Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Nintendo/Level 5's long-running series of puzzle adventure games gets another instalment this week as the Prof goes in search of the Miracle Mask, which is presumably quite miraculous as he's prepared to endure more than a hundred puzzles to get his hands on it.
Pocket Gamer said that it's a reinvigoration of a highly-esteemed franchise.
"Even after ten hours of play, we were still seeing puzzles that made us sit back in awe. Not everything new works. There are a lot more action-style mini-games to play, and while a good proportion of these are great fun, others - such as riding a scooter down a road and dodging barrels - aren't so hot. Don't let that put you off, though. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is the best Layton game since the original Curious Village."
"Layton adventures tend to be one of the more dependable highlights of the gaming calendar, that remains a ringing endorsement. The puzzles may be covering old ground more than usual, but the cast of gentle characters and the elegant sepia-tinged mirror-world they inhabit seem to grow in potency with each instalment."
Meanwhile the Daily Echo added:
"It's no puzzle as to how people are still puzzled by Level-5's puzzling puzzles - it's because they're the best puzzling puzzlers to get people puzzled."
So there you are.
OUR TAKE:
Miracle Mask is a polished, nicely presented and engaging edition in a series that knows what it wants to do and does it relentlessly, and well.
The 3D is a nice addition, and most of the puzzles are creative and thoughtfully put together. It's not for everyone, and the new focus on action in some areas will be divisive. But fans should rest assured that the series is still on solid ground.