Since 2007, the character of Professor Hershel Layton has starred in a series of popular puzzle games developed by Level-5 and published by Nintendo. Now comes Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, which finds the title character and his companions, young Emmy and Luke, on the case of a “living mummy” found frozen in ice.
Like its predecessors, the game features a variety of different puzzles that bend your brain. The initial ones include tracing the protagonists’ airship across a map, in such a way that it covers a certain amount of ground without running out of fuel; and a trick math problem in which one must determine how many cups of hot water are needed to thaw out a box encased in ice (Hint: It’s less than you might think). In between puzzles, there are bits of story conveyed with cartoons and music that are anime-style—that is, reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki and other Japanese animators.
To date, the Professor Layton series has been released exclusively for Nintendo’s DS line, and in this latest installment for 3DS, the touchscreen is integral to all the fun. It’s easy to get into the puzzles when you only need to move your finger to start solving them. As far as their level of difficulty, it varies, and due to the game’s score system, puzzles are worth fewer points with each replay. These factors could make Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy frustrating for younger players, and justify the suggested age range of 10 and older.