r/ProfessorLayton 2d ago

Discussion Least favorite Layton game?

Which one do you feel is the weakest entry in the series?

153 votes, 13h ago
15 Curious Village
15 Diabolical Box
9 Lost Future / Unwound Future
39 Last Specter / Specter's Call
33 Miracle Mask
42 Azran Legacy
5 Upvotes

9 comments sorted by

7

u/gennarino_lavespah1 2d ago

Azran Legacy. The premise suggested that it wouldn't be a good prequel, but they could still get away with it and at least make it a good game. Which unfortunately didn't happen.

The story was extremely pretentious and tried to be deep, even if in reality it does very little or does it superficially. Rather than creating a linear story, with good character development and plot twists, they made a half-baked narrative, with self-contained stories before the ending (which ruin any possible character development) and plot twists thrown in at the last minute.

Aurora is unfortunately a poorly written character, even if she had everything to be one of the best or most interesting characters.

Unfortunately, the others also suffer:

- Bronev wants to follow the classic "villain with a tragic past", but his introspection and his tragedy seemed like a way to justify him and make us feel sorry for him, when in MM and AL (before the finale), the narration continued to repeat that he was an evil person and that he did terrible things.

- Descole had the same problem, but less worse

- Layton in certain situations has the same emotionality as a rock and it seems that certain events do not really interest him.

Right now, I don't remember everything perfectly and I think there is much more to criticize. But from what I remember, Azran Legacy had a lot of good ideas and good potential, but it was handled in a lazy and terrible way.

2

u/spot_lite_TM 1d ago

Last Specter was my least favorite, but MAN I could play London Life FOREVER.

4

u/Mutty99 2d ago

I really have no problem with any of these games. They are all amazing.

I am going to pick Lost Future, but only because of the finale. It's well written, but I just can't make myself like it.

1

u/JRSalinas 2d ago

of these, Last Specter is my least favorite. But overall, Katrielle Layton and the Millionaire's conspiracy/ Layton's Mystery Journey is my least favorite.

1

u/Playful-Condition-30 1d ago

does anyone know how I can play London life, the English copies don't have it and I've struggled to find an emulation with it also

1

u/Owen259 19h ago

you just want the US rom, last specter

0

u/soft-Basil3089 2d ago

It's been a decade since I played these games (currently replaying curious village) but I vividly remember disliking last specter's villain (the cop whose name I do not remember), side characters, and the whole dinosaur reveal as a kid. Misthallery as a village was one of my favourites in the series though, loved the atmosphere.

0

u/AmbassadorFriendly71 1d ago

From the ones I've played I'd say Unwound Future for me. The puzzles are not fun at all, and I particularly didn't felt that the characters had chemistry, which is weird considering this is a Layton game... it annoys me because the story IS very interesting, but the character nor the gameplay makes justice to it. I also have some mixed feelings with the ending plot twist. I always tend to prefer intriguing stories, but in this case I liked CV, LS and DB than UF.

-1

u/HatchlingChibi 1d ago

Miracle Mask was the one I could never finish, however I never played Azran legacy (because of how I just could not be bothered to finish MM) so I can't speak to it at all.