REVIEW - Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (Nintendo DS)

Every gamer remembers the first time that a video game brought them to tears.  Was it the poignancy of "The Aeris Moment" in Final Fantasy VII?  The ending of Half-Life 2: Episode 2?  The brutality of that scene with Jenny in "The Darkness"?  Heck, even the storybook scenes of Super Mario Galaxy have been known to make the bottom lips of some gamers tremble!  The "game that made me cry" is one of those war stories that every gamer has, along with the tv/console/controller they broke out of frustration, and the story of the all night gaming session that only stopped when the sun came up.  For the record, in over 20 years of gaming only one game has made this reviewer crack - the scene where little Vivi has to kill a fellow Black Mage in Final Fantasy IX.  However, this changed when I played Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (Level 5)- now there are two games that have broken me...

Professor Layton - Part Three

That such an innocuous title as Unwound Future could stir such attachment to the characters and to the plot is a testimony to what an amazing puzzle game this is.  For the Professor Layton story is really designed to be secondary to the main aspect of the game, which is the solving of various puzzles.  The Layton series is well known as one of, if not the, best puzzle series on the DS, and for puzzles Unwound Future is certainly not lacking.  With over 160 in depth puzzles and with additional ones that can be downloaded over Nintendo Wi-Fi, Unwound Future is bursting at the seams with brain teasers, most of which will take more than a few minutes to solve, while some will have you chewing on your stylus for a good half an hour or more!

The story is excellent, if a little far fetched at times!

This is the third game in the immensely popular series.  For those not familiar with the Professor Layton trilogy, the games focus on the adventures of Professor Hershel Layton and his young side kick Luke, as they go around solving various mysteries that all seem to involve an inordinate amount of little puzzles.  In this title, they must discover the origins of a mysterious time machine, and locate a kidnapped Prime Minister.  As with all Layton titles, the story is bizarre, and its many twists and turns sometimes border on the ridiculous, but it is without doubt an entertaining tale.  Along the way the heroes will encounter various people (who will almost always request them to solve a puzzle), solve various side mysteries (which again involve solving little puzzles) and eventually come to solve the main title mystery (involving yet more puzzles.)  In short, if you like puzzles, this game is for you!

Yet even if you do not, you might still find this game to be a good purchase.  I am not the world's biggest puzzle fan, never do crosswords, and could not explain the rules of Sudoku with any certainty; and Professor Layton had me chewing on my stylus for hours without boring me.  The puzzles that are integrated within the game are varied, from maths puzzles and brain teasers, to unique puzzles such as constructing a machine gun out of a coin machine in a casino!  They are never repetitive, and with the help of various hint coins that are collected on the journey and that can be used to give hints about how to solve a puzzle, they never feel like they are entirely unsolvable.  The player is allowed to have as many attempts at a puzzle as they like, although one gets more points (or picarats) if one solves it first time.

A Beautiful Mind

Everything is very well drawn.

As I pointed out earlier in this review, the story is secondary to the joy of puzzle solving, but this doesn't mean the story and graphics suffer.  The graphics are beautifully animated, especially the cut scenes that are scattered throughout the game.  The character models are crisp, the whole game beams with color, and the game is enriched by a significant amount of well acted voice overs that make the characters really come alive.  The result is a very immersive game that leaves the player caring a great deal about the characters in question, and gives motivation to keep going even if one feels a little "puzzled out"!  Mix in a well orchestrated soundtrack and you have an absolute peach of a DS game that is not done justice by merely being described as a "puzzle" game.

The Unwound Future brings in new features for fans of the existing series, although the game's core is essentially more of the same.  New mini games such as feeding Luke's parrot and navigating Prof. Layton's car through a series of obstacles may sound innocuous enough, but there are enough levels and tasks within the mini games to waste a great many hours aside from the main quest.  I found some of the mini games a little tiresome, but I noticed that I still kept going back to them, keen to hunt out the rewards that they offered.  It results in a game that is by no means short, especially for a DS game, and there are well over 20 hours of gameplay here for the gamer who wishes to explore everything.

The character are all very likeable.

On what may be a downside, it is worth noting the difficulty of this game.  The game's cover may present itself as a children's game, and may indicate relatively easy puzzles - do not be fooled!  Almost every puzzle in this game is challenging even for adults, and if you are a parent considering buying this game for your youngster, you will need to be aware that this is a game that a child who has not yet reached their teens will certainly need help with from time to time.  The game does make a lot of the puzzles optional, so you can skip one or two that are particularly infuriating.  It also uses hint coins (as well as the new "Super Hint") to good effect, meaning that an impossible looking puzzle can be broken down.  However, it still means that this game requires a lot of patience, and the ability to contend with some very tricky puzzles, making it unsuitable for the very young.

Puzzled Gentlemen

You'll spend a lot of time with these screens!

From a Catholic perspective The Unwound Future is a highly commendable game.  Not only are the protagonists clearly on the side of good, attempting to prevent those who wish to alter the course of time for their own ends, but there is also a strong emphasis on the strength of politeness and good manners.  Layton and Luke are both directed by what makes a gentleman, and being a gentleman is seen as being the highest accolade that a man can aspire to.  In a gaming industry that can often be accused of glorifying undignified conduct and bad language, this central message of polite behaviour and good manners is a breath of fresh air.

Additionally, the game's message contains an explicit rejection of the principle that the ends justify the means.  In fact, it is over this principle that the main battle between good and evil is fought, and the idea of doing something evil to attempt to achieve something good is a difficulty that comes up time and time again, with the Professor being the key voice who rejects the principle.  Just like always being well mannered, it is important to Professor Layton and Luke that they do not only the gentlemanly thing, but the right thing.  By following this, The Unwound Future affirms basic Catholic moral principles.

Conclusion


From a technical perspecive, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a triumph.  Puzzle games are often known for their lack of story and minimalistic graphics.  The Unwound Future breaks the mould and provides one of the most moving stories of the last year, along with an excellent soundtrack and high quality graphics.  With a multitude of puzzles and minigames to get lost in, The Unwound Future is a must have, both for puzzle fans, and even for those who would not normally consider the genre.

From a Catholic perspective, The Unwound Future also receives high praise.  The title both affirms a fundamental principle of Catholic philosophy - the ends do not justify the means - as well as promoting good manners, kindness, compassion, and all round decency.  It is also worth noting that with its puzzles that will challenge both teenagers and adults (although very young children will find the game perhaps too taxing unassisted), The Unwound Future is a great way to exercise the mind, and most will find it not only fun, but mentally beneficial.  The title contains two scenes of cartoon violence and destruction, as well as some emotional scenes that may be unsuitable for sensitive children.

The technical rating for this title is 10/10


The Catholic rating for this title is A-I -- general patronage.