Pretty good! Creepy and Intriguing
Take the advice in the beginning. Play this with the lights off, and Halloween is coming up, it's a great day to play it (I've tried it on Halloween, it was terrifyingly great.)

This game is another great addition to the ND series, and HerInteractive did it justice. It's set in New Orleans, in an eerie mansion and a great mystery to solve.. Time for Nancy to get endangered and solve another mystery again!

Pros
-Gets spookier as it goes along

-Pretty good graphics, not the best, but still pretty good (HerInteractive is great at it.)

-Great characters (I personally love Henry)

-Keeps you at the edge of your seat

-Still has your notebook

-No need to worry about time or going to bed by your bedtime! You don't see your own bed once in the game.

-SO much better music than its predecessor, Icicle Creek (IC didn't have much music at all in fact.)

-Your cell is back and perky! You can call anyone, anywhere (almost.)

Cons
-Puzzles were OK at best. I like puzzles, but honestly? There's a part in the game where you have a string of difficult puzzles! I got lazy in the middle and used a walkthrough, and gave a sigh of relief when I had something else to do. Then again, if you like that kind of thing, this is a good game for you.

-I generally don't like those games where you switch back and forth between Nancy and some other person. This is one of those games. Bess is alright, but... I just prefer to keep Nancy as the main character you play, rather than add more people.

-(Don't worry, no spoilers here.) The ending is kind of unsatisfying. The final chase is mediocre, at best, and before that was a weird matching puzzle. Of course, it's always scary to be running away from someone and having to get a few second chances (in Shadow Ranch, my hands were shaking...)but in the end, it's SUPER satisfying when you beat the game. This one was kind of like... Old Clock, or Danger by Design in it's ending type. Nothing that gets your heart beating too fast... it's kind of unfitting, when the other parts of the game were pretty scary at parts.

Conclusion
Overall pretty good, but some things that don't satisfy me at least. Good for a scary game if you need one, and is quite a bit different from some of the other ND games. Nice one, HerInteractive.

Thanks for reading!

Did not work with my computer
I know they say it works with XP, but it really doesn't. I think those who have XP have to get an updated video card before playing this game. The newer mysteries won't work on one of my computers. The older mysteries work.

More Than I Expected
I have every Nancy Drew game, because I think they are really interesting! The Legend of the Crystal Skull ended up being much better than I originally thought. It gives you a good feel for New Orleans and the tasks are actually fun. The only one I did not like was the riddles with answers on gravestones. They were beyond me! This game is great for kids and adults!

Great way for families to interact and learn logic skills too
Our family has become hooked, like many, on these Nancy Drew interactive CD-R games. Each features a mystery that can be solved on a junior or senior level and our family gathers around the computer to solve the mysteries for hours on end. This particular one has a few somewhat scary moments in it (a man dressed in a Mardi Gras skeleton mask appears out of nowhere) and there is some voodoo type references which I could do without. However, it's a great addition to the many Nancy Drew games that we've already played. Great at developing logic skills for middle-schoolers and also great for family togetherness!

Great game, but....
If you haven't tried Nancy Drew out for size yet, what are you waiting for? These games have stunning graphics, amazing interactive features, and complex characters/plots. Legend of the Crystal Skull is no different. You'll soon find yourself wandering around the creepy, creaky Bolet Mansion which seems to be plagued by secret plots, a spooky skeleton, and glass eyes. It certainly doesn't fail to impress.
However, considering the sky-high standards "Her Interactive" has set with the previous 16 Nancy Drew games for PCs, I'll be harsh (for those of you debating over which ND game to buy first). My friends and I played this together at a party, and we couldn't get away from the computer. Because we didn't want to mess around with the little stuff for too long, we picked up one of those walkthroughs you can find online. I think we could have ended up playing for days if we hadn't used it: some of the puzzles and clues are pretty complicated (especially for 4 lazy teenagers!)
On that note, we loved the characters (most particularly the troubled, but charming, Henry Bolet. Is there something wrong with a crush on a virtual character...?) But the ending was kind of disappointing... The ending was just a little to kitchy for me.
My advice - pick it up if you already know you like the series. If this is your first, buy Nancy Drew Treasure In The Royal Tower instead. It's a personal favorite, that is a perfect mix of spine-chilling and enchanting.