I found this to be an entertaining and somewhat unusual addition to the Nancy Drew library of games. As a big fan of the series, I have played my fair share of titles and have become well accustomed to the usual order of gameplay. However, due to the character set up of Castle Malloy, the ending was quite open ended and either incredibly frustrating or strangely enticing---depending on how much you invested in the characters. Placing the mystery in Ireland also made for a fun change of scenery, and I enjoyed the historical myths and legends they worked into the storyline.

Good Points: Great graphics, lots of interesting details to explore. A very large game map. Well developed characters, with intelligent and realistic dialogue as well as surprising emotional depth. A sufficiently creepy castle, and good sound effects. Detailed, and layered storyline involving not only a mystery, but a relationship triangle between three main characters, including two of the suspects.

Bad Points: Some of the tasks in the middle of the story drag. A very complex and time consuming final challenge. Could use more cut scenes to create a more cinematic feel and draw the player in.

Despite being an engaging game, the sheer frustration that these puzzles made me feel is not something I would wish on anyone else. There is also a little too much running back and forth across the map for my tastes. If you're playing ND games and want spooky, other titles are better.

[6/10] Good story
This story was above passable, but not very interesting.

[9/10] Originality
This game introduced a new element of gameplay to the series, and did not seem to rely too heavily on past installments.

[7/10] Difficulty
The puzzles in this game can at times be abstract or frustratingly finicky.

[5/10] Graphics
The graphics make the scary parts of this game even more horrifying because they are lo-fi grotesque. Other areas are just funny in terms of poor graphics.

[8/10] Usability
In several segments of the game the controls were clunky or unclear.

[9/10] Confusing
This game makes you constantly guess without ever getting totally lost. I did play in the mode with the checklist and take notes on paper while playing.

[9/10] Predictability
I did not expect the ending to go the way it did. There were several twists and turns that kept the story fresh.

Final Score: 75.7% C

I recommend this game to those with patience forged in steel. This game, even on the Junior level, is very tedious. You will find yourself getting stuck, and making fatal errors over and over and over again. It will get frustrating. However, the plot and game play is very enjoyable. Some of the puzzles are a bit over sensitive, particularly the chemicals (you'll get to it). It may make you want to scream and the ending isn't as great as it could be, but overall I had fun and it took me twice as long to beat it then Nancy Drew: A Haunted Carousel.

Gave up at chemical puzzle.

This is one of my all time favorite Nancy Drew games (and I have played the majority of them). There are a variety of puzzles to solve as well as an interesting outdoor map that was easy to navigate. I think that this mystery was fast paced and interesting with a great ending and a detailed backstory for both the characters and the setting itself. I also thought it was fun that some of the areas you can explore are not revealed right away which helps build suspense and interest. There was the right amount of challenge and the puzzles didn't get repetitive. I would definitely recommend this game to both current fans of this series and to players who may just be starting.

Pros:
-Beautiful soundtrack, scenery, and smooth gameplay.
-Interesting storyline, for the most part.
-The puzzles aren't too challenging.
-A lot of places to go, though not necessarily to explore.
Cons:
-VERY dark gameplay throughout (minus the pub); it was very difficult to see what was going on when playing on my glassy-screen laptop during the day.
-Only 3 interactive characters.
-Not much direction from characters.

I think this is a pretty good ND game. After replaying it, though, I didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did the first time. Though it's common in ND games, I found the dual storyline slightly confusing and strange. It did, however, make for a satisfying and complete ending. It's pretty easy to understand what needs to be done, though there is barely any direction given from characters, except for some tasks that need to be completed. Additionally, it was slightly disappointing that the castle had very minimal opportunity for exploring (only three rooms with little-to-no mystery involved, and most of the castle was closed off). The storyline was shocking, frightening, and exciting in moderation, creating a nicely balanced pace. I think this game is a good experience, and it made me feel accomplished upon solving the case. I think the price is fair, but would recommend waiting for a sale.

I want to recommend this game, I really do - if Steam had a neutral button, I would use it for this game.

The Haunting of Castle Malloy was one of the most enjoyable titles in the Nancy Drew series, as well as one of the most challenging! Blending Irish history and folklore made for a unique and interesting story line, one that I think anyone would enjoy.

The puzzles tie in well with the story, and are very, very difficult (regardless of whether you're playing on Junior or Senior Detective mode). I think someone younger (under 15) would struggle enormously with them and may find the game frightening (it does have a few jump scares and the music only adds to the spooky environment!).

The HerInteractive forums are always helpful, though they're often filled with spoilers, in case you want to avoid them. The Gameboomer guides to Nancy Drew games are another possible resource, though Steam overlay doesn't work for this game (at least not for me).

Where the story fails is the 'twist' - the game goes from a whodunit to 'what???'. The buildup fell utterly flat and made little sense in comparison to the clues the game provided. When I think of Nancy Drew games, I think of the story; something that's integral to them. If the story had ended as strongly as it began, I would be raving about the game.

I really enjoyed this game, and would definitely recommend it to other players. The puzzles were stimulating, but normally not too difficult. I liked that it was set in Ireland, and felt it added a cool feel to the game.

This game is tailored towards creating young harvard prospects.

I normally love Nancy Drew games, but this was by far the worst I've ever purchased. Terrible graphics and random, non related puzzles. Not even kind of creepy. The plot is really simple, no tiwsts at all. It has this weird confusing third person map that you have to use to get around. Overall, there was almost nothing I enjoyed about completing this game. Not to say I don't usually love these games, but I would definitely go for a different one