This puzzle adventure had some pretty big shoes to fill, yet I’d hoped Professor Layton and the Last Specter would somehow top the excellence of last year’s Layton game, Unwound Future. That didn’t happen. What I experienced was 15 hours of great puzzles (with more content available for extended play), charming atmosphere and top-notch production values. The only thing missing was a truly compelling, surprising story to tie it all together, and that’s where this game stumbles a bit in comparison to the first three Layton games.
I know Unwound Future’s a tough act to follow; it’s on my top 10 list of favorite games, and it featured an amazing, emotional powerhouse of an ending…and a great epilogue as well!
Before I start venting on Last Specter’s story (in a spoiler-free manner), I’ll say this: Last Specter delivers fantastic puzzle gameplay, beautiful artwork and music and the wittiest dialogue the series has seen to date. You can purchase this game secure in the guarantee that you’ll meet quirky, lovable eccentrics, be stumped many times by imaginative puzzles and lose yourself once again in the unique, charming, sometimes creepy world of Professor Layton. If you’re already a fan, by all means pick this up. If you’ve never played a Layton game, don’t start with this one; go straight to the best and get Unwound Future.
The problems with Last Specter’s story begin with the opening two hours of play, in which absolutely nothing thrilling or intriguing happens. I believe the game’s creators were aware of the problem, for they chose to start things off with a preview cinema of the game’s first specter attack. This succeeds in getting you curious enough to plow through the game’s sluggish first chapters, but it also ruins the big reveal and removes any kind of suspense regarding the game’s central boogie man as you eventually catch up and watch that same cinema for the second time.
I hate to say this, but’unlike the first three Layton games’there’s a definite “Scooby-Doo” feel to Specter’s central plot. A giant phantom keeps attacking the town! Jinkies! All the mysteries in the game’s first half are predictable and obvious, which shouldn’t happen in a Layton tale. I remained patient, knowing that eventually we’d get to the big “Laytonesque” moment where things get really weird, fun, exciting and unpredictable. When the big moment came…Well, I can’t give it away, so I’ll just say that Last Specter is, by far, my least favorite Professor Layton story. I found the ending supremely unsatisfying, and that’s a Layton first for me.
Yet, everything else about this game is great! The mini-game extras are excellent, though a bit too much like the bonuses from Unwound Future. My favorite is actually playable within the main story as you help a police officer catch rodents in a shooting gallery-style tap challenge.
A big new addition is a complete separate game that’s included on the cartridge: Little London. It’s an Animal-Crossing style game set in Layton’s world. It’s well done, but the simple (and tiny) 16-bit style characters don’t convey the main game’s charm, and I can’t imagine many people pouring too much time into Little London before moving on to something grander.
I realize this has been a slightly odd game review where all the major complaints revolve around the story. Gameplay comes first, right? But all the Professor Layton games play exactly the same. At this point, we know the puzzles will be fantastic. We know the minigames and bonuses will be fun. The only real variable is the story, which makes up half the content of these wonderful adventures. When the story has major problems and loose ends, the motivation for playing starts to unravel, the characters become less believable, and you’re just left with a series of awesome puzzles in a nicely painted environment.
That said, sub-par Layton still beats 99% of every other game on the planet. So, here’s the bottom line: Professor Layton and the Last Specter is a solid game full of the series’ charming style, but the story lacks the creepiness of Curious Village, the dark Hitchcock-like mystery of Diabolical Box, or the mindbending fun and knockout ending of Unwound Future. Pick it up if you’re a fan and you’ll have a blast. Just lower your expectations if you played last year’s masterpiece.
If you’re currently playing or have finished Last Specter, what do you think? Am I judging the story too harshly? Am I way off base’Did you really enjoy what happened there in the last acts? Please try to keep any comments spoiler-free!
Hey Infendo. Just got the Curious Village from Amazon yesterday, needless to say, in's fantastic. Last year we bought Diabolical Box, so it's a bit the other way around. Looking forward to Lost Future and Specter.
Good review btw 🙂
This is, honestly, a great review of a great game. The only thing wondering me is that IGN was in a rage about how good this game was, while you sort of nonchalantly said how much weaker it was before telling us the good things about. Usually it's the other way around so I have mixed feelings over this game. But I am going to pick it up. (will only be my second Layton game BTW)
I like to consider myself a big fan of the series, and I agree that the story truly ties the game together. You'll have your collection of eccentric townspeople, each with their worries, all somehow managing to give you some sort of ingenious puzzle – and the game is no worse the wear for it. But without the story, the reason for the puzzles, the plot twists and the cliffhangers, the element that keeps you coming back for more – well, as you say, it's "a series of awesome puzzles in a nicely painted environment". The game will lack depth, the characters believability, and the player won't feel intrigued, or excited by the mystery. That said, I'm still getting Last Specter, and to keep things interesting I'll just skip the cutscene at the beginning. Would you say that's a good idea?
@shayminfreak:
I would absolutely skip the preview cutscene at the beginning; I think it ruins the suspense. My advice for this game is: enjoy the puzzles and the characters, and don't rush to see the ending. Last Specter is by no means a bad game–I just think the story just really, really doesn't stack up to the high bar set by the first three games.
@LegendofPaperZelda: Y'know I've read some rave reviews of this game that have me wondering if some of these reviewers (just wondering…I'm not accusing anyone :)) actually played it all the way through and saw how it ends. Bravo for playing Professor Layton games…just make absolutely certain you don't miss Unwound Future.
@ Kaiser Soze: Thanks! You can definitely play these games in any order; again, just make sure you don't miss the best one, Unwound Future!
I usually don't comment on reviews, but this one was really good. I've read positive reviews that focus way too much on what holds the game back and they actually make the game seem less appealing than what it really is. You gave me an idea of why this game isn't among the greatest of all time, but still a really good and worthwhile purchase. I'll definitely have to check out this series.
That was a really good review.I've played the first three games but I haven't got the last specter yet. I'm a huge fan and I agree that Unwound future was a brilliant game. I personally think that Curious Village was the best though. Judging by you review this game is good but the plot isn't good enough and there's no suspense but I will definitely get it because the puzzles are fantastic.
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