Fun puzzles and new features, but overall less engaging artistically and story-wise then its predecessors.
There were some interesting puzzles, though a lot of familiar ones. Some puzzles made good use of motion sensory, and there were more interactive ones.
The soundtrack had some real gems, such as 'Norwell', however overall the songs are not as memorable and enchanting as those from the previous games.
The locations were nice and made use of the 3D technology, though they were not what I was looking for in a Layton game, receiving bright lights and casinos, rather then a quaint village or dusty streets.
Many more things were animated, and this created a lively atmosphere which suited the location, however, as I mentioned before, this is not what I have come to love in the Layton games, rather lonely streets and quiet forests.
Probably the most noticeable change was an exchange for 3D vector graphics over 2D art. This obviously added another dimension to the character, and provided more movement and interaction, however the art was one of the main reasons I continued to come back to the Layton games, and removing this aspect was a definite disappointment for me. Cut scene animation was beautiful as always.
Generally, characters were less memorable and less charming. I wasn't as engaged with the story a lot of the time, however this did pick up in the end.
In summary, my main problem with this game was a desire for more of the same, when what was produced was a very new experience. Looking at this game on its own, it was fun and has some wonderful programming and interface. It was a delight to explore, and puzzles and suitcase activities were fun. Characters were mostly unmemorable, though I enjoy Randall and Angela's characterisations, and visiting Layton's past was good fun. I did not enjoy the art, and this really made the whole game a disappointing experience, however, this probably wouldn't have been a problem if I didn't know what I was missing.
Obviously the Layton series needs to change to avoid becoming stagnant, it's just a shame that what they had to change was such a beautiful artistic vision.