Game Review: Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Rated by 5 members
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that while there is a mysterious death
during the game, it's not shown. This is a mystery game chock
full of logic puzzles. The puzzles range in difficulty, but
some require mathematical concepts usually introduced in about
7th grade, so we have set the age appropriateness at 12 and up.
Precocious kids may be able to tackle these puzzles at a
younger age. Additional puzzles can be downloaded using the
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. This is a game that makes using your
mind fun.
Families can talk about whether having a good mystery to solve helped to motivate you to tackle the tricky puzzles. How many of these puzzles had you seen before? Were you glad you could get hints?
Common Sense Media Review
PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE combines a good
mystery story with a series of challenging brainteasers. To
crack the case, you have to solve the logic puzzles. The game
takes place in St. Mystere, a strange little village where all
the inhabitants love puzzles. Professor Layton, a renowned
puzzle-solver, and his apprentice arrive at the town to help
the family of the late Baron Reinhold. The Baron's will reveals
that before he died, he hid a great treasure somewhere in St.
Mystere. While interviewing the inhabitants for clues, one of
the family members dies mysteriously. Now there are two
mysteries to solve. The villagers are very willing to help you
if you will solve their favorite puzzle first. In all, there
are over 130 puzzles including such classics as the one where
you have three wolves and three chickens that need to cross
over a river on a raft. You have to figure out how to ferry
them across so that at no time do the wolves outnumber the
chickens.
While solving brainteasers may seem like a lot of work, it doesn't feel that way in this context. The professor encourages you and even lets you buy three hints per puzzle using coins you can find while hunting around the village. And since you are rewarded with a clue or other important information for solving puzzles, the mystery angle motivates you to keep tackling the puzzles.
Fascinating characters and outstanding graphics also contribute to this game's excellence. Professor Layton is a British chap who reminds you of Sherlock Holmes and his wide-eyed apprentice provides some comic relief because of his naiveté. The characters you meet in the village are all eccentric and fascinating. The game uses hand-drawn watercolor graphics and occasional fully voiced animations to create a whimsical style reminiscent of the animated film The Triplets of Belleville .
Other puzzle games worth checking out include: Zack & Wiki: Quest of Barbaros' Treasure for the Wii; and Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes a Day and Big Brain Academy for the DS. Families who like this game might also find My Word Coach worth exploring.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
