Adventure Gamers - Forums

Sudden urge to Point and shout, don’t we all have it?

Ace Attorney and Professor Layton were the most popular and biggest adventure game series on the NintendoDS so a crossover was always something with a certain degree of expectations. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney came out last year in the West and didn’t disappoint and as a fan of both series (more of PW) I was satisfied, the game managed to merge both gameplay styles and had some solid comic writing. To newcomers of both series I don’t think it’s really recommended to start here.
Also might mark the end of the Professor Layton series as we know it since the it’s changing into some form of card/RPG for iOS now.

I didn’t like the game that much. I don’t think the two series can mesh well. They both tend to feature outlandish events, but whereas the PW games are all about figuring out a sensible explanation for those events, the Layton games “resolve” them with mind-bogglingly outlandish and idiotic “explanations” (They’re all robots! It was all a dream! It’s a subterranean recreation of an entire city with hundreds of paid actors!).

That was my main problem with this game: in the courtroom sequences, you’re trying to figure out what’s going on, but, while that’s OK for the minor mysteries, the overall solution is so Laytonesque and idiotic that it spoils all the fun of trying to find it.

Ultimately, I guess what I’m saying is that, while the gameplay was more or less 50/50, the story was pretty much all Layton in style, and not only did that make for a bad story, it ruined part of the PW gameplay.

Kurufinwe - 04 June 2015 07:16 AM

Is it the 5th already?

, false start

I agree with you that the typical outrageous Layton ending was too much but I mostly liked the characters interactions and most of the court stuff. A lot of it was about disproving the witchery and I think that worked for both series.

I just love the witch trials. It fit the setting of the game, introduced a variation to the tried and true Phoenix Wright interrogation sections, and was just hilarious. Oh and definitely THIS

millenia - 04 June 2015 09:42 AM

I still haven’t tried either of these series even though I should have. Phoenix looks kinda sexy with the apron.

You should DEFINITELY try Phoenix Wright. It is up there as one of the best adventure games ever. Professor Layton is more of an acquired taste, though I enjoy it personally a lot, but no where as good as Phoenix Wright in my humble opinion.

Thanks wilco for the screenshot & info! - I’ve seen scenes from both the Phoenix Wright & Professor Layton games & from those they did strike me as having slightly different graphical styles? As such I was quite curious as to how the two protagonists? could meet in a game! I don’t have handheld device of any kind (although did play Cape West on my sister’s DS) & was hoping you might eventually tempt me to buy one!   

SoccerDude28 - 04 June 2015 12:13 PM

millenia - 04 June 2015 09:42 AM

I still haven’t tried either of these series even though I should have. Phoenix looks kinda sexy with the apron.

You should DEFINITELY try Phoenix Wright. It is up there as one of the best adventure games ever. Professor Layton is more of an acquired taste, though I enjoy it personally a lot, but no where as good as Phoenix Wright in my humble opinion.

This. Try it, but be sure to start from the first PW.

chrissie - 04 June 2015 01:56 PM

Thanks wilco for the screenshot & info! - I’ve seen scenes from both the Phoenix Wright & Professor Layton games & from those they did strike me as having slightly different graphical styles? As such I was quite curious as to how the two protagonists? could meet in a game! I don’t have handheld device of any kind (although did play Cape West on my sister’s DS) & was hoping you might eventually tempt me to buy one!   

Yes, art styles are different, I’m far from an expert but I would say the Layton games have more of a European cartoon style and the Phoenix Wright games a more traditional anime style. They do mesh pretty well in the game. The new characters from this game are kind of a mix from both styles I think.

I do hope you’ll try these games in the future, be sure to get a 3DS if you’re ever interested since you’ll be able to play all DS and 3DS games that way (and it’s a big library)

Layton and Maya look alright but Phoenix looks like an Italian baker or something.

I will probably decide whether to get a 3DS (heavily discounted) when it’s close to being obsolete, like I did with the DS. It was worth it for the DS with all the adventures but the 3DS doesn’t seem to have as much focus on them right now.