Layton Begins

There's something inherently appealing about the Professor Layton series. The Professor is quiet, unassuming, and is more likely to have a cup of tea than do anything action-oriented yet he's one of my favorite characters of the last few years. And after four games, I think I understand why. He has the same kind of appeal as Sherlock Holmes: little development of the titular character from adventure to adventure, but it doesn't matter because he's likable and you just want to see what kind of mystery he's going to encounter next. And that's the key, Layton is a fantastic character through and through and his games, while never changing in any major ways from iteration to iteration, are just plain fun. Professor Layton and the Last Specter continues that tradition and I find myself already excited for the next big adventure.

The Last Specter is actually a prequel to the previous games, set three years before Curious Village, and kicks off a brand new trilogy that shows off the early adventures of Layton and his apprentice, Luke. The story begins with the Professor receiving a letter from his good friend, Clark Triton. Clark's town of Misthallery is being terrorized by a mysterious specter and no one can figure out what it wants. Joined by his new assistant, Emmy, Layton arrives in the town and soon meets the young Luke, Clark's son. From there, the three work to uncover the truth about the Specter before the town is destroyed.

It's a good story though the mystery isn't quite as unpredictable as past games. I was able to see many of the big answers coming, which took away from some of the fun. That said, I still enjoyed seeing Luke meet Layton for the first time and the game is excellent at pacing. Luke's gradual trust of the Professor can be easily seen and Emmy is instantly memorable. The continuity is impressively kept intact as well with characters from the future being introduced but never in a way that conflicts with the timeline. It's something that fans of the series are sure to appreciate.  The Last Specter doesn't pull any punches either, showing real tragedy as the story progresses though nothing quite to the same level as Unwound Future. Perhaps best of all is the introduction of a new villain, who truly seems like he will be the Moriarty to Layton's Holmes.

Like previous games, Professor Layton's gameplay is based around solving puzzles and brain teasers while exploring areas for clues. The puzzles range from simple to head-scratchingly difficult, but none are impossible. Hint coins can be found around the world and spent for clues as always though sometimes the wording on both the explanation and hints can be a little obtuse. Thankfully, the difficulty curve is gradual enough that the phrasing doesn't cause too much of a problem. Variations of puzzles don't repeat as much as in the past as well with none appearing more than three times. The Last Specter is loaded with puzzles, from the 155 found within the main story to Layton's challenges to the weekly puzzles available to download. It will take most players around 15 hours to complete the main story, which is typical for the series. By now players know what to expect with Professor Layton, and I can safely say that if you've enjoyed past games, you'll enjoy this one just as much. New players can also jump right into it and not be lost to what's going on. When not solving puzzles, players can take part in several new minigames that also have a puzzle element to them. The can lay tracks for a toy train, guide a fish to pick up coins, have puppets put on plays, and collect items from around the town. None are particularly difficult, but they offer a nice distraction from the other puzzles found within Misthallery.

The one big addition to the Last Specter is something that some fans will latch onto while others ignore. Professor Layton's London Life is an RPG that allows players to create an avatar to interact with characters from across the series in Little London. After players create their character, they are given an apartment and set free on the town. The big imperative of the mode is to maintain both wealth and happiness. Wealth allows players to buy new clothes, items, and furniture for their avatar while happiness is key to earning more wealth when performing jobs. Happiness can be earned by fulfilling requests for the characters, shopping, or even doing a job well. Jobs come in the form of minigames that range from picking up litter to juggling to driving a taxi. Players can also connect their games to trade items. It's an innocent mode with no real endgame other than seeing your avatar flourish. Fans of Animal Crossing will likely have fun, but it never really hooked me.

The graphics in the Last Specter are as good as ever with memorable character designs and interesting places to visit. The quality hasn't improved significantly but then it really doesn't need to. London Life's graphics are simple sprites reminiscent of Earthbound's character designs. They won't impress, but it's a pleasing look that I can appreciate. The animated cutscenes are frequent and full of character. They help personalities stand out and give a great sense of scale to the action scenes. Looking back, it's amazing how far this animation has come since Curious Village. Of course, the sound design is just as good with European-flavored tracks that help give a sense of mystery. None of the tracks particular stand out but the complete package is pleasing nonetheless. The voice acting continues to be topnotch as well, making me wish the game could be fully voiced. Despite limited instances, the actors do a great job of injecting emotion into their scenes.

Professor Layton has done it again. Though I don't think the game is as strong as Unwound Future, it is a great time through and through. It's great that Americans are getting these games more often, and I can't wait for the release of Layton's first 3DS adventure. In the meantime, the Last Specter is sure to please fans and newcomers alike. Do not miss out on this mystery.