[REVIEW] Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Jonathan Tay

(Nintendo DS)

Write a review? Hmm…that reminds me of a puzzle!

Professor Layton and the Last Specter has finally been released in North America and Europe, beginning the Star Wars-esque prequel trilogy of Professor Layton games.

For the uninitiated, the Professor Layton games are essentially a cross between a puzzle book and a Sherlock Holmes novel. If either – or better yet, both – of those things appeal to you, then this game is one that you’ll enjoy.

The Last Specter winds back the clock to tell the story of how the eponymous Professor Layton met his young assistant, Luke Triton. Emmy Altava, the Professor’s second (or would it be first?) assistant is thrown into the mix, forming a triad of puzzle-solvers. There is a specter involved, and brilliant deductions ensue. That’s all of the story I’ll delve into, but rest assured, it’s probably the best one out of all the Layton games. The characters, both major and minor, are all interesting, while the story is filled with twists and turns. The cutscenes are beautifully animated and skillfully voiced. If you’re a fan of a good mystery, you can’t go wrong with this one.

The controls for The Last Specter are fairly simple. Everything, from moving to talking to people, is done via the touchscreen. Unfortunately, if you’re playing on an original DS like I am, you might find some imprecision when it comes to tapping small objects. It’s a minor gripe, but annoying nonetheless.

The puzzle selection in The Last Specter is as diverse as the offerings of a smorgasbord. Sliding block puzzles, riddles, spot the objects, math problems (ew…), and way, way more are on offer here. The game offers over 150 puzzles (and that’s not including all the downloadable WiFi puzzles and minigames – which are puzzles unto themselves), which is a sizeable amount. Although the vast majority of puzzles are fair, there were two or three puzzles here and there that I found to be unnecessarily challenging due to strange wording, the imprecision of the touch controls, or the quality of the DS screen itself – but I guess two of the three problems are on my end.

Get ready to spend 5 million hours on this one. 

Unfortunately, the problems that have pestered the Professor Layton series since its inception remain in The Last Specter. I am, of course, talking about how the developers integrate the puzzles and story. Most of the time, the puzzles you are asked to solve have nothing to do with the story – the first line of the review is kind of an example of what happens! Also, the game blocks you off from continuing the story at certain points until you have solved an arbitrary number of puzzles. This can definitely undermine the pacing of the plot. Also, if you were unable to solve a puzzle before and want to have another crack at it, you must navigate all the way back to where you first found it. Why can’t I simply have free access to a puzzle once I’ve found it? Why the developers continue to implement these systems, I do not know.

Oh, and then there’s Professor Layton’s London Life, a bonus RPG created by the team from Mother 3. Before you faint from the excitement, let me tell you right now: it’s not very good. You run around Little London as a custom-made character. You’ll buy stuff, talk to people, do quests, and decorate your house. Quests typically degenerate into mind-numbing “bring something from point A to point B” affairs. Making money is a chore, and the rewards you get for it (i.e. getting furniture to decorate your house) are shallow and unfulfilling. You might as well go play Animal Crossing. In the end, London Life ends up being a forgettable afterthought.

        

The Cruise Cafe? You’ll probably be cruising away from this game.

All things considered, Professor Layton and the Last Specter is a great game. It’s hampered by some strange issues here and there, but there are no serious flaws. The story and puzzles, for the most part, are excellent. Professor Layton’s London Life, on the other hand, is a different story. I won’t factor it into my review score, though.

Review scores? That reminds me of a puzzle! I see four golden objects below. What are they?