And now, to test my theory...
Last year, Professor Layton and the Curious Village was impressive, to say the least, and definitely won my approval. So what should we expect but a sequel as great? Nothing more, and if that's what you were hoping for, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box will not disappoint.
The story is simple. There is something called the Elysian Box, rumored to cause death to anyone who opens it. And then along comes a letter addressed to Mr. Hershel Layton from his mentor, describing that he has obtained the box and plans to open it. Worried, the Professor and his apprentice, Luke, head over to his house, and find him dead on the floor, only to discover a train ticket. It sounds simple, but the story does show it's true colors later on. The story keeps it's pace all around, and has a pretty good and unexpected ending. A lot of the story is still told in cut scenes and voice acting, and if I may say it, there does seem to be more cut scene time than it's predecessor, and more characters have their own voice acting!
Much of the story keeps an emphasis on the train you are on, as well as a second stop you make. This kind of gameplay is pretty neat, but it does have it's limits. For example, not much actually seemed to be put into the first stop on the train. Plus the train is fairly short, so it doesn't make for much. There are also some reoccurring characters this time. For an example that isn't a spoiler, Inspector Clemey returns (yes, the real one!). Also, some of the villagers from the Curious Village return, but they don't have that much room in the game, which is probably for the better.
Puzzles go a long way into the story too. While puzzles are still the main way to advance in the story, some of the puzzles also fit in with the story. This makes the story go deeper, but some of the puzzles are just plain silly. But it does it's job, and helps the game a lot more than you'd think it would. The game has certainly gotten challenging too, one of the badder aspects to it. The game is certainly difficult, way tougher than it's predecessor, so it's not exactly as accessible to kids, if that matters to you. But you may find yourself cheating and looking up answers online. Can't say I blame 'ya though!
The music sounds a lot better too, and isn't so annoying, but still gives Professor Layton his classy, gentleman look and style.
As for how much time you'll get out of this game, you should expect around 10 hours, but after that, there is still more. You can go back and complete unsolved puzzles, complete bonus puzzles as well as download new puzzles weekly via Nintendo Wi-Fi. And if you had the previous game, you also get a code that can be used on the previous game for bonus content.
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is a great game. It checks all of the boxes, and brings a pretty good story, one I found to be slightly better than before, and certainly worthwhile. If you enjoyed the previous game, this game will definitely suit you. While it has a few drawbacks, such as the entire game isn't voice acted, it does what it needs to, nothing more or less.