I must admit: I am a big fan of both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright series. I think these two IPs well symbolized the freshness the Nintendo DS brought in video gaming at the time. That’s why I was very excited when this cross-over was announced three years and a half ago. In the meanwhile, though, 3DS received two mainline Layton, and one (really good) main Ace Attorney entry; hence, how will this game compare to them? Is the idea of crossing the two IPs working well? The answer is simple: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright is freaking awesome. It doesn’t come without flaws, but Level-5 and Capcom were able to offer a beautiful experience that really no one should miss.
As expected, the main focus is on the plot, which was written by Shu Takumi (the creator of Ace Attorney) and Akihiro Hino (Level-5’s president). While the first few hours are set in London, soon the characters (Layton, Luke, Phoenix and the gorgeous Maya) find themselves in Labyrinth City, a mysterious Medieval town; here, they must protect a girl, Luna, who’s been accused of being a witch. In Labyrinth City, indeed, it seems that wizardry is a real thing, and everyone is scared about witches. There are two elements that make the plot departing from mainline entries: the fantasy setting, and a more dramatic approach. For example, during a trial, Phoenix must use his logic to solve contradictions, but also remember that people can use magic, hence finding a rational explanation is not always possible. Moreover, tension is always present, and there are not many funny dialogues (as in Ace Attorney series), so the story follows a really serious path.
Plot-wise, everything works well. There are some hiccups here and there, in particular during the first hours (I took about 25 hours to complete the game); but there are interesting connections among the main characters (sometimes, it might happen to have only Layton and Maya, or Phoenix and Luke, or someone with Luna), while new characters are just as good as one could expect from a mainline entry. In particular, the new prosecutor is cool, and on par with the height of Godot and Miles Edgeworth.
The gameplay is really a mix of the two series. Even if at the beginning they do seem two separate games duck-taped together, during the adventure the pace improves. Exploration of Labyrinth City is full of puzzles (easier than a normal Layton game, but also better designed… Almost no logic games anymore!) and evidences to find; trials, instead, present two new features: cross-examination of more than one witness per time (something that the main series should implement in the future), and the use of a book explaining all the spells, that Phoenix can read anytime to find false statements. Such features make the trial phases fresh and exciting, also because witnesses are really over-the-top. In total, there are four trials, so in par with an Ace Attorney game.
Technically, graphics is top-notch, as one would expect from a Layton game; the only thing is, Phoenix Wright model is way worse than the one in Dual Destinies, but Maya counterbalances that since her model is pretty good. As for the soundtrack… Well, rearrangements of previous tracks are great, but new compositions are even better! Problem is, they are not used often, which is a shame, since there are some memorable tracks (I would put them on par with the first Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright games).
In sum, this game is not the best Professor Layton ever, neither the best Ace Attorney ever; however, it’s one of the most beautiful experiences on 3DS, a really well-crafted adventure that will keep you playing for many hours. Don’t miss it!
8.5/10
* EU version reviewed. Many thanks to guest reviewer deveroos of http://www.wiitalia.it for the review!