Innovation is an interesting topic in the video game industry. We often
hear complaints about publishers relying too heavily on sequels that
don't introduce enough new ideas to tried-and-true formulas. On the
other hand, some truly new and innovative ideas go largely unnoticed by
consumers. Perhaps, then, the success of recent titles like Puzzle
Quest and Patapon suggest a new direction for developers. Rather than
take risks with an unproven design philosophy, it may be best to take
successful ideas from different genres and blend them together to
create new yet familiar experiences. Professor Layton and the Curious
Village does just that. Borrowing the best aspects of adventure and
puzzle games, Level 5 creates an experience that is both familiar and
refreshing.
As the story begins, Professor Layton and his young apprentice, Luke,
are called to the village of St. Mystere to investigate a mysterious
will. It seems that Lady Dahlia requires your assistance to recover the
Golden Apple, an heirloom that will dictate how her late husband's
fortune will be divided. To find the treasure and solve the mystery of
St. Mystere, you'll explore the streets of the village, talk with the
inhabitants, and collect clues. In this way, Curious Village resembles
traditional point-and-click adventure games as you use your stylus to
move, talk, and search for clues.
Along the way, you'll find that the villagers are hesitant to cooperate
with your investigation unless you first help them solve a riddle.
Solving these riddles takes up the majority of your time in St.
Mystere, and for good reason. They're quite difficult. Puzzles range in
theme from simple word play and mathematics to involved logic puzzles
and obtuse brainteasers. If you get stuck on one problem, you can
always come back to it later armed with up to three hint coins that you
find hidden throughout the village. There are a limited number of these
coins available, but you should always have enough to get you through
the most difficult puzzles. You're also given an unlimited amount of
time to solve the brainteasers, as many of them involve computations or
scenarios that must be worked out with your stylus on the screen.
Playing through the adventure will take most people about 15 hours, but
there is plenty to do once you've completed the story. The game has
well over 120 puzzles, and you only need to complete two thirds of them
to finish the game. You'll want to explore the village to find hidden
puzzles and collect objects to unlock more challenging brainteasers.
Nintendo is also offering free, weekly puzzles for download via the
Nintendo WiFi Connection, so you'll certainly get your money's worth
for purchasing the game.
Speaking of value, you'll notice a consistently high production level
throughout Professor Layton. The game's charming visuals are conveyed
through impressive FMV sequences or artful still shots reminiscent of
childhood storybook classics. Voice acting, a rare treat for a Nintendo
title, is of similarly high quality. Unfortunately, most of the time
you'll find yourself playing with the audio turned down because the
music can easily become repetitive and grating.
If you enjoy adventure games for their story or puzzle games for their
imaginative brainteasers, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is
easy to recommend. As long as you can handle the occasional obtuse
riddle, Level 5 has created a great addition to your portable library
that's easy to pick up and play for a few minutes or long stretches of
time. They've also proven that you don't have to reinvent the wheel to
create a unique game experience.
