With the success of the Professor Layton series released on the DS and the 3DS, Professor Layton is back once again in his final adventure, the second Layton game to be released on the 3DS.
What Is It?
Both Level-5 and Akira Tago, well known for his best-selling quiz book series Atama no Taisō (“Head Gymnastics”) in Japan, are well known for designing most of the puzzles in the Professor Layton series. This is the sixth game in the series taking place after the events of Miracle Mask where Professor Layton, Luke and Emmy are on their next adventure which takes them around the world to uncover the truth about the Azran legacies and a mysterious young girl named Aurora with no memory of her past.
While it sets itself up to be a point-and-click adventure game, it’s really just a bunch of brainteasers that you need to solve in order to press on with the story. Everyone you meet and interact with provides Layton, Luke and Emmy with puzzles to solve, and depending on how they’re solved, they’re awarded a number of picarats, which are used to unlock some features and bonuses.
Why Should I Care?
Stunning 3D visuals make a great effect on the 3DS. If you’ve played Miracle Mask you may suspect the same visuals and graphics used for Azran Legacy, but seeing characters pop out of the screen is still pretty impressive to look at. The places you travel to, such as London, the Paradise Islands, and the Deep Jungles, look very well done from an artistic standpoint, and the cutscenes make the game look like an animated film. There are quite a few puzzles that also have some good 3D effects; even in 2D you do see some of the puzzles or people or animals moving from across the top screen.
As far as the game’s issues go, there are a few recycled puzzles that have been used in previous Layton games if you’ve been following the series since the DS days. Another classic problem you may find is that using the touch screen to write a number down is not always accurate; writing a 5 may automatically change to an 8 by mistake, for example. You can also share treasure hunt challenges and exchange ratings using StreetPass, which definitely add to the game’s features.
What Makes It Worth My Time And Money?
Fans of the series will enjoy the latest installment in the series and a great farewell to Professor Layton. I’m sure it won’t be the very last time we’ll see Layton as he should be back in future titles and spinoffs.
Even after you’ve cleared the main 20-hour story, players have the option to check out some of the DLC puzzles that are added throughout the year. Nintendo expects to release over 500 puzzles, keeping Layton fans busy for a long time.
It may not appeal to everyone, but this good-looking title maintains the challenge and charm to keep fans of the series happy.
Title:
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
Platform:
Nintendo 3DS
Publisher:
Nintendo
Developer:
Level-5
Genre:
Puzzle
Release Date:
February 28, 2014
ESRB Rating:
E
Developer's Twitter:
Editor's Note:
The game was purchased by the reviewer, based in the UK, who spent over 20 hours with it, finishing the main campaign before starting the review.
“Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy” Review
With the success of the Professor Layton series released on the DS and the 3DS, Professor Layton is back once again in his final adventure, the second Layton game to be released on the 3DS. What Is It? Both Level-5…
With the success of the Professor Layton series released on the DS and the 3DS, Professor Layton is back once again in his final adventure, the second Layton game to be released on the 3DS.
What Is It?
Both Level-5 and Akira Tago, well known for his best-selling quiz book series Atama no Taisō (“Head Gymnastics”) in Japan, are well known for designing most of the puzzles in the Professor Layton series. This is the sixth game in the series taking place after the events of Miracle Mask where Professor Layton, Luke and Emmy are on their next adventure which takes them around the world to uncover the truth about the Azran legacies and a mysterious young girl named Aurora with no memory of her past.
While it sets itself up to be a point-and-click adventure game, it’s really just a bunch of brainteasers that you need to solve in order to press on with the story. Everyone you meet and interact with provides Layton, Luke and Emmy with puzzles to solve, and depending on how they’re solved, they’re awarded a number of picarats, which are used to unlock some features and bonuses.
Why Should I Care?
Stunning 3D visuals make a great effect on the 3DS. If you’ve played Miracle Mask you may suspect the same visuals and graphics used for Azran Legacy, but seeing characters pop out of the screen is still pretty impressive to look at. The places you travel to, such as London, the Paradise Islands, and the Deep Jungles, look very well done from an artistic standpoint, and the cutscenes make the game look like an animated film. There are quite a few puzzles that also have some good 3D effects; even in 2D you do see some of the puzzles or people or animals moving from across the top screen.
As far as the game’s issues go, there are a few recycled puzzles that have been used in previous Layton games if you’ve been following the series since the DS days. Another classic problem you may find is that using the touch screen to write a number down is not always accurate; writing a 5 may automatically change to an 8 by mistake, for example. You can also share treasure hunt challenges and exchange ratings using StreetPass, which definitely add to the game’s features.
What Makes It Worth My Time And Money?
Fans of the series will enjoy the latest installment in the series and a great farewell to Professor Layton. I’m sure it won’t be the very last time we’ll see Layton as he should be back in future titles and spinoffs.
Even after you’ve cleared the main 20-hour story, players have the option to check out some of the DLC puzzles that are added throughout the year. Nintendo expects to release over 500 puzzles, keeping Layton fans busy for a long time.
It may not appeal to everyone, but this good-looking title maintains the challenge and charm to keep fans of the series happy.
Written by: Ben Leslie
Date published: 01/09/2014
3.5 / 5 stars
by Ben Leslie
