Objection, your honour! Did Nintendo really think it was wise to bring two legendary characters together in a single game? Should Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the 3DS be sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against crossovers?
Objection overruled! Fans of the puzzle-gorging Professor Layton and the shouty Phoenix Wright can stop seething in the jury box now - because this crossover is one that genuinely works, offering a refreshing twist on both series' successful formulas.
The set-up is suitably bizarre - Layton and his assistant Luke Triton find themselves sucked into the medieval world of Labyrinthia on the hunt for damsel-in-distress Espella. They discover that she's up on charges of witchcraft and if found guilty in the land's kangaroo court, she's for the chop. Thank heavens then for Phoenix Wright and his medium-in-training Maya Fey who have also been dragged into this supernatural-flavoured parallel universe, with the ace attorney stepping up to defend Espella.
What this means for players is the blending together of two unique play styles; intriguing (and sometimes bonkers) courtroom antics as Phoenix finds himself having to break down witnesses - sometimes multiple people at once for the first time. Layton in the meantime must head into Labyrinthia itself, solving scores of mini-puzzles to uncover clues for Phoenix, while trying to get to the bottom of who or what is behind this dastardly persecution of young women.
Veterans of both series will be familiar with each set-up and enjoy grappling with the new whacky laws of a twisted, medieval land while delighting in the puzzles that are fit for any Layton connoisseur. Thankfully, newbies won't be left struggling thanks to the game's generous supply of 'Hint Coins' to aid them if they should come unstuck during a trial.
But important questions remain for us diehard fans. Is this crossover a car crash? Clearly not, m'lord. Is it a truly successful merging of two fantastic series? Yes, m'lord, guilty as charged. No objections.
Published: 27/03/2014
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