Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy concludes the second trilogy of the series released for the 3DS, and with it the entire story arc surrounding the younger Professor Layton. The plot follows the search for the secrets of the ancient Azran civilization and its frozen tombs scattered around the world, gradually tying together the events of the previous two games and joining their storylines into a unified ending. Traveling between the various dig sites and exotic locations gives the game the feel of an adventurous journey typical of the whole series, and here too calmer exploration passages alternate with more intense plot twists.

Gameplay-wise the title stays true to the series' proven formula - the player moves through carefully rendered locations, collects hundreds of puzzles of various types, and follows an adventure plot full of dialogue and revelations. Compared to previous entries, small improvements have been added in the form of playable characters with their own abilities usable in solving certain puzzles, which slightly enriches the otherwise unchanging structure of the series with a new gameplay element and gives the story a broader ensemble feel of a group of characters instead of a lone pair of protagonists.

Critics received the game positively, though somewhat less enthusiastically than Miracle Mask - praise went to the dignified conclusion of the long story arc and the still high quality of the puzzles, while criticism pointed out that at this stage the series no longer innovates much on its own formula and some mechanics feel familiar. For Layton fans, though, this is an essential resolution and the last great classic episode before the series disappeared for a while and later returned in a different form. It is still valued today as a reliable, honestly built conclusion to one era of portable puzzle-adventures, one that managed to satisfyingly connect two separate trilogies into one great whole. For players who have followed the series since the first game on the DS, it is an emotional final note to a long story full of mysteries and friendship.