Games

Best of 2009 | 08 |07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215

EMAIL PRINT ds

8.6 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 57 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 38 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Cing

Genre(s): Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: January 22, 2007

Summary

Los Angeles, 1979. You are Kyle Hyde, an ex-cop turned salesman trying to track down a missing friend. Clues lead you to an eerie, old hotel rumored to have one very strange room – a room where wishes are granted. It's up to you to unravel the mystery in Hotel Dusk: Room 215, a gritty new graphic adventure for Nintendo DS. Players hold their DS like a book and use the touch screen to grill characters, search for clues and solve mystifying puzzles. Players follow the plot twists and turns as they hunt for their missing friend and investigate the mysteries of Hotel Dusk. [Nintendo]

Cheat Codes & Hints: GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Just Adventure

Though the hotel is seedy Hotel Dusk Room 215 is one place you won’t want to check out of any time soon.

Read Full Review >

eToychest

A class act. It may not be a cake walk the first time through, but for those who can deal with the occasional head scratching bouts of frustration, this game is another winning addition to the Nintendo DS library.

Read Full Review >

Deeko

If you're a sucker for a great story and don't mind a slow paced, puzzle filled adventure, Hotel Dusk has a room for you, so come on down, check in and get yourself involved in the mystery of room 215!

Read Full Review >

Games Radar (in-house)

The art style is flat-out amazing. The sepia tones and hand-drawn characters perfectly complement the game's mood and 1970's setting. The film noir themes that occur throughout the game are perfect, never over-the-top or cheesy.

Read Full Review >

Gamer 2.0

Like a good book, Hotel Dusk is a satisfying experience that you'll likely find yourself returning to beyond its initial fifteen hours. If it can be classified as a game, Hotel Dusk is one of the best on the DS.

Read Full Review >

AceGamez

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is, all around, a stroke of genius. The dialogue is great, the storyline will pull you in and grab hold, the graphical presentation is simply phenomenal and the puzzles are a joy to solve, if a little easy and linear.

Read Full Review >

Play Magazine

Fun, uniquely designed and has an absorbing mystery to solve. [Mar 2007, p.70]

Nintendojo

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is not just a fun play, it's a good read. It's a classic PC-styled adventure with an emphasis on story and realized in a great way on DS hardware.

Read Full Review >

GameZone

Hotel Dusk is one of those games that should be used as Exhibit A in the discussion of games legitimacy as a storytelling medium, or even as art. A brilliant art and graphical style, innovative use of the DS’s features, and one of the best noir stories to be told recently in any medium add up to a must-play.

Read Full Review >

Game Almighty

Enough challenge and a well executed story to keep hardcore gamers interested, but interesting, unique and intuitive enough to draw in the Brain Age crowd as well.

Read Full Review >

Console Gameworld

If you find that you're the kind of person that is willing to sacrifice a lot of gameplay for a compelling and engaging storyline, then you will absolutely love Hotel Dusk.

Read Full Review >

Electronic Gaming Monthly

With a cast of well-written characters, branching conservations, and a cool interface, this is the adventure the DS has been dying for. [Feb. 2007, p.97]

Cheat Code Central

If you enjoy mystery novels you'll find yourself immersed in this game in no time. You will be required to read a lot, but if you're patient enough and love reading as much as playing a game, this could become one of your richest and most interesting gaming experiences.

Read Full Review >

RPG Fan

The story was engrossing, getting me engaged from start to finish, and the 2D styles on the characters and environments gave the game some charm.

Read Full Review >

VGPub

If you’re not a fan of adventure games like Phoenix Wright, Maniac Mansion or Sam & Max this game won’t change your opinion on the genre. But if you’re like me and like to play one every now and then, this should be the next title you should pick up when the adventure genre bug bites.

Read Full Review >

Gamers Europe

This game is unlike anything you'll have ever played before. From the sharp dialogue to the memorable graphics, this is a refreshing challenge for the weary adventure genre.

Read Full Review >

Extreme Gamer

Beware; even though Hotel Dusk has an intriguing story, great atmosphere and an interesting look, you have to like to read. Word heavy, Hotel Dusk won't appeal to gamers who need action and constant stimulation.

Read Full Review >

NGamer UK

Engrossing tale told by master storytellers, with all the Noir-ish thrills of "The Big Sleep." Unless you're a hardcore action junkie, import now. [Apr 2007, p.62]

Gaming Age

In the end, I wish there would have been more items to find and more puzzles to solve, but the story is very detailed and uncovering the mysteries behind the different characters is very enjoyable.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

Hotel Dusk weaves an absorbing noir-style mystery with traditional adventure game elements and stylish presentation and does it all with a deft touch.

Read Full Review >

GameTrailers

Its design and gameplay are from the stone age, yet the story, writing, and characters are so interesting that it beckons you to keep playing, hoping to see what's around the next corner.

Read Full Review >

GameBrink

If you like interactive adventure games, noir murder mysteries, and the unique capabilities of the DS then this is a no-brainer purchase.

Read Full Review >

GameSpy

Though it is slow and subtle, it works out in the end, providing a great story that holds its own against the vast majority of current games. Now all you have to do is manage to find a copy.

Read Full Review >

NintendoWorldReport

There's a lot more dialogue than some adventure players may be used to, but the characters have wonderfully distinct personalities. (Who doesn't love an old woman with an eyepatch drinking at the bar?)

Read Full Review >

Da Gameboyz

Although you will have to read a lot of text, the story pulls you in and the plot has its fair share of twists and turns.

Read Full Review >

GameDaily

The beautifully sketched graphics give Room 215 a unique style. Although the game grows tedious, thanks to what seems like endless, scrolling text, surprises pop up every few minutes that further the plot. Definitely play this game.

Read Full Review >

WHAM! Gaming

If you’re looking for something new and fresh, Hotel Dusk fits the bill and then some. It has superb graphics featuring hand-drawn characters, a great storyline and very interesting characters that constantly had me wanting to find the next conversation to see what would happen next.

Read Full Review >

Nintendo Power

Impatient gamers looking for a little more action may want to look elsewhere, but they'll do so at the risk of missing our on yet another groundbreaking DS title. [Mar. 2007, p.88]

1UP

Hotel Dusk is in a class of its own, with a vastly more interesting story and setting than its predecessor. It's stylish, intriguing, and unique -- definitely worth tracking down.

Read Full Review >

Armchair Empire

A great adventure with an interesting story that will keep you wondering throughout just what will happen next. If adventure games are your style, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

Read Full Review >

Boomtown

It is a fantastic yarn beginning to end, with a satisfactory noir ending that leaves just enough unresolved stuff to allow a possible sequel.

Read Full Review >

Games Master UK

It's packed with style, intrigue and originality - super sleuths will love it. [Apr 2007, p.84]

NTSC-uk

The game itself is compulsive and addictive until the point at which it sadly has to conclude.

Read Full Review >

Pocket Gamer UK

A stylish, noir-inspired adventure with a sophisticated plot and deep characters, Hotel Dusk is the place to stay for smart DS gamers.

Read Full Review >

Zentendo

With rich characters brimming to the top with personality, an intriguing if highly coincidental plot, and tons of interesting uses of the DS, Hotel Dusk engages the mind and heart and takes players to an unexplored sector of the gaming universe and keeps them there for a long time.

Read Full Review >

My Gamer

If you’re the kind of person who ranks plot as one of the most important features in a game, Hotel Dusk is worth the 15 hours it takes to beat, and another few hours to watch the story over again (and possibly unlock one of the multiple endings). However, if you’re looking for a game to bend you brain over with difficult puzzles and a thrilling exploration experience, you’d be better off with "Shadowgate."

Read Full Review >

VideoGamer

Some would say the puzzles are a touch easy at times, though there certainly are some corkers. If you are looking for action then try elsewhere, but if you fancy the old-fashioned pleasures of a great point 'n' click, then snap this up now, and enjoy one of the sharpest, coolest worlds seen in gaming for a long time.

Read Full Review >

IGN

It's meant to be an interactive novel, but even so sometimes it's hard not to wish the characters would get to the point just so you can get to the next puzzle. Still, it's a significant improvement over the team's previous effort, and it's a nice revitalization of the point-and-click adventure genre on the Nintendo DS.

Read Full Review >

Official Nintendo Magazine UK

A decent grown-up game for the DS with some neat ideas and a great plot, but the slow pace may frustrate people looking for a little more hard-boiled excitement. [Apr 2007, p.80]

GamePro

Hotel Dusk probably won't appeal to every DS gamer, as it requires a degree of patience and thoughtfulness that only the aged (and insane) are capable of. But anyone looking for a cerebral and deliberate challenge should definitely check out this cool and unique title; just be patient with it.

Read Full Review >

The New York Times

Unrelentingly linear.

Read Full Review >

Gaming Target

The storyline and characters are compelling in a way that many recent video games lack. Likewise, the puzzles, while on the easy side, were generally well crafted and require the player to use brains over brawn.

Read Full Review >

games(TM)

There’s a certain atmosphere to the hotel itself, augmented by the three-dimensional exploration and sketch-realistic characters, which creates a sense of actually existing in this mysterious building full of secrets to discover. [Mar 2007, p.118]

Gamestyle

Perhaps one of the most unique, stylish and absorbing games for the DS, and remains one of the best adventure titles for the system. Whether this says a lot about the game or rather the dearth of alternative adventure games is another matter; but given a chance Hotel Dusk will almost certainly keep you hooked to the end.

Read Full Review >

Adventure Gamers

The game is entertaining, and a worthwhile purchase for any DS owner who enjoys a lot of story in their games and doesn't mind the occasional lame puzzle.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer

It's a game that really understands people, and their complex motivations. And yet so often forgets the motivations of the people playing an adventure game. It's a game that knows how to use the DS to great effect, and how the stylus can be so casually and effectively. But its ‘minigames' are perfunctory and underdeveloped.

Read Full Review >

Game Informer

This game has a hotel full of strangers with secrets, which might just be enough to get you to stick around to hear them all. But perhaps you’ll want to skip the ambiance and go somewhere with fresher towels.

Read Full Review >

PALGN

Hotel Dusk hangs somewhere between a game and an interactive story. While we would have liked to see a little more interactivity thrown into the mix, its storytelling elements are nevertheless fantastic.

Read Full Review >

Total Video Games

Unfortunately, the overall experience is bogged down with too much dialogue despite its novel influences, and an unfulfilled demand for something to actually play.

Read Full Review >

Thunderbolt

Characters, styling, story, modelling, puzzles, conversations, setting - all fantastic, but infuriating let down by design and play constraints.

Read Full Review >

Game Revolution

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a hell of a tale, even if by day it masquerades as a mediocre adventure game. If you have a strong memory and a high threshold for aimless exploration, this is a case worth solving.

Read Full Review >

Edge Magazine

The plot proves strong enough to keep even the most disappointed player clicking through the dialogue trees, and in the final chapters the endless conversations finally give way to something more engaging. [Mar 2007, p.80]

Modojo

They story is good enough to be in a book and if it weren't for the long-winded dialog, I would rate this game higher. I think if people treat Hotel Dusk more as an interactive novel than an actual game, they'll be less likely to be disappointed.

Read Full Review >

Sydney Morning Herald

Having to wait until the game lets you solve a riddle even though you have grasped the solution long ago is particularly galling. Players too often feel like passengers on a scripted ride, rather than individual auteurs directing their own unique experience.

Read Full Review >

netjak

In the end, it's nothing but some nice 2D art strapped onto a mostly non-engaging story and a halfhearted attempt at a game. The gimmick to gameplay ratio is almost off the charts for this one.

Read Full Review >

DailyGame

It starts out well enough, with great graphic stylings and some cool gameplay features, but turns into a gimmicky stylus-tapping festival of boredom within an hour.

Read Full Review >

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Some of the conversations offer multiple paths, but there seem to be as many dead ends as interesting choices. And if you get tired of the dialogue, there's no way to speed-read through it...Save your time and money for some real L.A. crime novels.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 38 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

pippa w gave it an8:
I love this game. i love al the characttors and the mystery and the excitment when you like all the clues togerther. there is bad bits though, the talking goes on forever and when you stuck (like i was at the endish) you cannot do anything but nock on doors that wont open and speak to people who just say ther busy wich is fustrating. you then have to find somebody else whos got the game to help you or start again but in the end i thought it wasa great. the illistrations are fab.

Norma B gave it a6:
After figuring out a way to solve a particular puzzle, the game wouldn't let me until I went through a series of other mindless tasks...then out of nowhere, GAME OVER. I don't even know what I did wrong!

Sarah gave it a9:
Really addictive game! Generally the game play and story line is very good, although dialogue does make up the bulk of the game, and at times can be slightly vexing. Overall, game play is very logical and therefore a delight to play.

Awai gave it an8:
A very interesting game, which utilises the DS controls nicely -- more of an interactive novel than a game in the true sense. The story is fun, the setting interesting, and the attention to detail impressive. Whilst it is quite slow-paced, Hotel Dusk nevertheless plods along. The 2D animations are gorgeous, and the use of splashes of colour on an otherwise monotone setting provide emphasis. Requires patience, but pays off with an involving story.

Matt E. gave it a10:
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is my favorite game ever, and is very well done in my opinion. A word to the wise though: This is only for people who enjoy a good story, and that being about it. It's fairly straight forward play and is in no way dynamic. But it's got good dialogue, a great story, and some very memorable characters.

Kyle T. gave it a9:
Try not to think about Hotel Dusk as so much of a game. The 'game' experiences aren't very deep or challenging, serving mainly to bring you closer to the atmosphere of this game/book. Though it certainly has it's flaws (slow pace, occasionally frustrating), Hotel Dusk shines in it's quality of writing and resonating storyline. Definitely recommended; one of the most engrossing, memorable games in recent times.

Phil U. gave it a4:
Boring, frustrating controls and really poor dialogue. So many people seem to be bigging this game up but it is terrible. If you are a fan of Point N Click/SCUMMVM games you will be highly diaspointed.

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

Hotel Dusk: Room 215

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases