Layton's Mystery Journey
Katrielle Layton solves puzzles and cases in London.
Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy is a 2017 puzzle video game by Level-5. It is the seventh main entry in the Professor Layton series and was released for Android, iOS, and the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, with an enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch in Japan in 2018 and worldwide in 2019. The game shifts focus to Katrielle Layton, daughter of the series' original protagonist, and features a talking dog that only she and her assistant can understand.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Level-5
- Director
- Akihiro Hino
- Designer
- Kuniaki Iwanami, Satoru Nagayama
- Artist
- Takuzō Nagano, Masako Arakawa
- Programmer
- Takashi Azuma
- Composer
- Tomohito Nishiura
- Series
- Professor Layton
- Platforms
- Android
- iOS
- Nintendo 3DS
- Nintendo Switch
Facts from the source article.
Overview
Layton's Mystery Journey follows Katrielle Layton, who solves puzzles alongside her talking dog Sherl and friends Emiliana Perfetti and Ernest Greeves. When her father vanishes, she searches for him, encountering various puzzles and mysteries. The game uses the touchscreen for puzzle-solving and exploration. Unlike previous entries, it is split into twelve distinct cases with one overall theme rather than a continuous story.
Plot
Private detective Katrielle Layton awakens from a nightmare about her missing father on the day her detective agency opens. She and her assistant Ernest Greeves meet a talking dog with amnesia that only they can understand; she names him Sherl O.C Kholmes. After solving the disappearance of Big Ben's hour hand for Inspector Hastings, Katrielle, Ernest, and Sherl investigate cases linked to the Seven Dragons, seven wealthy London figures, with help from Hastings and profiler Emiliana Perfetti. Cases include finding a gift for Hastings' wife and clearing Katrielle of a murder accusation. Ernest tells Sherl how Katrielle cleared his name when he was falsely accused of theft. In the final case, the Seven Dragons are invited by Lord Adamas to the mansion of deceased millionaire Maximilian Richmond. Adamas forces them to sign a contract forfeiting their fortunes if they fail puzzles, or he will reveal a secret. Katrielle oversees the dispute; all Dragons fail. She discovers Lord Adamas is Ernest, whose true identity is Miles Richmond, Maximilian's grandson, who believed the Dragons ruined his family and sought revenge. After the misunderstanding, Ernest continues as her assistant. In the post-credits, Katrielle vows to uncover Sherl's identity and find her father, noting she has solved the puzzle her father left: 'If you're not really my child, then who exactly are you?'
Development
Level-5 developed Layton's Mystery Journey, directed by Akihiro Hino with character designs by Takuzō Nagano and music by Tomohito Nishiura. Kuniaki Iwanami designed the puzzles, replacing Akira Tago after his death in March 2016. A-1 Pictures produced the animated cutscenes. The episodic, casual style resulted from the belief that recent Layton entries had strayed from series roots with overblown stories, and a desire to return to core principles. The shift to Katrielle as protagonist came because the team felt they could not have a world-saving character doing minor tasks. Hino noted that half of Professor Layton players are female, so a female protagonist was chosen to appeal to them. The game was developed for both 3DS and mobile to reach a wider demographic while serving dedicated 3DS fans. Announced in July 2016 as Lady Layton: The Millionaire Ariadone's Conspiracy, it was renamed Layton's Mystery Journey in April 2017 for a grander image.
Reception
The game received mixed reviews on Metacritic. TouchArcade's Shaun Musgrave gave it five out of five stars, praising the mobile transition, presentation, story, and puzzles. Game Informer's Kyle Hilliard found Katrielle more enjoyable than her father but criticized the narrative structure for making the finale fall flat and considered many puzzles mediocre with stupid solutions. Nintendo World Report's Daan Koopman gave the 3DS version a 7.5 out of 10, praising the colorful presentation and entertaining gameplay, but found puzzles too easy and the overarching plot lacking, with a conclusion that came out of left field. Adventure Gamers' Jack Allin gave three out of five stars, appreciating the case structure for mobile gaming, voice acting, visuals, and puzzle quantity, but noted too many dud puzzles, repetitive backgrounds and music, and a forgettable story.
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