[dropcap]L[/dropcap]evel 5 issued tons of new information about Layton’s Mystery Journey today. They have included a game description and details about episode 1. They also detailed a mini-game that appears after you reach a certain point in the game.

The game description provided is as follows:

Professor Hershel Layton has suddenly disappeared, so in order to find her father, Katrielle begins a “General Shop and Puzzle-Solving Detective Service” and establishes the Layton Detective Company. She takes on all sorts of cases from finding pets to determining culprits in murder cases, and her bizarre ideas continue to result in her achieving accurate results in solving mysteries. Obtaining such a reputation, the Layton Detective Company continues to receive many kinds of requests.

Gameplay

How the game basically works is you investigate cases in various places, examine “suspicious things” on the screen with a magnifier, and collect information(Flash coins, puzzles, collections) in order to solve the case.

Some additional insights into gameplay:

– When the magnifier turns orange, tapping there will trigger conversations with citizens or obtain Flash Coins and Puzzles.
– When the magnifier turns cyan, you can zoom in. Some hints are available on zoomed-in screens.
– When the magnifier is covered in smoke, it means tapping there will obtain Collections.

Similar to past Layton games, this entry also has a mini-game that’s available after proceeding through a certain point. The mini-game is called “The Ideal Dinner”. You listen to requests, check out the requester’s favorites by talking to related people, and provide the ideal dinner course to the requester that consists of Hors d’oeuvre, Soup, Main Dish and Dessert. The variety list of those with requests and cuisine will be added as the story progresses.

Episode 1

One of the hands of Big Ben has been stolen. It is said to be a symbol of London. The hand must be found before Ambassador Melarco visits from a neighboring country. The hand must be found before the press conference begins. This is where Scotland yard inspector Aspoiro requests that Katrielle investigate the incident.

Source: Link