The Layton saga, which ended in 2013 with The Aslantean Legacywill finally be entitled to a sequel. The New World of Steamwhose release date is unknown, will finally allow us to learn more about the adventures of Hershel Layton and Luke Triton.
In 23 seconds, Nintendo has managed the feat of making happy the millions of fans of the Professor Layton. For more than a decade, fans of the Nintendo DS puzzle game have regularly demanded a sequel, without ever getting the slightest information on the possible return of the license. Many thought Professor Layton disappeared forever, especially for copyright issues, they were wrong.
On February 8, Nintendo lifted the veil on Professor Layton and the New World of Steamthe first real sequel to the adventures of the gentleman detective since the end of hexalogy in 2013. It is indeed Hershel Layton, the famous professor, who will be at the heart of this intrigue, after a spin-of which we could have done without on the professor’s adopted daughter in 2017.
Professor Layton is the hero the world needs
Professor Layton is not just a puzzle game. While much of the marketing for the license revolved around solving riddles when the first games launched, those who have completed all six stories know just how much deeper the stories of the Professor Layton games go. In addition to the little puzzles that we come across on his way, the whole plot revolves around a big mystery on which Layton and his apprentice Luke are investigating. As the story progresses, the Professor seems to guess what is happening, but remains mysterious. From time to time, a dazzling cutscene allows him to advance the investigation. In a style at the crossroads between Hercule Poirot and Scooby-Doo, Layton points the finger at the person he suspects of lying, while orally developing his theory. These scenes marked many players, who grew up with Layton.
The professor’s style makes him a unique character. Committed to ethics, extremely polite and proud to be a “gentleman”, Hershel Layton has everything the ideal hero. The six games made it possible to develop its flaws, in order to show that one could be a good person having lived through personal dramas. His bond with Luke, whom he treats like a son, is obviously part of the plot. Layton is a character we missed a lot, who we can’t wait to find on Nintendo Switch.
Ever since the last Layton game was released in 2013 (there was a tetralogy on DS, then two bonus episodes on 3DS), fans have been anxiously awaiting the professor’s return. The arrival of the spin-of The Layton Adventure: Katrielle and the Millionaire Conspiracy in 2017, a story centered on the real-fake daughter of the Professor, had brought hope… but everything suggested that Level-5, the studio behind the games, wanted to turn the page. The spin-off was entitled to a television sequel in Japan, in which the Professor made his big comeback – but this story was not adapted into a video game.
What will talk about The New World of Steam ?
The trailer of Professor Layton and the New World of Steam shows nothing else besides the professor and his iconic hat, so it’s impossible to answer this question. We also don’t know when the game will be released, Nintendo hasn’t even said in what year the new Layton will arrive. Will it be an adaptation of the story of the series, in which the Hershel Layton of the future was rescued by Katrielle? The clothes worn by the Professor in the video suggest that this is a different story. In short, we can’t wait.
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