Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Clever nonviolent puzzle crossover is fun, smart play.
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Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
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What’s It About?
Level-5's doctor of puzzles and Capcom's legal genius cross paths for the first time in PROFESSOR LAYTON VS. PHOENIX WRIGHT ACE ATTORNEY, a mix of two franchises that manages to keep both intact. The story sees the good doctor and ace attorney working separately to assist a strange woman named Espella. They're magically transported to a fantasy town called Labyrinthia that's ruled over by the Storyteller, a man who writes the village's future before it happens. Parts of the game see Layton and his trusted apprentice, Luke, exploring as usual, talking to non-player characters and solving a broad spectrum of conundrums that includes logic puzzles and tile-sliding brainteasers. At regular intervals, the action switches to Phoenix and his assistant, Maya, who serve as attorneys in the town's fantastical court, where logic is unheard of and guilty verdicts result in a lethal dip in a fiery pit. The two heroes cross paths, but their playable sections remain distinct and recognizable.
Is It Any Good?
With segments that last for hours in a specific gaming motif before moving to the other, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney demands that players enjoy both series. It's not a hybrid that mashes together the casual-paced puzzles found in the Professor Layton games with the more frenzied courtroom contradictions of the Phoenix Wright franchise but rather a sandwich stacked with multiple layers of each type of play.
Players who enjoy both franchises will be in for a real treat. The fantastical plot centers on rational Layton trying to make sense of a world in which magic seems to exist and Wright valiantly plying his trade in a court that has little respect for his logical methods. It does a good job of putting both protagonists in their sweet spots and letting them do what they're best at. Families for whom both Layton and Wright have been puzzle gaming staples can't really go wrong.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about careers similar to those of Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright. Do you enjoy investigating mysteries and solving puzzles? Using logic to discern answers to difficult questions? What sort of jobs might let you put these skills to use?
Talk about the difference between action-oriented games and those that require more reading and critical thought to solve problems, such as Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney. Which type, in your opinion, is more challenging? Which do you prefer?
Professor Layton games don't usually include violent or mature content. What do you think is the point to tying the character and that franchise's style of play to a more mature series such as Phoenix Wright?
Game Details
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading comprehension, text analysis, Math: patterns, shapes
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: deduction, logic, solving puzzles
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release date: August 31, 2014
- Genre: Puzzle
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Boy Role Models
- ESRB rating: T for Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Violence, Use of Alcohol
- Last updated: March 16, 2020
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