Likely the greatest graphical adventure on DS.
We got games like the Phoenix Wright saga, Lux-Pain and time Hollow (and uncountable Japanese language only adventures), but the first software house to undertake this way was Cing with the pleasant Trace Memory and, finally, Hotel Dusk: Room 215, a real jewel of noir narration.
The game, set in 1979, begin with Kyle Hyde, a half alcoholic door to door salesman, taking a room for the night in a road motel. Kyle get a special accommodation in the room 215 called "Wish" because seem that it have the power to fulfill guest's desires.
Indeed there's more in Hyde than appears. Behind his normal work his also operate as lost object finder, under commission, and keep a sad past in the police force, quitted after he gunned down his former work partner, Bradley, guilty of betrayal.
Not sure of the death of his former friend, Kyle live only to find him and have some answers; maybe the Wish Room shall grant his desire?
Well, Wish Room or not, simple coincidence or superior will's work, that night Kyle Hide shall meet several people totally unknown to him, but somewhat connected to his past life, Bradley, and to a mysterious painter named Osterzone, author of a wonderful portrait: "The Angel Opening the Door"
Main plot of the game is developed in splendid way, full of sensational developments with a narrative taste absolutely delicious. Unfolding the truth behind every hotel guest and discovering the links between them and Hyde, between themselves, elusive Bradley, and the omnipresent Osterzone will keep you stick on dual screen.
About the characters, they are represented by hand pencil design with some animations. Though the (intentional) lack of colors in the sketches the smooth animation system and the impressive facial expressions shall give you the illusion to deal with real people, thanks even to great dialogues perfectly matched to character's attitudes and respectful of the temporal setting of the game.
To play is needed to turn aside the DS holding like a book (like Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword or Rhythm Heaven): on the touch screen you see the map of the current environment and on the other screen a first person view of the same in real 3D.
Being a graphical adventure you shall pick object and solve riddles an puzzles, actually pretty simple, making creatively use of the stylus and touch screen.
Though some puzzles and minigames are entertaining the real core of the game is, how say, textual.
Attending Kyle in his search for the truth you shall read tons of texts paying even much attention because the most trilling parts of the game are the confrontations between Kyle and other characters, where the ex-detective relying on his intuition and the info learned during hotel's investigations will try to crack their silence unfolding the truth on them.
Confrontations work picking the right sentence on a selections of three and, especially late in the game, choose the wrong answer can resolve in a game over; as much to doing some stupid things in-game (ex: don't try to force a door lock if someone in the corridor is looking).
This take us to the only flaw of this game: maybe (and I repeat: MAYBE) in Hotel Dusk: Room 215 there's more to read than to play. Gaming and puzzle solving parts are somewhat overpowered by the textual core so much that the game could appear more like an elegant interactive book more than a videogame.
Though this…
if you want a game experience not revolutionary but stylish, with a great plot, beautiful characters and a narration engaging until the last bit, you are looking on the right spot.
Final Score: 9