Out at midnight - Time to investigate Layton Brothers: Mystery Room on iOS
Where's my deerstalker?
These days, I don't to have to wait too long for English-language versions of games released in Japan. Which is nice.
However, there is one company out there that seems determined to make me, and indeed the entire Western world, wait. Its name is Level-5.
Of all this studio's franchises, there is none as beloved, or as accomplished, as the Layton series.
That's why Layton series spin-off Layton Brothers: Mystery Room has had iOS puzzle-adventure fans excited ever since it hit the Japanese App Store last September.
Great news, then, fellow crime solvers: it's just gone live on the New Zealand App Store. That means it'll be available to download in the UK and US at midnight tonight.
In Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, you follow the genius son of Professor Layton, Inspector Alfendi Layton, as he investigates cases from Scotland Yard's "Mystery Room".
Rookie detective Lucy Creila, who doesn't look old enough for a paper round let alone a job in the police force, joins Alfendi on this occasion. Together, they investigate each of the Mystery Room's cases.
Unlike in previous puzzle-based Layton games, the focus of Mystery Room is on crime scene investigation. Alfendi is dropped into full 3D environments, enabling him to view the world from any angle and scrutinise like he's never scrutinised before.
There is more to this particular Mystery than meets the eye, though. Only by solving all nine of the cases will you be able to discover Alfendi's "Secret". Personally, I - ahem - suspect it's something to do with the 'Brothers' part of the title. But, hey, I'm no detective.
Before you ask: the first two Layton Brothers: Mystery Room case files are free, while 3-6 and 7-9 are available as in-app purchases. The game itself will go live on the UK and US App Stores at midnight this evening.
