Layton's Mystery Journey (Deluxe Edition, NSW) |OT| This reminds me of a 3DS puzzle game!

takoyaki · Nov 8, 2019

LAYTON'S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy - Deluxe Edition

Series: Professor Layton
Developer: Level-5
Publisher: Level-5
Platforms: Switch (Deluxe Version) | 3DS, Android, iOS (Original Version)
Genres: Puzzle, Adventure
Producer: Akihiro Hino
Designer (New Puzzle Master): Kuniaki Iwanami
Artist: Takuzo Nagano
Animated Cutscenes: A-1 Pictures
Release: Nov 08, 2019
Price: $39.99 | €39,99 | £29.99
Versions: physical, digital
Size: 3491.76 MB
Languages: EFIGS & NL
Age Rating: ESRB E10+ | PEGI 7 | USK 6
Official Website: link
Layton Wiki: link

Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy (LMJ) is the seventh mainline game in the Professor Layton series. It follows Katrielle Layton, the daughter of Professor Layton. With the help of her friend Ernest Greeves and a talking dog named Sherl, Kat solves various smaller mysteries in London in the hope of finding her missing father.

LMJ has a new game structure with shorter episodes, each revolving around a different case. Kat gets involved with those mysterious cases and solves puzzles along the way.

Her base of operations is the "Layton Detective Agency", a stylish and tidy room on one of London's largest streets.

Kat is described as a Puzzle Detective who's a Jack Of All Trades. She has inherited her puzzle solving smarts from her father and they share the same sense of style, but she comes after her mother when it comes to looks and facial features. Her mother's identity is still a secret.

Each episode has a smaller, self-contained case to solve. Seven millionaires are at the center of the main story and another big mystery are the whereabouts of Kat's father, Professor Layton.

Intuitive and easy to play "Mystery Solving Action Adventure": Progress through the story while walking around town, chatting with local residents looking for clues, and solving puzzles and mysteries with the heroine, Katrielle Layton! 

Comical puzzle-solving story composed of adventure and rich animation: Players can experience distinctive Layton aesthetics with in-game high quality animation. 

Original puzzles: "LAYTON'S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy" includes new, original puzzles that have been created exclusively for this game. 

Largest Puzzle Collection: "LAYTON'S MYSTERY JOURNEY™: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy" includes the largest assortment of puzzles of any LAYTON series title to date. 

Character Customization: Fashion-conscious players can dress Katrielle in various outfits to suit the case at hand as well as redecorate the agency.

NEW PUZZLES: This Deluxe Edition includes more than 40 brand-new puzzles and additionally, some refined puzzles from the Nintendo 3DS version. 

Unlocked DLC: Content that was previously released as paid DLC, including the "Daddy's Girl" and "Luke Lookalike" outfits, are unlocked.  

New Outfits: More than 50 new outfits have been added, all of which can be obtained through gameplay. 

Improved Layout and Enhanced Graphics: Key clues and essential information for each puzzle is now viewable on one screen, and all graphics have been remastered in HD.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/la...nspiracy-deluxe-edition-review-thread.151734/

Do I need to play any previous Layton game before I start this one?
No. Technically, LMJ is the 7th mainline Layton game. But after two trilogies starring Professor Layton and his number one apprentice Luke Triton, LMJ is a fresh start with an almost completely new cast. The story is mostly self-contained as well.

I've never played a Layton game. Is this a good place to start?
Yes. While most Layton fans consider LMJ an inferior game compared to previous entries, it's still a solid puzzle game with the charming presentation that the Layton games are known for. It's also the only Layton game that's available on current-gen hardware. If you want to go all the way back to the beginning, Layton 1 and 4 are the other two good options to jump in. The HD remaster of Layton 1 (Mysterious Village) is available on iOS/Android and a Switch release has been rumored as well.

How long is LMJ?
About 20 hours for a normal playthrough, 30 hours or more if you want to solve every single puzzle in the game.

Does LMJ have daily downloadable puzzles?
Yes, and there's a lot of them. The game has free, additional daily puzzles for one whole year.

What's new in the Switch Deluxe Edition (tl;dr version)?
Sharper, enhanced graphics; Improved puzzle layout tailored to the single screen Switch; 40+ new puzzles; 50+ new outfits; classic DLC outfits included for free

I've played the game on 3DS/Android/iOS already. Is the Deluxe Edition worth a double dip?
The story is the same, so it depends on your interest in the additional new puzzles. This release also includes previous DLC on cart and it's the most complete version in terms of content. That might be interesting from a collector's POV.

Does the game still have touch controls?
Yes. You can control the game with touch input in handheld mode. An optional stylus (like the one that came with Mario Maker 2) can make it feel even more like the old Layton games if that's what you're looking for.

Those dang trick questions ... I'm stuck! Is there a good guide?
There's this great guide for the 3DS version that covers every puzzle in detail without immediately giving away the answers. They are currently updating the guide with answers for the the new Switch-exclusive puzzles.

What's the deal with the ending of the game and the anime show?
The game ends on a cliffhanger that gets resolved in the anime series Layton Mystery Tanteisha.

The show ran for 50(!) episodes and finished airing in Japan in late March. Some of the episodes retell cases from the game while others cover additional new cases that continue the story of the game. There's a large overarching case called "The Ancient Relics Saga" told over six episodes (10, 20, 34, 35, 49, 50) that answers all the lingering questions from the game and sets up a possible scenario for a new Layton trilogy.

There are rumors that the series will show up on Netflix in the near future and the anime just got its first international disc release in Germany under the title Detektei Layton.

So LMJ doesn't star Professor Layton, huh? Does the game at least have a big dog?

link

Official Nintendo Website
Layton Wiki
My previous 3DS version OT from 2017
Era Thread

Angie · Nov 9, 2019

My copy only arrives monday, but I'm really excited to play it. It's been years since I played a Layton game.

Also great OT.

Imitatio · Nov 9, 2019

Great OT.

Still contemplating buying it. I love Layton - for its artstyle, music, characters and puzzles. I'm so torn on this. If half of what I like about the series seems to be subpar here, is it still enough for me to enjoy the game? Don't know the answer myself. Maybe I'll just have to try it.

Squid Icarus · Nov 9, 2019

I really didn't enjoy the game and was super glad when it was finally over. Such a shame. The conversion to Switch is more than decent, but man, is the content bland. I guess it might be most fun for those who haven't played a Layton before. Nice OT though!

takoyaki · Nov 9, 2019

From what I remember, I think I was more positive on the 3DS game than most in the old OT. I'm a giant Layton fan and there's no denying that the puzzles aren't as good as in previous games. Also, I tend to agree that the shorter story chapters work better in the anime series than this game. But overall, I still think LMJ has enough of the classic Layton charm to make it worth playing if you're a fan or if this is your first entry in the series. That mix of a lighthearted adventure story with puzzle solving is timeless. And Kat and the rest of the new cast are all very likeable (imo).

I hope Level-5 finally manage to announce a date for the anime series. LMJ ends on a somewhat disappointing cliffhanger and the anime turns this all around by finishing the story in a very satisfying way. It's a fun watch, especially if you've enjoyed previous anime adaptions like the Eternal Diva movie. And even if Level-5 manage to screw this up again somehow, there's already very good fan-translated versions of the show.

EDIT: Here's a comparison video between the 3DS, Smartphone and Switch version.

Imitatio · Nov 9, 2019

takoyaki said:
Eternal Diva movie

I reaaally liked that one! I guess that's good enough of an ending to the game for me then, so I might just give it a go and watch the anime as soon as I'm finished with the game itself.

matrix-cat · Nov 9, 2019

I'm interested to see how people react to the Switch version. I think I saw it mentioned that they were redoing some of the puzzles from the 3DS version? I played it on 3DS and just couldn't get through it; didn't like the characters, wasn't really a fan of the episodic nature, and the puzzle design was notably worse than the older games. When I have to exhaust all four hints on a puzzle, give up and resort to looking it up online and then still don't understand the solution, that's pretty unforgivable.

I think my biggest problem was just the fact that Kat is a detective, who runs a detective agency, and the whole story is about solving cases... but you're never allowed to actually solve one yourself. You solve puzzles to collect clues, and then at the end of the case you just hit a button and Kat solves it herself without any input from you. It just seemed like such a wasted opportunity.

Deleted member 17627 · Nov 9, 2019

I'm going to be forever upset that we never got additional games in this trilogy and that they just wrapped up things in the anime.

DangerMouse · Nov 10, 2019

Can't play it right away but still picked this up for later.

Imitatio said:
I reaaally liked that one! I guess that's good enough of an ending to the game for me then, so I might just give it a go and watch the anime as soon as I'm finished with the game itself.

Same here, I liked that movie.

Rand a. Thor · Nov 10, 2019

King of Dreamland said:
I'm going to be forever upset that we never got additional games in this trilogy and that they just wrapped up things in the anime.

Wait really? That's a shame, I would have loved a new game with Adult Luke and Katrielle solving mysteries.

Deleted member 17627 · Nov 10, 2019

I think I'm a quarter into the game at this point. It's been so long since I played a Layton game, almost six years since Azran Legacy released, that I forgot how quick these games are. Not even short, they're all about 15 hours long, but you just get so involved in the game that time just flys by.

I know it's been two and a half years since the original came out, and the Switch port sold reaaaaally poorly in Japan, but I'm still holding out hope that we'll get another Layton game soon.

Zalman · Nov 10, 2019

I'm this close to buying this game... Big fan of the series, but word of mouth on this one isn't that great. I'll probably get it.

Angie · Nov 11, 2019

My copy arrived.

Deleted member 17627 · Nov 11, 2019

Zalman said:
I'm this close to buying this game... Big fan of the series, but word of mouth on this one isn't that great. I'll probably get it.

I'm about halfway done. And honestly? As someone who is really critical of a game's writing and dialogue, I don't see where the complaints are coming from here. It's not complex by any means, but it has a very nice slice-of-life vibe. The game doesn't have an overarching story, but the individual cases are all really cute with interesting characters, and the puzzles are better than they were in the original.

There definitely aren't a lot of games these days that aim for this appeal, but if you want something that's cute, charming, and fun, I would definitely recommend getting this. I just wouldn't go into it with the level of drama that the main games have, if anything, I would definitely say this reminded me most of the Last Specter, where it doesn't take itself too seriously.

Deleted member 17627 · Nov 12, 2019

Rand a. Thor said:
Wait really? That's a shame, I would have loved a new game with Adult Luke and Katrielle solving mysteries.

Yeah, it really does stink. I heard it was a great show, and it's nice to get 50 episodes of an anime in Layton's aesthetic compared to the half an hour of animated cutscenes we usually get per game, but it's still unfortunate that we're probably not getting another game soon, especially after how poorly the Switch port of this game did in Japan and that the anime pretty much concluded Katrielle's story.

I could definitely see another game happening with Luke, Katrielle, and Layton, but at this point the series seems to be Level 5's answer to whenever they don't have anything to put out. Doesn't help that once Nintendo stop publishing Level-5 games, they ended up having zero marketing presence, whereas the original Layton games sold millions of copies.

Then again, the story in the prequel trilogy got...weird, near the end. I honestly wouldn't mind more slice-of-life approaches to the series like this game had, but I know that those sort of games aren't really big sellers in the States unless you're Animal Crossing. Doing stuff like cooking and room decor in this game is pretty relaxing, and I wish we had more games like that.

JinnAxel · Nov 12, 2019

I remember there was a nod to Alfendi Layton (From Layton Bros: Mystery Room) in the smartphone version of the game. Was that ever elaborated on or is a more expansive Layton world just not going to happen anymore?

takoyaki · Nov 12, 2019

JinnAxel said:
I remember there was a nod to Alfendi Layton (From Layton Bros: Mystery Room) in the smartphone version of the game. Was that ever elaborated on or is a more expansive Layton world just not going to happen anymore?

There's a cameo in the anime series, you can read about it here [Spoilers for the anime].

The ending of the anime would be the perfect start for another trilogy with an extended cast.

Deleted member 17627 · Nov 12, 2019

takoyaki said:
There's a cameo in the anime series, you can read about it here [Spoilers for the anime].

The ending of the anime would be the perfect start for another trilogy with an extended cast.

Man, this anime seems like such a love letter to this series' entire history. I know it finally had a Blu-Ray release in Germany just last week, hope we get one in the States soon. It was suggested it was to appear on Netflix, but that just never happened.

OtakuCoder · Nov 12, 2019

I suspect the answer is "no" but: Is there an option to skip episodes?

I've got this on iOS and completed the first two episodes, but my phone got stolen and the game doesn't seem to have had any cloud storage (by the time I got an iPhone again a year had passed and didn't bother restoring my last phone backup). I remember enjoying what I played but don't really feel like going through the whole introduction arcs again.

takoyaki · Nov 12, 2019

King of Dreamland said:
Man, this anime seems like such a love letter to this series' entire history. I know it finally had a Blu-Ray release in Germany just last week, hope we get one in the States soon. It was suggested it was to appear on Netflix, but that just never happened.

Yeah, I was really hoping they would have the anime ready to go for the launch of the Switch game. Fingers crossed it shows up soon on Netflix worldwide. If you finish the game before that, don't mind subtitles and at least want to see how they resolve the cliffhanger, search for "The Ancient Relics Saga".

Layton's Mystery Journey (Deluxe Edition, NSW) |OT| This reminds me of a 3DS puzzle game!

takoyaki

Angie

Best Avatar Thread Ever!

Imitatio

Squid Icarus

takoyaki

Imitatio

matrix-cat

Deleted member 17627

DangerMouse

Rand a. Thor

Deleted member 17627

Zalman

Angie

Best Avatar Thread Ever!

Deleted member 17627

Deleted member 17627

JinnAxel

takoyaki

Deleted member 17627

OtakuCoder

One Winged Slayer

takoyaki