#cs2025

not me being cautiously optimistic - nay, excited - about this??

like obviously i'd prefer the story revert to the pre-netflix days, but the use of fast eddie b. tells me they're at least still respectful of the old games.

i admittedly went in with pretty low expectations, but this game surprised me by surpassing them.

i actually highly appreciate the return to the old nostalgic world-hopping formula being mixed with more modern mobile-style minigames. said minigames are repetitive and by no means enthralling, but they're a decent way to break up the potential monotony of figuring out which country to go to next.

that said, ya'll really needed more countries on your list. this game would have felt far more expansive and globe-trotty if you'd had, like, at least twice as many cities on the roster.

also the circuit minigame specifically can go die in a fire

you're rewarded pretty well with references and in-jokes if you're a legacy fan who's been obsessed with carmen sandiego since you were a tiny tot in the 90s. the joke about the atom smasher from math detective had me in tears.

jacqueline hyde was extremely obvious to anyone who had ever played an old carmen game, and her just being sus in general was probably still obvious even to those who weren't aware of her existence from previous games. still, it was kinda satisfying just to see the twist play out.

not the hugest fan of the graphics style admittedly (2d-style point-and-click art my beloved i miss you) but i can live with it, and at least ur player character does look like a decent 3d approximation of the netflix show's carmen.

there's a couple ui-based plot holes/things that got overlooked (there's a section where player in the story can't communicate with carmen anymore but in the ui and gameplay he's still giving instructions to her), but this is minor and i personally was able to look past it.

the edutainment stuff was pretty good! i do really wish there had been a lot, and i mean A LOT more fun facts about a lot more countries, but what was there was very nicely implemented.

story was a bit of a mess and tbh i couldn't quite tell whether this was something that was supposed to have happened during cs2019 or after it ended. if it's taking place during the show, where are jules and devineaux? if it's taking place after the show, where are zack and ivy, and also why is chief a little too eager to jump to conclusions about us being evil? or maybe this is just another alternative universe, i could believe that. they did mention ann tickwittee and renee santz, too, so they're clearly folding even more older characters into the canon.

the final case is not actually out yet. sighs and cries.