Professor Layton and The Miracle Mask is the fifth game in the series, and the first to be released on the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in 2012, and chronologically, it is the second game in the series.

This is a mystery game with lots of puzzles built in. The story delves deeper into the backstory of Professor Hershel Layton, as the game takes place both in the present and the past. His childhood friend, Randall, is the one who got him into archaeology in the first place. Randall was interested in an artifact called the Mask of Chaos, but after he found it, he suffered an unfortunate accident while on a dig with Hershel. In the present day, the Mask has once again reared its head as the current owner has found out it's gone missing, only to find a mysterious stranger donning said mask and terrorizing the city.

This is probably my very favourite game in the series. The foray into 3D is a positive thing, because even if you don't play with the 3D on, the visuals are so beautiful. They've implemented better interactivity for the puzzles as well, but what really stands out is the fact that there are a few different gameplay styles in this title. As a young Hershel, you get to wander around mines and dig things up, utilizing your environment for different puzzles. This was a really nice touch and one which I really enjoyed!

The story for this particular title is also one of my favourites in the entire series. I really enjoyed learning more about the Professor, and I found that there truly was a lot of emotion in this game. It made me feel things that I hadn't really felt during the course of this series. It's nice to see the series grow and evolve.

The puzzles here are definitely much harder than any previous title. Sometimes it takes a few tries, but you'll get it!