Professor Layton has and will always be one of the more unique series of videogames that isn’t afraid to flaunt its style. A series built upon anime-style storytelling seasoned with an array of puzzles to pace the gameplay, Layton has remained one of the great modern series over the last 6 years. After six games in 6 years, we finally wave farewell to the Layton duo/trio in the final installment of the series, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy.
From its onset, Professor Layton has always been about build-up and surprise in the storyline. Each game pushes the player along with certain unknowns strewn throughout the storyline until an epic twist when the mysteries unravel. Though the series is sequential in storyline (six segments split into two separate trilogies), there hasn’t been a lot of carry-over from game to game aside from a few familiar faces here or there. This time around, however, the developers sensed that Layton needed to go out with a bang and thus over the progression of the previous two titles, this game not only pulls together events from The Last Specter and The Mask of Miracles but also acts as an in-between, bridging the gap between the two trilogies (after this game, the series continues on with the original game in the series, The Curious Village).
Like the previous title, The Azran Legacy begins very quickly, pulling in one of the major antagonists within the first hour of the game and putting our adventurers in a few different landscapes within the first three. One of the most noticeable improvements to this game is that it follows the same vastness of environments as The Miracle Mask but pushes our adventurers out of a controlled environment by introducing the airship Bostonius. From the beginning, Luke, Layton, and Emmy are travelling to the town of Froenborg, a snow-covered town housing a “living mummy.” Not soon after, the game takes flight again in a high speed air chase followed by the exploration of a tropical town. In all, the trio will visit 8 different locations along the way to solving the final mystery in the series, more akin in scope to the Uncharted series than it is to previous Layton titles (which is a nice change in pace).
The Azran Legacy’s ultimate story arc is slightly less predictable than previous two installments in the series and does feel more like that of the previous games. With a larger scope and sense of worldly impact at stake, the trio’s journey feels as important as ever in preventing a great power from falling into the hands of evil-doers. Expect cameos from both of the original games and a conclusion that ties up a lot of loose ends (mainly that of Emmy’s departure from the group).
In terms of puzzles, The Azran Legacy also seems to have a new sense of inspiration and difficulty to its gamut of puzzles. I found a few of the puzzles to rival the abstract nature of some of the more memorable puzzles in the series and this is certainly for the better. Ultimately, it’s amazing how many unique puzzles this series has seen without feeling a bit of staleness to the formula.
The asides are also great breaks from the main story, aside from the fairly trivial rinse and repeat formula of Dress Up, a game where you must choose outfits for a number of people based upon their requests and the individual stats of each piece of clothing (cute, trendy, formal, casual, glam). Dress Up reminded me of a similar version to the beauty contests in Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire but with less involvement and less drive to succeed.
The other two asides, however, fall in line with the other great mini games in the series. The typical helper mini game, Nutty Roller, involves pushing a series of rocks and a nut through a puzzle course in an attempt to land the nut inside the goal tent. Blooms and Shrooms, on the other hand, involves managing a flower garden by planting various flowers throughout the board, while trying to create energy by the plants to grow your various trees. Both of these are great strategy style minigames that help to provide a break from the main game.
When it’s all said and done, Professor Layton will be remembered as one of the greater takes on the puzzle genre that we’ve seen. This hybrid series that combines an anime adventure with traditional puzzles has found a way to take the typical puzzle outside of its usual medium and wrap it up nicely in a compelling, endearing storytelling format. The Azran Legacy takes the series out on a high note with its vast landscapes, overarching storyline, and strong puzzles amidst so many solved from the previous games. So cheers to the gentleman who stays classy throughout his performance and knows when it’s time to step down (at the top). You’ll certainly be missed Hershel Layton and we’ll be anticipating the next great creation by Level 5.
