Mark E Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I can't believe that there wasn't a thread on this until now. Professor Layton is in stores as of Sunday and it's the most charming DS title I've played... probably ever. Professor Layton is a very clever puzzlesmith who goes to the French village of St. Mystere to try and solve a mysterious inheritance riddle. It's all a framework for some very gorgeously drawn puzzling fun. It's an adventure game, but not in the strictest sense of the word - no inventory puzzles to be found here. Instead you're tasked with good, ol' brainteasers. If that's not your cup of tea... stay the hell away, because that's all you're getting. Lots of old favorites like the wolves and sheep (chicks in this case) crossing the river, and I've (endured) seen quite a few matchstick puzzles that I am the utter shyte at. Thirteen puzzles took me about 90 minutes and I had to use more guesswork and hint coins than I'd care to admit. Thankfully the game doesn't penalize you too much for wrong guesses... Sometimes the solution is bloody obvious, sometimes not. There's a great puzzle where the Professor illustrates the value of not reading too far into things to find a trick where there isn't one. I'm absolutely in love with it so far and there's lots to do. 130 puzzles in total, plus one a week released via WiFi for free download for the next year. Add in the gorgeous art style and the clever plotline plus some fine animated cutscenes and you have a real winner. Anybody who ever enjoyed a round of Mindtrap or a 6 Minute Mystery should be in heaven with this one. With this game now, Apollo Justice next week, and the Experiment this week, February is turning into the best adventure gaming month in a loooong time. :rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Monkey Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 That sounds fun. I also like the idea that I can download puzzles without going to a store's download station or owning a Wii. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starhawk Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Im probably going to pick this up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle-K Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I'm going to get this when i get my DS back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I got it over the weekend as BB put it out early. Really good game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBardon Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Sounds like it's sort of a throwback to games like the 7th guest, just without the FMV. I'll have to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 I tried to break my game buying moratorium and get this tonight as a "comfort game" (I'm sick ), but I couldn't find it at the walmart where I was loading up on drugs. Maybe I'll pick it up tomorrow at lunch. The 130 puzzles + ongoing DLC + pick up/put down nature of this game make it a perfect game to own rather than rent for all of the travelling I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covak Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 There's a demo at the game's official site: http://professorlaytonds.com/ Seems charming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted February 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Heh, I am not ashamed to say that I love the amount of "classic" puzzles that are returning in this game. Better bone up on your viewings of Die Hard With A Vengeance everybody . Up to Chapter 3 and 26 puzzles in, with some of the hidden ones grabbed on the way. I'm already happy to see hints of a sequel as per the manual, this game is just too much fun. I seem to be getting a little more brainpower too, I managed to solve a matchstick puzzle in under a minute last night, huzzah! It's really something how one puzzle will stump you for nearly twenty minutes straight (oh pathfinding puzzle, how I loathe thee) and others you can blast through in seconds. And so much variety. And things to do. I just opened up the Inn mini-game, and every time I score a scrap of painting I get a little too giddy... The first hidden puzzle is a corker too, not terribly hard, but a lot of fun and based around a classic optical illusion. Glad to see others picking this up, it's a keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnemaEms Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Bought this for the g/f on Sunday and she really likes it. Mark, I guarantee you will see a sequel since they are up the the 3rd game in the series in Japan. -Dean- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Prof Layton featured in Penny Arcade today. I'll be picking this one up for an upcoming trip this Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubjub75 Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Bought this at lunch today. Can't wait to play it tonight! I also found a white DS for my wife. They've been impossible to find lately, but BB had two of them when I went there at lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Monkey Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Prof Layton featured in Penny Arcade today. I'll be picking this one up for an upcoming trip this Friday. :lmfao That's great. Still can't wait to try the game, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisBardon Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 OK, after playing this a little more, it actually reminds me more of the Island of Dr Brain instead of 7th Guest. Well, maybe a cross between that and Clandestiny (just because of the animation style) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Just started this. Love it so far. The art direction is very Miyazak-esque, which suits me well. Looking forward to some less-boring subway rides in my future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covak Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Note to self: 12 hour clocks don't start the day with "00:00" Loving this game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted February 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Yeah, surprise sleeper hit of February for me, and I won't be at all shocked if this lands on my top games of the year. On top of all these puzzles there's a decent little plot driving things. Nothing to put you off the latest novel you're on, but a number of interesting little 'what the hell' mysteries to delve into. And a plethora of cats apparently. I've just finished Chapter 3 and have 48 puzzles under my belt (the number I have gotten full cash monies on is depressingly low) and I am constantly surprised by the variety here. And the number of puzzles to track down beyond the main must-do ones is nuts; luckily there's that shack where unfound puzzles end up if you finish a chapter without them. I scoured the area for Ch.3 and still missed three of them. Another really memorable one for me was the stamp puzzle (or, at least, the first stamp puzzle, just in case more show up later). Very simple, yet very, very fun to do. Lots of great riddles to solve too, but I gush... and gush... and gush. Oh, and Dean, yeah, I heard the series was up to its third incarnation :tu. The manual all but guarantees that the sequel is coming out here. The Japanese title was Professor Layton & The Devil's Box, I believe, for the curious amongst you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 This is a perfect DS game. I can play it for 3 hours (which I've done today), or I can play it for 3 minutes (which I've also done today) and it delivers its gameplay perfectly either way. Nothing is timed event so I can be playing it while doing something else. That's big for me as I have a backlog of movies and TV to watch. When I first powered it on and there was actual voices coming from the characters I was wondering how they would fit all that data on the cartridge. Then it goes away, which is okay, but the voice acting with the art style would have been awesome the whole way through. I'm about 30 puzzles in now (I've not found 3 or 4) and I'm just getting into Chapter 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covak Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 I hear that, Wesvans. I got to a new puzzle just before I got off my train this morning. Did it in my head while walking to work Love the voice acting, too. Those little things they say when you solve (or try to solve) puzzles add a lot of charm for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Damn, I didn't realize just how hooked I was on this game until I pulled up the save screen and realized that I had logged seven and a half hours of gametime already! 73/74 puzzles solved so far, for some reason Puzzle 111 and I do not get along. I'm fairly sure I know what they want, but have no clue how to give it to them so they are happy. Stupid matchsticks. I'm also amazed at how incredibly addicted I am to the gizmos, putting the painting together and tinkering with the room layouts at the inn. I'm one gizmo away from finishing it off, and I cannot find the likely missing puzzle I need. I'm hoping after this chapter it shows up in puzzle shack so I can just get it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 Is there a penalty for resetting puzzles before submitting answers? I did the wolf/chick river crossing one and retried it several times, resetting it before finishing, and still got all the money for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 No penalty for resetting, Josh. Only penalties for submitting incorrect answers. Some puzzles make it impossible to submit an incorrect answer, and as such you will get full marks once you get it correct. I just did a series of Chess puzzles and they made me keep trying until I got it without giving me a fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Finished off the story today, all side mysteries solved. I think I only missed 1 or 2 puzzles on the way. I kept a save so I can go back and find them. Great game. *edit - now all puzzles in the game are solved. Still need to unlock two of the bonus pieces under Layton's Challenges though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted February 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Also finished off yesterday, left a few puzzles to go back to later. Already want a sequel to this, as noted. This series has oodles of potential. A really great ending too - they used the animated cut-scenes to great effect and the story pays off quite nicely. More games should have such a well-done denouement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimness Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Just got this game today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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