Carmen Sandiego Returns

Players have to travel across the globe, uncovering clues to work out where crooks are hiding. In each location, the player hunts for clues using their naked eye, an x-ray, and ultraviolet light, similar to a hidden object game. Players undertake a street racing minigame when chasing down the crook. Each case has a time limit, with hours being used whenever the player goes to a new country. They can use coins to speed up this travel time. The game comes with an encyclopedia to help players who cannot decrypt a clue.

Intel RealSense Technology allows players to use gesture control to do things like pick up clues and fly a plane. The use of puns, which is a staple of the series, is continued here, with names of crooks including "Hal Apenyo" and "Bea Carefull".

The free version of the game contains Pack 1: Museum Heist! (5 missions), while Pack 1: Museum Heist! (5 missions) and Pack 2: Monumental Emergencies! (10 missions) can be purchased together.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/HOUGHTON-MIFFLIN-HARCOURT-Sandiego-Returns/dp/B00W1YY1ZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430499103&sr=8-1&keywords=carmen+sandiego+returns|title=Amazon.com: Carmen Sandiego Returns: Video Games|work=amazon.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt-Sandiego-Returns/dp/B00W1YX2XK/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1430412686&sr=1-2|title=Amazon.com: Carmen Sandiego Returns: Video Games|work=amazon.com}}

In the iOS version, each level sees the player start a case, travel the world, collect clues, fill out a warrant, and finally chase the crook.{{cite web|url=https://translate.google.com.au/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techtudo.com.br%2Fdicas-e-tutoriais%2Fnoticia%2F2015%2F12%2Fcomo-jogar-carmen-sandiego-returns-e-capturar-vila-no-iphone-e-ipad.html&edit-text=&act=url|title=Google Translate|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dtgre.com/2015/12/carmen-sandiego-returns-beginners-guide.html|title=Carmen Sandiego Returns beginner's guide iPhone / iPad|publisher=}}{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQv_j64ATEo|title=Carmen Sandiego Returns iOS Gameplay 1080p HD 60fps|date=22 December 2015|publisher=|via=YouTube}} Players can track their progress on the leaderboard via the Apple Game Centre.{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/news/carmen-sandiego-returns-first-ever-ios-app|title='Carmen Sandiego' Returns with First-Ever iOS App|work=Animation World Network}} In this version, players have two travel options: normal, and express, the latter of which takes up in-game currency. In each location players search for clues via their fingers' manipulation of the touch pad, and as witnesses offer them information, they can start to build up their warrant.{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2015/11/19/carmen-sandiego-app/|title=There's a New Carmen Sandiego App|work=Boston Magazine}}{{cite web|url=http://kidscreen.com/2015/11/19/carmen-sandiego-turns-up-in-the-app-world/|title=Carmen Sandiego turns up in the mobile world|publisher=}}

The first hint of the new game was made in January 2015 via a teaser trailer released on Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's YouTube channel entitled ACME Alert: Carmen Sandiego™ is back with a new game!. It said the game would be "available soon for free download on Amazon.com". A few months later in March, Edutainment Weekly quoted Houghton Mifflin Harcourt communications director Jennifer Berlin as saying that there would be future developments regarding an iOS app.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/call-transcript.aspx?StoryId=3153976&Title=houghton-mifflin-harcourt-s-hmhc-ceo-linda-zecher-on-q1-2015-results-earnings-call-transcript|title=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's (HMHC) CEO Linda Zecher on Q1 2015 Results -- Earnings Call Transcript|work=nasdaq.com}} Further details were peppered throughout press releases leading up to the game's official launch date: Carmen Sandiego Returns was advertised as being a bilingual game in English/French, and was noteworthy for offering the company "an opportunity to leverage legacy assets with a strong brand and fan base".{{cite web|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/3153976-houghton-mifflin-harcourts-hmhc-ceo-linda-zecher-on-q1-2015-results-earnings-call-transcript|title=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's (HMHC) CEO Linda Zecher on Q1 2015 Results -- Earnings Call Transcript|author=SA Transcripts|date=7 May 2015|work=seekingalpha.com}} On May 14, the game became available on Amazon, while in November, the app version was released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original Carmen Sandiego game.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/carmen-sandiego-is-back-and-better-than-ever_56535004e4b0879a5b0bc3e0?section=australia|title=Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego Now?|date=23 November 2015|work=The Huffington Post}}{{cite web|url=http://toucharcade.com/2015/11/18/new-iphone-games-coming-tonight-69/|title=New iPhone Games Coming Tonight: 'Battle Copters', 'Chromatic Souls', 'Hop Hop Hop', 'Carmen Sandiego Returns' and More|work=TouchArcade}} EdSurge noted that "her re-emergence coincides with a resurgence in the popularity of educational games", which had been in decline since the turn of the millennium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-02-07-is-the-educational-games-industry-falling-into-the-same-trap-it-did-20-years-ago|title=Is the Educational Games Industry Falling Into the Same Trap It Did 20 Years Ago? - EdSurge News|date=February 7, 2016|website=EdSurge}}

Much of the discussion about Carmen Sandiego Returns was in a new release that hearkened back to the first games in the franchise's thirty-year history. The Telegraph praised the game's educational content and "stellar graphics", noting it "has all the things 90's kids loved about the original character". According to GeekDad, the game "bring[s] the character back to life".{{Cite web|url=https://geekdad.com/2015/11/carmen-sandiego-returns/|title=The ACME Detective Agency Reopens for Business as Carmen Sandiego Returns|first=Jamie|last=Greene|date=November 19, 2015}} The Livingston Post wrote that the game "revives the story and play of the Carmen Sandiego brand".{{cite web|url=http://thelivingstonpost.com/book-biz-carmen-sandiego-is-an-app-amazon-builds-a-bookstore-ordering-scholastic-books-at-school/|title=Book Biz: Carmen Sandiego is An App, Amazon Builds a Bookstore, Ordering Scholastic Books at School|author=Wayne Johnson|work=The Livingston Post}} MACNN said that "the voice acting is wonderful and the music and sounds have a cool edutainment circa '95 vibe".{{cite web|url=https://www.macnn.com/articles/15/11/21/your.favorite.world.traveling.villian.is.back.but.she.isnt.better.than.ever.131377/ |title=Hands On: Carmen Sandiego Returns 1.0 (iOS) |work=MacNN |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225035112/http://www.macnn.com/articles/15/11/21/your.favorite.world.traveling.villian.is.back.but.she.isnt.better.than.ever.131377/ |archivedate=2015-12-25}} AppAddict praised the game's ability to retain its old gameplay while using new technology to enhance the experience, and called the title an "excellent" modern addition to the franchise.{{cite web|url=http://appaddict.net/2015/11/19/ive-found-carmen-sandiego-and-shes-up-to-her-old-v-i-l-e-tricks-on-the-app-store/|title=I've Found Carmen Sandiego and She's Up To Her Old V.I.L.E. Tricks On The App Store - AppAddict.net|work=AppAddict.net}} AppleGazette had a positive reaction to the game, after listing the game's nostalgic summary.{{cite web|url=http://www.applegazette.com/news/paid-ios-apps-gone-free-december-21-2015/|title=Paid iOS Apps Gone Free, December 21, 2015|author=Noemi Tasarra-Twigg|work=Apple Gazette}} Slashgear noted that in an attempt to appeal to the next generation of gamers who may be unfamiliar with Carmen Sandiego, HMH decided to release the game onto the platform they prefer, iOS.{{cite web|url=http://www.slashgear.com/carmen-sandiego-returns-launches-on-ios-20415520/|title='Carmen Sandiego Returns' launches on iOS|work=SlashGear}}

There were some negative reactions to the gameplay. Apple N Apps gave it a 2 out of 5, writing that its nostalgia is ultimately outweighed by its simplicity, blandness, and shortness, concluding that despite a "promising pedigree" it had a "poor execution".{{cite web|url=http://applenapps.com/review/carmen-sandiego-returns-a-triumphant-reappearance#.VotKePl97IU|title=Carmen Sandiego Returns - A Triumphant Reappearance? - AppleNApps|work=AppleNApps}} MakeUseOf disliked the price point for each set of three 15-minute cases, commenting that a more cost-effective way to experience the franchise would be to download the free DOS versions of the 80's games.{{cite web|url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/facebook-hides-exes-carmen-sandiego-returns-digest/|title=Facebook Hides Your Exes, Carmen Sandiego Returns on Mobile... [Digest]|author=Dave Parrack|work=MakeUseOf}} Meanwhile, TouchVision was generally ambivalent toward both the PC and iOS versions of the game.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxOjLoG_Sxg|title=Carmen Sandiego is 30, flirty and thriving: Geek Bait|date=24 November 2015|publisher=|via=YouTube}} TouchVision criticised the PC version for requiring the player to purchase Intel RealSense, and the app version for only having three short missions for free before the player has to pay for more.{{cite web |url=http://touchvision.com/video/108428 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2016-01-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124133834/http://touchvision.com/video/108428 |archivedate=2016-01-24}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.metacritic.com/game/carmen-sandiego-returns/critic-reviews/?platform=ios-iphoneipad Carmen Sandiego Returns on Metacritic]

{{Carmen Sandiego}}

Category:2015 video games

Category:Carmen Sandiego games

Category:IOS games

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Windows games