Don't let an eleven year old play it

[NotFury]

Just a warning. Don't let your 11 year old brother play Puzzle Agent first. No matter how big a Layton fan they are. One of the puzzles absolutely horrified him.

This game isn't as family friendly as Telltale's previous titles. It probably should have a warning "Resorts to cheap scare tactics".


That being said I thought the scene was cool, albeit a bit cheap, and it'll scare off any children from playing games in the franchise.

[NotFury]

All that said, I think the game is awesome. I'm not bashing the game at all. It's really good. Just not for kids.

[Giant Tope]

Cool.

[Neelo]

What's the scene that scared him? Is it when the hidden people come to steal the pipes/gear pieces?

[nodoctors]

I'm more than twice his age and that trick got me. The fact it was late at night and my headphones were turned up way too loud didn't help. It calls to mind the classic online trick where you get somebody to concentrate on something comfortably and then throw a disfigured face at the screen with a shriek. Except this was a little more classy as it was integrated in with the story and wasn't completely random for the sake of it. You can't deny its effectiveness either way.

Also, lol.

[corruptbiggins]

I loved that bit. Made me jump a little mind but it was so perfectly Grickle.

[NotFury]

I'm 20 and I found it pretty freaky myself. I actually liked it, sorta. It's gonna scare off half the WiiWare audience though, considering the average age of a Wii gamer is 10.

[Toast_Burner]

They did it on the most innocent puzzle. then when you think you're safe they do it again!
I loved that scene btw

[julian]

I also used headphones, but fortunately (?) I played that part in the afternoon, so the shock effect wasn't that severe.

While I wouldn't recommend this game for children either, I really love the dark atmosphere compared to other Telltale games, especially because the recent Sam & Max episodes were (for me) a bit too family-friendly and lacked some dirty jokes :)

[jeeno0142]

I really loved that you were forced to stop the puzzle because a Hidden Person was taking part of it away. It suprised me. In a good way!

[NotFury]

I also used headphones, but fortunately (?) I played that part in the afternoon, so the shock effect wasn't that severe.

While I wouldn't recommend this game for children either, I really love the dark atmosphere compared to other Telltale games, especially because the recent Sam & Max episodes were (for me) a bit too family-friendly and lacked some dirty jokes :)

Yeah, I agree. The atmosphere is fantastic. Completely in contrast to every other game they've made. I love it.

[G.byrne]

Damn... Now I really want to play it! Cursed iPad wait.

[RingmasterJ5]

Honestly, I wouldn't call that scene "cheap". It was a important part of the story. Also, i'm 13, and I was shocked, but not scared(Actually, I was expecting the game to be scarier that it actually was).

[Alcoremortis]

I was playing that bit around one in the morning and I nearly woke up my entire family by squeaking. I'm also 20.

It was awesome.

[StrongBrush1]

I was almost scared to DEATH when those creepy gnomes showed up. It was a mind screw. I had lost control, and then there was the fact that it was so sudden. That type of thing always scares me.

[onlyamonkey]

It scared me better than most horrormovies. I think the episode was excellent, innovative and exciting. I was a bit bothered by the extreme limitations of movement and dialogue as it felt like that was just something you wanted to click through until you reached a puzzle, but I still got caught up in the story in the end.

I would def buy a season.

[NotFury]

Fucking hell! Just got the shit scared out of me a second time! Those fucking gnomes! I hate them!

[Laserschwert]

Don't worry, it only happens those two times in the game...

... OR DOES IT???

MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[NotFury]

I hate screamers! They suck!

Layton > Puzzle Agent! No screamers in Layton!

[Alcoremortis]

How on earth would you put a screamer in Layton?

[NotFury]

How on earth would you put a screamer in Layton?

Same way Puzzle Agent did.

Just finished it. Thought the ending was meh, was hoping for a conclusion, but it's just the first episode in a series of many.

I'm not a fan of horror, and because of that I wouldn't bother getitng the others in the series. Mostly because the puzzles were vague, and most of the times I failed was because the rules weren't explained, like the lifts mechanics were hazy, and with the footballers it never said if it was allowed to go to a single player only once or multiple times. There were others too.

[RingmasterJ5]

Same way Puzzle Agent did.

Just finished it. Thought the ending was meh, was hoping for a conclusion, but it's just the first episode in a series of many.

I'm not a fan of horror, and because of that I wouldn't bother getitng the others in the series. Mostly because the puzzles were vague, and most of the times I failed was because the rules weren't explained, like the lifts mechanics were hazy, and with the footballers it never said if it was allowed to go to a single player only once or multiple times. There were others too.

I'm not a fan of horror movies either, but I came into the game actually thinking something like that could happen. Also, It did say that "one player" rule in the puzzle's info screen.

[NotFury]

I'm not a fan of horror movies either, but I came into the game actually thinking something like that could happen. Also, It did say that "one player" rule in the puzzle's info screen.

See, I just thought it would be Professor Layton, but with a dark atmosphere throughout the whole game, instead of only at the ending like in Layton 1. That tower was creepy, but the rest of the game was bright and sunny, or a well lit night etc.

Had no idea it would do that. My brother didn't either, the poor little dude.

[hippodragon9]

There are at least two. Probably three.
But *effing awesome*
EDIT: I really didn't think the game was going to be creepy at all until I saw the "Hidden People" short, and remembered seeing them on TT before.
Then I curled up in the effing fetal position the first time I saw one in the game, and practically had a seizure when they screwed up your puzzles

[der_ketzer]

Just finished it. Thought the ending was meh, was hoping for a conclusion.

The ending was already too much of a conclusion for me.

[DAISHI]

See, I just thought it would be Professor Layton, but with a dark atmosphere throughout the whole game, instead of only at the ending like in Layton 1. That tower was creepy, but the rest of the game was bright and sunny, or a well lit night etc.

Had no idea it would do that. My brother didn't either, the poor little dude.

Did you watch the movie it was based on or the movies/genres it was compared to?

[prizna]

I jumped when they appeared but it wasnt as bad as a screamer. I really liked the fact that they added a few of those in, and it wasnt like it was for the hell of it, it had something to do with the story.

[Elvenmonk]

I wasn't shocked or freaked out. More so,"What the hell's going on?" went through my head. Then, "Aw, damn it, got to restart the puzzle."
Same way Puzzle Agent did.

Just finished it. Thought the ending was meh, was hoping for a conclusion, but it's just the first episode in a series of many.

I'm not a fan of horror, and because of that I wouldn't bother getitng the others in the series. Mostly because the puzzles were vague, and most of the times I failed was because the rules weren't explained, like the lifts mechanics were hazy, and with the footballers it never said if it was allowed to go to a single player only once or multiple times. There were others too.

How were the lift mechanics hazy (I assume you mean the end)? It seemed pretty clear cut to me. It said if it was in the finish zone it would stop moving, same if near a wall or barrel of it's direction, and f it touched a bear trap it'd blow up.

[NotFury]

I jumped when they appeared but it wasnt as bad as a screamer. I really liked the fact that they added a few of those in, and it wasnt like it was for the hell of it, it had something to do with the story.

They didn't have to do it they way they did though. It waited a few seconds until you were concentrating on the puzzle, then "BAM!". It was a classic screamer, with gnomes instead of zombies/whatever.

Could have just had the gnomes show up during dialogue. Wouldn't have been as freaky, but it also wouldn't have been as cheap.

[doodinthemood]

I really liked this scene. Made the hidden people feel more omnipresent and threatening. Not much of a screamer though really.

[DaVince]

Same way Puzzle Agent did.

Just finished it. Thought the ending was meh, was hoping for a conclusion, but it's just the first episode in a series of many.

I'm not a fan of horror, and because of that I wouldn't bother getitng the others in the series. Mostly because the puzzles were vague, and most of the times I failed was because the rules weren't explained, like the lifts mechanics were hazy, and with the footballers it never said if it was allowed to go to a single player only once or multiple times. There were others too.

Maybe you're just reading too hastily? Both of these were explained rather clearly.

[mightypiratetm]

I am 13 and i really freaked out when i see the red gnome and it was 24:00

[GinnyN]

I'm a bad person who thinks childrens need to be scared at least once, so they will know how is the feeling and know what to do when they are adults.

Of course, that's me.

[Hayden]

I loved the scary moments. I was a little shocked during both of the puzzle 'screamers', but the only time that I really jumped was at the end when a large group of gnomes appears behind Nelson, that sort of freaked me out. I'm generally not a horror fan, but I like the approach used in Puzzle Agent because it's sort of mild horror, and it's also balanced out by the jokes that are scattered throughout the game. I really like the whole theme, feel and mood of the game; it really appealed to me and now I'm craving more Puzzle Agent. Hats off to Telltale, this game was top-notch.

[The Highway]

Then I curled up in the effing fetal position the first time I saw one in the game, and practically had a seizure when they screwed up your puzzles

Me too! I couldn't sleep!

[akaimizu]

That was an awesome scene. Totally unexpected and something Layton never does. In fact, if you've played a couple of Layton games, you would be especially conditioned to get surprised by that. I thought that was the coolest thing, myself.

Though I would worry if I gave an iPad, running that, to a small kid. For fear that they'd chuck the thing. That, alone, would be scary.

[Urd]

I am 24, and a total Scaredy Cat, but
a) it was for the story, not the sake of it, imagine poor nelson, concentrating on the Puzzle, and then a Gnome Jumps in, grabs a part and ran off..
b) Ita totally Grickle, scary through the build up athmodpshere and the soundtrack, less due to visuals. The Gnomes don't look scary, meaning their visuals, but the caracters react to them scared, as well does the score.
c) Watch the "Hidden People" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJsKo3u7dsk&feature=player_embedded)-Video, it is scary in the very same way, or Closet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1hOjyQkgao&feature=related), Scary only due to score.

due to that, i wouldn't say its particulary suitably for children, it not some innocent Puzzle game,

[Linque]

This game is not suitable for small kids regardless of that gnome thing.

[akaimizu]

Then again. Neither was "Watership Down", even though that was totally marketed towards children. That movie practically left scars. :)

Then again. This game is made for people mature enough to handle psychological thrillers and possibilities of death.

[Alcoremortis]

As someone who loved watching dinosaurs eat people but was terrified of Mrs. Hannigan from Annie as a kid, I'd say that it definitely depends on the kid.:p

[TonViper]

If you play the demo, it ends when the hidden person interrupts a puzzle for the first time. That's why I ended up buying the full game now.

I was originally planning to wait for one of Telltale's inevitable episode give-aways, but the suspense got to me.