Back in 2008, my favorite developer, Level-5, released "Professor Layton and the Curious Village". At the time, they had only JRPGs for Sony systems in their catalogue, so this was unexpected. Right from the very first minute, I fell in love with this series. Its mix of point and click adventuring and brain teasing puzzle games is still unlike anything out there. But, of course, it wouldn't have been special if it wasn't for the whimsical and touching stories and lovable characters. Over the years, the games have always been some of my favorites. Everything about them is impeccable, but you can always check my reviews for details.
I still stand by the fact that the original trilogy is one of the best in the history of entertainment. Each game expanded upon the previous one to remove any flaws and improve/add to the quality, culminating in the masterpiece that is "The Lost Future", my favorite overall videogame on its console.
The prequel trilogy and the "Eternal Diva" movie carried that level of quality into a more mythical direction, focusing on the archaeological discoveries that made the professor famous. Since we didn't see him do anything archaeology-related in the original trilogy, it was a great way to continue the series without having it repeat itself. It introduced new characters and revealed more about the pasts of old ones. When the second entry arrived for the 3DS, it brought some welcome gameplay variety, but the visuals were a bit on the unpolished side.
And now we arrive at the final game in the series, 5 years after it all started. Is it the grand finale we wanted? Let's take a look:
The Story:
The game takes place a few months after the last game, and as its title implies, it answers questions left open about the ancient civilization of the Azran, which was a big part of the previous game. Joining a fellow archaeologist that has found something that can help Azran research, the professor, his assistant Emmy, and his apprentice Luke set off on a journey around the world to find 5 Azran artefacts that can unlock their secrets. While "Miracle Mask" shook things up in the gameplay department, this game does it in the story structure. In the other 5 games, the story followed a very linear path despite the twists, but now the story follows a structure very similar to certain non-linear RPGs or Adventure games that have various subplots with a chronology that depends on the order you visit the various places. Eventually, you go back into a linear path towards the climax, which is the best since "Lost Future". The writers take full advantage of the fact that it's the last game to pull the heartstrings of fans with lines like "One last puzzle, for old time's sake" and subtle metaphors in the narrative. All the character arcs end with an incredibly satisfying payoff and the final revelations will leave fans blown away by how well crafted they are. The ending leaves us a very positive and satisfying message that really makes any fan feel warm inside. As expected, the game is full of references to the other 5 games, some obvious, some more subtle. The final after credits cutscene in particular is one of the best ideas the writers had, and its nostalgic meaning will leave long-time fans with a big grin on their faces.
Overall, it's a lovingly crafted conclusion. It's not the emotional powerhouse that "Lost Future" was, but you can tell that's not the point. It's a nostalgic, warm and very personal experience for fans. It's like Level-5 conceived this as a love letter to the fans.
10/10
The Gameplay:
Azran Legacy takes the gameplay from Miracle Mask and leaves it for the most part untouched. The variety of gameplay styles is gone, but the airship used to travel the world allows for more variety in the areas you explore, and this time there's a bigger focus on online features. You can collect objects in every area and use them to create puzzle challenges for friends to enjoy. Aside from that, it's the same formula of point and click adventuring and puzzle solving that the series perfected in Miracle Mask. The only weaker aspect is the minigames. They're not very interesting in comparison to the ones in previous games.
9.5/10
The Audio:
Tomohito Nishiura once again brings his immense talent to the table and gives us another brilliant soundtrack filled with warmth and whimsy. The voice acting is sublime, as always; every actor nails his/her performance and sells you on the humanity of characters.
10/10
The Graphics:
Miracle Mask looked quite good, but you could tell the artists were still figuring out how to translate the world of Layton from 2D to 3D. Character models didn't look as good as they should, and the backgrounds looked a bit mundane. Azran Legacy, however, is a whole different story. The new 3D character models are perfect replacements for the 2D sprites. They clearly took great care to make them look as good as they should have looked in the first place. They're also much better animated, full of subtle touches that further help make every character charming. The backgrounds also look amazing. At first they felt like 2D backgrounds, as I didn't think 3D environments could look this gorgeous on the 3DS. It's a shame Miracle Mask couldn't have this level of beauty.
As always, the animated FMVs look fantastic and are very well directed.
10/10
Final Grade: 10/10
And so we reach the end of this 5 year journey. Goodbye, Professor, it was a huge pleasure to solve puzzles with you, travel with you, laugh with you and cry with you. I will forever cherish all those memories for the rest of my life. Thank you.
Fortunately there is a second movie being made, so I know I will eventually be able to see you once again....Surely...Someday:
As for Akihiro Hino and all his staff that put their heart and soul into all these games, all I can do is bow, salute you and clap my hands. You are fantastic artists and you should be proud of what you accomplished here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for reading, see you next time ;)
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