User blog:Sunshineandravioli/Stuff Sunshine Likes, Issue V



Review of: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Media: Video game

Systems: Nintendo DS

Developer: Level-5 / Nintendo

Released: 2007 (Japan) / 2008 (North America)

I am a dork. This is a fact. I am not unwilling to admit to it (constantly). But why is it I’ve recognized it on this particular occasion? Well… it’s because I actually just went back and replayed Professor Layton and the Curious Village, the first entry in the original Professor Layton trilogy. Why? Er… ‘cause I was facing puzzle withdrawal thanks to the still long-off release date of the new game (with an even longer wait once I beat that one, as game six hasn’t even seen a release in Japan yet, and the Layton games can sometimes take years before they’re localized!), I was feeling kind of nostalgic, and I beat all the entries to the Ace Attorney series so I had no new DS games to play. So sue me.

I’ll admit, it feels kind of weird going back to the beginning after having played through all the later games. Features I’ve grown used to haven’t been implemented yet. Voice acting was much, much more limited. Character designs were humorously, bizarrely exaggerated. Going through the whole experience a second time with that knowledge of what was to come in the future of the series was kind of disorienting, but it allowed me to view the whole game from a different perspective and appreciate how much the series has grown.

To sum up, Curious Village is a good game both times around. It pales a bit in comparison to its successors, yes, but it’s still a great start to an excellent series. And now, in this fifth issue of “Stuff Sunshine Likes”, I will tell you why. (Be warned that SPOILERS may follow, though I’ve done my best to avoid any major ones.)

First off, there are a few things the Professor Layton series does that makes it stand out among similar games, most of which were first used in Curious Village. First of all, while the grand majority of the game is a (surprisingly effective) mix of puzzles and point-and-click adventuring, Curious Village also features something most games of this genre don’t: a pretty sweet, cohesive story. In fact, the Layton series’ ability to combine puzzles with characters and a plot is surpassed perhaps only by games of Portal’s caliber. On the topic of characters, Layton’s are noteworthy for the puzzle genre in that Level-5 strives to make even the most disposable background character unique and memorable, rather than merely a half-baked decoration for solving puzzles. Perhaps the series’ greatest claim to fame, however, is in its cutscenes – the games feature lovely 2-D, fully animated, gloriously voice-acted cutscenes with an enchanting, whimsical style that looks like anime’s European cousin. They’re a joy to watch and they make you wish there were more of them; thankfully, as the series progresses, each game adds more and more, up to the point that Level-5 recently used that wonderful style and made a full-length Professor Layton movie (which I also intend on reviewing at a later date).

Now, by this point you all know that I can’t very well write a video game review without bringing up the game’s voice acting. The stars of the Layton series, and especially Curious Village, are Mr. Christopher Robin Miller (voice of the titular Professor) and Ms. Lani Minella (voice of “sidekick” Luke Triton). Much like Ellen McLain in Portal, Miller and Minella carry the brunt of Curious Village’s voice work solely on their capable shoulders; even with Layton and Luke taking up 90% of the voice-acted dialogue, the actors also take on the roles of all the rest of the (admittedly few) speaking characters, Minella playing all the women and Miller all the men, with the two splitting the work of the occasional “umm?” and “hmm…” type vocalizations that are heard in the background of some cutscenes. They do a remarkable job – Ms. Minella’s characters all sound so drastically different that it’s hard to believe they’re voiced by the same person (by that token, I recently learned while doing research for this review that Ms. Minella is famed in the voice-actor business for her ability to do voices in three different octaves and mimic nearly anything she hears… and I also learned that, prior to discovering this series, I knew her best as the original voice of Rouge the Bat O-O”); and Mr. Miller’s two men sound completely unlike the richly-toned Layton (albeit they do sound similar to each other, though in Miller’s defense this is partially because both characters are gruff Englishmen who spend the majority of their time shouting at people). My only complaint is that Minella does far better playing the wonderfully energetic young’un Luke than she does the women, where it’s much harder to detect any inflection of emotion in their voices – strange, considering Luke comes across so warm, lovable and convincing. (And yes, I know I will be lambasted for this comment by the many for whom Luke’s voice comes across as painfully grating. My opinion still stands.)

Let’s get into the specifics of this particular entry now, starting with the story. Curious Village contains a relatively simple plot (though not without some fun, mind-boggling twists that will make you stop and go “wait, what??”), especially in comparison to the storylines of its successors. I personally ascribe this to the fact that the game is essentially an experiment, a test to see if the puzzle/adventure-game-with-an-actual-story-and-characters gameplay would work – the ultimate success of which allowed them to create bolder, more elaborate and ambitious storylines in future entries. The game begins with a nice little introduction scene that serves to relate to us the identities and personalities of our two heroes: Professor Hershel Layton, a gentlemanly and intuitive archaeology professor who dabbles as a Holmes-esque amateur detective (he insists several times throughout the game that he’s “no detective” to parties that mistakenly believe otherwise, a tendency that I personally think would have been fun to use as a running gag throughout the series – maybe he just gave up trying to explain that to people…?); and Luke Triton, his bright and headstrong young (self-proclaimed) apprentice.

We’re also given a bit of background on the mystery that will carry forth the rest of the game, serving as the main underlying goal among several interrelated threads that emerge as you advance. As this introductory scene reveals, the professor has recently received a letter asking him to help settle an “inheritance dispute” that appears to be much more. A Baron Augustus Reinhold has recently passed away in a tiny, remote village known as St. Mystere (yeah, I know, real subtle), and his will states that whoever finds the “golden apple” hidden in the village will inherit his fortune. No one has ever heard of such an item before the reading of his will, however, and searches of the village have turned up nothing. Thus, Layton and Luke’s main quest throughout the game is to unravel the mystery of this “golden apple”. (Another nice story-related feature I feel I should note: just in case you’re one of those people who goes long periods of time between instances of playing a game, or forgets where, exactly, they last were in the story, Curious Village and subsequent Layton games reiterate the last major event in the plot whenever you load a save file. As someone whose busy schedule sometimes means I can go days or even weeks between my last save and playing a game again, I find this reminder quite nice, plus it features some stills of the game’s ever-lovely artwork.)

After this expository scene, the player is introduced to the puzzle system with a simplistic example, making this a perfect time me for discuss this aspect of the game. The puzzles make full utilization of the DS’s trademark dual screens, displaying the instructions for the puzzle on the top screen and on the bottom, an interactive screen that varies depending on the type of puzzle you’ve encountered. Some puzzles will have you tap or circle what you believe to be the answer, some will have you trace or outline something, some give you space to write out notes while you figure out the answer with a button that leads you to a separate screen to input the answer, some have you move or otherwise interact with objects onscreen… the wide variety of puzzles, and the way the game adapts to each, is excellent and fun. Players have an infinite amount of time to answer puzzles, and for the majority of them have the option to quit and come back to them later (with the exception of a few puzzles necessary to complete to advance the story), and if you get really stuck, you can always ask for a hint – each puzzle has three hints to help players out if they need it. There is, of course, a catch: you have to spend one hint coin, a collectible item found in limited amounts in the environment (more on this later) for each hint. If you run out of hint coins, then you can’t get any hints, so players are urged to use their supply wisely.

Ultimately the puzzle system works well on all accounts; however, the lack of space to do out written work on many puzzles (as some require math or other written work to help one get to the answer, and it’s not always possible or practical to go find paper and a pen to solve a puzzle) can be frustrating, as is the fact that when space is provided to do out work, nothing can be erased unless the entire screen is wiped clear. A select few of the puzzles themselves are also a little bit annoying, with some worded in confusing or misleading ways, one or two having answers that I thought seemed incorrect, and a few seeming unclear as to what time period the series is supposed to be taking place in (the setting depicts dated technology like gramophones and blocky rabbit-eared “tellies” that imply it takes place somewhat in the past, yet there are puzzles that make mention of digital clocks and texting, to confusing effect). Nevertheless, the system as a whole works great, and the few minor quibbles are improved upon in successive entries, to Level-5’s immense credit – after all, wouldn’t most video game companies nowadays just overlook the flaws so long as the game kept selling?

The next thing the player is taught to do is how to explore and interact with the game environment. This system works pretty much identically to the point-and-click adventure games a great deal of us played in our childhoods; you are given a more-or-less static environment and tap random interesting-looking things to see what happens. Curious Village and its subsequent sequels smartly use this simple exploration system to integrate the game’s many different features – solving puzzles, searching for clues, talking with NPCs, finding collectibles, moving about town, et cetera. Tapping an icon in the corner of the screen allows the player to move between several different parts of the village and buildings within, bringing up arrows illustrating what directions have available areas and allowing one to go to the area immediately next to the current one in the direction the player chooses. Each area contains several interactive elements, namely the environment itself, where tapping certain areas can yield hidden puzzles or hint coins. The environment also contains occasional clues to help the players in solving the various mysteries they encounter, and of course a wide variety of NPCs to strike up conversations with. Let it be noted that the environments themselves are absolutely gorgeous; Professor Layton is a series of lush and detailed backgrounds, created with what I can assume is some form or another of digital painting. Aspiring artists, you would do well to study the environments (and other artwork – I love any in-game artwork that focuses on the characters’ hands, for some reason – though especially the backgrounds) featured in the series.

Now let me discuss those NPCs. As I stated earlier, this series is one where not even the most throwaway of background characters goes without at the very least a noteworthy character design, a distinct character trait, a well-thought-out personality, and a profile in the bonus features to flesh them out even more (I’ll go into this more later). Now I will admit Curious Village’s townsfolk are a little more one-note than those that appear in the sequels, but again, that’s to be expected with a series that develops as well as this one. What these villagers do have going for them are gloriously memorable, over-the-top exaggerated character designs: sagging old men, giggling toothpick-limbed teenage girls, a plump angry man who spends the whole game red-faced and waving his fist in the air, a lanky and angular purple-lipped butler, and a general disregard for proportions of any kind. Yes, some of them are so unimaginably ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh/cringe (depending on who you are), but that still makes them all the more memorable, and the similarly extreme personalities many have to match only helps. Notably, the game introduces three minor characters that make recurring appearances throughout the rest of the series: Granny Riddleton, an oddball old lady in a witch’s costume who keeps track of puzzles that become inaccessible as the game progresses; Stachenscarfen (Stachen for short), a distinctly creepy stout man with a scarf and very suspicious-looking mustache; and Pavel, a favorite of mine, a painfully inept explorer who always appears without explanation in impossible places, speaking a nonsensical mix of languages and wondering how on earth he’s gotten so far off-course on his quest to Asia or Egypt or wherever. Overall, they and the many similarly wacky NPCs serve to make the game a significant amount more fun.

Now, let’s see… we’ve covered the fact that Curious Village has a good plot, fun and well-developed characters, and good systems for both puzzles and environment exploration. What else is there to cover? Hmm… how about mini-games? Because this game has them, and some rather fun ones at that – in particular, Curious Village features three different mini-games that the player can access at any time through the in-game menu (“The Professor’s Trunk”, represented by an icon in the corner of the screen that the player can tap to pull up). To complete each game, one must gather items for use in each one by completing the puzzles found throughout the main game, some of which will reward the player with one of these various items.

The first mini-game requires the player to collect items known as “gizmos” (basically bits and pieces of broken machinery) and reassemble them to create a mechanical dog. Once completed, the player gets to name their new companion, who will then help out the player by pointing out locations of undiscovered hint coins and hidden puzzles during environment exploration. The second, the “inn” mini-game, where the player arranges furniture in Luke and Layton’s rooms at the local inn, the object being to do so in a way that makes both parties completely satisfied with their rooms. Finally, there is the “portrait” mini-game, which serves as a simple jigsaw puzzle, using recovered pieces of a torn-apart painting as the puzzle pieces. Though simple, all three are fun little distractions from the more complex puzzles and adventures the main game eventually presents, and the inn mini-game in particular remains a personal favorite of mine. The other two are perhaps a little too easy, though – the “gizmo” game only requires the player to tap a piece, which will automatically put it in its place, and as stated, the “portrait” game is merely a simple jigsaw puzzle. Thankfully, Level-5 adjusts this in subsequent entries as well, making future mini-games different and often more challenging.

Oh yeah, something I neglected to mention about those mini-games! Upon completing each one, the player unlocks three additional “bonus puzzles” for each game, for a total of nine extra puzzles. These puzzles are found in a little area known as the bonus section, available from the main menu as a source of great additional fun even after the main story is over. The bonus section features four options for the player to choose from: Weekly Puzzles, where Nintendo Wi-Fi can be utilized to download a total of 52 extra puzzles (or one new puzzle every week for a year, if you do the math); Puzzle Index, where puzzles completed during the game can be replayed (this option is also available in-game through the Professor’s Trunk); Layton’s Challenges, where the aforementioned mini-game rewards of bonus puzzles can be found, along with three bonus puzzles for completing the main story and three for solving every other puzzle in the game (with the exception of the weekly puzzles); and Top Secret, the main draw of the bonus features.

“Top Secret” contains a plethora of very special bonus features that are a reward for solving puzzles in the main game. See, every puzzle one solves has a certain value in “picarats”, and upon solving the puzzle successfully, these picarats are added to the player’s total score. By earning enough picarats (and don’t worry – even if you get the absolute minimum of picarats on every puzzle, so long as you ultimately solve all the game’s puzzles, you’ll still have enough), one by one access is granted to five bonus features. The first, profiles, which contains a short character profile for each and every character in the game (and a couple of animals and vehicles); second, art, a collection of nearly all the still artwork featured during the game; third, music, featuring the entire soundtrack from the game (and most of it is really quite nice, working effectively as pleasant background noise); fourth, voice, featuring clips of Miller and Minella’s lovely voice work from the game (namely their conversation from the introductory scene); and finally, movies, featuring all of the absolutely wonderful cutscenes from the game. The top secret section also features “the Hidden Door”, an ingenious little creation by Level-5. Here, players are prompted to input a code from the game’s sequel to unlock a special treat, and are given another code for the sequel to unlock another goodie there. It’s a great way for Level-5 to subtly encourage players to invest in the whole series, and I can assure you it’s worth it to go back to the prequel with the code if you do end up purchasing game #2: the reward for inputting the code in Curious Village is a collection of concept art, which is great fun to look at, though I wish there was more included.

So let me reiterate: what does Curious Village have going for it? Good gameplay mechanics, fun but challenging puzzles, well-rounded and interesting characters, a surprisingly effective plotline, and a glorious plethora of bonus features – not to mention promise of even greater fun in future entries to the series. Though comparatively the game is not the best of its series, this should be true of a video game series, or at least a good one; future entries should improve on its predecessors to the point that the first entry ultimately seems dated, something Layton achieves over the great many series where the first game is a hit and future entries subsequently pale by comparison. It’s because of this that Curious Village holds up so well and is ultimately such a good game – yes, it’s great fun on its own, but the fact that it serves as such an excellent base for what became an absolutely incredible series turns it into something truly worth applauding. Play Curious Village on its own if you’re looking for an entertaining little game that’ll challenge your intellect as well. Play it with its sequels on hand for later if you want one of the best puzzle-with-a-story experiences you could ask for. Either way, seriously, if you have any interest in puzzle games whatsoever – play it. And if you need any more convincing, just come back next issue; I’ll be reviewing the next entry in the series, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, to further prove my claims.

Overall Score: 8/10

The Good Points, in Sum: A fun, cohesive plot usually not seen in puzzle games, a good learning curve for gameplay and puzzles, good game mechanics, intriguing mysteries, well-rounded yet memorable and wacky characters, excellent voice-acting from the main characters, fun but challenging puzzles, beautiful environments, charming animated cutscenes, a good soundtrack, a plethora of bonus features, start of an incredible series

The Bad Points, in Sum: Mysteries solve themselves for the most part, some puzzles can be overly challenging and subsequently frustrating, certain mechanics could be improved upon, most mini-games are too simple, secondary characters’ voices are not as good as the protagonists’

Recommended for: Puzzle aficionados, DS game fans, animation lovers, fans of British people/things, mystery lovers, anyone who likes a fun story, artists, writers, casual gamers, fans of later Professor Layton games wanting to catch up, those who like older games rather than brand-new releases, fans of Steampunk/Victorian style stuff

Consider Before Playing…: Curious Village, and the Layton series as a whole, are found only on Nintendo DS, so you’re out of luck if you don’t have one… unless you’re one of those people who doesn’t have qualms about using an emulator, that is. If you don’t like puzzle games, you may want to avoid the series, as even though only a few puzzles are mandatory, to advance in the game various points require players to solve a certain amount of puzzles. This has never been a problem for me, as I usually solve puzzles right as I find them and hit the required number long before I hit the checkpoint, but if you know you’d be the type to skip every puzzle you’re not absolutely required to solve, this might end up an issue with you. If you’re looking to purchase the game for the first game, you’d probably do best looking for it as a used game, where it’s more likely to be available and will probably be cheaper – after all, at this point it’s over four years old.