metacritic.com: Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (Playstation 2)

Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums (Playstation 2)

The last descendant of an African King reveals an ancient secret with his dying words: Deep in the jungles of Rwanda lies a hidden temple containing a great diamond which possesses the knowledge of all nations. The map to the temple has been etched onto the skins of eight drums scattered throughout the world. All eight drums must be re-united to open the temple. But beware, the drums are protected by mysterious powers, and legend has it that elemental spirits guard the treasure! Meanwhile, priceless African antiquities are turning up missing from museums all over the world. Missing or stolen? The M.O. looks hauntingly familiar The A.C.M.E. team recognizes Carmen Sandiegos infamous signature. Now, join A.C.M.E. agent-in-training, Cole Gannon, along with Jules Argent and Shadow Hawkins, in an all-new action-adventure on the trail of Carmen Sandiego, the worlds greatest thief. This case will take Cole around the world; from a museum in New York, to the beaches of New Zealand, to the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, and that's just the beginning. While on the case, Cole will have to use acrobatics, stealth, martial arts, and most of all, his wit, to stop Carmen from unearthing the drums and making off with the lost treasure! [BAM! Entertainment]

BAM! Entertainment
Third-Person Action, Adventure
Players: 1
E (Everyone)
Developer: A2M
Released September 7, 2004

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

53 / 100

Critic Reviews

60	Game Informer I have my complaints with the game, but the overwhelming feeling I have while tracking the wily Sandiego around the world is simple boredom. [Feb 2004, p.103]
60	Game Chronicles Simply an average game, both in quality and the skill level needed to complete it. I was very disappointed that the educational aspect that the series was founded on was truncated to include a small area before each level.
58	Play Magazine With a sparse Saturday-morning-cartoon look, the game can become a drag for the adult eye, but just like the best of those cartoons, a certain charm bubbles below the surface. [Jan 2004, p.65]
56	IGN Worth your hard earned cash? Well, if you’re a major fan of the television show and PC games, then no. If you’re a gamer looking for sweet platforming action, then no.
50	Official U.S. Playstation Magazine It's sad to see an old franchise become something so generic. [Feb 2004, p.102]
50	GameZone Definitely geared for younger gamers, but it really lacks polish so it might frustrate them as well.
47	GameSpot Don't go into The Secret of the Stolen Drums thinking you're going to get an educational game or an enjoyable platformer, as you'll find neither here.
40	DarkStation If Carmen Sandiego had more educational value I may have raised the overall a point, but with the lack of educational value, we are given a platformer that doesn't have a lot to offer. There are better educational games out there and there are better platformers out there.

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