Professor Layton and the Curious Village Review

The intrepid Professor Layton and his trusty assistant Luke are summoned to the quaint village of St. Mystere to locate the “Golden Apple.”

Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Level 5
Publisher: Level 5
Number of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
My Recommended Age Range: 9+
Benefits: Logic Building, Attention to Detail, Problem Solving

The Premise:
The intrepid Professor Layton and his trusty assistant Luke are summoned to the quaint village of St. Mystere to locate the “Golden Apple.” The Golden Apple is unique heirloom left behind by the very rich Baron Augustus Reinhold. His widow, Lady Dahlia, has hired Professor Layton and Luke to locate it on her behalf. The majority of gameplay consists of moving around the village and solving various, and sometimes complex brain teasers while piecing together the mystery left behind by the Baron.

Why It’s Great for You:
Professor Layton and the Curious Village has several strong qualities that work out in it’s favor. Amazing classical looking animation and voice acting, and the characters are very fun and interesting to look at! The storyline lets your inner detective shine through, and nearly everyone can appreciate Luke’s face when he exclaims “Professor, I think I’ve got it!” after a particular tricky puzzle.

Why It’s Great for Them:
The quirky, interesting dialogue from the characters never gets old. Plus, you can take comfort in the fact that all the brain teasers in the game (of which there are many, in a wide variety) are based on real world puzzles in a fun-to-figure-out atmosphere, so it’s a great way to teach and develop problem solving skills, along with an appreciation for them, for the young and the old alike. Furthermore, the violence in the game is basically non-existent.

Things You Might Object To:
won’t sugar coat it. Some of the puzzles in the game can be REALLY tough, and I’m pretty good at brain teasers. If you like puzzles and enjoy a healthy challenge, Professor Layton and the Curious Village brings it in droves. Even though the game has a built in helper (Hint Coins) for puzzles that become tricky, those are in limited supply in the game, and they don’t want you to rely on them too much. Even still, you may become really frustrated on puzzles that don’t have a clear multiple choice set up. Fortunately, a wealth of strategy guides available for free online could be your saving roll if you find yourself getting a little too frustrated along the way.

If You Like This, Also Try:
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)

Were these reviews useful to you? Do you want to suggest some games for us to review? What are your experiences with these games?  Do you agree/disagree with the age ratings?  Let us know by leaving a comment either here or better yet, join the discussion or debate the issues in our forums!

by ThreeDog