Review The Mystery of the Mary Celeste Developer: Media Art Publisher: City Interactive/ Merscom Genre: Casual/Hidden Object/ Puzzle/Mystery Release Date: August 18, 2009 (download) September 29, 2009 (retail/box) Platform: Review by Ryan Casey October 1, 2009		Buy this game at Trade for this game at:

The Mary Celeste is arguably the most famous “ghost ship” in the world. The ship departed New York on November 7, 1872 for Genoa, Italy, and none of the eleven people on board were ever seen again. The derelict vessel was discovered in early December in the Atlantic Ocean, and theories have abounded ever since. Historians and laymen have proposed everything from drunkenness to aliens to explain what happened to this famous ship, but have yet to conclude anything definitively. It is no wonder, therefore, that the ship is the subject of a new casual game in which players join the maiden voyage of the Mary Celeste II as Mary Morehouse, a descendant of somebody who found the original shipwreck. In a spooky mystery adventure, Mary must brave the bizarre secrets of the new ship while attempting to uncover the truth behind the Mary Celeste.

This game falls into the ever-popular “hunt and find” category. Your inventory at the bottom of the screen shows you the items you need to find within each location. There is a hint button if you need it, though you probably won’t, as most of the items are not too difficult to find, and there is no penalty for clicking the wrong item(s) or even clicking randomly. Unlike with other similar games, all of the items you must find are appropriate for their environment – for example, you may be searching for a life jacket or a lantern, not a sandwich or a chew toy. Though the game’s environments are limited and mostly static, they are well drawn and detailed, though not to the extent of games like Mystery Case Files, where each location is packed with so many items that your eyes start to bleed after playing too long. You will occasionally have to use or combine items to solve different puzzles, like sending out a lifeboat or fixing a sail, in order to stay alive onboard. Interspersed are other interactive puzzles that help break up the monotony of finding hidden objects, and all are organic to the storyline, though still not terribly difficult.

The twist, however, is what makes the story interesting, albeit somewhat difficult to swallow at first: as you play the game, you will travel back and forth in time. It’s a pretty cool effect, though it does ask you to suspend your disbelief, and it adds another layer of mystery to the game. It is easy to see that the developers thoroughly researched the history and myths surrounding the Mary Celeste; as with many of the Nancy Drew titles, there is a history lesson to be had from playing the game. The plot incorporates many of personalities and theories about the ship and its fate, and the haunting background music does an appropriate job of setting the tone.

As hard as this game tries to break out of the mold of similar titles, it still falls into a repetitive cycle that eventually makes it boring. It’s simply not challenging enough to keep you captivated, and after hunting for the same items in the same environment for the third time, you’ll start longing for something more. The desire to get answers – to know the fate of the Mary Celeste and understand the time-traveling element – may keep you going, but the game just isn’t all that exciting. The main character’s constant (and rather clichéd) worrying can also get on your nerves. Don’t get me wrong – there is definitely some entertainment value here – perhaps not quite twenty dollars worth – but it wears itself thin unless you’re a huge fan of this type of game.

System Requirements:

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• CPU: 800 Mhz
• RAM: 512 MB
• DirectX: 7.1
• Hard Drive: 124 MB