This charming game appeals to puzzle freaks and newcomers to the genre alike.
However, they all aren't impossible to resolve. On my first playthrough it took me 16:32 hours to beat the game whereas I discovered 104 of these 120 puzzles and solved 102 of them. This is indeed pretty extensive for a handheld game that isn't an RPG. Needless to say that it is surprisingly great and a great addition to every collection of handheld gamers and people who enjoy puzzles alike.
The fact that Layton makes you think is what separates itself form many other games. No mindless shooting, no endless level grinding and no button mashing etc. I certainly like this feature ever since I played Advance Wars. But apart from being a game wanting you to use your brain the controls a fairly easy as everything can be performed via the stylus which makes it of course easy to learn and everyone can start the game without problems. So I for example borrowed my DS including Professor Layton and the Curious Village to a friend who switched the DS on and eventually played the game easily, though he almost never plays games.
Although I hate to depict the technical parts of a game here are some which deserve to be mentioned, namely the terrific voiceovers and the great cutscenes. The story revolves around characters who are very likable, but as they have voiceovers, it's all the better. The cutscenes reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki films to a certain extent, which is a big bonus and they get more towards the end of the game.
Frankly, Professor Layton and the Curious Village was no love on first sight. That it is basically one puzzle after another scared me initially, but it ultimately turned out to be one of my favorite DS games. To that I like games where I can save anytime because I often tend to make long gaming breaks. But rest assured, this is where another great feature comes into place which tells you "the story so far" and gives you the possibility to continue the game after laying it down for a long time. I eventually enjoyed Professor Layton very much and can recommend it to people who like puzzles and to newcomers to the mentioned genre alike.