Snoop your way through a refreshingly original Scottish adventure as private dick Alan Cameron. Nessie awaits!
The Secret at Loch Ness is your average point and click adventure game. There are no frills and no surprises. Users familiar with this particular branch of the adventure genre will find the room-to-room interface easy to navigate, and new players should catch on quickly as well. Large icons tell a player how they may interact with certain objects or people, and while the puzzles aren't particularly clever and certainly not mind-boggling, they are satisfying. In addition, the use of the Loch Ness monster, a well-known legend even among those only casually interested in the fantastic, creates a solid backdrop for the game's story to rest on. Minor plot holes and a slightly quirky ending tie together to form a nicely packaged gaming experience.
The graphics in the game are quite good. The characters are animated smoothly, their mouths move correctly when they talk, and the environments are rich in detail, although mostly static, as is often the case in adventure games. While the player can hardly interact with the majority of objects they come across, the art is at least pleasing to look at. Thankfully, The Secret at Loch Ness doesn't fall into the rut that seems to plague many adventure games, that of the elusive and frustratingly unfindable item. Everything a player can interact with clearly jumps out from the rest of the scenery, and those with a good eye will find themselves advancing quickly.
Another thing that benefits The Secret at Loch Ness is the voice-acting. While most games in the adventure genre suffer from stale and monotone voiceovers, this game's few characters have more depth and feeling than most. The sound effects are mostly basic, but well-executed. The music is rather over-dramatic at times, but still effective.
The Secret at Loch Ness is a quick ride, but quite satisfying by the time it's over. Fans of the adventure genre will be pleased, and those wishing to venture into this realm of gaming will find this a good choice to get their feet wet. While the gameplay is nothing new and the presentation nothing to get too excited about, the overall experience of The Secret at Loch Ness is of a refreshingly original and well-executed title to add to a genre well on it's way to exhaustion if it doesn't find some new ground.