aww it comes to 3ds :( I don't have one of those yet, since I'm a fan of this game franchise I might have to venture into buying one used. this review has made me curious to state the least, I have been seeing a lot of mixed reviews on a 3ds but all of the people that have been playing the games have all been stating they are well worth the buy, this is certainly something to think about and to obtain this title for myself. good review, you do provide a vivid detail into the game play world from the other reviews I've read you've done :)
Professor Layton (Franchise) game Review
Professor Layton refers to a series of puzzle adventure games for the Nintendo DS/3DS (1-4 on DS, 5-6 and vs Ace Attorney on 3DS), produced by Level 5 and distributed by Nintendo. In additional to the games, a feature-length film has been produced that directly follows events in the fourth game.
Season 1 consists of three games and follows Professor Hershel Layton and his assistant Luke Triton through a series of stories full of puzzles and adventures. They are joined by Flora (Aroma) in the second and third games.
1: Professor Layton and the Curious Village
2: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (aka Pandora's Box)
3: Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (aka Lost Future, Last Time Travel)
Season 2 consists of three games and a movie. The series takes place several years before the events of Season 1. Layton meets Luke Triton in game 4, and is also joined by Layton's assistant, Emmy Altawa.
4: Professor Layton and the Last Specter (aka Specter's Flute) - GAME
4.5: Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva - MOVIE
5: Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle - GAME
6: Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies - GAME
Crossovers
Level-5 and Capcom collaborated to produce a crossover of their popular Layton and Ace Attorney series. Appropriately enough the game is titled "Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney" and is available for the Nintendo 3DS.
Story & Playability
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles (Kiseki no Kamen) is the 5th game in the best-selling puzzle drama series, and
the third installment in the second season of the game. It follows a short time after the events of the Eternal Diva
movie. Layton receives a letter (as always), this time from a childhood friend, Shalroa LeDorre. She tells Layton that a
mysterious and fearsome man, dubbed the Knight of Miracles, is currently terrorizing the citizens of Monte Dorre, an
entertainment mecca built on an oasis (rather like Las Vegas.) She asks for Layton’s assistance in stopping the Knight
before he completely destroys her town. Layton, gentleman that he is, travels to the so-called Miracle City with his
assistant Remy and protege Luke to untangle the Knight’s identity.
Surprising for a game so far into a series, the story focuses heavily on the Professor himself. The Knight’s visage is
hidden behind the titular Mask of Miracles, an artifact that has played a significant role in Layton’s past. The story
alternates between events in the present and those in the past, where Layton is in high school. It establishes how and
why Layton became a puzzle-loving archaeology professor, and adds nuance to his character in general. Because of this,
very few other recurring characters get much development (the saddest is Descole, who gets only a single scene in which
to openly taunt Layton), which is a bit disappointing. Still, understanding the motivations behind Layton’s desire to
unlock every puzzle is one of the game’s great rewards.
Similar to other Layton games, the story spans about 8-10 hours. The story is concise and never wanders, and is
presented in easily digestible chunks. The overarching message of the power of friendship is perhaps a bit heavy-handed,
but for a game rated All Ages, it’s not too bad.
The story offers pretty much what you would expect from a Layton game, although first-time players will be quite lost.
If you want to play this game, you should at least play the 4th game first, and if you have some spare time, watch the
Eternal Diva movie. There are references to both stories in this game. There aren’t any major surprises except for a
teaser at the very end, which is a very obvious lead-in to the next installment of the series. This Layton fan cannot
wait for “to be continued” to be continued.
Rating:
Graphics
The art is perhaps the most improved over previous games, largely due to the better specs of the 3DS. The higher
resolution of both screens allow for more detail and subtle shadings in the background, which are rich and brimming with
details. The game also uses 3D sprites, although they are shaded such that they appear closer to 2D. These sprites are
far more animated than their 2D counterparts; in previous games during dialogues, a character might tilt his head back
and forth; here they can tilt their head, juggle some balls, offer you a flyer, or jump about excitedly.
The top screen is presented in 3D, although you can adjust and even turn the effect off; there is no puzzle or scene
that relies solely on 3D. The difference is subtle but it adds an extra bit of luster to the game. There was one scene
in the Akbadyne Ruins where the camera slowly zooms into the final doorway that gave me chills. Certainly the 3D is a
gimmick, but Mask of Miracles doesn’t overdo it, and I enjoyed the effect.
Environments in Mask of Miracles again follow the standard Layton formula. You have 2 main areas to explore, Monte Dorre
(present) and Steviano (past) and both have numerous streets and attractions to comb through for clues. The world is
small, but contains just enough variety of areas to make exploring a bit of a challenge.
Character design is also well-established and doesn’t try to break new ground. Characters tend to be caricatures, but
everyone is distinct, with the noted exception of the mysteriously look-alike Police squad (this is even pointed out by
characters in-game.)
Rating:
Sound
The music of Professor Layton is well established with light-hearted accordians, pianos and woodwinds forming the core
of the melodies. This game uses a bit more of violin, guitar and other strings to add some dramatic flair that was not
present in previous games. Songs are appropriate for each scene, and there is a nice subtle difference in the music for
Monte Dorre during daytime and nighttime, as well as Steviano in daytime and nighttime. The ending theme, “Mysterious
Flower” is an upbeat pop number with jazz and Caribbean influence, which feels a little awkward when compared to the
rest of the music, which has a more European feel.
There are numerous voiced scenes, a bit more than in previous games, taking advantage of the upgraded specs of the 3DS.
All the voice actors reprise their roles, so there is not much to be said here, except that everyone’s role is well
established and no one deviates from it. Characters new to the game are also voiced competently but nothing really
stands out. For a 5th game, it’s probably better that way.
Rating:
Fun
Mask of Miracles is the first of the Professor Layton series to be offered on the Nintendo 3DS. The better specs of the
system have lead to numerous improvements not just in the game’s art and sound, but in the way some puzzles are
presented. The added variety to the game help relieve it of being “just another Layton game” and bring new tricks to
the Professor’s repertoire.
While exploration in the DS games were all about tapping the bottom screen to find hint coins, puzzles, or talk to
people, Mask of Miracles uses a very different approach to take advantage of the 3D screen on the top. At any given
location, you tap a zoom icon to explore the scene, which is presented on the top screen. Dragging the stylus around the
bottom screen moves the magnifying glass around the top, and when the glass lights up, that means there is something of
interest. It takes a little getting used to and is a bit slower than the tap method. It’s not really better or worse,
just different.
While the puzzles don’t rely on 3D for solutions, the effect does come in handy for various spatial puzzles, such as
trying to count the number of people in a room when the window is partly obscured by a poster. There are also two
puzzles (which are variants of each other) that use the accelerometer, which is a nice touch. Perhaps the best of the
new puzzle set is the multi-level dungeon crawler, where you use the D-pad to navigate Layton and Rand through a
labyrinth, occasionally fighting off mummies. It’s a nice change from trying to count hours on a clock or fill in
tangrams.
Downloaded puzzles also follow a new format; instead of a weekly puzzle of unknown type, there is a daily puzzle
download that falls into one of a dozen or so genres. Puzzles within a genre are of varying difficulty. You don’t get
anything in-game from solving DLC puzzles, but you do get to decorate the professor’s office with new furniture for
every 10 puzzles solved.
Mask of Miracles is smack dab in the middle of the second “season” of Professor Layton, following closely after the
events of Last Specter and Eternal Diva. It doesn’t even try to do any character or plot introduction - the story
starts straight off with an action sequence, and it keeps running from there. Players familiar with Layton will enjoy
it, everyone else is advised to start with either the 1st or 4th game. The benefits of being on the new 3DS platform are
apparent in many aspects of the game and help keep the series fresh and exciting.
Rating:
Final Verdict
7.5000 (good)
Reviewed by Tama-Neko, Sep 01, 2011
Comments
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angelxxuan Banned Member Sep 01, 2011
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SnickerdoodleNinja Retired Moderator Sep 08, 2011
I have been looking for a good puzzle game with a decent story for some time, but since I have no 3ds and haven't played any other Layton games, I might look into the first one having read this review. I liked how you were very thorough in all sections and quite descriptive of what the game is like. Great job!
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CyanideBlizzard Retired Moderator Sep 09, 2011
Well, it's nice to see that not only the fact that the Professor made it safely over to the DS, but also maintains the same enjoyable aspects for this version.
As always, it's incredibly detailed and well covered. While I don't plan on picking up a 3DS anytime soon (which works out, since the game will probably be in the US when I plan on getting one, or so), I'm intrigued enough after reading this review to play it whenever I may get the chance too. Very well done, but that's to be expect now xD. Thanks for sharing this with us, Tama! SInce your active again, I wonder if we'll get a Tales of the Abyss review too ; D.
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