Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
• Nintendo DS • Puzzle, Visual NovelThe second game in the Professor Layton series. It follows Professor Layton and Luke on a quest to solve the mystery of the Elysian Box, a relic rumored to kill anybody who opens it.
Thoughts
Shortly after completing Professor Layton and the Curious Village, I continued my series playthrough and picked up the second entry. If you’re European, you may know this one as ‘Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box’.
As soon as the game began, I noticed several visual improvements, as well as more of the dialogue being voiced. The game also addresses some gameplay issues that were present in the first entry, and introduces a memo pad that allows you to take notes on your Nintendo DS touchscreen while solving puzzles. The puzzles are more difficult this time around, so you’ll need it!
Unlike its predecessor, which was constrained to the village of St. Mystere, The Diabolical Box takes place in a number of different towns. This allows for more diversity in the environments and characters you’ll encounter, and makes the story feel bigger as it encompasses a variety of locations. I really enjoyed seeing how the seemingly isolated phenomena taking place in the different towns came together as the bigger mysteries began to unravel.
These unknowns are first approached from a supernatural perspective, as we speak to many charismatic characters about curses, folk tales, and… vampires? Some of the theories that Layton and his apprentice encounter seem farfetched, but they mirror the human tendency to seek an explanation to events beyond our comprehension. I could almost imagine the gossip taking place among the residents of the various villages, and this aspect of the game was a great addition to the atmosphere achieved through the stunning illustrations and an excellent soundtrack.
Of course, there is always a logical explanation to everything, and Prof. Layton will make sure to remind us on multiple occasions. In this instalment, I wouldn’t necessarily call it logical or realistic. As I mentioned in my post about Professor Layton and the Curious Village, the series loves magic realism. Still, the ending to this story is so filled with emotion and charm that you’ll forget the “really?” that you’ll mutter once the solution is presented.