Joe Hisaishi Pens Theme Song For Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
LEVEL-5 has revealed that composer Joe Hisaishi has written the main theme song for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, which is in development for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.Hisaishi is most…
LEVEL-5 has revealed that composer Joe Hisaishi has written the main theme song for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, which is in development for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.
Hisaishi is most widely known for his close association with director and animator Hayao Miyazaki, writing scores for soundtracks to accompany the majority of Studio Ghibli’s output.
The theme song for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam has been a collaboration with Japanese singer-songwriter Lilas Ikuta, who not only created the lyrics but has performed it for inclusion within the upcoming puzzle-adventure game.
“This is truly an honour, and I’m absolutely thrilled. I knew I had to give it my all to create something truly special together. Which meant I had to rise to the occasion,” Lilas Ikuta explains.
“When I first met Mr. Hisaishi, I was so nervous I completely froze up [Laughs]. I thought about the feelings Mr. Hisaishi put into this music, and what he might have been thinking while composing it. I tried to imagine what he felt in each moment, interpreting it in my own way, as I created the lyrics. I wanted to find words that would bring the melody to life. I was careful about how the music and lyrics meshed, so I chose each word with great care. This song’s not just true for this story, but for our everyday lives as well. I think it’s a message everyone can relate to. That’s probably what makes it work.”
Set a year after the events in Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam’s story takes place in Steam Bison in America, where the power of highly advanced steam engines has ushered in a new world that has surpassed even London’s technological development.
After relocating to the United States for family reasons, Luke Triton, voiced by Mio Imada, hasn’t lost his love of riddles and solves everyday mysteries around Steam Bison – something that has seen him become known as Detective Luke. When something “deeply puzzling” happens, Luke writes to Professor Layton, voiced by Yo Oizumi, to seek his help in uncovering the truth behind the strange incident.
Having seemingly bowed out in 2014’s Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy on Nintendo 3DS, it was his daughter who had to deduce the mysteries behind strange occurrences across London in Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy.
The more puzzles you solve in Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, the more the city will develop. As the series’ puzzle creator Akira Tago has sadly passed away, the developer has confirmed that QuizKnock, a group specialised in creating quizzes and riddles for all kinds of media, has designed them for this next adventure.
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam will be released at retail and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch worldwide on 10 December 2026.