'Professor Layton' scores with its look, story and puzzles

"Professor Layton and the Curious Village"

Platform: DS

Genre: Adventure

Publisher: Nintendo

ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone

Grade: 4.5 stars out of 5

With its strong presentation -- akin to a French animated film -- "Professor Layton" is one of the most compelling puzzle games ever released. And that it is on the DS further cements this handheld device's legacy.

As Professor Layton, you and sidekick Luke show up to solve a mystery in -- where else? -- St. Mystere. The gameplay is simple (you just move from one establishment to the other talking to townsfolk), but the remarkable visuals and dialogue quickly make you forget the slimmed-down controls. Most of the game is solving brain-training puzzles to get the citizens to open up and give you clues to unlocking the mystery.

The strength of this game is that there's a compelling story that drives you along, and you never want to put it down. You'll be challenged by some puzzles, but there's nothing wrong with making you work a little. And you always feel like there is more to do, which for a handheld game is a real treat.

The stylus handles most of the controls, and you'll use it to solve all the teasers and twisters thrown your way.

Except for a way-too-repetitive music score, there are some great bonus features and free downloads of new games that bring fresh content to a game already rife with it.

On its face, this is just one in a crowded field of brain-training games for the DS. But the stylized presentation and rich story easily make "Professor Layton" rise well above the top. This is a must-own for every DS owner.

"Army of Two"

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Genre: Shooter

Publisher: EA Games

ESRB Rating: M, for Mature

Grade: 4 stars

You're either a fan of video games and take them as a form of entertainment, or you wait for titles like this, and then vent about the ills of society that teach people the wrong values.

I'll be the first to admit that the plot of "Army of Two" is not the most wholesome -- two former Army Rangers decide to become gruesome mercenaries, forego the diplomacy route and fight the war on terror by shooting first and forget the questions.

Given the real-life Blackwater scandal, this plot rubs the wrong way -- but it's one heck of a fun game to play.

The main thrust is that having two guns is better than one. "Army of Two" is better when played with a friend, because taking advantage of the flanking maneuvers and other tactics is much stronger than relying on the AI to help you out. The co-op features are the bread and butter of the game.

You earn money by achieving tasks, which allows you to buy new weapons and upgrade them to truly mercenary levels of cool. They look and sound powerful. Oh, and lest I forget, you can also upgrade your armor and an equally demonic hockey mask to trick out your merc look.

This is destined to divide audiences and critics because it openly mocks the Army. Dialogue constantly refers to the ineptitude of the volunteer services and the joys of killing for money. The game could have lost the rants and just been a cool mercenary shooting game. Adult gamers can, and should, enjoy this game for the co-op fun that it is. I think we'll survive this game without forgetting who the real heroes are.

(Contact Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)