I really want to like this game but after eight hours with it, I'm finding that Sea of Stars loses my interest more often than not. The structure, the charm, the art, the music, the world, and even the combat to an extent are there. Unfortunately between drawn-out enemy encounters that drag on and on, no auto battle functionality or even a fleeing option, incredibly slow mechanical progression and leveling, nonexistent characters, and some abysmal dialogue it just can't remain interesting.

This should have been great but it ends as quite a middling attempt in this new phase of retro-styled JRPGS.

153/153 puzzles completed, 5,500/5,500 picarats, 230/230 hint coins collected and none used. Carrying straight on from playing through Professor Layton and the Curious Village, the second game in the series continues in much the same style, with another enjoyable variety of puzzles threaded around an enjoyable if implausible story. The puzzles seem to be weighted slightly less towards those with a trick than was the case in Curious Village, which I'd count as a positive, but otherwise, Pandora's Box has all of the same qualities of its prequel in the series.

FUN Game

Nothing beats the competitiveness i felt trying to beat my friend's high scores.
The plot was the weakest part by the way, and the dialogue is very.. interestingly written. Personally I don't mind it but it will definitely age hard later on,,
The gameplay though? REALLY fun