Challenging puzzles, a mysterious story, and a wonderful atmosphere make this game a piece of art!
Game-Play = 9/10
This game mixes an adventure with solving puzzles. So the game-play can be divided into those two aspects.
The Adventure part;
The games' exploration is set in a 2D environment, and it is basically all about tapping the touch screen of the DS. You tap a "shoe mark" to move from one screen to another. You tap on persons appearing in the screen to have contact or a conversation with them. Also, you can tap on different areas to get "Hint Coins" or "Hidden Puzzles". Finally for this part, the adventure mechanics are simple and working impressively.
The Puzzles part;
Puzzles come in many different types in this game. They can be math problems, detectives work, arranging items, drawing, cutting pieces... etc. They are challenging but never frustrating! The fact that there is no time limit is very helpful, as you can take whatever time you want to think about every single puzzle. Also, there are "Hint Coins" that can give you up to three clues on how to approach every puzzle. So when ever you are stuck about something, use these coins to make things easier. But there is a downside here as not all hints are useful, some are simply aimless. Last thing about puzzles here, is that they get harder as the game goes on, but again not frustrating at all.
Bottom line, the game-play is very addictive and makes it really hard to put the game down!
Story = 8/10
The story begins when Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke decide to go to solve a mystery in a village called St. Mystere. They are called there to search for a special item called "The Golden Apple". As the game goes on, many mysteries will show up and make things even more interesting. I will stop here to avoid spoilers, but the story is very mysterious and interesting. Also, the main characters are very interesting and they will sure have their impacts on the player.
Graphics = 9/10
The graphics and colors are well drawn in this game, as they give a really great atmosphere in the game. There are also some FMV scenes! Which interpret the adventure in style.
Sounds and Music = 8/10
There are not much sound effects in the game, beside sliding or tapping. Nothing really impressive.
The music is very good, but after a while it becomes repetitive especially the puzzles theme. (Later on, this music will be stuck in your head :P)
But surprisingly, the FMV scenes are fully voice acted! This is something that you don't see in many DS games! A great addition here for real.
Lasting = 8/10
There are like 120 Puzzles in this game, but you won't find all of them in the first run. You will have to play again to figure where are they hidden.
Also, there are three mini games. One is about building a robot; in this game you will have to search for the robot parts throughout the village and then build it. The second is the painting; there is painting that have been cut, so go search for the parts and figure how to put them together. Finally, the hotel room; here you have to set two rooms; one for Professor Layton and one for Luke... search for furniture, see there interests, and set the room accordingly.
Also, there is the feature " Weekly Puzzles" though stopped now, but back when the game came out, there were free puzzles to download, one for every week. This is a very good way to keep you coming back for the game.
Overall = 8.5/10
In the End, the game offers a great challenge for your brain, a very mysterious adventure, dazzling atmosphere and very good cast of characters. It is also a good starting point for a future coming series. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is an adventure that every gentleman must take!
Goods:
+ A Good Variety of Puzzles and Brainteasers.
+ Mixes Solving Puzzles with a Very Interesting Story.
+ Challenging but Never Frustrating.
+ Great Graphics in Game and in Scenes.
+ Voice Acting is Surprisingly Good.
+ Good Features to Give the Game a Longer Life Time.
+ Great Cast of Characters.
Bads:
- Repetitive Music.
- Some Hints Are Not Good Enough.