Game play (*****): Nice and smooth. It flows nicely, with little overlap or repetition. I think HER improved the way in which Nancy converses with suspects significantly. In previous games, the characters would go on long monologues and you would be stuck listening to them for ten minutes, or there would be about ten things to talk to them about in one sitting, and you would never have anything to say to them again; which leads to you forgetting important things that they said. In WAV, if you went in rotations from suspect to suspect, by the time you got back to the first suspect, there would be something new to talk about. I give this game (*****) for gameplay because HER fixed problems and it flows nicely.

GraphicsSetting(*****): The graphics in this game were stunningly realistic and breathtaking. There were many, many, MANY details in each little piece of furniture or wood or whatever. The whole boarding school had a sense of depth and years of use. It didn’t look like a picture, it looked real. There are many nooks and crannies to explore, and lots of ground to cover. In previous games, there would be four or five small places to click around, but in WAV there was a snack shop, four dorm rooms, a library, hallways, an entrance hall, a classroom, a cellar, a courtyard and a rec room. When Nancy walks through the snow outside, footprints appear in the snow where Nancy treads. And while it’s snowing, the flurries seem to come right out of the screen at you. I enjoyed the thoroughness of HER’s graphics, so therefore I give GraphicsSetting (*****).

Characters(****): There were many characters to interact with, not to mention good old Ned and others whom you get to call throughout the game. All of the characters were very realistic, and believable. They all made entertaining facial expressions while they listened to Nancy and then replied. They all stayed true to the personality given to them, and for the most part were very well done. I give Characters (****) because in previous games, the characters had more depth and background, and it almost seemed as if they were real people. I think HER maybe could have put a little more thought into the characters.

Plot(****): The plot was pretty good, and it was really unique, but wasn’t very complex, and there weren’t very many plot twists until the very end. It definitely fit into the whole boarding school theme, but beyond that I didn’t like it very much. Therefore I give it a halfhearted (****).

Enjoyment(*****!!): This game was so much fun to play! I loved earning mearets and working in the snack shop. There was air hockey and darts to play in the rec room, as well as changing the settings on Nancy’s virtual cell phone. You could receive texts about the latest gossip, take photos, and check out the school’s website. I loved this game! (*****)

Codes (****): There weren’t very many codes or puzzles in this game apart from running complicated errands that took a lot of thought. But the puzzles that were in this game felt lacking. There weren’t any really fun or complicated ones, mostly they just felt like a chore. (****)

Overall (**** and 12): I really thoroughly enjoyed this game and would recommend this game to anyone who loves a good mystery and loves talking about the latest gossip.

I would also highly recommend “Danger on Deception Island”, “Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon”, “Treasure in the Royal Tower” and “Creature of Kapu Cave”.
Rating: 5 / 5