Return of the Phantom is a "point-and-click" style graphic animated adventure developed and published by MicroProse

MicroProse

MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...

 in 1993. It was produced by Matt Gruson and designed/written by future James Bond novelist Raymond Benson

Raymond Benson

Raymond Benson is an American author best known for being the official author of the adult James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973...

.

The game was the second graphical adventure game developed by MicroProse, following Rex Nebular

Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender

Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender is a "point-and-click" style graphic animated adventure developed and published by Microprose in November of 1992.The game is the first graphical adventure game developed by Microprose...

 and preceding Dragonsphere

Dragonsphere

Dragonsphere is a "point-and-click" graphic adventure game developed and published by MicroProse in 1994. At the time it had "mind-blowing graphics" and was considered a novelty, and it is still a cult classic for many....

. It was developed using the MicroProse Adventure Development system, and made use of 256-colour graphics.

Plot summary

The Palais Garnier

Palais Garnier

The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...

 is in the midst of the world premiere of Don Juan Triumphant

Don Juan Triumphant

Don Juan Triumphant is the name of a fictional piece of music written by the title character in the novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the musical adaptation, the concept is expanded as an opera within a musical.-The novel:...

 when the enormous chandelier adorning the domed ceiling of the auditorium plunges into the middle of the stalls and kills several members of the audience. The player takes the role of Raoul Montand, a detective from the Sûreté

Sûreté

Sûreté is a term used in French speaking countries or regions in the organizational title of a civil police force, especially the detective branch thereof.-France:...

 and patron of the Opera. The manager, Monsieur Brie, suspects the Phantom may be the cause and has Raoul investigate. Raoul encounters the leading actress of the show, Christine Florent, who has received a note from the Phantom which threatens her. Some time later, Christine is found strangled by the Phantom. Raoul goes to the catwalk where the Phantom appears and pushes him off the edge. Then, he awakens to find himself transported back in time to the year 1881 where he is mistaken for the Viscount Raoul de Chagny.

During a production Erik captures Cristine Daae. After a great deal of work and exploring, Raoul enters the Phantom's lair and rescues Christine, but the Phantom appears once more and re-captures Christine. Raoul climbs to the chandelier and does battle with the Phantom, eventually causing the chandelier to fall and kill both men. Raoul awakens back in his own time, where none of the events related to the Phantom seem to have taken place, but before the credits begin the Phantom's shadow is seen behind him.

Characters

• Raoul Montand: The player character; an investigator of the French Secret Police: The Sûreté.
• Christine Florent: The present opera star; somehow connected with Christine Daae.
• Christine Daae
  Christine Daaé
  Christine Daaé is the main female character in Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera , the young singer with whom the main character Erik, the Phantom of the Opera falls in love.- Character history :...
  
  : A simple-minded girl from Sweden; the woman whom the Phantom loves.
• Monsieur Brie: The present opera manager.
• Monsieur Richard: Opera manager of the past.
• Madame Giry
  Madame Giry
  Madame Giry is a character in the Gaston Leroux novel, The Phantom of the Opera. She is a fairly intermediate character in the novel, although her role is much increased in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical...
  
  : The Phantom's box-keeper; knows that Raoul is from the future.
• Jacques: A man who knows a great deal about the Phantom; is eventually killed.
• Julie Giry: A descendant of Madame Giry who also knows about the Phantom.
• Charles: Present stage master, not right in the head.
• Edgar Degas
  Edgar Degas
  Edgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...
  
  : An artist interested in painting pictures of ballerinas; somehow knows that Raoul is from the future.
• Erik, the Phantom of the Opera
  Erik, the Phantom of the Opera
  Erik is the titular character in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. He is also the antagonist of many film adaptations of the novel, notably the 1925 film adaptation starring Lon Chaney, Sr., and Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End musical....
  
  : The main antagonist throughout the entire game.

Reception

In general, the game received mostly positive reviews, although there was negative feedback about the length of the game, the labyrinth

Labyrinth

In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...

leading to the Phantom's lair was too complicated, and the plot was too drawn out.