DS Review: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Among others, the Nintendo DS is the perfect system for two things; to appeal to the casual, nongaming market, and to allow easy and intuitive development of adventure games. Level 5 has created a unique DS title that takes both approaches and executes them well. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is like nothing we have seen on the system so far, and although the game’s puzzle-like premise isn’t for everyone, many will be intrigued by the title’s interesting approach to brain teasers mixed with an enjoyable adventure.

The game takes place in the solemn yet strange town of St. Mystere. As a wealthy citizen of the town passes away, his will is read and a puzzling riddle is disclosed; the late Augustus Reinhold will pass on his entire estate to whoever finds a Golden Apple hidden somewhere in St. Mystere. The baron’s wife, lady Dahlia, has contacted Hershel Layton and his assistant, Luke, to investigate the situation. Your task is set; to explore St. Mystere and converse with townsfolk to dig deep in search for information regarding this and other mysteries. Moving around town and interacting with its citizens and environments is easily done with the stylus. You can tap suspicious-looking objects to find hidden puzzles or items, or enter buildings and other locations to talk to various individuals; the setting is true to the adventure style of play.


But soon you will realize that absolutely everyone in St. Mystere loves puzzles and riddles, and the core concept of the title is established. As you discover the mysteries surrounding the Golden Apple, you will need to solve a good amount of brain teasers given to you by NPCs. Some puzzles require logical thinking, others take a more ‘outside the box’ approach, and some are purely visual or trial-and-error-based. Jigsaw puzzles, age riddles, weight comparisons, it’s all here, and the variety of the 130+ puzzles is staggering. Well-explained instructions are given to you on the top screen at all times, and if a certain puzzle is teasing your brain too much, you can use Hint Coins found throughout St. Mystere to unlock one of three hints. The first half or so of the puzzles are mostly simple, but eventually you will be scratching your head, constantly thinking of a possible solution to the later riddles.

Your adventure progresses through these riddles; you will be changing from exploring to puzzle-solving quite frequently. This can slow things down a bit, especially with some of the later puzzles being a bit challenging. You can always decide to store puzzles for later, but some must be solved for the story to continue. Most puzzles are enjoyable, and some will give you a good feeling of success once solved, but others are either too simple or easily solved by repetitive trial and error. With the concept of brain teasers so heavily emphasized, you will soon realize if this title is for you or not. The concept is unique and attractive, but the premise of constant puzzles and riddles can be a bit overwhelming for some. Otherwise, the game provides a great amount of brain teasing, with many standard puzzles to solve as well as more complex ones unlocked by the game’s end, and even weekly downloadable puzzles through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

The game’s concept isn’t its sole impressive factor; Professor Layton’s presentation is just as stunning. Certain portions of the story are shown in well-crafted full-motion videos, with above-average dialogue and presentation. During normal adventure play, your exploration of St. Mystere will take you through various locations, each with an impressive and well-detailed background to enjoy and investigate. Characters, too, are charming and varied. Big noses, bellies, chins or lips; every character is different, and the overall feel of the people of St. Mystere is stylish and attractive. The soundtrack, although a bit repetitive at times, is also enjoyable and fits the game well.

It might not be the best adventure game for the system, but Professor Layton is unique in its unconventional approach to the genre, mostly made up of constant riddles and brain teasers. This unique premise, very well presented with a great style of graphics and sound, provides a unique experience for all sorts of gamers. Not everyone will enjoy the constant flow of brain teasers and similar puzzles, but those that do will find an enjoyable, distinctive, and pleasant adventure.

Things we liked: