Reviews

It's going to be a busy 5 days for the good Professor and his (slightly effeminate) apprentice Luke this week . After Monday sees the DVD release of their movie, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, Friday marks the release of his third adventure for the Nintendo DS. At last, eager screen tappers will have the opportunity to solve hundreds more puzzles as they get to the bottom of another intriguing mystery.

Professor Layton and the Lost Future see the cerebral duo faced with a number of unusual quandaries on the streets of London. If the mysterious disappearance of the Prime Minister (following an experiment gone wrong) wasn't enough, they're also left baffled by the arrival of a letter that claims to be from Luke's future self. When a bizarre incident in a clock shop sees Layton and Luke transported forward in time ten years, yet more questions emerge that need answering. Questions such as where they are, how they can get back, and just why are people so scared of the Professor's hat?

As the story progresses, we begin to learn more about how the PM going missing helped to shape the future that the pair find themselves in, as well as meeting several familiar, albeit slightly older, faces and new friends. What ties all of this together is, as you should well know by now, a whole lot of puzzles (the box itself boasting of over 165). Covering such subjects as mathematics, code breaking, logic and movement amongst others, the answers will range from simple solutions to proper head-scratchers, and on many occasions you'll be staring a hole right through your console as you search for the clues that sometimes just don't seem to be there but in reality are staring you in the face.

As always, successfully solving a puzzle will earn you Picarats, which can be used to unlock the game's bonus puzzles. The amount you receive will decrease if you make an incorrect attempt at a puzzle, although there is a set minimum too. You can use hint coins (found throughout the game) to try and prevent missing out on the Picarats, or you can use the naughty tactic of saving before each puzzle, viewing the hints and figuring out the answers through trial and error, and then reloading your save file to get it right first time!

As has always been the case, if you're struggling with a puzzle, you can opt to walk away from it for a while (though in some cases, you will not be able to progress with the story until you get by them). Unsolved puzzles can be returned to at a later time, although you'll have to go to the location where they were originally found to play them, while those that any that you failed to find can either be found at their original spot or via Granny Riddleton or Beasley the Bee. Meanwhile, completed puzzles can be replayed at any time using the Puzzle Index in the Professor's Trunk.

The puzzles themselves generally tie in neatly with the story, often involving you helping out one of the NPCs with a dilemma or predicament in return for information that will help you on your quest. At the same time, you'll get some puzzles that are merely mild distractions, related to an item in the nearby area or merely devised by Layton to test his young apprentice.

When not attempting puzzles, you'll progress the story by using the touch screen to move between a series of locations. For the most part, you'll find yourself frantically tapping every inch of the screen in order find hint coins or hidden puzzles, before eventually tapping on the door, person or location that you need to in order to move things on. You'll revisit places at times, often with new people appearing or further routes out of there becoming available.

Rounding off the action are a trio of mini-games located in the Professor's Trunk (pause screen). Additional levels and items for these games are unlocked as you finish off the puzzles in the story, with further rewards given for fully completing them. Also in the Trunk, you'll be able to use the Professor's journal to view his thoughts on the story so far, as well as recapping the currently active and completed mysteries.

The animated cut-scenes between chapters are beautifully put together, with the voice acting as good as ever. Meanwhile, the text-based dialogue sequences (which themselves sometimes use a spot of audio too) are generally short and don't feel drawn out. That said, this is far from a short game, and you can expect to be spending many hours and going through a few charges before you get everything finished.

Perhaps the biggest problem that Layton faces is that, as the third of its kind, it's not exactly original any more. However, that doesn't make it any less interesting, and you'll find yourself glued to the screen for many an hour. Curiosity as to what the next puzzle will hold, or what's waiting for you around the next corner will see play sessions last far longer than expected, and when you finally resolve the mysteries and reach the game's conclusion, you'll be left hungry for more.

With that in mind, there's the added bonus of new puzzles to download weekly. Trouble is, the game still doesn't support standard internet security settings (even though the DSi has done for almost two years), leaving many players requiring the Nintendo WFC dongle to get their new puzzles. Still, at least it's a quicker process than having to learn Japanese to play Part 4!

For a Puzzle Guide click HERE.