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Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy (3DS)
A generation after the various adventures of Professor Layton, his daughter Katrielle has taken over the family business, and is solving crimes in an alternate London where there are only twenty inhabitants and they all, for some reason, are obsessed with puzzles.
As noted, this is starring Hershel Layton's daughter who we'd never seen before, and whose existence seems unlikely given that she isn't the adopted daughter he had by the end of Unwound Future. The post-credits stinger implies that she’s not his daughter, and that this was some sort of mystery she’d figured out since his disappearance. My best guess is that she’s related to Luke in some way, given that his mysterious ability to talk to animals seems to be shared by Katrielle (at least regarding a specific talking dog). I suppose it’s also possible that she’s a robot (she potentially demonstrates super-strength briefly in chapter 12), though she clearly loves to eat, so that’s unclear.
Anyway, this generally continues the main series, though each chapter is a separate mystery that is wholly contained. The puzzles tend back into the "trick question / lateral thinking" style that had been out of favor for a while, and only pay lip service to the idea of a difficulty curve. In a brilliant addition, you can revisit finished chapters and it tells you where you've missed puzzles or hint coins so you can easily go back and find them. From a completionist standpoint, I really appreciated that.
The semi-magical nature of the setting remains, particularly with Sherl, the amnesiac talking dog (who only some people can understand). Sherl seems to think he wasn’t a dog to begin with, but as that mystery is never addressed over the course of this game, we can only speculate. Ernest gets a bunch of backstory that doesn’t necessarily connect with itself (he apparently lost track of his deep, elaborate revenge while getting himself framed for theft and falling in love with Katrielle…or something?).
Overall: The puzzles are a bit more obtuse in places (though often easier) than some of the other games, and the plot is cute if a bit vapid—the major mysteries that might form a continuous narrative are left for some other game to address. It’s an excuse to solve puzzles.
As noted, this is starring Hershel Layton's daughter who we'd never seen before, and whose existence seems unlikely given that she isn't the adopted daughter he had by the end of Unwound Future. The post-credits stinger implies that she’s not his daughter, and that this was some sort of mystery she’d figured out since his disappearance. My best guess is that she’s related to Luke in some way, given that his mysterious ability to talk to animals seems to be shared by Katrielle (at least regarding a specific talking dog). I suppose it’s also possible that she’s a robot (she potentially demonstrates super-strength briefly in chapter 12), though she clearly loves to eat, so that’s unclear.
Anyway, this generally continues the main series, though each chapter is a separate mystery that is wholly contained. The puzzles tend back into the "trick question / lateral thinking" style that had been out of favor for a while, and only pay lip service to the idea of a difficulty curve. In a brilliant addition, you can revisit finished chapters and it tells you where you've missed puzzles or hint coins so you can easily go back and find them. From a completionist standpoint, I really appreciated that.
The semi-magical nature of the setting remains, particularly with Sherl, the amnesiac talking dog (who only some people can understand). Sherl seems to think he wasn’t a dog to begin with, but as that mystery is never addressed over the course of this game, we can only speculate. Ernest gets a bunch of backstory that doesn’t necessarily connect with itself (he apparently lost track of his deep, elaborate revenge while getting himself framed for theft and falling in love with Katrielle…or something?).
Overall: The puzzles are a bit more obtuse in places (though often easier) than some of the other games, and the plot is cute if a bit vapid—the major mysteries that might form a continuous narrative are left for some other game to address. It’s an excuse to solve puzzles.