The series of puzzle titles starring the iconic Professor Layton has always been one of the peaks among the exclusives Nintendo. The Japanese software house Level 5 she has always managed to create works with very interesting stories, puzzles up to the level of the players and magnificent characters, combined with dubbing and lyrics out of the ordinary. The saga was born with its first chapter "The Land of Mysteries" for Nintendo DS, in the now distant 2007, and with its sequels it also conquered the Nintendo 3DS market (and obviously 2DS).
The main series, however, ended in stalemate in 2013, with the last chapter "The legacy of the Aslant", until Nintendo allowed Level 5 to evolve its brand. It was there that carried this burden Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot, which came out in 2017 on IOS and Android, with the aim of keeping the soul of the Prof. Layton. This chapter was rather appreciated by the community, but it brought with it the flaws of any mobile game, which it kept even when a new edition for Nintendo 3DS was created.
In 2018 the first two chapters of the saga were also published on mobile, but the series has finally managed to land on the newcomer to the market, Nintendo Switch. Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot Deluxe Edition it will be released on November 8 in a revised and corrected version for the hybrid console. We had the opportunity to preview the work, and we are here to tell you about it.
Katrielle and the Layton Detective Agency
It is precisely to introduce us to this story for the latest generation of consoles Katrielle, the daughter of the beloved Professor Layton. The opening of her private investigation agency in London has finally come, and we will soon discover that our protagonist has a long-standing talent on her side and a series of cases already solved. Not even the time to correctly fix the sign that the first customer peeps out asking for the services offered, in an ambiguous way to say the least. The girl is not in the least surprised by the situation, but the one calling her while she is busy is ... a talking dog, who does not remember anything about what happened to him and wants to get help with it. First of all, however, the player is asked the first puzzle, because the animal wishes to test the skills of the detective.
Katrielle does not hesitate in the least before accepting the case, and since the mastiff does not remember his name, he renames it in Sherl honoring the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. There is also room to present Ben Greegy, an assistant with very little dignity, who does everything to be the protagonist's doormat in every situation. As the investigation is about to begin, and the dog provides the first details on the case, theInspector Faslong irreverently bursts into the office, instantly breaking the quiet.
He needs help with a case and is trusting Katrielle to solve it, but instead of uttering further words he decides to escort the girl to the desired place. A Big Ben hand was stolen overnight, no one knows where to start and the one who solves all the cases is apparently the only one who can find the way to the solution. The aggravating circumstance is also an impending visit from an important ambassador, who will surely see what happened, since it was decided to give him a model of the famous London monument. The girl willingly accepts the case, pointing out without too many words that the problem is Sherl will be put on hold.
However, what we have just described is only the beginning of one of the many cases present in the game. In previous chapters we have been accustomed to one great mystery, but the mobile game formula has decided to adopt this ploy. We will not tell you the number of puzzles and total cases to avoid spoilers, but we can guarantee you that to finish the game it takes even more than 20 hours, again depending on how you play and the speed of solving the puzzles. We will also list the various secondary contents, which make the work really substantial.
We can limit ourselves to saying that both this and many other cases are rather forced in the events, and that the whole plot is not particularly linked by a common thread. The mysterious disappearance of the Prof. Layton it is certainly a recurring theme, but unfortunately the narrative sector cannot be promoted with flying colors. Although the narrative is configured as excellent on a mobile game, we find ourselves in front of a title released on Nintendo Switch, which has to deal with very majestic works, as well as with its predecessors (titles that unfortunately far exceed Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot Deluxe Edition in the narrative.)
What would Layton be without puzzles?
Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot Deluxe Edition is on balance a main chapter of the saga, which could soon see a successor on the market. A work that bears the name of cannot be missing Layton in the title and that it does not present many puzzles, fortunately the game in question is absolutely no less. The gameplay of the cases is obviously guided as in all the other episodes, but to test the player there are the classic puzzles of the saga. These shine in this specific chapter more than ever, always showing themselves quite varied and fun, as well as frequently really complex. You will often need to have patience and some brilliant intuition, and you need to remember that the type of experience is obviously not suitable for everyone.
As a reward for each correct solution, i picarates, a virtual currency that allows you to unlock an important file at the end of the game. This is all the more shocking the greater the number of picarats achieved, and we obviously don't want to tell you anything else about it except this, which is reported at the beginning of the adventure. The gameplay mechanics do not end there however, since the saga has evolved positively from this point of view.
The scenarios are in fact full of useful objects, from the help coins indispensable to get to the solution of the most complex puzzles, to fashion tokens. Inside Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot it is in fact possible to choose different dresses for the protagonist and for the hound Sherl, not bulky and really pleasant feature. In this Deluxe version this novelty is already present without further paid content, since all the DLCs are already unlocked and free from the beginning of the adventure. The interaction with the environment is really at an all-time high for the series, with objects that can be explored, magnifying glasses, resources and various curiosities. The added rapid movement was also really comfortable and interesting, to eliminate the annoying and long walks that made backtracking unpleasant in some cases.
A London full of content
Opening the magical suitcase of Katrielle it is possible to find yourself in front of a real world. It is not just case notes, notebooks, and material for repeating the puzzles already worked out. In fact, you can also take a look at the parallel secondary stories, which, although not amazing, are all good or bad all interesting. You can access the three available mini-games, which for their part seem created to be time eaters, since in the blink of an eye they capture the player without letting go. Whether it is to satisfy demanding customers, to take them for a walk Sherl, or to run a shop, entertainment is guaranteed. The aforementioned wardrobe also brings with it new contents, as it guarantees a new special enigma for every single dress purchased.
It may seem strange but Katrielle's bag contains something not negligible: the online sector! Everyday Nintendo undertakes to add a new downloadable puzzle, which can be saved and kept in a special archive inside the console. You can keep up to 365 puzzles, in addition to the 18 that are already present for all players. The time spent in the online sector rewards with special points that we can spend in the museum of Prof. Layton, which guarantees interesting memorabilia.
There are also several other ways to detach from the main plot, all well done although certainly accessories and not essential. When desired, also thanks to the very useful quick movement, it is always good to go back to the detective agency's office to change its aesthetic look. From the wallpaper to the aforementioned relics that rediscover the history of Prof. Layton, everything is customizable and can be embellished. Among the various cases that make up the narrative sector there is therefore always something to pull the plug, a completely optional and pleasant feature. In short, those who want can concentrate on the plot and those who prefer to enjoy content that vary the usual gameplay is always free to do so, but without obligation!
Katrielle's adventure has its roots on mobile
Unfortunately, it is not easy while playing to forget the origins of the title, which do not belong to an always flattering market. These are in fact always ready to peep if you notice them, even if the team has shown themselves particularly talented in hiding them. Although the gameplay is varied and enjoyable, even more than some of the other chapters from a certain point of view, the story suffers from serious shortcomings. In fact, the aura of mystery that has always characterized the saga disappears Prof. Layton, which makes room for an almost always carefree and pleasant air. It is not necessarily a defect, but the setting that should remember the adventures already experienced for some time fails in its intent, not showing itself at least annoying.
The narrative sector itself divided into many small cases is not up to par with its predecessors, who crush it heavily. As interesting as all the stories they tell are, it is not easy to make a comparison. Many storylines are rather forced, starting with the first, and none are really the touch of class that pushes the player to go on in the adventure for extreme curiosity. Self Level 5 he will want to continue the series he would do better to make the narrative sector more conservative, keeping the interesting additions of the gameplay that he managed to bring.
The reinterpretation of the work on the console is however promoted with flying colors, because all these unflattering aspects have been cleverly hidden. If you don't think about the magnificent stories that the series has been able to tell, this chapter excels particularly. Although the use of the narrative sector is not the best, it does not even appear annoying and sometimes manages to intrigue.
A work of art to look at and listen to
The porting took place with Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot Deluxe Edition it is really of the highest quality. The graphics are obviously not jaw-breakers, but despite being born on mobile, they can easily hold their own against this generation. The whole visual impact is highly conditioned by the developer Level 5, which has its indistinguishable touch linked to models, lighting and settings. The talented guys from A1 Pictures, who did an equally splendid job.
In addition to watching and playing, however, the work is a real wonder to listen to. The soundtrack is in fact composed of 40 magnificent songs, one more beautiful than the other, which are used masterfully in every context in which they are present. Despite what has just been said, however, listening to the songs outside the game is still a pleasure given their excellent quality to say the least.
Play where you want, when you want, how you want!
Finding ourselves in front of a port, we cannot fail to mention the minimal care present for the technical sector. The 30 frames of the game are more than acceptable and there are never drops in framerate or bugs, as every game published by tradition dictates. Nintendo. But what managed to surprise us is how they were optimally integrated many functions of the hybrid console.
Il touch it is in fact fully usable, just as if you were still on mobile, and therefore offers an additional convenience to play in portable mode with the joy-con attached. By detaching the latter you can hold down a back button, it does not matter which of the two controllers you want to use, and a movable cursor can be obtained. This specific feature that Nintendo Switch allows immediately takes you back to the days of Nintendo Wii, and it was truly a godsend to enjoy the experience. So whether you play at your station or on the go, the experience is still excellent and makes the most of all the functions offered by the new Nintendo branded console ... or almost.
The dock mode in fact flaws on the graphic level, does not transform the game making it unpleasant fortunately, but it does not fully render him the justice he deserves. The function of the manual controls is still applicable and perhaps manages to give the best if you are using a television. The fact remains that the lack of power of the console and the idea of a game designed for portability, did not entice Level 5 to invest a lot of resources for the improvement of the docked mode.
It should also be noted that Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot Deluxe Edition still uses a non-automatic saving system, to say the least obsolete. This characterizes all the chapters of the saga but it may be time to rejuvenate it. Playing around with the anxiety of not having saved and being able to lose everything is pretty frustrating, and it would take very little to fix this problem.
A port to buy or to leave on the shelf?
If you have already played and finished Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire Plot Deluxe Edition this port is probably not the best buy for you. From the Nintendo Switch version it is possible to obtain improved graphics and new methods of use, as well as small new contents. The fact remains that if the experience was not for you, precisely because you used a smartphone or a 3ds, this is the right time to try again.
For anyone who wants to approach the series or has not yet played this last chapter, we can only recommend this deluxe edition. It is a beautifully packaged product, which is almost perfect on the technical side and which lets itself be played in every way and place. However, it is not a work for everyone given its quite niche and rather authorial genre Level 5.
