are yall ever gonna be ready for the fact that this is the best game in the series? i legitimately don't want to bother explaining why because it'd evolve into an essay and i want to leverage my clout instead. all i'll say is that 2-4 does not happen in a vacuum, and there's a reason that it's widely considered the best case in the series. the narrative builds up to it and has thematic consistency that makes its payoff work. believe me when i say that this game is the peak of the series.
TL;DR: A good followup to the first game with some issues that hold it back from being as good as the first.
In my review to the first Ace Attorney game, I talked a lot about how the game was a unique experience because of its dialogue, characters, art, and story. Justice For All is more or less the same as what you get in the first game, except they've added on some more gameplay elements.
So what's different this time around? The biggest change is the addition of new "psyche locks" sections that occur during investigations. When a witness refuses to divulge crucial information, the game allows you to interrogate them using a magic magatama that lets you break the mental locks holding them back from revealing the information. These segments are quite fun and fit well within the already existing gameplay without overcomplicating everything.
That being said, there are a few reasons why this game isn't as great as the first one. The first has to do with the main villain. Instead of Miles Edgeworth being your rival this time around, you now face Franziska von Karma; the daughter of one of the primary villains in the first game. Franziska is not as entertaining as Edgeworth to play against. She often feels like she's just in his shadow and is just trying to be his replacement for story reasons instead of her own character. She follows a very similar (but not exactly the same) arc as he does, except she's almost completely disjoint from the events happening in the main story unlike Edgeworth was in the first game. This makes her feel more like an obstacle to overcome than someone to actually get behind and like.
The second has to do with the story. The story this time around, while pretty good, is a lot less focused than the first one. More time is spent on filler cases as opposed to cases that build up the main story and these filler cases aren't as entertaining as the ones in the first game. I personally believe this comes from the characters this time around being less charming than the first game. While many characters do make reappearances here, the new characters don't feel as refined. I personally disliked many of the characters in one of the cases (Big Top for those that have played the game).
That being said, there are some really neat character additions to this game that become staples for the rest of the franchise. One of them is Pearl Fey, Maya's (your assistant) young cousin. She brings a completely different attitude than Maya when she's investigating with you and it's neat to see the differences between the two.
Other than that, there really isn't much else that was majorly wrong with the game other than most things just being a minor step down from the first game. The soundtrack has its own style, but it's hard to get behind and the art is the same as before. Overall, it's a good followup to the first game, but it's nowhere near the level of quality.
In my review to the first Ace Attorney game, I talked a lot about how the game was a unique experience because of its dialogue, characters, art, and story. Justice For All is more or less the same as what you get in the first game, except they've added on some more gameplay elements.
So what's different this time around? The biggest change is the addition of new "psyche locks" sections that occur during investigations. When a witness refuses to divulge crucial information, the game allows you to interrogate them using a magic magatama that lets you break the mental locks holding them back from revealing the information. These segments are quite fun and fit well within the already existing gameplay without overcomplicating everything.
That being said, there are a few reasons why this game isn't as great as the first one. The first has to do with the main villain. Instead of Miles Edgeworth being your rival this time around, you now face Franziska von Karma; the daughter of one of the primary villains in the first game. Franziska is not as entertaining as Edgeworth to play against. She often feels like she's just in his shadow and is just trying to be his replacement for story reasons instead of her own character. She follows a very similar (but not exactly the same) arc as he does, except she's almost completely disjoint from the events happening in the main story unlike Edgeworth was in the first game. This makes her feel more like an obstacle to overcome than someone to actually get behind and like.
The second has to do with the story. The story this time around, while pretty good, is a lot less focused than the first one. More time is spent on filler cases as opposed to cases that build up the main story and these filler cases aren't as entertaining as the ones in the first game. I personally believe this comes from the characters this time around being less charming than the first game. While many characters do make reappearances here, the new characters don't feel as refined. I personally disliked many of the characters in one of the cases (Big Top for those that have played the game).
That being said, there are some really neat character additions to this game that become staples for the rest of the franchise. One of them is Pearl Fey, Maya's (your assistant) young cousin. She brings a completely different attitude than Maya when she's investigating with you and it's neat to see the differences between the two.
Other than that, there really isn't much else that was majorly wrong with the game other than most things just being a minor step down from the first game. The soundtrack has its own style, but it's hard to get behind and the art is the same as before. Overall, it's a good followup to the first game, but it's nowhere near the level of quality.
This review contains spoilers
don shelby de killer
at least one character in this game definitely has von karma in their phone as "mommy"
couldve been on the same level maybe even better than aa1 if the entirety of the game was on the same quality as case 4
crazy to think i managed to start and finish bleach before i finished this game really shows how boring it is i hate franziska. im so glad to have finally finished it jesus christ
crazy to think i managed to start and finish bleach before i finished this game really shows how boring it is i hate franziska. im so glad to have finally finished it jesus christ
franziska von karma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've only played this game and the one before it at the time of writing, so it's quite obvious to me that this game is a huge dip in quality from the last one. This game isn't nearly as consistent as the previous game. Justice for All has its first two cases pretty alright without much memorabilia to them and its third case is just extremely annoying when it comes to trial.
However, the fourth and final case of this game is arguably the best of the maybe 9 or 10 cases I've played with this series. I really like the fact that it throws several curveballs in terms of what you come to expect being a defense attorney. Suffice it to say, this final case HARD carries this entire game.
Still a bit disappointed in the lack of different types of cases. Like the first game, it sticks you just murder cases you solve. Really wish that whenever I get to the third game that gripe is fixed. Also, I didn't really like the fact that a lot of the staple soundtrack was changed in this game. I found the soundtrack of the first game to be very iconic given how many times I've seen it used across the internet, so maybe I'm just being grumpy, but it felt a bit off-putting that I was hearing different tunes altogether than what I came to expect.
3/5. Kinda wish this game didn't really exist but the final case of this game makes up for everything I had to bear before it.
However, the fourth and final case of this game is arguably the best of the maybe 9 or 10 cases I've played with this series. I really like the fact that it throws several curveballs in terms of what you come to expect being a defense attorney. Suffice it to say, this final case HARD carries this entire game.
Still a bit disappointed in the lack of different types of cases. Like the first game, it sticks you just murder cases you solve. Really wish that whenever I get to the third game that gripe is fixed. Also, I didn't really like the fact that a lot of the staple soundtrack was changed in this game. I found the soundtrack of the first game to be very iconic given how many times I've seen it used across the internet, so maybe I'm just being grumpy, but it felt a bit off-putting that I was hearing different tunes altogether than what I came to expect.
3/5. Kinda wish this game didn't really exist but the final case of this game makes up for everything I had to bear before it.
This review contains spoilers
There is a lot to say about this game and it feels wrong giving it the equivalent of a 7 but I think that it's accurate.
I will start with the bad first. A lot of the new characters introduced in this game are not super enjoyable. For example, Franziska von Karma is very annoying for most of her screen time, which is kind of a problem when she is the main prosecutor you go up against in this game. She'll constantly whip everyone in the court and keep repeating that Phoenix is a "foolishly foolish fool" over and over again. Her base personality is so annoying that even though they started to give her some more depth near the end it doesn't mean a lot (although she has potential to become a better character). Pearl is a character that is cute and sweet but there are somethings about her that are just somewhat annoying. The constant shipping of Phoenix and Maya for example is just weird, and there are times where she says things that are impressive for any child her age to know, and then others where she doesn't even know the most basic words and concepts. She is basically just very inconsistent and half of her dialogue feels like it's her whining, but I don't necessarily dislike her. I still enjoy her cute childlike innocence for the most part, it's just that I think she is a weaker character than some of the original characters such as her cousin Maya. Other than weaker recurring characters than the first game, the cases are much less consistent as well. The first tutorial case is mostly forgettable, I don't really have any strong feelings about it. I also don't have super strong feelings about the first real case. It doesn't stand out as anything special but it definitely wasn't anything bad and it introduced a lot of things that I'm sure could come back in a more major way in the third game. The third case, however, is genuinely the worst case of the series so far. All of the characters introduced during this case are unbearable. The annoying clown, the asshole puppet and his creepy ventriloquist, the extremely annoying and stupid daughter of the victim, and then to top it all off the defendant in this case is just an arrogant asshole magician. A lot of these characters are into the underage daughter that I mentioned as well and are trying to pursue her in a romantic way which is really weird. Phoenix and even the judge will also make comments every once in a while that come across as creepy and really weird, and the game doesn't really acknowledge how weird it is. Even Maya will cheer for her to get with the puppet for example. But anyways, these characters that you have to constantly interact with throughout this case just made it kind of hard to sit through sometimes, but I don't actually dislike it as much as others just because I think the core gameplay of Ace Attorney is still quite enjoyable. It is still bad though.
Now that I've mostly got the negatives out of the way, I want to go into detail about what I think this game does really well. I will start with general gameplay improvements before moving on to the more interesting stuff. To start, they introduce a new mechanic called "psyche-locks" that add a whole new level of engagement in the investigation process. In the first game all you do is gather the evidence and that's it, but in this game you have to do that while also breaking through the characters' lies and get them to tell you the truth so you can have a better understanding of the situation to use in court. I didn't like this addition at first, but it really grew on me as, like I said, I think it made the gameplay more engaging. Other than this I don't think the game play changed in any major way, but it has been a while since I played the first game now so there could be things I am forgetting. Anyways though now I want to get into what really stands out about this game, and that is the final case.
Right off the bat this case hits you with a twist when Maya is kidnapped and Phoenix is forced to take the defendant as his client or else the kidnapper will not let Maya go. It introduces the question very early of "Would you fight to get a not guilty for a murderer if it meant saving Maya?" which is a question that stays prominent throughout the case. At first you think that he is really innocent and there is nothing to worry about, but as time passes the truth starts to reveal itself and spoiler alert: the defendant is a guilty party. This dilemma and what it does for Phoenix's character is by far the best part about the game. It explores his character in a way that I would have never expected from Ace Attorney and it made me appreciate him and the game a lot more. It really makes you question your own morality and what you would do if you were in that situation, and what it really means to be a lawyer. Another thing that makes this case better is that Edgeworth is back and he is actually the lead prosecutor for the case, which means no more whipping and shit from franziska. He also has a lot going on as well as he has changed since the last time we saw him in the first game. No longer is he just the enemy but throughout most of this case he kind of works as your ally and he also heavily contributes to the main theme of "what does it mean to be a lawyer." Gone are the times where he would forge evidence and do anything to get a guilty verdict, he has come to realize that his true job is discovering the truth, and he uses his experience and growth to help Phoenix better understand himself and grow as well. There's a level of character depth to this case that was never present in the series before and I really appreciated that. I could go into a lot more detail about this case and what I love about it, but I struggle to even find the best way to start explaining my thoughts and I think what I have said does a good job at generally giving what makes it so great. I believe it to be the best case in the series so far and I think they will have trouble ever topping it. It is genuinely a 10/10 experience, however, since the rest of the game doesn't really match up to that quality, the overall game gets more of a 7-7.5/10. Not as consistent as the first game and has much lower lows, but the highs are much higher as well. Definitely worth playing if you liked the first game for the last case alone.
I will start with the bad first. A lot of the new characters introduced in this game are not super enjoyable. For example, Franziska von Karma is very annoying for most of her screen time, which is kind of a problem when she is the main prosecutor you go up against in this game. She'll constantly whip everyone in the court and keep repeating that Phoenix is a "foolishly foolish fool" over and over again. Her base personality is so annoying that even though they started to give her some more depth near the end it doesn't mean a lot (although she has potential to become a better character). Pearl is a character that is cute and sweet but there are somethings about her that are just somewhat annoying. The constant shipping of Phoenix and Maya for example is just weird, and there are times where she says things that are impressive for any child her age to know, and then others where she doesn't even know the most basic words and concepts. She is basically just very inconsistent and half of her dialogue feels like it's her whining, but I don't necessarily dislike her. I still enjoy her cute childlike innocence for the most part, it's just that I think she is a weaker character than some of the original characters such as her cousin Maya. Other than weaker recurring characters than the first game, the cases are much less consistent as well. The first tutorial case is mostly forgettable, I don't really have any strong feelings about it. I also don't have super strong feelings about the first real case. It doesn't stand out as anything special but it definitely wasn't anything bad and it introduced a lot of things that I'm sure could come back in a more major way in the third game. The third case, however, is genuinely the worst case of the series so far. All of the characters introduced during this case are unbearable. The annoying clown, the asshole puppet and his creepy ventriloquist, the extremely annoying and stupid daughter of the victim, and then to top it all off the defendant in this case is just an arrogant asshole magician. A lot of these characters are into the underage daughter that I mentioned as well and are trying to pursue her in a romantic way which is really weird. Phoenix and even the judge will also make comments every once in a while that come across as creepy and really weird, and the game doesn't really acknowledge how weird it is. Even Maya will cheer for her to get with the puppet for example. But anyways, these characters that you have to constantly interact with throughout this case just made it kind of hard to sit through sometimes, but I don't actually dislike it as much as others just because I think the core gameplay of Ace Attorney is still quite enjoyable. It is still bad though.
Now that I've mostly got the negatives out of the way, I want to go into detail about what I think this game does really well. I will start with general gameplay improvements before moving on to the more interesting stuff. To start, they introduce a new mechanic called "psyche-locks" that add a whole new level of engagement in the investigation process. In the first game all you do is gather the evidence and that's it, but in this game you have to do that while also breaking through the characters' lies and get them to tell you the truth so you can have a better understanding of the situation to use in court. I didn't like this addition at first, but it really grew on me as, like I said, I think it made the gameplay more engaging. Other than this I don't think the game play changed in any major way, but it has been a while since I played the first game now so there could be things I am forgetting. Anyways though now I want to get into what really stands out about this game, and that is the final case.
Right off the bat this case hits you with a twist when Maya is kidnapped and Phoenix is forced to take the defendant as his client or else the kidnapper will not let Maya go. It introduces the question very early of "Would you fight to get a not guilty for a murderer if it meant saving Maya?" which is a question that stays prominent throughout the case. At first you think that he is really innocent and there is nothing to worry about, but as time passes the truth starts to reveal itself and spoiler alert: the defendant is a guilty party. This dilemma and what it does for Phoenix's character is by far the best part about the game. It explores his character in a way that I would have never expected from Ace Attorney and it made me appreciate him and the game a lot more. It really makes you question your own morality and what you would do if you were in that situation, and what it really means to be a lawyer. Another thing that makes this case better is that Edgeworth is back and he is actually the lead prosecutor for the case, which means no more whipping and shit from franziska. He also has a lot going on as well as he has changed since the last time we saw him in the first game. No longer is he just the enemy but throughout most of this case he kind of works as your ally and he also heavily contributes to the main theme of "what does it mean to be a lawyer." Gone are the times where he would forge evidence and do anything to get a guilty verdict, he has come to realize that his true job is discovering the truth, and he uses his experience and growth to help Phoenix better understand himself and grow as well. There's a level of character depth to this case that was never present in the series before and I really appreciated that. I could go into a lot more detail about this case and what I love about it, but I struggle to even find the best way to start explaining my thoughts and I think what I have said does a good job at generally giving what makes it so great. I believe it to be the best case in the series so far and I think they will have trouble ever topping it. It is genuinely a 10/10 experience, however, since the rest of the game doesn't really match up to that quality, the overall game gets more of a 7-7.5/10. Not as consistent as the first game and has much lower lows, but the highs are much higher as well. Definitely worth playing if you liked the first game for the last case alone.
te odeio caso do circo, tirando isso, foi foda
This is my cozy game, I really liked the first one and now I’m loving this sequel! The translations are actually pretty good and it has some new gameplay features that make it even more interesting :)
Masterpiece
Would rather kill myself than to play turnabout big top again.
salvado por el último caso. el primer caso no tiene ni pies ni cabeza, el segundo está ok y el del circo es xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
The consensus on this game has been established since forever, so with that consensus this game poses one key question: how do you determine the overall quality of something when it has very high highs and very low lows?
Because the highs are very high, let me tell you. This is a much more mechanically interesting game than the first and arguably a more engaging sequel because of it. I really like how the penalty system is redone, for example. In the first game, every mistake you make in court would cost you 2 pegs on your... weird lawyer health bar. Here, smaller mistakes can cost as little as 1, and decisions that have much more significant implications for your case can cause anywhere from 5-10. It makes the court cases much more dynamic, like the game is actually paying attention to what's really important and cautioning the player to pay more attention too; not to mention it also makes the court segments much more stressful, which I appreciate.
Then there's the psyche locks, which single-handedly make this a worthwhile sequel. I love how these require you to think about the evidence in the context of specific characters, and I especially love how you are capable of attempting to break psyche locks without having all the necessary evidence, meaning you really have to think and be confident that your understanding of the case is as complete as it can be.
All of this isn't even mentioning the final case, which everyone loves because it is absolutely fantastic. I really don't have anything to contribute, it's a 10/10 on its own. I'm not sure if I prefer it over Rise From the Ashes, but they're at least on par with each other, which says a lot.
The story as a whole I appreciate more the more I ruminate on it. Of any game in the trilogy, this one feels the most distinctly like Phoenix's story. It follows up the original with the perfect balance of intrigue, progression, and fan-service, and Phoenix's arc is driven by the other characters that grew so much in the first game. The game as a whole also lives up to it's name, and I love that it actually questions what justice looks like when faced with an impossible choice (which is so bizarre to think about how it tackles this question with an appropriate level of sincerity in the midst of this outlandishly bonkers court system).
However, all of this comes with the caveat that there are also plenty of low lows. The lowest point, for me, is the fact that this is the one game in the trilogy with the least amount of content. I love the changes it made mechanically, but at the end of the day, this is the only one of trilogy with only 4 cases. And of those 4 cases, 2 of them are really bad. Even for intro case standards, The Lost Turnabout is SO boring. And while I enjoyed Turnabout Big Top much more on this playthrough (to my surprise), it's still the worst case in the game, and as with every third case, contributes nothing to the overarching story of this game individually or the trilogy at large.
One reason that I think this is the case is how lacking the characters are this time around. The goofiness and absurdity is toned down substantially, and often it's the returning characters from the first game that pick up the slack there. I really like the approach that this game has to trying to make really complex characters, especially with its antagonists (Adrian Andrews, Morgan Fey, Matt Engarde, Ini Miney, Acro, etc.), but it comes at the cost of not being nearly as funny or memorable. And this game's best attempt at new funny characters are all of the circus folk who are about as entertaining as Moe's attempts at comedy. That is to say, they all fall flat. Like, there's not a single new character that reaches the same levels of funny bonkers-ness as any character from the first game.
Speaking of bad characters: Franziska von Karma. I'm not sure what the consensus on this character is, but I was not a fan of her on my first playthrough and I still am not now. Her stubborn insistence on bragging about her "perfect" record is so shallow, and her whip and her saying the word "fool" 200 times a day in court gets old VERY fast. And on top of that, she isn't even as good of a prosecutor as Edgeworth or her father. She's pathetic and worse at her job, as opposed to both of her predecessors, who were perfect combinations of intimidating, aggravating, and excellent prosecutors.
On another point, and I'm not sure if this is a high or a low, but I feel like this game is WAY harder than the original. I only ever got a guilty verdict once in Rise From the Ashes, but I lost every single case in this game at least once. I think this is in part due to the higher penalties I mentioned earlier, but I think it's also a sign of how rushed this game was. At least once in every case, even the two I really REALLY like, I had to put my controller down and just think about what the game was telling me. There are some pretty extreme jumps in logic, which can be frustrating when you're stuck and then the answer turns out to be really dumb.
So, to the original question, how do you determine something's overall quality, well, I don't know. What this game does well it does very well, and if you liked the original you'll like this at least partially. And also, this is one part of a greater whole, that being the original trilogy. For me, I like it a lot more this time around than my first playthrough, but I also love Ace Attorney in general.
Because the highs are very high, let me tell you. This is a much more mechanically interesting game than the first and arguably a more engaging sequel because of it. I really like how the penalty system is redone, for example. In the first game, every mistake you make in court would cost you 2 pegs on your... weird lawyer health bar. Here, smaller mistakes can cost as little as 1, and decisions that have much more significant implications for your case can cause anywhere from 5-10. It makes the court cases much more dynamic, like the game is actually paying attention to what's really important and cautioning the player to pay more attention too; not to mention it also makes the court segments much more stressful, which I appreciate.
Then there's the psyche locks, which single-handedly make this a worthwhile sequel. I love how these require you to think about the evidence in the context of specific characters, and I especially love how you are capable of attempting to break psyche locks without having all the necessary evidence, meaning you really have to think and be confident that your understanding of the case is as complete as it can be.
All of this isn't even mentioning the final case, which everyone loves because it is absolutely fantastic. I really don't have anything to contribute, it's a 10/10 on its own. I'm not sure if I prefer it over Rise From the Ashes, but they're at least on par with each other, which says a lot.
The story as a whole I appreciate more the more I ruminate on it. Of any game in the trilogy, this one feels the most distinctly like Phoenix's story. It follows up the original with the perfect balance of intrigue, progression, and fan-service, and Phoenix's arc is driven by the other characters that grew so much in the first game. The game as a whole also lives up to it's name, and I love that it actually questions what justice looks like when faced with an impossible choice (which is so bizarre to think about how it tackles this question with an appropriate level of sincerity in the midst of this outlandishly bonkers court system).
However, all of this comes with the caveat that there are also plenty of low lows. The lowest point, for me, is the fact that this is the one game in the trilogy with the least amount of content. I love the changes it made mechanically, but at the end of the day, this is the only one of trilogy with only 4 cases. And of those 4 cases, 2 of them are really bad. Even for intro case standards, The Lost Turnabout is SO boring. And while I enjoyed Turnabout Big Top much more on this playthrough (to my surprise), it's still the worst case in the game, and as with every third case, contributes nothing to the overarching story of this game individually or the trilogy at large.
One reason that I think this is the case is how lacking the characters are this time around. The goofiness and absurdity is toned down substantially, and often it's the returning characters from the first game that pick up the slack there. I really like the approach that this game has to trying to make really complex characters, especially with its antagonists (Adrian Andrews, Morgan Fey, Matt Engarde, Ini Miney, Acro, etc.), but it comes at the cost of not being nearly as funny or memorable. And this game's best attempt at new funny characters are all of the circus folk who are about as entertaining as Moe's attempts at comedy. That is to say, they all fall flat. Like, there's not a single new character that reaches the same levels of funny bonkers-ness as any character from the first game.
Speaking of bad characters: Franziska von Karma. I'm not sure what the consensus on this character is, but I was not a fan of her on my first playthrough and I still am not now. Her stubborn insistence on bragging about her "perfect" record is so shallow, and her whip and her saying the word "fool" 200 times a day in court gets old VERY fast. And on top of that, she isn't even as good of a prosecutor as Edgeworth or her father. She's pathetic and worse at her job, as opposed to both of her predecessors, who were perfect combinations of intimidating, aggravating, and excellent prosecutors.
On another point, and I'm not sure if this is a high or a low, but I feel like this game is WAY harder than the original. I only ever got a guilty verdict once in Rise From the Ashes, but I lost every single case in this game at least once. I think this is in part due to the higher penalties I mentioned earlier, but I think it's also a sign of how rushed this game was. At least once in every case, even the two I really REALLY like, I had to put my controller down and just think about what the game was telling me. There are some pretty extreme jumps in logic, which can be frustrating when you're stuck and then the answer turns out to be really dumb.
So, to the original question, how do you determine something's overall quality, well, I don't know. What this game does well it does very well, and if you liked the original you'll like this at least partially. And also, this is one part of a greater whole, that being the original trilogy. For me, I like it a lot more this time around than my first playthrough, but I also love Ace Attorney in general.
If we're getting horny over clown can my boy Larry "Moe" Curly get some love?
The sequel to one of the most iconic games is quite controversial - but I maintain that it is worthy. Justice For All is a solid sequel that builds the world and the themes from the original game. What is justice? What happens when good people, do bad things? What is the role of an attorney? Justice For All soundly tackles those questions. While it does have a few misses - Turnabout Big Top is infamous for being garbage - Justice For All is no slouch, and a fantastic sequel.
Banana glove.
miles godgeworth
franziska can fucking step on me and destroy me
dois casos cringe pra dois casos cria
perfeitamente balanceado
perfeitamente balanceado
last case is a banger but sadly mid overall... as stated in my review of the first game, I played the first 1-3 cases of all of the games in the original trilogy when I got the collection on my ipad when i was like 14 (since it let you jump between all of them for some reason?), but never finished any of them since i got stuck on investigation sections due to playing it so intermittently. i dropped this one at big top which is completely understandable
overall it's not bad but case 1 is the most forgettable thing ever, case 2 is neat but mostly just because you get to see maya's hometown, case 3 is just as miserable as everyone says it is lol, and case 4 is like clearly by a wide margin the best thing here...
my issues with these are still at their loudest in the investigation sections which involve a lot of wandering back and forth between locations and tripping flags, made most prominent by how clunky navigation is in these earlier titles. it's a nitpick but it's a pretty consistent one, and in this game psyche locks make the investigation sections take up much more of the time than they do in the first game, which is a bit of a bummer. still excited for trials and tribulations though! it's the one out of the original trilogy that i'm still the most blind on (only played the first case) and its status as a bit of a fan favorite does have me more hopeful than i was going into this (which has the status of "the one with franziska von karma" and "has big top in it")
overall it's not bad but case 1 is the most forgettable thing ever, case 2 is neat but mostly just because you get to see maya's hometown, case 3 is just as miserable as everyone says it is lol, and case 4 is like clearly by a wide margin the best thing here...
my issues with these are still at their loudest in the investigation sections which involve a lot of wandering back and forth between locations and tripping flags, made most prominent by how clunky navigation is in these earlier titles. it's a nitpick but it's a pretty consistent one, and in this game psyche locks make the investigation sections take up much more of the time than they do in the first game, which is a bit of a bummer. still excited for trials and tribulations though! it's the one out of the original trilogy that i'm still the most blind on (only played the first case) and its status as a bit of a fan favorite does have me more hopeful than i was going into this (which has the status of "the one with franziska von karma" and "has big top in it")
Substantially worse than the first game---every case drags, even the ones that are well-written.
Ignore case 3 and we are good
The Ace Attorney games have always lived and died by their story and characterizations. This is only natural when a game has fewer gameplay elements and mechanics than your average Point-and-Click adventure. Unfortunately, a compelling story is where Justice for All falls short.
It leans heavily into the ridiculous and wacky side of the series, asking the player to stretch the suspension of their disbelief to its breaking point, with zany cases and a logic that sometimes is hard to follow; it's just a little too much. You lose sight of the original’s charm and humor, when each new case just tries to top the previous one, instead of offering a compelling murder mystery to crack.
It leans heavily into the ridiculous and wacky side of the series, asking the player to stretch the suspension of their disbelief to its breaking point, with zany cases and a logic that sometimes is hard to follow; it's just a little too much. You lose sight of the original’s charm and humor, when each new case just tries to top the previous one, instead of offering a compelling murder mystery to crack.
This one was more forgettable than all the others I've played, so I don't have much to say. It's pretty much the same as before, but the psyche-lock sections add some more to the experience.
Still really dang good. There's just some more tediousness? And other mildly frustrating qualities but like the highs are still quite high. I enjoy the extra mechanical addition but I feel like it can be implemented a little better as some cases here and there feel a little illogical with its use. There's far more variety in how a case plays out. A few twists aren't satisfying but there are others that are really dang good. Definitely a touch weaker then the og and not quite as memorable but still definitely a must for any one playing these funny games
Really wasn't crazy about JfA. Franziska doesn't hold a candle to Edgeworth, and I'd say the last case is the only really good one. Music took a major hit too.
A step down as an overall game compared to the first, BUT THAT 4TH CASE THO!!!
The fourth case is better than the fourth or fifth cases from the first game, which is kind of incredible. The game leading up to that point is a much more mixed bag, with some absolutely awful sections. It's a bit hard to rate a game with such higher highs and lower lows. Overall I think I'd give it the same score as the first game but that doesn't really give the full picture of how they compare to each other.
Ace Attorney Justice For All is a game largely carried by its final case. The others, while good, with the exception for turnabout big top, don't particularly have that AA spark that almost all of the cases in the original had. With each case of the original, it felt as if the cases were written around each character in the main cast, as Edgeworth, Phoenix and Gumshoe all grow as actual people over the course of the game. In Justice For All, it rather feels like they’re filler cases, where nothing of any real importance is advanced with the exception of the new prosecutor. It even feels as if they’re constantly looking for excuses to shove Maya off to the side for the sake of Pearl being the focus helper of the game. And while I certainly like Pearl, I don’t want Maya to totally disappear because of her.
But, like I said, the final case more than makes up for what is a light and fun, but ultimately filler Ace Attorney
But, like I said, the final case more than makes up for what is a light and fun, but ultimately filler Ace Attorney