Great story, interesting characters, and some really fun puzzle games. Definitely check it out
Puzzle games however are normally very simple, do this repeatedly until you arrive at one of three inevitable outcomes. 1: Due to totally sucking at the game, losing. 2: Getting so goddam bored that you simply turn of the DS, and 3: Beating the desired high score. There isn't much else to it. The puzzle genre remains a very cliched one. But how does 'Professor Layton and the Curious Village' fit into the genre?
This puzzle game is not the first, nor shall it be the last, to have a back story, or at least, a plausible reason why you are presented with these puzzles, but few games can match the depth of the story in this game.
At it's heart it is a mystery story. A clever clogs professor and his bright young assistant arrive at a small and mysterious village called St. Mystere, in search of a 'Golden Apple'. As the story unfold you will meet many weird and wonderful characters, and solve similarly weird and wonderful puzzles.
Although the story is exciting and involving, the puzzles make the game refreshing and new. If this was a simple point and click adventure game, in the style of say...Phoenix Wright, it would not stand up as a title. The puzzles, while rarely linked to the story, make up the bulk of the game. Despite this, every puzzle is solved by Luke and The Professor, who you really become attached to, (though Luke can be extremely annoying at times). Again, if the game was confined to the puzzles alone, it may not stand up as a genuine title either. But together, the two things go hand in hand. It is the perfect marriage between story and puzzling.
The graphics are quirky and cute, and the cutscenes are impressive for the DS. The backgrounds and village theme seem to be almost London 19th century-esque, but somehow...not. Never mind.
The puzzles, while often very challenging, will rarely frustrate, and hints are available, though rationed by the need of hint coins, which are scattered around the game. There are about 120 puzzles in the game, most of them unique and interesting. There are famous puzzles as well as innovative new ones, and it will combine your skills in math, logic and abstract thinking. This game is surely one for families. Even mothers will find enjoyment in it. It is not however a game which will make hardcore gamers fear for the integrity of the DS library, unlike the 'My Word Coach' series or "Deal or No Deal'. This game is great for anyone.
There are few problems with this game, but one of them is the music. It is fairly annoying at times, and can get pretty repetitive. Another problem is that sometimes the game can become frustrating, when every step you take leads to puzzles, and after a few hours of play this can easily become boring. Not a game to be played in large does.
Talking of length, the game lasted about 10-12 hours, but there is still more: finding all the missing puzzles, downloading a new puzzle a week via Nintendo WiFi. Although the main story ends fairly quickly, this game has the potential to keep you playing weekly, even months after you've completed the main story.
All in all, this game is fantastic. Graphics, Gameplay, Story... I recommend it to any gamer, fan or not of puzzlers, clever or...less clever. Also look out for the sequel, Pandora's Box, just recently released. Check them both out!