Professor Layton and the Curious Village review for Nintendo DS

Professor Layton and The Curious Village is a curious game. Easily one of the best games on the DS, any description of Professor Layton and The Curious Village is always going to sound a bit rubbish. At first glance, it may look like a point and click adventure, but Professor Layton and The Curious Village is a collection of brainteasers held together by a story. See, sounds rubbish, but read our review of Professor Layton and The Curious Village to see why it is anything but.

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Professor Layton and the Curious Village review for Nintendo DS
Take one look at Professor Layton, and you could be forgiven for thinking it was an old-school adventure game – a bit like the pointand- clicks of yore, but with more of a puzzle-based bent. And you’d actually be completely wrong, as it’s basically a series of short brainteasers with a story linking everything together. Not that these mindbenders have anything to do with the plot – occasionally linked in the most tenuous manner, the vast majority have no association with the story whatsoever. Thus, when a character shockingly vanishes, the first person you come to will yell something like "Oh no! But more importantly, can you solve this puzzle for me?"

If all this sounds a wee bit rubbish, then you’ve been fooled once more, because Curious Village is easily one of the best games on the DS. The puzzles are often masterfully constructed, teasing you towards answers before pulling the rug from under you, with some lateral thinking frequently required. And the story is utterly charming. Centring on a strange European hamlet named St. Mystere, there’s kidnap, murder, intrigue and plenty of comedy – and a cast of memorable characters which are drawn in a beautiful cartoon style. The few cut-scenes are nicely done, and while the dodgy English accent of Layton’s young sidekick Luke has a faint whiff of Mary Poppins, it all adds to the charm, particularly contrasted with the likeable Prof’s plummy tones.