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Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure
Did you ever want to play a Professor Layton game, but you don’t like brainteasers? Well, this is the game for you: Instead of puzzles, there are rhythm games! Follow Raphael, aka The Phantom R, as he tries to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance and discovers a conspiracy to revive Napoleon and the forgotten technology of the Babylonians.
This game came in the form of a 3DS download code from the Friends of Nintendo Humble Bundle, and between it and Shantae, the fact that I don’t have a Wii-U and couldn’t play half the bundled games didn’t really matter—the bundle paid for itself.
The feel of the game is really Professor Layton-esque, from the art style; to the conspiracy to uncover ancient steampunk magitek that involves a family member / close friend; to the “tap to uncover hint coins and hidden items” style of play. Much of the game is roaming the map and finding secrets; the rest is split between music-based easy brainteasers and the actual rhythm minigames, of which there are a dozen different types.
There are lots of bonuses to find: You can collect the basic coins to unlock endless mode games and the movie gallery; you can find sound files; there are “phantom notes” to collect that unlock a hidden chapter; there is a sidequest that involves collecting sounds to create a master instrument that also unlocks a hidden chapter.
The rhythm games are definitely fun, but get really nasty as the game goes on. Some of the hardest ones are optional / side-path games (which is good!) and you can buy power-ups to make getting through a game easier, but the last chapter still has a couple of really tough ones. (I’m not great at rhythm games, but I don’t think I’m terrible at them either. And the star difficulty ratings for the games are often outright lies.)
And the game’s pacing is…off. Some chapters go really quickly and others just drag on and on. The pseudo-final chapter has half a dozen moments where it could or should end, but there’s always another rhythm game around the corner to drag it out longer. I didn’t play the bonus chapters; I felt the game had worn out its welcome by the end. (And it ends on a sequel hook. I’d consider playing the sequel, but only if I got it cheap.)
Overall: This is primarily a rhythm game and its appeal is in that. The story is decent and has a couple of good twists and moments, but if you aren’t excited by the gameplay, I don’t think it’s enough to keep you. I was just interested enough to make it through; I’d call this “fun for what it is.”
This game came in the form of a 3DS download code from the Friends of Nintendo Humble Bundle, and between it and Shantae, the fact that I don’t have a Wii-U and couldn’t play half the bundled games didn’t really matter—the bundle paid for itself.
The feel of the game is really Professor Layton-esque, from the art style; to the conspiracy to uncover ancient steampunk magitek that involves a family member / close friend; to the “tap to uncover hint coins and hidden items” style of play. Much of the game is roaming the map and finding secrets; the rest is split between music-based easy brainteasers and the actual rhythm minigames, of which there are a dozen different types.
There are lots of bonuses to find: You can collect the basic coins to unlock endless mode games and the movie gallery; you can find sound files; there are “phantom notes” to collect that unlock a hidden chapter; there is a sidequest that involves collecting sounds to create a master instrument that also unlocks a hidden chapter.
The rhythm games are definitely fun, but get really nasty as the game goes on. Some of the hardest ones are optional / side-path games (which is good!) and you can buy power-ups to make getting through a game easier, but the last chapter still has a couple of really tough ones. (I’m not great at rhythm games, but I don’t think I’m terrible at them either. And the star difficulty ratings for the games are often outright lies.)
And the game’s pacing is…off. Some chapters go really quickly and others just drag on and on. The pseudo-final chapter has half a dozen moments where it could or should end, but there’s always another rhythm game around the corner to drag it out longer. I didn’t play the bonus chapters; I felt the game had worn out its welcome by the end. (And it ends on a sequel hook. I’d consider playing the sequel, but only if I got it cheap.)
Overall: This is primarily a rhythm game and its appeal is in that. The story is decent and has a couple of good twists and moments, but if you aren’t excited by the gameplay, I don’t think it’s enough to keep you. I was just interested enough to make it through; I’d call this “fun for what it is.”