Like each episode of Professor Layton, the story occupies a very important part in this heritage of the Aslantes and even if you land for the first time in this adventure, you will still be able to appreciate the adventure that awaits our investigator at the hat. This time Professor Layton is called to his famous colleague, Professor Sycamore, to solve an enigma that defies comprehension. This would have discovered the oldest "living" mummy in archaeological history. Logic all found in this part of the supernatural, since the mummy is in fact a mysterious young girl, who is none other than the emissary of a very advanced ancient civilization: the Aslantes. The plot is completed by the troublemakers, a world organization called TARGET, whose objective is none other than to steal the powerful heritage that the Aslantes have decided to pass on to the most deserving. It is accompanied by his two assistants, the faithful Luke Triton and Emmy Altava, that our Hershel Layton embarks on board an airship: the Bostonius. The latter will be used for them to travel around the world to recover the 5 artefacts necessary for the revelation of the heritage.
Curious, Layton really?
The Level-5 studio has capitalized on the sure values that have made fans of the genre addicted. It was to be expected: in addition to a rather well-crafted scenario, a pleasant graphic and sound universe that lends itself to cocooning, one of the key ingredients is the pretext for the enigma at all costs. Thus, no less than 150 new puzzles are to be solved in the main quest. The violence here has a whole different measure since the members of Target will attack you with puzzles to slow you down. Nothing like a little challenge from a stranger, just to escape the scenario during a chase phase. The immersion is not the most complete, but we will forgive this small gap in context for a game that wants to be spiced with adventure, but which remains above all a point & click puzzle game. As for the level of difficulty, some puzzles may put off some, fortunately the use of SOS coins – easily recoverable – will give valuable clues to their resolution. Professor Layton and the Legacy of the Aslantes offers a successful version that makes the most of the graphics capabilities of the 3DS, without revolutionizing the license. Indeed, there are no great novelties in the game system.
In case the main puzzles of the game are not enough, know that you can quench your thirst with secondary puzzles to unlock by returning to levels of games already covered.
Point & click obliges, we go through all the tables in search of an interaction. The very effective ergonomics noted in the previous section has been reapplied. In observation mode, the upper screen is used as a backdrop and the magnifying glass is moved to the lower screen. This changes color or comes alive when interaction is possible (practical to avoid tapping frantically and unnecessarily everywhere): orange to chat with a character and advance the story, animate an element of the decor or find a room S.O.S.; blue for a zoom on part of the plan; and a little novelty: flashing when there is a collectible to retrieve. On the more visual side, we noticed a fairly well rendered 3D relief in Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles, the first of the Laytons released on 3DS. No surprise this time around, the stereoscopic 3D is as polished as ever and adds to the dynamism of cutscenes and transition games. Some nice little optimizations have been integrated such as animations based on the progress in solving puzzles.
Japanese puzzle
The player will also appreciate the few action-reflection passages that will punctuate the adventure between two cutscenes, in which it will be necessary for example to shoot certain types of bombs as quickly as possible. Slight deviation from its predecessor, the scenario is less linear. From the fourth chapter, the Bostonius allows you to choose the order in which you want to travel through 5 different countries in order to advance Professor Layton's quest. In case the main puzzles of the game are not enough, know that you can quench your thirst with secondary puzzles to unlock by returning to levels of games already covered. No less than 365 additional puzzles to download for free and 20 bonus puzzles automatically acquired. There are also 4 mini-games: Ready-to-wear, Enchanted Garden, Nuts and Hazelnuts, and Collectibles. Enough to ensure a very long lifespan and to enhance your evenings. Of course, mini-games will not necessarily arouse vocations among all players. For example, creating the ideal outfit for clients by combining clothes will clearly not be the cup of tea for all players...
