Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

    Game » consists of 4 releases. Released Aug 24, 2009

    The second adventure for Professor Hershel Layton and his helpful assistant Luke. They must solve riddles to reveal the mystery surrounding a box that seemingly kills whoever opens it. In Europe, the game was released as "Professor Layton and Pandora's Box"

    damnboyadvance's Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (Nintendo DS) review

    Avatar image for damnboyadvance

    And now, to test my theory...

    The game stays true to it's parts, yet it brings another exciting story and more puzzles to the table that will satisfy, to say the least.
     
    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.

    Other reviews for Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (Nintendo DS)

      Some improvements and some drawbacks... 0

      Professor Layton and his peppy sidekick Luke are back in their 2nd grand adventure for the Nintendo DS.  This time they’re hot on the trail of the Elysian Box, an ornamental artifact said to (gulp) kill anyone who dares open it.  The Professor gets a letter from an old colleague about the box and, sensing something is amiss, he and Luke soon discover the old man’s body – with the Elysian Box nowhere to be found.  The letter included a mysterious ticket (destination unknown) aboard the Mol...

      1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

      A true gentleman leaves no puzzle unsolved 0

      It's no secret that Professor Layton and the Curious Village was one of my favorite games released last year, so it's only natural that I was excited to see what the good professor would bring to the table this time around. Fortunately, Layton's second outing is just as seamlessly charming as his first, making Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box a solid choice for fans of the original. Everything that made The Curious Village so fun is present and accounted for in The Diabolical Box. The sam...

      1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.