yet not plain at all.

Setting/Graphics
The graphics in this game have improved; They're still stiff, but more realistic than ever.

The museum and its garden were beautiful! The graphics were so great, the artifacts looked very real! Although the scenery in Beech Hill was excellent, the few other places that you could go were pretty drab. That's okay though, you really don't spend a great deal of time in the other places.

Difficulty/Length
Since you're technically interning, there will be a list of tasks for you to do to keep busy. The difficulty isn't too bad so that won't be a problem. As the case gets more complicated however, you'll have to do a bit more problem solving on your own by reading notes, asking questions, and exploring the museum. The exhibits are the main key to the majority of the puzzles so I would suggest reading everything and anything, then keeping notes on it since it will prove useful as you advance in the game.

"Scare Factor"
It is a bit... spooky. Not scary at all.

History
No game I've ever played (that goes beyond this series) have I gotten more out of than Secret of the Scarlet hand. I could actually give a whole lecture on the Mayan king Pacal right now! It's worth buying for this alone.

Final Verdict
It is one of the more educational of the Nancy Drew series since its theme is heavily influenced by Maya culture. I certainly enjoyed learning a lot of facts I had never known about the Maya before. The confrontation requires quick thinking, which I also liked.