I enjoy thinking games so when I was offered a chance to check out the recent brainteaser/puzzle title, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, I jumped at the chance. The second title in the Professor Layton series, this game takes players on a mystery adventure interspersed with many, many breainteasers, puzzles, and other sorts of deductive reasoning challenges. While the story element is linear and seems to play itself, the heart of the game are the many puzzles. There are enough here (over 150) to please even diehard puzzle fans and make for a pretty good game that can be powered through or worked through a bit at a time.

The game starts with players (as the Professor and his assistant) are led into a mystery surrounding an antique (and presumably very dangerous) box. Arriving at a friend’s establishment (who has conveniently been murdered), the professor and friends embark on an adventure trying to solve the mystery and track down the box. Using touch-screen controls players wander the storyline, touching various objects onscreen to move the story forward or spawn a quick brainteaser puzzle. The puzzles tend to be tacked on to the story (ie. you meet yet another man who just happens to be working on a tough puzzle and he’ll give you a story clue if you solve it for him) but as the puzzles are the meat of the game, it isn’t too bad. If you miss hidden puzzles as the story moves forward, there is a handy way to backtrack and access any missed ones so that you don’t have to be overly cautious about exploring every nook and cranny so as to not miss one. Hidden around the environment are coins (found by touching objects) which can be used to pay for hints whenever a particularly nasty puzzle rears its head. This is a great way to keep the puzzles within reach for less experienced players and still move the story forward.

The puzzles range from number puzzles, sequence puzzles, mazes, and placement puzzles so there should be something for everyone. A few of the puzzles can be frustrating if you are an out-of-the-box type thinker and can interpret some of the instructions in more than one way. This isn’t a game-stopper since the hint system can help clarify the question before answering. Each puzzle solved presents players with a reward of special coins that unlock bonuses. Solving a puzzle in the first try earns more coins than if you make a mistake or need several tries to get it right. Professor Layton is NOT a point and click adventure game, where you need to collect items and solve puzzles with what you’ve collected. However, it is a nice collection of brainteasers threaded loosely together with an overall story line. Whether you enjoy the story or find it just gets in the way of the puzzles, this is a title worth checking out for any fan of brainteasers.

Kid Factor: While the story does revolve around a murder, what happens onscreen is fairly tame. This isn’t a game for the very young, however as the puzzles often require a bit a reading to understand and they might be a pretty good challenge for most preteens. Young teens and older should be fine, perhaps with the aid of a few hint coins!

Tags: Game Reviews