Hotel Dusk: Room 215 for Nintendo DS Reviews by Gamers

Before you even think about playing this game, be aware of what it is: it's basically a mystery book. You even hold the DS on it's side like a book! This game consists of reading, reading, reading, and more reading. So if you're not the biggest fan of games that are text heavy, stay clear. However, if you like the idea of having an interactive mystery book on your DS, then give this a try.

Almost all of the text comes from conversations between characters. You play as Kyle Hyde, and go around Hotel Dusk investigating and talking to the residents and workers. The character in this game are great. There's plenty of development for them all, so you may end up liking a character that you initially hated based on your first impression. The writing in this game is also great, and does a good job of keeping you interested. Full of clever lines too.

When you're not following leads and engaging in conversation, you'll be solving the game's puzzles. I guess you could call them mini games, they use the touch screen to solve, and are one of my favorite parts. Some examples of the puzzles in Hotel Dusk are picking locks, solving jigsaw puzzles, and rewinding a cassette tape with a pencil. Most of the puzzles are clever and fun to play.

Another thing to note, which is probably the first thing that everybody notices when they first see Hotel Dusk - is it's unique art style. All of the characters are in black and white, and have a sketchy art style to them. All of the characters are very expressive, and their animated sprite changes to fit what they're saying. The art design is one of the best aspects of this game.

And not to forget the story. At first it may seem like a generic story used in many games, but as you progress the many plot lines connect and turn into something huge, and the ending kept me on the edge of my seat. I definitely recommend this game to anyone who is patient enough to complete this somewhat slow, but very interesting and rewarding game.