The Professor has returned and is ready to challenge your puzzling abilities. If you played through Professor Layton and the Curious Village, you will not be left disappointed with the story and additions made to the Diabolical Box.
Sporting improvements to the art style presented in the original, Diabolical Box is filled to the brim with animated cut scenes and voiceovers, all of which add to the realism of experiencing the mystery given off by the story. But that's not all that this sequel to the acclaimed original Layton brings to the table.
Depending on how quickly you can make your way through the puzzles, the story portion of the game can be in somewhere around 8-10 long—yet another marked improvement over its predecessor. It was easy to navigate through the game, as it tells you where to go next with a handy map of your area and a large "GO HERE" marker that keeps you from forgetting your destination. Even with all the help, the game did not become repetitive; its little surprises kept Diabolical Box fresh and captivating.
The number of puzzles in this sequel seems rather stunning. The box art claims over 150 new puzzles are included, yet after playing over 17 hours of Diabolical Box I still have not found them all. The story is densely packed with more puzzles than the original, as well as hidden puzzles on almost every screen. Outside of the game's story mode, there's also a smattering of mini-games for you to play at your own leisure, including assembling a camera, train a hamster, and concoct a selection of teas in order to help you find even more hidden puzzles. Furthermore, those hidden puzzles will then direct you to previously locked puzzles, and if that wasn't enough, collecting enough Picarats allows you to unlock options and more puzzles in the bonus section of the game. You won't run out of puzzles in Diabolical Box any time soon.
Layton seemed to be disappointed with how easily we all got through Curious Village, so he's increased the level of difficulty of puzzles and added challenges worth up to 99 Picarats. I found getting second opinions on some of the puzzles invaluable for getting as many Picarats as possible, as wrong answers will decrease the number of Picarats you'll earn for a successful solve. You still get three hints to help out, but it's not wise not count on them every time; there were quite a few times where the hints told me what I already knew and were not helpful at all... quite diabolical if I do say so myself, Professor. Quite diabolical, indeed.
I've found the replay value of this installment to be quite high, as there is so much you are going to miss the first time through. When you finally complete the mini-games (I put them off without realizing how much they can help) you find out just how valuable the surprises you receive are. Diabolical Box even inspires you to replay Curious Village, not just for nostalgia's sake, but because this game also unlocks puzzles in the previous and next installment—that's right, there's another Professor Layton is in the works! In true James Bond fashion, the end credits reveal that the good Professor will return in Professor Layton: A Ticket to Time Travel.
Professor Layton has definitely made his much anticipated return and jumping into this newest edition feels like rejoining an old friend for a brand new adventure. With a third installment in the works, the Layton trilogy (and beyond?) is one of the best new franchises to hit the Nintendo platform in recent years. With weekly puzzles and downloadable content, you will be coming back again and again to reopen the Diabolical Box.
Professor Layton now boasts its own website where you can check out puzzles from the game, as well as the new puzzles for download. So pour some tea and sit down for a spell, you'll be here for a while.
Sporting improvements to the art style presented in the original, Diabolical Box is filled to the brim with animated cut scenes and voiceovers, all of which add to the realism of experiencing the mystery given off by the story. But that's not all that this sequel to the acclaimed original Layton brings to the table.
Depending on how quickly you can make your way through the puzzles, the story portion of the game can be in somewhere around 8-10 long—yet another marked improvement over its predecessor. It was easy to navigate through the game, as it tells you where to go next with a handy map of your area and a large "GO HERE" marker that keeps you from forgetting your destination. Even with all the help, the game did not become repetitive; its little surprises kept Diabolical Box fresh and captivating.
The Professor is no stranger to corporal punishment.
Layton seemed to be disappointed with how easily we all got through Curious Village, so he's increased the level of difficulty of puzzles and added challenges worth up to 99 Picarats. I found getting second opinions on some of the puzzles invaluable for getting as many Picarats as possible, as wrong answers will decrease the number of Picarats you'll earn for a successful solve. You still get three hints to help out, but it's not wise not count on them every time; there were quite a few times where the hints told me what I already knew and were not helpful at all... quite diabolical if I do say so myself, Professor. Quite diabolical, indeed.
Girl, you know we've been together such a long, long time.
Professor Layton has definitely made his much anticipated return and jumping into this newest edition feels like rejoining an old friend for a brand new adventure. With a third installment in the works, the Layton trilogy (and beyond?) is one of the best new franchises to hit the Nintendo platform in recent years. With weekly puzzles and downloadable content, you will be coming back again and again to reopen the Diabolical Box.
Professor Layton now boasts its own website where you can check out puzzles from the game, as well as the new puzzles for download. So pour some tea and sit down for a spell, you'll be here for a while.