Well, here's the Professor Layton review I've been claiming to do. Enjoy...

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Storyline-what, in my opinion, is the foundation of a great game. The storyline is what give what you’re doing in the game purpose, without which you may soon find yourself bored of the game and putting it on that shelf where everything gathers dust. A good storyline will pique your interest and make you want to continue playing, just to find out what happens next. Professor Layton has this kind of storyline. With well designed hints built into the story, you can, yourself, try to grasp and understand the mystery. In the end it will be Layton who tells you the final verdict, but it is fun to compare what you thought. This game has brought me into the world of mystery, that I will not be leaving anytime soon.



What initially got me to buy the game was the allure of 120 puzzles, and “Wi-Fi puzzles updated weekly!”, but now I know the graphics did a better job. The cut scenes that happen every now and then are so astounding, you never want them to end. Level 5® could’ve made a TV show off them, they’re so good. When you aren’t watching cut scenes, the in-game graphics aren’t any different. The only real difference is dialogue isn’t voiced over and you control the action, A+ material here.

Another thing that kept me playing, was probably the music. There were smooth day songs, there were quiet night songs, and even fast paced songs to get me hyped for a big plot twist. Overall there were songs for every occasion, and they were good songs too.



Every occasion, on the other hand, wasn’t always good. Every chapter was different, but not always what I call exciting. What I mean, is you at one point have to retrieve a cat, not too mysterious. I can’t really complain though, because what happens next is jaw dropping, but that’s a secret. As for controls, all you need is power and a stylus, the game is 100% stylus functional. You don’t run live around town, though; you touch the direction you want to go and are moved to that map. Not so exciting, but extremely vital to the way the game works. (You discover hint coins by tapping hidden areas on the map, and tap characters to talk to them and possibly, and frequently, solve a puzzle.) Also, by solving puzzles you are rewarded picarts. No, not in game currency, point to build up for rewards, (that I’m not going to tell you ), after you beat the main story. Trust me, you’ll want to put effort into the puzzles once you find out what you get.



That is, if you last to the end. The main story I can guarantee you’ll get through, your curiosity will insure that, but after that, there’s not much else. Level 5® did their best to give us more to do afterwards, but it’s still just puzzles. The novelty wears off after a while, and you’re left with a stack of puzzles. (And the oh-so secret picart prizes. ) Unfortunately, they’ve stopped updating the online, so…enjoy everything else. You may not continue playing the game anymore, but the tons of leftover puzzles make a great boredom buster, or time killer. When you just want to relax and not deal with complex controls and gameplay, Professor Layton will welcome you to the village, and maybe treat you to a cup o’ tea and a good puzzle. This is a great game to just play and relax with, enjoy!




Forgot again, *facepalm*