70%Nintendo DS

Like most third entries in any series, this one improves on the second but is lacking the charm of the first two and is too overblown for it's own good. A lot of the puzzles are obtuse and poorly worded which creates a frustrating experience as you end up guessing most of the solutions until you brute force it. A far cry from Curious Village, which had the perfect balance between simple brain teasers, word trickery and touch scree puzzles.

90%Nintendo DS

The greatest story of Layton's DS trilogy, and puzzles on par with the previous entries.

Maybe the first Layton game that suffers without knowledge of the previous games.

70%Nintendo DS

74%

80%Nintendo DS

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is my favorite Layton game and will likely be till the end of time. Of course, the gameplay remains fairly similar to previous entries, with light traversal and a slew of puzzles to solve. However, the map is expanded a solid amount with multiple areas to travel to by bus. We get to see a lot of the setting, which is frequently dense, cozy and colorful. Maybe I'm just getting a better grasp on how the puzzles work in these games, but Unwound Future felt noticeably easier, which I appreciated. There are still some difficult puzzles, however I found myself working through the game at a much smoother pace while still enjoying every puzzle.

The absolute best part about this game that sets it apart from the previous two is the writing and characters. This entry dives into Layton's past and makes him out to be an even deeper, sometimes flawed character than originally let on. The rest of the cast have great moments as well, but Layton is undoubtedly the standout. The narrative is also pretty out there right from the beginning, and though I feel the twist was a bit cheap, I was always wanting to know what would happen next in the story. And then you get the ending, which is some of the most emotion a video game has evoked in me in quite some time.

90%Nintendo DS

My favorite in the series. A great finale to the trilogy. I'm not crying, I swear...

80%Nintendo DS

Ah, Professor Layton, the pinnacle of you're mom's puzzle games you never thought you'd play. Professor Layton's gameplay can be summed up to a puzzle point and click adventure. Gameplay wise, it's basically as I said, one of those puzzle games your mom would've bought or something, but Layton in particular is ACTUALLY GOOD. Most of the puzzles are actually brain teasers which I enjoy, and almost all of them are very well constructed (the math and sliding ones suck though). Aside from it's gameplay, Professor Layton has extremely in-depth stories like you'd see in mystery novels, I wouldn't be afraid to say they're some of the best I've seen in games, even if they're endings are a bid ridiculous. I'm not really the most interested in these kinds of games, but the quality of Laytons is astronomical compared to the rest of the genre. Unwound Future doesn't really differ much from the other Layton's I've played (Curious Village, Diabolical Box, and Last Specter). Basically all of the Laytons are the same thing with new puzzles and stories with the exception of some oddities in the first game, but it's still a great time, even if the replayability is pretty bad as the story carries them hard.

X Rating: 0/5 - Only thing that can is Layton and Don Paolo going after the girl I forgot the name of which is only flashback scenes and would require tons of imagination to corrupt.

95%Nintendo 3DS

Layton never misses

75%Nintendo DS

i'm torn on this entry, it has by FAR the most engaging plot of the trilogy (even if it still have it's flaws) but the puzzles are the least fun of the 3 I think, way too often the puzzles descriptions were unclear, or they were just obvious, it was still a good game and a top tier children's game

90%Nintendo 3DS

Pros: This is definitely my favourite game in the original trilogy and is on par with the newer games. The story is the most emotional out of all of them because it is related to Professor Layton himself and the ending is genuinely heartbreaking. Lost Future starts out more impactfully than the previous two games, as you get sent straight to Future London. There were multiple times I thought I was close to finishing the game and it kept on going. This game also has the most elaborate and biggest twists out of the original trilogy. This is why I see it on par with the prequel trilogy, even though it isn't as long.

Neutral: Don Paolo has more of a presence this time but as a helpful partner instead of a villain. This is a bit more unexpected and if he had been a villain, he would've been even more unimportant than in Pandora's Box.

Cons: I get having slidey puzzles in the final few puzzles but they went too far this time. Out of the last four puzzles, three of them are slidey puzzles and one is a slidey puzzle in essence. Having to do four, brain-crushingly difficult puzzles in a row, sucked so much fun out of finishing the game.

This isn't a con to the game itself but more to Level-5 bad decisions and how they could've done better. The ending of this game builds toward another mystery, with Luke sending a letter that tells Layton to come to him for another adventure. I don't blame Level-5 for doing a prequel trilogy first as it gave us three amazing games, although it does result in the fact that Layton goes from stopping an ancient civilization from destroying the world to settling an inheritance dispute, which is quite jarring and humorous.
What I have a real problem with is Katriella and the Millionaire's Conspiracy. That game didn't have to exist. I will never understand why Level-5 didn't continue where the original trilogy left off after finishing the prequel trilogy. Lost Future handed the start of their next game on a silver platter and it could've been so good. Instead, they created a game that creates a ton of new questions, answers very few and is disappointing even in its own story.

100%Nintendo DS

Fucking goated. One of the series that defined my teenage years. I love this game, this series, my memories playing on the street with Daniel or at his place, and solving the story with the Professor and Luke. I connected with these characters so much during my highschool years, same as I did with Ace Attorney. I love this game so fucking much.

My favourite of all the Professor Layton games. The emotions this created in me were so intense and insane. God I love this game so fucking much.

90%Mobile

WOW! This Layton game was AMAZING! The story and the concept of this game were so cool! This is clearly the best of the Layton games I played. As always, musics were great as well as the graphics!!

I cried my eyes out with the past/present/no future of the professor and Claire omg this was so sad I felt destroyed...

60%Mobile

Good puzzles but a terrible plot and especially the ending.

90%Nintendo DS

I sobbed at the end, as I will every time I play this game until I die.

80%Nintendo DS

Another Layton game down. Although I can't say it was my favourite, it's another solid entry in a fantastic series. This game features more voice acted moments than the prior entries, and I love the storytelling through cutscenes as well as still images. The stories in Layton games are always a bit on the whacky side, but this one really didn't make a lot of sense and had so many plot holes that it felt a little undercooked for my liking. The puzzles are strong, but there are always a few that feel just a little too unfair or assume that you're going to have existing knowledge that you wouldn't realistically have when seeing a puzzle for the first time.

The most baffling thing of all is that this game ends with a tease of a sequel, only for the developers to then create a prequel trilogy and the Ace Attorney crossover before finally getting to New World of Steam 15 years later! But oh well, at least it's happening now. Glad I played this game leading up to it.

80%Nintendo DS

I love the series, solid entry, this one got a bit emotional at the end.

90%Nintendo DS

The epitome of Professor Layton!

80%Emulated

Very good especially for the story. Some puzzles are very hard and a little weird.

90%Nintendo DS

86 Metacritic

60%Nintendo DS

Definitely the weakest of the original trilogy. While it provides an emotionally satisfying conclusion for Layton himself, the plot gets a little too absurd towards the end. If you thought the second game stretched suspension of disbelief a little much, you'll definitely feel that here.

On top of that, the puzzles are of a lower quality. They swing wildly from insultingly easy to inscrutable, at times, and many of them have rather unclear conditions and goals laid out for the player. The puzzles and hints like to say things like "no tricks here" when the answer is definitely a 'gotcha!' type.

Still no denying that Layton charm, though.

100%Nintendo DS

What a masterpiece.
It starts with a very interesting mystery about time travel and you wanna keep playing to know more about what is actually going on, keeping the game interesting the whole time. The final solution to the mystery later is really good, and the story actually becomes really personal to the Professor himself - this is the first time this happened in this series - and actually has a emotional, sad, but satisfying conclusion.
The way this game managed to tell a great story in the context of a game was really great. A fantastic experience.

90%Nintendo DS

I forgot everything about what happened in this game since playing it the first time, then i played the previous Layton games and came back to this one. Definitely a game changer. This is now my favorite Layton game once again

100%Nintendo DS

The end was magical

100%Nintendo DS

The best game in the series. Masterpiece.

80%Nintendo DS

A worthy title of the Layton series, although a bit heavy on the amount of dialogue, still worth a play. Very enjoyable

90%Nintendo DS

剧情很棒，过场动画精美，谜题也很好玩。

60%Nintendo DS

A 5/7
H 1/1
S 0/2

90%Nintendo DS

8.5/10

100%Nintendo DS

Layton proves to be a formidable investigator yet again. The story took it's time to get good, but once it did the twists and revelations were fantastic. The puzzles were the same top quality as always. The music is an absolute bop and I will definitely be listening to it well after.
There was some real heart to the end of the story as well, didn't expect it! Look forward to the next few games even more

100%Nintendo DS

Best in the series IMO. We learn more about Layton's past, most of the puzzles are really fun, it sounds really good, the music is the best so far, the animated cutscenes are great and the story itself is my favorite.

80%Nintendo DS

Grafik: 8
Sound: 8
Gameplay: 8
Story: 8

100%Nintendo DS

While Diabolical Box may have been a letdown, Lost Future brought the franchise right back up and ended the first trilogy on a glorious note.

The puzzles are just as fun as ever (though the minigames aren't fun as ever), but of course the real highlight is the story. Like with all Professor Layton games, the solutions and answers to the mysteries are pretty bonkers, but there's a new level of tragedy to this one that it truly does tug at the heartstrings. Without spoiling anything, I will say that it does put a new perspective on Professor Layton's character and why and how he chooses to be a gentleman. Despite the game's childlike, the tone underlying the storyline is pretty dark and ends on a bittersweet note.

It's a real classic, and this is the point in the franchise where the Professor Layton speed really starts to kick in. While Curious Village and Diabolical Box aren't recommended to fully enjoy this game, I still think it's a great end to this first trilogy (even if Diabolical Box was a letdown).

80%Nintendo DS

This is my favourite of the original trilogy. It was the first time I really cared about the characters, and I got really emotional towards the end (it's quite surprising how much emotion they can show through Layton's beady eyes). Claire and Future Luke are some of my favourite characters in the series.
The puzzles are pretty much the same as always. I liked the car and storybook minigames, but the bird minigame was too hard for me, haha...

90%Nintendo 3DS

Even without having played the later Layton games it's hard to say anything will top this one. It's polished, creative and the story is top-notch, full of twists and turns.

80%Nintendo DS

A good story that is often interrupted by a few too many puzzles... but if you like that combination this is a great entry. Definitely worth a play.

70%Nintendo 3DS

This is my favourite game of the original trilogy. The puzzles get better, the animations are lengthier and more voice acting is added in every new installment. The story tickles my fancy as well, I just like the idea of it so much.

On the other hand, Flora has never been more superfluous, she could (and should) not have been in this game. Same for the rabbit and the bee: they were introduced at great length, with voice acting and backstories and all, like they were supposed to have been more important than they turned out to be, but, like Flora, they should have been cut.
Also, at the end of the other two games you had to climb a tower as a buildup towards the climax; that's a little different here. Although I like the idea they were going for, I don't think the execution worked as well as they wanted it to.

Still a great game, though, if you like puzzles.

80%Nintendo DS

I felt that this game was better than the last two both in story and puzzle quality. The story was good enough to peak my interest, but wasn’t obvious enough that I became disinterested. Usually, in a Layton game the beginning premise is very intriguing, but then it always putters out in the finale. However this one had me guessing until the very end.

70%Nintendo DS

"Professor Layton and the Unwound Future" is a puzzle-adventure game, developed and published by Level-5 in Japan in 2008. Nintendo later localized and published "Unwound Future" into western markets in 2010. "Unwound Future" is the third entry in the popular "Professor Layton" series, and continues to follow the adventures of Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke. Once again the duo must solve a mystery involving danger, intrigue, and enough puzzles to befuddle the entire Mensa society. The theme of "Unwound Future" involves time travel, seeing Layton and Luke bouncing back and forth through modern and future London.

+A much improved sequel to "Diabolical Box".
+Outstanding animated cinematic cutscenes.
+Background art production values are sky high.
+The new suitcase incorporated mini-games are surprisingly fun.
+Some of the story-intertwined puzzles are really good.

-The vast majority of these puzzles are bland boring filler.
-The fun factor of the last third far surpasses the initial two thirds.
-The plot overflows with deux ex machina.
-The game is twice as long as it needed to be. A usual.
-This series robbed its entire artistic aesthetic from "The Triplets of Belleville" and nobody cared.

I've often been at a loss as to why so many people adore the "Professor Layton" saga. Not for a lack of trying, mind. "Unwound Future" is the third entry I've personally beaten in this series. I found "Curious Village" to be merely adequate, and I found "Diabolical Box" to be a diabolical bore. Up through the first two thirds of "Unwound Future", I was convinced this series just wasn't for me. However the final third of "Unwound Future" kicked the experience into high gear. Clever puzzles started being solidly integrated into the actual plot, said plot grew some teeth and became interesting, and despite having more plot holes than a graveyard, somehow this story ended up portraying tangible gravitas. So ultimately, "Unwound Future" ended up being worth playing.

That said, I still don't consider "Professor Layton"'s base design all that intriguing. These games are far too similar to one another, with each sequel feeling more like a new episode, rather than an evolution. The highly lauded "so many puzzles!" aspect works against the pacing, because the deluge of puzzles are usually abstract from the actual plot. The entire graphical aesthetic is rehashed so repetitiously, that I can't help but roll my eyes. Would it really be so bad to have a new art style and/or a new instrumentation style, for a sequel? I also find Professor Layton himself to be a terribly boring protagonist, and annoying little Luke can die in a fire. However I can't deny the level of consistency and charm this series maintains from one entry to the next. Nor will I deny that "Unwound Future" ended on a strong note, pushing my opinion of the series up a notch.

So if you would like to play a cloyingly inoffensive "adventure", overflowing with mostly mediocre puzzles, that lasts way too long, check out any of the first three "Professor Layton" games. If you want to play a "Professor Layton" game with a half-decent plot, give "Unwound Future" a try. I suppose overall this series works best for people who really enjoy cookie cutter sequels. I personally prefer strong strides of innovation and alteration in successors, but Level-5's not into that. Obviously I'm still not a super fan of these games, but I'm still interested in what lies ahead. "Unwound Future" was decent enough that I will eventually give the fourth "Professor Layton" game a chance. After all, a true gentleman leaves no sequel unsolved.

50%Nintendo DS

It's been a few years since I played the first 2 Layton games. I didn't like them much back then--I felt the puzzle design was often misleading or ambiguous--but I did like the overall structure of it, the pick-up-and-play nature of it. You could do one puzzle on the bus or blitz through 10 in a row before bed. So I started to think maybe I was just impatient back then, and returning to the series now that I'm older and more mature might be a better experience. Unfortunately, I just think this series is not for me. There's plenty to love, but I don't like that the game manages to make me feel stupid for interpreting its directions differently than it wants.

90%Nintendo DS

Good puzzles but sometimes too difficult (the puzzle where you get the parrot). I'm 9 years old, and I could do MOST puzzles by myself (sometimes my dad help me). The story is really interesting. I like the end and how the story comes together.

80%Nintendo DS

Overall I did enjoy it; the story was especially good. Did not like several of the puzzles which did not explain rules well, many of which were early on in the game. However, the second half picked up nicely with enjoyable puzzles and dramatic story twists.

70%Nintendo DS

Feels pretty much like the last two games. I found a few of the puzzles to be just unfair, but overall I found them to be a bit too easy. The plot-line once again seems to ground itself in reality (it seems to be about time travel but that's impossible... right!?), and then at the end goes completely bonkers insane.

80%Nintendo DS

A solid entry in the Layton series. While I still prefer "Curious Village," "Unwound Future" is probably the stronger of the two. "Unwound Future" unfortunately makes the same mistake "Diabolical Box" makes; a story conclusion just a bit too far-fetched.

80%Nintendo DS

A good story with a diverse collection of puzzles. Definitely worth the time.

80%Nintendo DS

A solid entry into the Professor Layton series. (The first one is the curious village). They've made a few improvements to the interface, which I quite enjoyed - but it is still definitely the same game.