One porcupine head, one top hat, together must meet in the city of fate...That is what the prophesy foretold. And then the fated day arrived: Capcom made a good decision and let Level 5 write this game. But in seriousness, Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, the two biggest names in semi-interactive visual novels, are finally coming together in the classiest, suit wearing-ist, most puzzling set of contradictions since...Well, last games they were in. And just what might these two big brains. Well...One big brain and one big head come together to talk to us about? Drugs? Immoral Politicians? The corrupt legal system? No, friends. They have come together to face the threat of...Witches!
Behold, citizens of Vizzed, for your new story...Begins! *throws paper everywhere*

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics for this game are simply fantastic! The visuals are great, lots of time and attention went into every location. From London, to the Witch's Court, and all throughout Labyrinthia, you can expect some great sights. All the characters look great as well. Layton and his motley crew look about the same as they did in Miracle Mask, only a little more polished. On the other hand, Phoenix Wright looks just as he did in Dual Destinies, and Maya is basically a 3D version of her normal appearance. Their various animations when talking to then transitioned very well into 3D. It makes the game all the more charming. The anime cutscenes all Layton fans are familiar with, and Ace Attorney fans have recently been introduced to, are included in this game as well. And they're as beautiful as you'd expect! Great animation and voice acting.
On the flipside, however, on a few occasions the game lags when there is a lot of stuff moving on the screen. It's rare, but frustrating. Thankfully, this issue doesn't last long. Just a few lines of dialogue before it turns to someone else.

Sound: 10/10
Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright has some of the most fantastic music I've heard! Definitely in my top 10 list anyway. There are some very nice original pieces. But what will really hit you hard is the court themes. They are the typical Phoenix Wright themes, but remade with violins and other stringed instruments. It gives it both a medieval feel, but you can't help but think that Layton is the reason behind the music sounding as classy and amazing as it is.
And outside the music, the animated cutscenes have GREAT voice acting! It's fantastically done. Although Phoenix doesn't have the same VA as he did in Dual Destinies. But I actually kind of prefer this one. Another thing I should mention, the game uses all of the European voice actors from Professor Layton. Layton has the same voice, but unless you saw the movie, you're in for a real treat when Luke talks. I actually like the European voices anyway.
There are quite a few occasions where they will use their voices and actually say what you're reading in their text boxes. It's a nice touch at times.

Addictiveness: 5/10

This game is absolutely addicting!...The first time. A problem with both franchises is the same here. There isn't much replay value since you know the answers to all the puzzles, and what evidence to present, and when to yell OBJECTION! But during that first playthrough it's incredibly addicting!

Depth: 6/10

There's a bit of depth to this game. The only thing is; it's not as deep as either games on their own. Sure, the trials are LONG and challenging. But there aren't many puzzles to solve. In fact, you'll only run into about 75 puzzles. Assuming you talk to every character and look for puzzles. There's a bit to do, and there are a few challenging puzzles. But it's not the amount you'd expect from Layton. But, you get almost the same court experience you would expect from Ace Attorney. It's a really cool game, but it's only about half of each game glued together, formula-wise at least. The coolness from both is kept in full.

Story: 8/10

The story is really interesting! And it has quite a few twists and turns through it's run. Did you know Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright have been living in the same world this whole time? I sure didn't. But there's more to that. With a mysterious letter coming to the good professor, and the sender's car flipped, broke, and...in a tree? How did that happen? A girl traveling with him says it was...Witches? And who are those robbed people on the other side of the park? And...Where did that girl go off to? Quite the puzzle indeed...Meanwhile, Phoenix and Maya arrive in London for a League of Attorney's meeting. They take on a case from a girl caught trying to steal a crate of...A very familiar (read: creepy) blue badger dolls. She seems a little...Out of it though. And a woman with her insists you just let the prosecution hand out his charges. But can he get to the truth? And then...KIDNAPPINGS! WITCHES! MYSTERY! AND THE GREATEST TEAM UP SINCE GROOSE AND LINK!

Difficulty: 7/10

This is where the game gets really divided. The Professor Layton segments aren't hard at all. Well, the puzzles are a bit challenging, but that's the norm for anyone who's played Professor Layton before. You investigate each area, tap around for hint coins, solve a few puzzles, and be a gentleman. And then there's the Phoenix Wright segments. This game has the honor of having some of the hardest trials I've gone through so far! xD It's what you'd expect from Ace Attorney, but there are a few twists here. You're defending accused witches! And, as you'd expect from a witch trial, the witnesses are...unreliable at best. And there isn't very much evidence. Also, those witnesses? You're questioning them all AT THE SAME TIME! Thankfully they just give one statement each. So it's not very different from a normal testimony. Although with so many witnesses, maybe one or two remember things a bit differently than the others...
Altogether, prepare for a familiar looking challenge, with some new twists and turns to the standard formula.


One complaint I have isn't really a big deal. But near the end it gets a bit obnoxious...There are a lot of bits where there isn't much you can do. Just periods of pure, unrestrained, storytelling and exposition. Sometimes you can save during these, but at some points you can't. You may not have a problem with this, but it can stretch out for a good amount of time. It's not a bad thing though.

Anyway, it's a great game! I definitely recommend it. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright is a crossover that not too many saw coming. It sounded weird at first, but after playing it I can safely say it was one that definitely needed to happen! I had a lot of fun with this game. It's the best of both series' combined for one great crossover event. It's one you'll have a lot of fun playing if you're a fan of either Layton or Phoenix Wright. I actually started Ace Attorney right after hearing about this game. xD So it may introduce you to the other series and you'll become a huge fan of both!

With all the evidence presented, and as Luke pointed out, you can CLEARLY SEE that the answer to the puzzle is clear, Your Honor. TAKE THAT! *Correct: +75 Picarats*

Overall: 9/10