I'm gonna try to keep this as short and vague as I can because if you're reading this you should play Investigations 2 as soon as you can!

Experiencing everything blind is the best way to go for this. If you've liked an ace attorney game you will probably get a lot of it. I would recommend playing through the original trilogy and investigations 1 to have full context of the characters.

I'm not sure if this is my favorite ace attorney game yet, but it's definitely my favorite story of any of the games I've played in the series so far and you should find a way to experience it yourself!

This game took me honestly way longer than it should have to finish. At first, I didn't care for it as much as the first Investigations, mainly because the first 2-3 cases seemed to drag on a bit and I didn't find them all that exciting or enjoyable, aside from seeing the bond between characters such as Kay+Edgeworth or Gumshoe and Edgeworth's bonds develop more.

However, that all changed when I got to case 4. This case truly was one of the best cases in the game, everything from its use of the investigation mechanic to the storyline. Case 4 and 5 will definitely be why I come back to this game in the future, because they both are so iconic and speak to the franchise's core messages of believing in yourself, finding the truth and true meaning of justice, and trust.

The latter half of the game was a treat, and I am glad I decided to play the Investigations spinoffs. I loved seeing Edgeworth shine, and I hope we can get more content featuring him as a main factor someday.

I already knew this game was well regarded by Ace Attorney fans and having already enjoyed the previous game in the series my expectations were high and it did not disappoint in the slightest.
The mystery is beyond amazing, at the end of each case you're always left wondering if you can truly consider it closed and the payoff is phenomenal.
The characters, both returning and newcomers, are perfectly done, each one of them is extremely fleshed out and the arc they go through while pursuing the truth is really engaging, but the star is, of course, Edgeworth himself.
His arc from the first Investigations game is taken and expanded to the next level here, left wondering if what he's doing is right, if he should follow his father's footsteps and most importantly, what path he pursue in life, which is very relatable.
Gameplay wise it's a massive improvement over the first one, the investigation sequences are way more refined, the logic chess mechanic is a great new addiction and it's overall a lot more streamlined, the times where I was left without knowing what to do were really rare.
This game marks the end of an era for Ace Attorney: it's the last game on DS, it's the last Investigations game and it's also the last one where we get to see some iconic characters like Franziska or Gumshoe, which while sad, I don't mind because they got The Best sendoff.

There's certainly a lot of quality here, with a banger OST, interesting new characters, a very natural progression of Miles' character, and legitimately investing mysteries, but the feeling of the writing being dragged out that is prevalent for most of the game brings those positives down with it. At too many times AAI2 will decide to focus on aspects of the story or mystery at hand that aren't as important as the game makes them out to be, throwing in way too much exposition and flavor text that leaves me thinking, "just get to the point". Definitely worth playing and is overall satisfying, I just wish it trimmed out some of the bullshit and was a few hours shorter because too often does AAI2 feel like it's meandering.

This is my favorite game of all time, I played it 3 years ago.

I don't think this is the most philosophical game ever and maybe that's what holds it back from being the best ace attorney for most people but, I think the things that Ace Attorney do well peak here and I genuinely think this is game was made as a love letter to everything that came before especially the trilogy, I also feel like this is one of the only times I've seen fanservice done tastefully and exceedingly well at the same time. Everything is wrapped so neatly and nicely. It genuinely accomplishes what was so special about the original trilogy in a single game. Almost every returning character from the previous games has some of if not their best moments in this game even a few ones that I was lukewarm on. and even all the new characters are genuinely really great and add a lot (even the case-specific characters).

Case 1 is pretty good and Case 2 is okay its honestly pretty dragged out but, but As soon as Case 3 starts the game starts to quickly climb to its peak and it doesn't let go till AFTER the credits roll. I can't seriously think of another piece of fiction that was climbing such a high for most of its runtime and I think because Investigations 2 made me feel that way its stayed glued to the throne and it's stuck with me ever since the day I finished it.

Writing a review because I'm so passionate about how good this game is. Literally every case is peak and easily exceed the quality of cases from the mainline series. Somehow the finale case brings all loose plot points perfectly together, actually having engaging twists and surprises I didn't see coming, but made perfect sense. Characters are amazing, I wish Ray Shields was in more games he is perfect and his theme is a banger. This is likely the least played game in the series, I really want everyone to play it right now.

It is certainly better than Ace Attorney Investigations, but I do not find it nearly as endearing or interesting as the main series.

I did not like the final case of Ace Attorney Investigations at all, and I really liked the first case of Ace Attorney Investigations 2. I went into the game with a positive outlook. It instantly fell apart, though; the first case is the high point of the game to me.

The second case drags on for too long. I liked Sebastian. He is a fun addition, but that is about it. I did not like Raymond, on the other hand. He reminds me of a pestering man at a gas station. I want to like Courtney but she is too one-note.

The third case is even worse. I think people get a little wrapped up in the mythos of the series with this case, I do not understand people's enjoyment of it. It drags on even more than the second case, and the characters are not very interesting. Gregory is way too flat for me to care much about him.

Personally, I found myself not caring for Edgeworth much after Justice For All, but objectively, he was still good in Trials and Tribulations. The Ace Attorney Investigations games are him at his worst. I think his charm in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Justice For All comes from him being a bit of a mess of a person despite seeming well put together. I have heard that Edgeworth seems like he is more put together in the Ace Attorney Investigations games since he is putting on a front for Kay. If that is true and what they were going for, that is really lame, and they went about it in a bad way. It makes his character boring, and it is just retreading ground already gone through in previous Ace Attorney games. I think the right turn for his character should always be pushing him to open up more.

The last two cases are better, but I do not find myself caring much. I think Justice for All and Apollo Justice are the only Ace Attorney games to pull off a twist villain. They serve a purpose in the story of the games and support the main themes, and that is why they work and are enjoyable. Ace Attorney Investigations 2 feels like it is just trying to be shocking. It has a leg up on Dual Destinies as they make it so you can realize what is happening and figure out the twist ahead of time, but still I do not see much value in it.

It is an alright game, but I do not think it is even close to being the best in the series. It is comparatively mediocre to the trilogy and Apollo Justice. I think people get too impressed by a visible, interconnected story. All of the games are interconnected through themes, even if they are not following one set story. Justice For All had the worst case in the series, but still had a really impressive level of cohesion, and its story all fit together beautifully. I would rather take a more fun and interesting game over something visibly interconnected.

This might be kind of harsh, but I think some people's enjoyment of Ace Attorney Investigations 2 comes fully from it being an "underground" untranslated game. I do not find it shocking at all that the team that made the Ace Attorney Investigations games went on to make the worst games in the Ace Attorney series.