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Midnight in Salem is the thirty-third game in the Nancy Drew adventure series, and the first game since Her Interactive's mass layoffs in 2015, being outsourced to many companies. Based on the novel The Witch Tree Symbol, it sees Nancy trying to clear the name of Deirdre Shannon's cousin in an arson case in Salem, Massachusetts.

Originally announced in May 2015 at the end of Sea of Darkness, the game was initially set to be released in Fall 2015. However, in August 2015, Her Interactive announced the game would be delayed to revamp the series under the Unity engine. After numerous delays, the game was finally released on December 3, 2019.[1]

The game received positive to mixed reviews from critics, but generally negative reviews from fans, with most of the criticism going to the graphics, glitches, and other errors in the game.[2]

Synopsis[]

Nancy Drew unexpectedly finds herself in Salem, Massachusetts investigating an arson on the Hathorne estate. The Hathorne House was originally constructed by Judge John Hathorne, inquisitor of the infamous Salem witch trials and the final home to 102-year-old Frances Tuttle, his last direct descendant. When Tuttle passed away, the estate became city property and while the mayor was seeking a manager to oversee the estate the home burst into flames. The ongoing investigation has turned up little evidence but concerned citizens have accused Mei Parry of arson and are pressuring the police to arrest the secretive teenager. As Nancy races to uncover the truth behind the arson, she discovers connections to the house’s past with the Salem trials and finds herself drawn into a struggle with supernatural events that she simply can’t explain. Nancy’s convictions are put to the test. Are the ghosts real? Has Salem’s dark history come to life, or is there someone else to blame? Time is short, and Nancy must find the answers before the clock strikes midnight.

Characters[]

Deirdre Shannon[]

High-maintenance Deirdre Shannon has spent her life hovering in Nancy’s shadow, and lives with the knowledge that she is the “girl who would have become Nancy Drew” had circumstances turned out better for her. Deirdre is concerned for her cousins Mei and Teegan and begins her own investigation to clear Mei’s name. When Deirdre discovers that there is more to the Hathorne Estate case than an arson, she reluctantly calls Nancy to come and help solve the mystery. Will Deirdre’s tense relationship with the famous teen sleuth hinder the case? Or is she hiding something about her cousin’s true motivations?

Frank and Joe Hardy[]

Returning to help Nancy on another case, the Hardy Boys hone in on unexplained occurrences and aid in the hunt for the arsonist of the Hathorne House. With Frank’s practical sensibilities and Joe’s unbridled enthusiasm, they make an excellent team in search of the truth. The Hardy Boys will provide great insights and vital information regarding the investigation. You, as Nancy Drew, can depend on Frank and Joe’s assistance to shed light on the motivations of suspects and those that might be influenced by Salem’s dark past. Frank is a playable character in certain portions of the game that Nancy is physically absent from.

Mei Parry[]

Mei Parry has spent her young life pulled between two extremes – the near-crushing protective attention by her parents and sister Teegan, and the cruel gazes and whispers by the local townsfolk. Mei’s mysterious past haunts her when she is accused and placed under questioning by the Salem police for the recent fire at the Hawthorne Estate. Few of the townspeople are surprised and offer little support. Unfortunately for Mei, multiple scars publicly mark her mistakes of the past and result in a constant reminder that she often seeks to hide. Only those closest to Mei understand that her deepest pain can also be her greatest strength. Can Nancy Drew help Mei, or has she gone too far this time?

Teegan Parry[]

Teegan Parry is Mei’s older sister and cares for her and the house while their parents are away. A warm, hospitable person, she runs the local museum and is passionate about Salem’s history. As an advocate for past accused witches, will Teegan take drastic measures to right the wrongs of history and protect her sister?

Olivia Ravencroft[]

Constantly commanding the spotlight, Olivia Ravencroft runs a witch tour and novelty magic shop. It’s well-known locally that her smoke and mirrors entertainment is not always accurate, but it’s always very theatrical! Her self-guided tours depict Salem’s haunted past while ensuring to capitalize on the tourist trade. While Olivia uses her elaborate performances to ‘enhance’ the tourism experience, would she set fire to the Hathorne House to profit from the additional attention to her business?

Lauren Holt[]

As the last living person residing on the Hathorne property, Lauren claims to be the heir of the historic Hathorne House. Lauren owns an apothecary and tea shop in Salem and mixes natural remedies in the traditional methods. She has great respect for the town’s history, but would she use her expertise to unethically get what she wants?

Judge Danforth[]

The well-established, yet somewhat scatterbrained, Judge Danforth is at the center of pressing legal battles in the town of Salem. The arson of the famed historic Hathorne Estate is under investigation and citizens want justice. But could Judge Danforth be harboring a hidden agenda to disrupt the investigation?

Alicia Cole[]

Alicia Cole is a highly qualified attorney who left the big city to work with the soon-to-be-retired Judge Danforth. She loves the area and finds the smaller town environment more to her liking. However, in Salem, she must learn to deal with the occasional ‘she put a spell on me!’ case, especially behind the backdrop of a community that hasn’t come to terms with its dark and haunting past. Have the residents’ superstitions influenced Alicia’s judgment or do her ambitions run deeper than she lets on?

Jason Danforth[]

Jason Danforth is the son of Judge Danforth. As a child, Jason loved to play in and around the infamous Hathorne House. Even though the people of Salem speculated the estate was haunted, Jason continued to visit until one day, when he was ten, he witnessed an unexplained sighting, one that haunts him to this day. As years passed, Jason enjoyed being the “it” guy in town and being both wealthy and handsome. Some say that Jason is his own biggest fan. For Jason, position has its privileges, but does his status mask the curse of his past?

Dr. Elisabeth Hirst[]

Dr. Elisabeth Hirst initially shows up in-person (covered by a door as a silhouette) during the opening in Austria. She can help Nancy later about Salem history.

Phone-only Contacts[]

Nancy uses a cell phone that can be accessed by an icon at the bottom of the screen. Nancy can call and text in-game characters and these other important contacts.

Ned Nickerson[]

Ned is Nancy's longtime boyfriend.

Carson Drew[]

Carson is Nancy's father.

Damian Faulkner[]

Damian works for Alicia Cole and is Teegan's boyfriend. He can be called to check Teegan's alibi.

Release[]

The game was initially set for release in 2015, but on August 19, 2015, Her Interactive announced that Midnight in Salem would be delayed until Fall 2016 at the earliest due to them switching to the Unity engine and the launch of Codes & Clues.[3] After a delay in the release, Her announced on December 19, 2017, that the game would release in Spring 2019. The release would be for PC and Macs as in the past, but has the potential to expand to tablets, consoles, and virtual reality platforms.

On May 1, 2019, Her Interactive announced that Midnight in Salem to be scheduled for release on November 19, 2019. Pre-orders were set to begin on October 1, but on that day, Her Interactive announced pre-orders were delayed for two weeks.[4][5]

The game was released for PC and Mac on December 3, 2019.

Gallery[]

Images[]

Videos[]

Trivia[]

  • This game is the first to feature Brittany Cox as the voice of Nancy Drew, instead of the iconic Lani Minella. Cox's role was confirmed on November 29, 2019.[6]
    • Cox's husband, Ryan Ricks, was also confirmed as the game's composer on November 29, 2019.[6]
  • The game is the first in the series to allow full movement, but also still have point and click.
  • Mei and Teegan's surnames were originally spelled "Parris", similar to that of Salem minister Samuel Parris. However, the spelling was later changed. Olivia Ravencroft was also initially named Jenna Ravencroft, and Lauren Holt was changed from Lauren Corey.
  • Danni Krehbiel was originally the voice for Mei.[7]
  • Prior to the game's release, Her Interactive uploaded a demo of the Unity engine to be used for the game using assets from Labyrinth of Lies.[8] Reception to the trailer was polarizing however, as some fans of the series have complained about being unable to play first-person games due to motion sickness.
  • In July 2015 - a month before the game's delay was announced - intern Ellie hinted that a "dynamic sleuthing duo may or may not" be in the game.[9] Fans speculated that The Hardy Boys would appear, with it relating to the "fun project" Nancy mentioned they were doing in Labyrinth of Lies.
  • In January 2019, Her confirmed via Twitter that The Hardy Boys would be in the game, with an updated design.[10] They appear as in-person characters.
  • In the game, Nancy can optionally make a truth serum from the remedies puzzle in Lauren's shop by mixing rosemary obtained from the forest, sweet marjoram obtained from unlocking the herb box in the remedies puzzle using the key found in Lauren's shop, and aster obtained from solving the remedies puzzle 3 times after being caught looking at Frances Tuttle's letter in Tituba's book at the remedy puzzle after sending Lauren away from a conversation option. Nancy can attempt to use the truth serum on all the other characters in the game (Mei, Teegan, Olivia, Lauren, Jason, Judge Danforth, Alicia, Joe, Frank, and Deirdre) to hear more dialogue, but only Joe and Deirdre actually drink it. There is no achievement earned from doing this.

Continuity[]

  • Professor Hotchkiss is credited as the author of "The Salem of Yesterday", a book that can be found in the Salem Museum of History.

Foreshadowing[]

Main/recurring character revelations[]

  • Deirdre Shannon has cousins.

Allusions[]

Goofs[]

  • Several of the closed caption textboxes have grammatical, spelling, and various miscellaneous errors; and either omit words spoken, or include words not spoken.
  • As a part of the judicial branch, Judge Danforth does not have the ability to decide whether Mei gets arrested.
  • When trying to light the lantern in the tunnels, the game erroneously only allows you to use the lighter three times before it disappears.

References[]

External links[]

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