Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy Reviews

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
ZTGD
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Mar 28, 2014

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy doesn’t take the series in any new directions, but that’s not a bad thing. With more environmental variety and a faster moving story, the game addresses the main complaints I had with Miracle Mask. The puzzle variety is excellent, and I enjoyed the mini-games more than the last few games. With a full year of puzzles on top of what’s already in the game, puzzle enthusiasts will find a lot of enjoyment here.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 27, 2014

My one recommendation: take your time...enjoy a little bit of the tale and keep it in the background as a great break from real life.

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9 / 10
Oct 29, 2013

If Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy really is the end of an era, it's a fitting sign-off. Hershel Layton and his companions have been wonderful additions to the DS and 3DS systems, bringing gracious simplicity and charm with each release. This concluding entry captures the best of the new and old, and is indispensable to fans of the franchise. Farewell Professor, you truly have been a gentleman and a scholar.

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RPG Fan
Top Critic
90%
May 22, 2014

A worthy finale to Professor Layton's adventures, whether you've played the previous games or not.

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9 / 10.0
Mar 6, 2014

This may or may not be Professor Layton’s last ride, no one has said anything definitively either way, (as of press time rumours are swirling about this being the last Layton game proper) but it’s a great one to go out on.

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Adam Riley
Top Critic
9 / 10
Dec 1, 2013

All in all, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy shows there is still plenty of mileage in the series, but as time has been called on this particular line of Hershel Layton adventures, it proves to be a fitting closure with some great twists at the story's conclusion, along with clever plot elements that tie this precursor trilogy back into the first ever game, The Curious Village. Whilst not as gripping as the finale to the original trilogy - the truly sublime and epic Professor Layton and the Lost Future - this is still one that fans should not be without.

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88 / 100
Feb 25, 2014

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is an amazing conclusion to the beloved puzzle series. Its variety and clever storytelling make it the most interesting and well-executed installment of the franchise, and it’s nice to see that after six games, Level-5 can keep surprising players with intriguing, surprisingly moving plots and hundreds of clever puzzles. I’m sorry to see the main series end, but if it must, this is exactly how to do it.

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8.6 / 10.0
Mar 8, 2014

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy succeeds as a wonderful finale to the Layton series and the strongest title in the prequel trilogy. If you've enjoyed any of the previous games, this will certainly satisfy your puzzle solving needs. Though it's not necessary to play the previous titles in the trilogy, it's recommended as this game pulls together events from the previous two titles. All-in-all, the Layton series has been and will always be a wonderful break from some of the more established gaming formulas. Recommended.

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IGN
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 11, 2013

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy brings a great series to a close in fine style. It doesn't take many risks with the established formula, but its story is engaging, intelligently written and compelling to the end.

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85 / 100
Mar 1, 2014

While Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy offers little innovation or surprise, it’s still just as charming and entertaining as ever, and it’s a fitting end to a legacy of perplexing brainteasers.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 7, 2014

Anyone who's a fan of Layton will find another great adventure. If you haven't had a chance to travel with the great Professor, this can be a great jumping off point to really get a good idea of what this series is all about.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 3, 2014

The game is perfectly crafted to push you closer to the end, and with it the answer to a mystery that has been built up over the last three titles.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 25, 2014

[I]t is an intelligent and engaging addition to the series, bringing together the best of the new and old. With the most puzzles and extras of all the Layton games, there is no shortage of things to keep you occupied,and the charming music and fun quirks will balance out even the most vexing of brain teasers. In a series known for its quiet allure and charismatic appeal, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is exactly what it should be: a gracious farewell.

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8.3 / 10.0
Feb 25, 2014

Layton is all about puzzles and story. The former stays true to the formula, and the latter is entertaining, even if some reveals are cringe-worthy

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83 / 100
Mar 1, 2014

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, is a great, even perspective changing game that showed me that games don’t need endless action to be fun.

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Feb 25, 2014

Azran Legacy doesn’t change much about the Layton formula, but the series stays true to its strengths to the very end.

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Feb 25, 2014

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy follows a grand tradition of puzzle-adventures. Filled to the brim with brain teasers of all shapes and sizes, The Azran Legacy is a relatively non-linear exploration of the series' last mysteries. Will you like it? It depends. How much do you enjoy having your mental processes challenged?

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Feb 25, 2014

If you’re already a fan of the series, or if any of this niche game sounds appealing to you, I urge you to give Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy a try. Certainly, those who played the previous two (or five) games will want to know how the trilogy ends. For the others who are not into super English puzzle games or are barely into that section of the newspaper, there are more creatively-engaging games on the market. However, consider putting the gun down now and again. Puzzles can bring great peace, but puzzles also inspire unnerving chaos.

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8 / 10
Oct 28, 2013

While the power of the 3DS can occasionally be seen working to bring about the delightful art styles and adding some lovely depth to the animations, this is essentially the same substance as every Layton game so far. That is by no means a bad thing. The puzzles offer plenty of variety and there is a lot of content to get you started, even without venturing into the mini-games and the daily puzzle downloads.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2013

On the flipside, for those that are completists, who want to eke every drop out of their Layton, there is a staggering amount of depth here, not just from the multiple puzzles,but from the way all of the mini-games are directly tied into the main adventure, and the Treasure Hunt mode can actually provide a beneficial reason to keep your idling 3DS in your pocket, lest you have a cheeky StreetPass encounter that will unlock a juicy reward. The 3DS has certainly come of age this year, and this is another sterling effort that combines expert design with frankly gorgeous looks and sounds.

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