As a long-time fan of the Professor Layton series, I was interested in the newest (at the time of the writing) installment, albeit a bit uneasy about the change in direction. The end product wasn't quite up to the level I'd come to expect from the series, but stil an enjoyable puzzle game in its own right.
The game stars Professor Layton's daughter, Katrielle, as she searches for her missing father. Unfortunately, Katrielle doesn't make any significant progress on her search, and instead spends much of the game solving mysteries for various clients, including some of London's wealthiest and most powerful individuals, the Seven Dragons.
Unlike other entries, in which there is an overarching story with a central mystery to solve, there are twelve individual cases, often Katrielle doing detective work to solve a minor crime such as a theft. Each case is mostly self-contained and seldom has consequences for the narrative as a whole, save for introducing new characters. Most of the mysteries can be fairly easy to solve once you have all the evidence, and perhaps even before then. Despite this, the individual mysteries are often fun, and well-suited to being played in relatively short sessions.
The puzzles, for the most part, are significantly easier than those of the rest of the series. It's possible that this is a deliberate choice to not make the game too difficult for newcomers, but series veterans may find it disappointingly easy. That said, the puzzles are fairly diverse, and some puzzles can be especially challenging.
As usual, there are a few minigames with levels that unlock as you complete puzzles. These can be fun diversions, and unlock new puzzles once completed, but they can involve a fair amount of guesswork.
The game ends with an appropriately climactic final case (albeit one that could have been built up earlier and given a bit more foreshadowing), and the promise of a sequel that will hopefully show Katrielle's search for her father. Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy is one of the weaker entries in the franchise, but it still delivers much of what long-time fan expect, and I'm personally hopeful that any sequel will improve upon the first game.
VideoGame There's Room For Improvement
As a long-time fan of the Professor Layton series, I was interested in the newest (at the time of the writing) installment, albeit a bit uneasy about the change in direction. The end product wasn't quite up to the level I'd come to expect from the series, but stil an enjoyable puzzle game in its own right.
The game stars Professor Layton's daughter, Katrielle, as she searches for her missing father. Unfortunately, Katrielle doesn't make any significant progress on her search, and instead spends much of the game solving mysteries for various clients, including some of London's wealthiest and most powerful individuals, the Seven Dragons.
Unlike other entries, in which there is an overarching story with a central mystery to solve, there are twelve individual cases, often Katrielle doing detective work to solve a minor crime such as a theft. Each case is mostly self-contained and seldom has consequences for the narrative as a whole, save for introducing new characters. Most of the mysteries can be fairly easy to solve once you have all the evidence, and perhaps even before then. Despite this, the individual mysteries are often fun, and well-suited to being played in relatively short sessions.
The puzzles, for the most part, are significantly easier than those of the rest of the series. It's possible that this is a deliberate choice to not make the game too difficult for newcomers, but series veterans may find it disappointingly easy. That said, the puzzles are fairly diverse, and some puzzles can be especially challenging.
As usual, there are a few minigames with levels that unlock as you complete puzzles. These can be fun diversions, and unlock new puzzles once completed, but they can involve a fair amount of guesswork.
The game ends with an appropriately climactic final case (albeit one that could have been built up earlier and given a bit more foreshadowing), and the promise of a sequel that will hopefully show Katrielle's search for her father. Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy is one of the weaker entries in the franchise, but it still delivers much of what long-time fan expect, and I'm personally hopeful that any sequel will improve upon the first game.