Crossovers are rather common in fan works, but it's rare to see an officially licensed crossover combining two different companies' IPs like this, and even rarer to see it succeed like this game does.
The game involves both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright meeting a mysterious girl named Espella by chance, resulting in them finding themselves in the medieval town of Labyrinthia, a place where witches are hunted down and put on trial. The two of them, along with their assistants Luke and Maya, must work together to save the wrongly accused and find the truth.
The game alternates between sequences in which you explore Labyrinthia in order to investigate, gather clues and solve puzzles, as well as trial sequences in which you must question witnesses and find contradictions in testimony. There's a great deal to offer for fans of each franchise, and if you've only played one of them, then the gameplay is similar enough that the other franchise's aspects are easily accessible.
One point I should make, however, is that this is primarily a Professor Layton game. The story of a Town with a Dark Secret has more in common with Professor Layton than Ace Attorney, the player spends somewhat more time solving puzzles than in court, and Layton seems to have more of a role in the story than Phoenix does (although how much more, and whether this is a bad thing are both debatable.) For the record, I don't have a clear preference between the two franchises, but I believe this is worth noting for the benefit of anyone who does.
Despite this, fans of Ace Attorney will like some interesting new twists to the trials. Often, several witnesses will testify at once, and pressing one for more information may result in a opportunity to question another witness. At certain times, you will be able to choose which piece of testimony contradicts another piece, which is a mechanic that would work well in other games.
The Professor Layton puzzles are generally high-quality, without too many that are overly obtuse or frustrating. One nice feature they added for exploration is letting you know how many puzzles and hint coins are hidden in any given area, as well as how many of each you've found.
The story is rather compelling, even if it ends with a rather bizarre twist about Labyrinthia's true nature that's characteristic of the Professor Layton games. Most of the main characters- Layton, Luke, Phoenix and Maaya- are used rather well, as are the significant players in the plot. Most of the minor characters are one-note compared to most Ace Attorney witnesses, but some of them, especially the true culprits, have surprising depth.
In short, if you enjoy either Professor Layton or Ace Attorney games- or better yet, both- then Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney is well worth your time.
An unlikely but enjoyable crossover
Crossovers are rather common in fan works, but it's rare to see an officially licensed crossover combining two different companies' IPs like this, and even rarer to see it succeed like this game does.
The game involves both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright meeting a mysterious girl named Espella by chance, resulting in them finding themselves in the medieval town of Labyrinthia, a place where witches are hunted down and put on trial. The two of them, along with their assistants Luke and Maya, must work together to save the wrongly accused and find the truth.
The game alternates between sequences in which you explore Labyrinthia in order to investigate, gather clues and solve puzzles, as well as trial sequences in which you must question witnesses and find contradictions in testimony. There's a great deal to offer for fans of each franchise, and if you've only played one of them, then the gameplay is similar enough that the other franchise's aspects are easily accessible.
One point I should make, however, is that this is primarily a Professor Layton game. The story of a Town with a Dark Secret has more in common with Professor Layton than Ace Attorney, the player spends somewhat more time solving puzzles than in court, and Layton seems to have more of a role in the story than Phoenix does (although how much more, and whether this is a bad thing are both debatable.) For the record, I don't have a clear preference between the two franchises, but I believe this is worth noting for the benefit of anyone who does.
Despite this, fans of Ace Attorney will like some interesting new twists to the trials. Often, several witnesses will testify at once, and pressing one for more information may result in a opportunity to question another witness. At certain times, you will be able to choose which piece of testimony contradicts another piece, which is a mechanic that would work well in other games.
The Professor Layton puzzles are generally high-quality, without too many that are overly obtuse or frustrating. One nice feature they added for exploration is letting you know how many puzzles and hint coins are hidden in any given area, as well as how many of each you've found.
The story is rather compelling, even if it ends with a rather bizarre twist about Labyrinthia's true nature that's characteristic of the Professor Layton games. Most of the main characters- Layton, Luke, Phoenix and Maaya- are used rather well, as are the significant players in the plot. Most of the minor characters are one-note compared to most Ace Attorney witnesses, but some of them, especially the true culprits, have surprising depth.
In short, if you enjoy either Professor Layton or Ace Attorney games- or better yet, both- then Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney is well worth your time.