Though it’s a couple of weeks away.
Level-5, the Japanese development studio most known for Ni no Kuni and Professor Layton, recently announced that it would be hosting a livestream in which it will relay “information on upcoming Level-5 games.” The showcase is called Level-5 Vision 2023, and it is scheduled for March 9 (3AM PT, 6AM ET). On the studio’s official page confirming the stream, there’s a list of featured titles set to make an appearance, and among these games are the recently revealed DECAPOLICE and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam.
DECAPOLICE is a new IP from Level-5 and, like the Professor Layton game, it was first revealed in Nintendo’s most recent Direct presentation of early February (though the title will also come to PlayStation consoles). The game is based around a team of police trainees that enter a virtual reality simulation, called Decasim, that’s meant to help them learn to become detectives.
However, as expected, things go awry and a criminal hacks into the server and begins altering the simulation. It is described as a crime-suspense RPG, and it will seemingly have a mix of evidence-gathering investigation gameplay and tactical turn-based combat, all represented in a 3D anime art style.
Much less is known about Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, so its inclusion is particularly exciting, especially for its passionate, albeit niche, fanbase. All New World of Steam got was the short teaser above, though, at least, that did confirm that the titular character will be the protagonist this time around, as he wasn’t in the latest title of the franchise, 2017’s Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy.
Another tidbit worth mentioning is that, unlike DECAPOLICE, which has a 2023 release window, New World of Steam has yet to have even been given a year, with its official Nintendo store page simply stating “TBD.” However, the showcase is called “Vision 2023.” That could simply be referring to what Level-5 is working on this year, but it could also be that this new Professor Layton title is coming sooner than expected.
The featured list for the stream also includes games such as Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road of Heroes, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and an upcoming Megaton Musashi game. There is no information as to how long the showcase will be.
