But believe me, this one is actually (how to put it) good. Maybe even excellent. As a fan of the Professor Layton games, I can say that this installation in the franchise did not disappoint. The story remained pretty consistent, and the puzzles were integrated into the story-line perfectly without seeming like an unnecessary gimmick.
While not necessarily breathtaking in all aspects, the animation was still, in fact, well done, particularly during the end scenes – namely the machine and fighting sequences. Those really stood out particularly well. Overall, I think the music may be the boldest highlight of the film. Very melodic and beautiful. Definitely feels like a Layton story.
Some of the original voice actors for the North American release of the games are not present here, mainly because this is a direct port of the UK version. Despite having played the US version of the series, the voices here did not strike me as odd in any way. It all depends on preference, really.
Now for those who haven't seen or played the games, the film does quite a terrific job of explaining the gist of the series to the audience. Some references here and there might be missed, but the story itself is very well standalone. Newcomers shouldn't have too much trouble understanding.
While not necessarily breathtaking in all aspects, the animation was still, in fact, well done, particularly during the end scenes – namely the machine and fighting sequences. Those really stood out particularly well. Overall, I think the music may be the boldest highlight of the film. Very melodic and beautiful. Definitely feels like a Layton story.
Some of the original voice actors for the North American release of the games are not present here, mainly because this is a direct port of the UK version. Despite having played the US version of the series, the voices here did not strike me as odd in any way. It all depends on preference, really.
Now for those who haven't seen or played the games, the film does quite a terrific job of explaining the gist of the series to the audience. Some references here and there might be missed, but the story itself is very well standalone. Newcomers shouldn't have too much trouble understanding.