Professor Layton and the Curious Village

 DS
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 231 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 192 out of 231
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 231
  3. Negative: 7 out of 231
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  1. grandpajoe6191
    Nov 8, 2011
    8
    "Professor Layton and the Curious Village" is a engrossing adult and child DS game that will hold your attention for a long period of time with its brilliant puzzles and questions.
  2. gboukensha
    Jan 23, 2012
    9
    This adventure-puzzle game really surprised me and was in fact the reason why I bought a DS console in the first place. The majority of the puzzles are really fun and well-balanced, with only a couple of instances where the puzzle explanation is not very clear. The nice story, marvelous setting and fun characters (all of which supported by gorgeous graphics and nicely fitting music) doThis adventure-puzzle game really surprised me and was in fact the reason why I bought a DS console in the first place. The majority of the puzzles are really fun and well-balanced, with only a couple of instances where the puzzle explanation is not very clear. The nice story, marvelous setting and fun characters (all of which supported by gorgeous graphics and nicely fitting music) do their work also. What's incredible about this title is that it can attract people of all kinds and of all ages, and each of these categories will find their share of fun and challenge. If had to find a flaw in this game is the fact that most of the puzzles are completely unlinked to the plot, and above all the graphic styles used in the puzzles differ too much between them. It would have been nice to have a little more graphical coherence in this game, but apart this, the game should be played and finished by anyone possessing a DS.… Expand
  3. ChimC.
    Apr 6, 2008
    10
    This represents a very good game for all ages. Lots of puzzles. Great artwork. An enjoyable concept all around.
  4. sparriskrigaren
    Oct 23, 2011
    4
    I really can not understand how this game can get so good reviews. First of all, the story is very uninteresting so I found myself clicking it away just to get to the puzzles. Some of the puzzles are fun and creative, but it's not enough. Many puzzles are boring and uninventive and while some of them are very logical, some are not. But that's just a matter of taste and logic I guess, theI really can not understand how this game can get so good reviews. First of all, the story is very uninteresting so I found myself clicking it away just to get to the puzzles. Some of the puzzles are fun and creative, but it's not enough. Many puzzles are boring and uninventive and while some of them are very logical, some are not. But that's just a matter of taste and logic I guess, the biggest problem is that none of the puzzles are related to the story! This makes the gameplay very lame, it's basically a graphics novel with some random puzzles crammed into it without any kind of connection.

    Since the graphic novel isn't interesting or fun, it's utterly pointless so the only real fun in the game is the puzzles.. which isn't enough to keep me interested. Also, there is nothing that makes it worth playing this game on the DS, it would fit much better on a PC where you can click with your mouse. Pointless, boring.    … Expand
  5. Kozz
    Jul 23, 2015
    10
    一番おもしろくしたDSゲーム。子供も大人もみんな楽しめる良いゲームだと思います。後続作が続い出たらと思います。
  6. skads7
    Nov 8, 2019
    4
    De acuerdo que es el primer juego pero es malísimo y los puzles no son ni los mejores.

    Ah y bueno, este juego marca tendencia de la sida de guion que tienen estos juegos.
  7. NaytoE
    Jul 27, 2009
    2
    Half the questions aren't in correct english and don't make grammatical sense. It's impossible to solve a riddle when the a specific, valuble word have been replaced by a simular word that doesn't actually have the same definition. maybe if they'd checked to see if half the text made sense it would be good, as it stands, it's just a poor excuse of a puzzle Half the questions aren't in correct english and don't make grammatical sense. It's impossible to solve a riddle when the a specific, valuble word have been replaced by a simular word that doesn't actually have the same definition. maybe if they'd checked to see if half the text made sense it would be good, as it stands, it's just a poor excuse of a puzzle game. Also the art sucks if you're above 14 and not Female, I don't like looking like a kiddie fiddler in public thanks.… Expand
  8. AnonymousMC
    Sep 21, 2008
    0
    This game frickin sux i got it as a gift from a freind who told me it was fun and so i naturlly assumed it was a shooter, and i didnt even get to shoot anyone for like the first 15 minutes but their might be shootin but i got bored and sold it after the third 2nd puzzle. youd b better of with a good game, like the halo series
  9. MrSonicFan
    Aug 15, 2014
    4
    I really don't understand the love that this game gets whatsoever. The story is not interesting in the slightest. Which is one of the most important parts about the game. First off, it takes forever to start the quest that the main characters came to the village for. As the game drags it out with things such as finding cats. It's bothersome. I don't find the characters in the villageI really don't understand the love that this game gets whatsoever. The story is not interesting in the slightest. Which is one of the most important parts about the game. First off, it takes forever to start the quest that the main characters came to the village for. As the game drags it out with things such as finding cats. It's bothersome. I don't find the characters in the village memorable in the slightest, I find them very boring.

    To be honest the only reason I sat through was becuase I enjoyed the Phoenix Wright Vs. Layton game that released earlier this year. I enjoyed the puzzles in that game. But in this game I cannot stand the puzzles. Some of them are really tedious and bothersome.

    Graphicly the game is alright. The characters are decently animated and drawn and the backgrounds look nice. The animated cutscenes by japanese animation studio P.A Works, look decent enough. Though they have some very obvious and distracting looking 3D CGI in them.

    The games soundtrack is for the most part, in my opinion. Quite forgetable. With the only track I personally liked being the games main theme. The voice acting, on the other hand is pretty well done. Though I will say I can't stand Luke's actress in the american release of the game. Thankfully, I have the british release. in which Luke has pretty well done voice work.

    Overall, I don't understand how people like this game. With a uninteresting story with forgetable characters, some very tedious puzzles and for the most part a forgetable sountrack. I did not enjoy this game.

    OVERALL - 4/10    … Expand
  10. curzon_dax
    Jan 14, 2021
    8
    The game is fine with many good puzzles so it can not disappoint if you're looking for a puzzle game though it has 2 flaws that should be mentioned. First: some of the bonus puzzles can not be solved by a human without brute forcing or backtracking (e.g. the eight-queens puzzle which according to chess literature itself is in need of a computer program or heavy backtracking) which canThe game is fine with many good puzzles so it can not disappoint if you're looking for a puzzle game though it has 2 flaws that should be mentioned. First: some of the bonus puzzles can not be solved by a human without brute forcing or backtracking (e.g. the eight-queens puzzle which according to chess literature itself is in need of a computer program or heavy backtracking) which can become obnoxious though luckily the issue was minimal on the main questline so it doesn't take away much from the game. Second: the developer that wrote the text commenting on the puzzles after their correct solutions and sometimes even when giving hints was obviously not the one that created the puzzles and didn't understand many of the puzzles themselves because in several cases the text wasn't on-point at all (which is pretty obvious to players that have already solved the puzzles and understood them).… Expand
  11. ChristopherR
    Feb 27, 2008
    10
    Despite having obvious problems with the grander story (see: Game Informer), namely that the large mysteries are solved for you in a series of explanations as you near the end, the story-based mysteries seemed obvious to me and not at all intriguing. BUT I still enjoyed the game immensely and I look forward to its future iterations. I used to purchase puzzle books filled with exactly the Despite having obvious problems with the grander story (see: Game Informer), namely that the large mysteries are solved for you in a series of explanations as you near the end, the story-based mysteries seemed obvious to me and not at all intriguing. BUT I still enjoyed the game immensely and I look forward to its future iterations. I used to purchase puzzle books filled with exactly the same types of riddles and this felt so much more natural rather than ruining a puzzle you got wrong because when you read the answer in the back of the book you couldn't try to correct your mistake and re-solve it. Placing it into a video game format is simple and far better. The artwork and occasional cutscenes are what sold it for me, and turned what would have been a great game into a memorable game.… Expand
  12. Gina
    Aug 18, 2008
    10
    Great!!! I'm really sad that the weekly downloads have finished. Monday won't be the same. Can't wait for next release.
  13. Lev
    Aug 20, 2008
    9
    Very enjoyable, very fun game. I wish more games had this kind of more creative imagery instead of the generic anime look or the wanna be realistic fantasy stuff. And the thing I liked most were the animated cartoon cutscenes. God, how I wish that games would have hand/computer drawn 2d animation instead of most of the lame 3d cutscenes. I'm still not finished with this game since I Very enjoyable, very fun game. I wish more games had this kind of more creative imagery instead of the generic anime look or the wanna be realistic fantasy stuff. And the thing I liked most were the animated cartoon cutscenes. God, how I wish that games would have hand/computer drawn 2d animation instead of most of the lame 3d cutscenes. I'm still not finished with this game since I picked it up only recently, but it was really refreshing for me. The puzzles are challenging, yet not impossibly annoying, and there are many kinds of them. The music could be better but, hey, nothing is perfect. Already looking forward to the other two Professor Layton games.… Expand
  14. Level5IsAwesome
    Feb 12, 2008
    9
    Level 5 strikes gold again with a truly original and highly addictive title!
  15. [Anonymous]
    Mar 20, 2008
    10
    Wonderful adventure with great graphics(considering its a handheld) and a beautiful story. The puzzles can get a bit frustrating at times, but they kept me on my toes! I would definately recommend this to anyone that likes cute storylines with challenging puzzles along the way.
  16. ShawnF.
    Jun 5, 2008
    8
    Great puzzle game! Quite a few puzzles weren't that difficult or should have had multiple working answers. The story was lackluster (which was too bad since that was what originally got me interested in the game) but the overall experience was a nice change from other puzzle games.
  17. BlaineC.
    Feb 11, 2008
    9
    I've been looking forward to this game since I first heard about it, mostly because I like the DS's mystery offerings, sans one (I'm looking in your general direction, Touch Detective 1 and 2 1/2). I also grew up on a lot of the brain teasers in this game, so it was nice to see some classics and even some variations on classic teasers (like the "get the chickens and wolves I've been looking forward to this game since I first heard about it, mostly because I like the DS's mystery offerings, sans one (I'm looking in your general direction, Touch Detective 1 and 2 1/2). I also grew up on a lot of the brain teasers in this game, so it was nice to see some classics and even some variations on classic teasers (like the "get the chickens and wolves across the river" puzzle). I think my only complaint is that I've now solved about 70 puzzles and I'd like to get more into the story (and more of the great cutscenes), but it's now becoming a little tedious to talk to villagefolk for information, only to be offered a response of "If you solve my puzzle, I'll give you something juicy!" How about spacing out the puzzles a little more? But otherwise, after about 5 hours of gameplay, that's my only complaint, and it's not even a really big one. I hope to see more of Sherlock...er, I mean, Professor Layton.… Expand
  18. MiZuNo
    Feb 14, 2008
    10
    Not only a SUPERB compilation of puzzles with some equally stunning graphics and music, but a very original masterpiece of a storyline full of entertainment and elegance. It even gives you the chance to update the puzzle list weekly via WIFI. A must have.
  19. JustinB.
    Feb 27, 2008
    8
    This is a great puzzle game with a decent story attached to give it it's own, unique feel. The graphics are very stylish and creative, including both the in-game graphics and interwoven animated cut-scenes. The music tends to get a bit annoying as the same music seems to play through the majority of the game. I found myself turning the volume down on some puzzles because it was This is a great puzzle game with a decent story attached to give it it's own, unique feel. The graphics are very stylish and creative, including both the in-game graphics and interwoven animated cut-scenes. The music tends to get a bit annoying as the same music seems to play through the majority of the game. I found myself turning the volume down on some puzzles because it was affecting my ability to concentrate on the problem. The main part of the game--the puzzles--are challenging enough to keep you interested throughout and some are downright hard. Overall, I would recommend playing this game and I look forward to seeing the next game in the series released on this side of the Pacific as well.… Expand
  20. seungp
    Oct 11, 2009
    8
    Puzzle games with a full scale story like this game are a rarity in today's video game industry, however, for a handheld system it works well, and Layton is one of the best in its genre. Many people argue that there is little replay value to Layton because once you solve the puzzle, you know the answer, but I don't agree with this view because many of puzzles are intuitive and a Puzzle games with a full scale story like this game are a rarity in today's video game industry, however, for a handheld system it works well, and Layton is one of the best in its genre. Many people argue that there is little replay value to Layton because once you solve the puzzle, you know the answer, but I don't agree with this view because many of puzzles are intuitive and a month or two later you will have a hard time solving them again. The main problem is that there are too many puzzles that are plain bad and not worth my time to try to solve. I thought maybe 1/4 of the puzzles are total garbage. Maybe half were decent and the remainders were really great. Story is charming I suppose, but it's not anything remarkable, nor is the game design anything to clap for. You basically go around the village and touch every part of the screen with stylus repeatedly in hopes of finding more puzzles to solve. Then you solve the puzzle, and story progresses until you have solved something like 150 puzzles. (i forget exactly however) When you beat the game, you can access the bonus features, including more puzzles which is great because puzzles are the reason I bought the game. As far as the story goes, it tries to add elements of surprise and suspense, but I really couldn't care less because dialogues were so silly. Overall, however, I enjoyed playing this game, but I would have enjoyed it almost the same even if there was no story and just had a list of puzzles to solve.… Expand
  21. JasperP.
    Feb 13, 2008
    9
    Early days, but loving it so far. Very addictive and so charming!
  22. KrishanuR.
    Feb 16, 2008
    7
    This is quite a captivating game that makes going through and solving the the puzzles quite interesting. A major short comming however, is the difficulty of the puzzles. Whiles some of them are quite clever and will really make you think, others border on the absurdly infantile (not just difficulty, but the questions themselves), and while they might be suitable for an individual in This is quite a captivating game that makes going through and solving the the puzzles quite interesting. A major short comming however, is the difficulty of the puzzles. Whiles some of them are quite clever and will really make you think, others border on the absurdly infantile (not just difficulty, but the questions themselves), and while they might be suitable for an individual in Elementary school or below, they really do detract from the overall experience for anyone above that level.… Expand
  23. TobyO.
    Mar 12, 2008
    9
    A very charming, clever little game. Nice story ties together already-engaging puzzles. About 15 hours to beat, but plenty of extras. Note: This is no kiddie game, and not for the easily frustrated! If you're fine with that, then you'll have a ball.
  24. DonaldO.
    Mar 14, 2008
    10
    Good fun, clever puzzles at moderate difficulty range. A good story to boot.
  25. theshonen8899
    Jun 4, 2011
    8
    While it might not be the most well written or original story, the characters are charming and the puzzles are quite fun. The problem is that the puzzles are presented with generally no context to the story, so instead of playing a game where you are solving puzzles to advance a plot you mainly feel like you are answered SAT questions every two minutes with a short tidbit of story inWhile it might not be the most well written or original story, the characters are charming and the puzzles are quite fun. The problem is that the puzzles are presented with generally no context to the story, so instead of playing a game where you are solving puzzles to advance a plot you mainly feel like you are answered SAT questions every two minutes with a short tidbit of story in between. The game lasted a good ten hours but again most of that was puzzles, the story itself is incredibly short with it neat little twist towards the end. If you are a fan of puzzle games definitely check it out but Ghost Trick and 999 remain the dominant games in the genre.… Expand
  26. Bathmat
    Jan 22, 2011
    7
    This is a really good game, I'm just a tough marker. The story is really good, the cutscenes are great, the puzzles are fun, the story is good and the characters are good, but to retry a puzzle you have to go through a million menus, it sucks that you're confined to a small space repetitively running from point A to B and the puzzles don't really mix together with the story. It's also aThis is a really good game, I'm just a tough marker. The story is really good, the cutscenes are great, the puzzles are fun, the story is good and the characters are good, but to retry a puzzle you have to go through a million menus, it sucks that you're confined to a small space repetitively running from point A to B and the puzzles don't really mix together with the story. It's also a bit short. Other than that, it's good but I prefer you to buy the far superior Pandora's Box or the even better Lost Fututre.… Expand
  27. Daavpuke
    Jan 31, 2011
    9
    Let's get this straight: Level-5 is one of my favorite developers, ever since I discovered their masterpiece Dark Chronicle on PS2. Does that make me biased? Perhaps, though they've always brought quality titles to the game world, such as Dragon Quest and Rogue Galaxy. Furthermore, Professor Layton And The Curious Village bears little resemblance to any of those games.

    This game tells the    Let's get this straight: Level-5 is one of my favorite developers, ever since I discovered their masterpiece Dark Chronicle on PS2. Does that make me biased? Perhaps, though they've always brought quality titles to the game world, such as Dragon Quest and Rogue Galaxy. Furthermore, Professor Layton And The Curious Village bears little resemblance to any of those games.

    This game tells the tale of a puzzle master and his apprentice that travel around to solve mysteries for people in need. Gentlemanlike as they are, they hop in their deux chevaux to aid a family with a peculiar inheritance issue they're having. These aristocrats have been asked to seek out a mysterious Golden Apple in order to claim the vast fortune of their befallen kin. In doing so, they'll have to solve a series of intricate enigmas. So queue the good Professor into the town of Saint Mystère. Yes, they're masters of puzzles, yet can't come up with a decent town name. I guess you can't win them all.

    The cheesiness doesn't stop there though. Although the story is nicely written and brews along casually, most of the actual mysteries become so transparent so fast. Not only that, but in most cases there's little to no creativity in presenting you puzzles. In fact, the gratuitous one-liners, such as "Hey, there's a hidden puzzle in this piece of meat!" will grace your screen more than often. If they've gone out of their way to concoct a complex story with mysteries, one may wonder why they stopped caring halfway through. I suppose it would've made things unnecessarily complicated.

    And complicated is the word you'll think of when playing this game, because this game is hard! Supervised by real-life puzzle master Akira Tago, he has done all he can to torture your brain goo. With well over 100 puzzles, you'll get completely stumped at a good quarter of all riddles and will most likely fail at some as well. However, winning some puzzles after some hard thought, will leave you with an immense sense of self-satisfaction. Many times you'll feel like the smartest and smuggest person on this planet, after finding out that the matchstick had to go to that place. But that will be short-lived, for the villagers will soon enough present you with some other stunning problem.

    There is however the double-edged side of the fluent gameplay that allows you to enter your inventory and save effortlessly. This will result in you cheating yourself out of some experiences and randomly guessing and restarting, if you're really at a loss. They should've implemented a system where failures are permanent; this would've improved the game a lot.

    Other than that the game is a beautiful experience to go through. There is no end to the creativity of the puzzles, even if some are recurring or revolve around the same subject. Finding squares in dotted fields or placing pawns on a chessboard will require you to go all out. You'll tabulate all possible outcomes over and over, in the name of the good Professor.

    More so, the world he lives in is presented in a way unique to any other puzzle game. And this is what separates Professor Layton from the pack of brain teasers on DS. Saint Mystère is a visual wonder, even in its simplicity. A charming French looking village (vil-aaj) that brims with small details, pictured in a unique cartoon fashion. Everything lives and breathes quirky country town and, to a point, St Mystère is perfectly drawn. It makes it such a pleasure to rummage through and it will leave you with a smirk on your face for hours.

    Add to that the perfect soundtrack to amplify French country life. Think of those cheesy, old Parisian tunes with accordions and beret mustaches, waving baguettes around. In short, it will whisk you away to a magical experience. But that will only be in between the suspense moments, which ring in with immaculate sound effects. With the use of the dual screen, you'll get hints of dark touches popping up whenever something's amiss, accompanied by a single grim tone.

    This makes Professor Layton truly stand out and make it the best puzzle game yet created. Much in the line of older Broken Sword games, it combines charming cartoon graphics with mind-crippling puzzles to both charm and infuriate you at the same time. And it's hard to hate on a game that tries so hard to appeal to you. It's almost as hard as its hard puzzles!

    So, forget other flaunters of thinking exercises. Sure, this might not be a perfect game in terms of story, but what it lacks there it makes up with simplicity. It enhances perfectly the core gameplay of any puzzle game, with its alluring appearance and absolute logic. Professor Layton And The Curious Village is like Brain Academy on an acid trip! It's an unforgettable experience with a puzzle game, if you'll ever have one. Kick your mother in the face if she ever dares to touch another brain teaser, other than a Professor Layton game, for that's what she should play!    … Expand
  28. ghorahn
    Jan 6, 2012
    6
    I like a good puzzle-adventure game, and I'd played through the first Puzzle Agent just before I picked up Professor Layton and the Curious Village. Before long, I was missing the charm of Puzzle Agent; I don't find stuffy brit characters particularly interesting, and the story was too slow and predictable (though it did liven up before the end) to be a big motivator to keep playing. AndI like a good puzzle-adventure game, and I'd played through the first Puzzle Agent just before I picked up Professor Layton and the Curious Village. Before long, I was missing the charm of Puzzle Agent; I don't find stuffy brit characters particularly interesting, and the story was too slow and predictable (though it did liven up before the end) to be a big motivator to keep playing. And while many of the puzzles were fun (and plenty were familiar), some were...well, annoying. Or tedious. Or, in a few cases, frustrating. In a game like this, where I expect each puzzle to shine, those are big strikes against the game.… Expand
  29. namDa65
    Mar 10, 2012
    9
    This game is awesome. The FMVs are great and enjoyable to watch. The voice acting is better than a lot of triple a console releases. The puzzles are fun and engaging. Some puzzles are difficult but w.e, I love layton!
  30. maxxy3000
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    I really enjoyed playing this game. Not only were the puzzles very clever and appealing, but the overall atmosphere and story were both well made and portrayed.
    The story rounded itself up quite nicely, and left it wide open of a sequel.
    There was some difficult questions, and some hard to understand places; but these weren't too troubling, and I was able to really enjoy every second of this game
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best DS Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
22
#22 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 72 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 72
  3. Negative: 0 out of 72
  1. games(TM)
    70
    Taken as a purely forward-looking puzzle game (with a well-told story, to boot), Layton provides DS entertainment in a unique fashion. [JPN Import; May 2007, p.112]
  2. Nintendo Gamer
    86
    Lots of variety, good use of the touch screen. [May 2008, p.73]
    Read full review
  3. Play Magazine
    80
    As good as the puzzles are, the presentation is almost better. [JPN Import; May 2007, p.77]
See all critic reviews »