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> Results: Hotel Dusk: Room 215
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What GamerDad says about the ESRB Content Descriptors:
Mild Language: GamerDad found that the language of the late 70's was well represented, including the occasional use of 'hell' and 'damn'. Mild Violence: There were a few instances GamerDad witnessed, including being knocked on the head with a bottle, but none in real-time. Use of Alcohol: One of the major areas GamerDad spent time at Hotel Dusk was in the bar, where Kyle enjoyed his drinks very much, and other patrons enjoyed too many drinks. Critical Portion: Someone obviously forgot to tell Nintendo and Cing that adventure games were dead - after last year's decent Trace Memory, Cing is back with another adventure called Hotel Dusk: Room 215. This game really takes the genre to the next level, not only providing an excellent interactive experience, but doing it in a way that makes you feel like the DS was designed for point-and-click adventures. You play as Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned door-to-door salesman haunted by his past. His job takes him to a run down and out of the way little place called Hotel Dusk, where he finds more questions than he ever thought possible. The game plays like a classic point and click adventure with a twist - you hold the game like a book (or like you're playing Brain Age ). This was a great design choice because it gives players a fantastic viewpoint for searching the world through Kyle's eyes while controlling the action from a top-down perspective. Everything just works - from the wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack to the excellent touch screen controls to the styled graphics (yes, it does remind me of that a-ha video from the days when MTV played music videos). But the anchor of everything is the nicely written story that makes you feel at times like you are in the middle of an interactive novel. There are at least ten characters who are interesting and are well fleshed out in the story, with a few we are left wanting to know more about. As is usually the case with adventure games, when the story is done it is done - this genre is not built on replayability. Playing again gets you a few subtle difference in some items and options, but nothing that would be worth immediately starting again. But that does little to take away from the main point - this is an excellent adventure game that will swallow your life and leaving your constantly looking to play just a little bit more. I can't wait to see what Cing comes up with next.  
The content that contributes to the ESRB descriptors may earn Hotel Dusk: Room 215 a T-rating by themselves - particularly the widespread use and abuse of alcohol. But it is the flavor of the game that shows it as something intended for a teen audience. There are loads of relationship issues between husband and wife, parent and child, and friendships that are all very intense and mature. That is not to say that somewhat younger kids won't appreciate the game, it is just that the initial impression of the game belies the depth of the interactive novel at its core.
Despite that, my base impression was that the use of alcohol was the sole reason for the game getting a T rating rather than E-10. In fact, I have held my review for a while until both of my kids - 9 and 10 - could get at least half-way into it before I assessed their impressions. The general feel I got from them was that the language and overall tone was very much of the 70's period - stuff that would have seemed a bit more 'heavy' back then but seems anachronistic now. That isn't meant to put the game down - saying something is 'a trip' is very appropriate for the time and perfectly fitting as dialog in the game, but seems quaint now. My kids were funny - my wife asked them about it and they said there is some swearing, which they described as once when a girl is in your way on the stairs, you have the choice to say 'Move, dammit'! And by the time kids are about 10 they certainly know that adults drink alcohol, sometimes to excess and occasionally irresponsibly. This certainly didn't cross any lines having underage kids drinking or doing drugs or showing any real abuse or neglect. Therefore I feel that a 10+ Age Seal is appropriate, but as always gauge it based on your own values and your knowledge of your kids. Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Hotel Dusk: Room 215 |
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