I am currently a student at Leeds Metropolitan University studying Architectural Technology.
I am currently a student at Leeds Metropolitan University studying Architectural Technology.
Member since:21.03.2007
Reviews:5
Members who trust:3
My impressions of this game when I saw it advertised on the internet was that it looked like a completely different type of game that I'm used to seeing for the DS.
Overview:
To best describe Hotel Dusk you could say it is an interactive novel in which you guide the main character Kyle Hyde through a storyline that is strife with mystery and betrayal. Ingeniously, whilst playing you have to hold your DS vertically, like a book. The two screens are then cleverly split so that the left hand screen shows a first person view, while the touch screen shows a plan view of the are through which you control Hyde's movements using your stylus.
Kyle Hyde is a mid-thirties, ex-police officer from New York. He now works as a travelling salesman. That is pretty much all you are given about the mysterious character when you start the game.
You start the game, after a sleek introduction, arriving at Hotel Dusk. To start with it is a little confusing what is going on, and you wonder why you are there. However through using all of Hyde's detective skills all becomes clear as the story progresses.
In the introduction
we find out about a guy named Brian Bradley (who goes by Bradley in game). This is one of Hyde's main objectives in this mystery: to try and find Bradley. Bradley is Kyle's former partner from the NYPD, however he has been missing for the past three years, Kyle has memories of shooting Bradley into water, however, he sill believes he is alive. Throughout Hotel Dusk you will wonder why Kyle made that shot, and why he must find Bradley.
Interaction With Other Characters:
Throughout Hyde's story you meet many other character's whether they are other guest's at the hotel or staff. Each person you come accross has useful information that you can use - if you can get it out of them. This is a good feature of the game: while you are talking to people, you have a choice of what to say. Also, whenever something intersting or ambiguous comes up in conversation, Hyde jot's it down in his pad for you to ask them later. This is, however, one point of the game that can drag on a little. I'd say that you need to be in the right mood to play this game because sometimes the conversation scenes can drag on a little and you need to be able to concentrate on them!
Interaction With Surroundings:
While you guide Hyde around the hotel, using the stylus, you get a first person view on the left hand screen. Whenever an area that you can 'Search' is in front of you a little button on the bottom of your touch screen will flash, when you tap this button Hyde zooms into this area for you to investigate. Using a scroll bar you can change the view of the area, and to look at something you double tap on it. However, there's a lot of items you can search. This can make the game a little frustrating as there is alot of useless stuff you need to search through to find relevent information/objects. Also there are alot of these 'areas' to search throughout the hotel, so if you don't know what you are looking for, or where to find it you can easily get the feeling that you're running round like a headless chicken not really achieving much.
Puzzles:
There are many puzzles that you will need to solve through the course of the game. The puzzles are a nice touch that keep you thinking, although most of them are quite easy and it is a case of using an acquired item on another. Some are more difficult to figure out, but once you get them you feel a bit silly because you realise that they were alot easier than you thought!
Graphics:
The graphics on this game are very sleek. When in converstaion or in a movie scene it resemebles a Frank Miller's Sin City kind of animations. Outside of conversation, the graphics are still pretty nice, as good as you can expect from a DS. However, when you get up close to walls, doors and characters it can get a little 'blocky'.
Soundtrack:
The music on Hotel Dusk is very good. The general music that accompanies you as you stroll around is a kind of jazzy number, and the music changes with the mood of the game and adds to the atmosphere.
Playability:
Once you get on a roll on this game it is highly addictive, as it is when you uncover some important parts of the storyline. When you finish the game, it offers you a new game to play which is a nice touch. Basically you start at the beginning of the game but the positioning of objects and dialogue changes, also rooms that were previously locked are now unlocked. Also, Hotel Dusk has alternative endings, (if you want to play the whole game again!)
Overall Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a GOOD game. Not great as it can drag a little and it is easy to get stuck. However with its sleek looks and great unravelling storyline, once you get going, this game is highly enjoyable.
The game is widely available on the internet, going for around £15-20. I'd say that it is good value for money because it will take you some time to complete this game, and if you enjoyed it that much, you can play it all over again differently!
Although some parts of this review pick out bad points, I WOULD recommend this game to anyone who enjoys adventure/mystery games.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Good review which told me a lot about the game. I've seen this game advertised but wondered how it worked and what the premise was - now I know. Only thing I can say is I would have liked to see an example or two of the puzzles involved in the game - but I'm being picky.
cherrystilettos 05.07.2007 18:07
I've just bought this for the DS and I am thoroughly enjoying it although i have been evicted from the hotel a few times and had to re-start! haha x
charlsayslol 07.05.2007 17:13
I really want this game but its still expensive , so will wait a few months til its cheaper. nice review xxxx
Hotel Dusk Room 215 is a hard-boiled crime story set in Los Angeles, 1979. Players take ... more
the role of Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned salesman trying to track down a missing friend. Clues lead to an eerie, old hotel rumoured to have one very strange room ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.94 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Hotel Dusk Room 215 is a hard-boiled crime story set in Los Angeles, 1979. Players take ... more
the role of Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned salesman trying to track down a missing friend. Clues lead to an eerie, old hotel rumoured to have one very strange room ...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Take control of an interactive mystery novel and discover the secrets of Hotel Dusk. Who ... more
is Kyle Hyde - and what mysteries lie behind Room 215?Take stylus in hand and navigate a tangled web of lies, betrayal, and murder to learn the answers.
Advantages: many mysteries and plot twists, neat animation, good music, makes great use of the DS hardware Disadvantages: Text speed is a little slow, not a huge soundtrack
very helpful by (100%):
