Spirit of Justice reeks of desperation.
Following up a game that stifled continuity so severely left the series very little room to expand. Phoenix and Apollo’s trajectories were cut off after AA4. Athena’s poor excuse for an arc was open and shut in her debut game. What ground does the series have left to stand on? Naturally, Capcom didn’t aim to slip out of the corner they backed themselves into. They raised the stakes and cornered themselves even further.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the overt orientalism present throughout the game. The original Ace Attorney trilogy centralized a family drama around a modernized depiction of spirit channeling. The ritual was used not only as a component to multiple murder mysteries but as a conduit to express generational trauma. The design aesthetics of Kurain Village and the Fey family borrowed only from traditional Japanese architecture and fashion, harmonizing with the cosmopolitan city life of Japanifornia.
Spirit of Justice not only contains uninteresting and stagnant characters that make far worse use of spirit channeling as an in-universe plot device, but the aesthetics of Khura’in (additionally a full-blown kingdom…one of this game’s many retcons) seem to broadly take design inspiration from the Middle East and South Asia without any tact or reason. The kingdom is presented as a theocratic (while also secular?) monarchy that has a ridiculous hatred of defense attorneys and wishes to execute them alongside their wrongfully charged defendants. While AA5’s only overarching theme to stand on was the pitiful and heavy-handed “dark age of the law,” completely overturning the moral argument presented to the player in AA4, Spirit of Justice’s moral argument, if you can even call it that, disavows a fictional and vaguely oriental monarchy for having a made-up law that criminalizes being a defense attorney.
I never thought I’d say this but maybe The Great Ace Attorney should learn a thing or two from this game about being anti-monarchy
AA6 continues to cast away the character drama present in the first four games to tell a story about a strawman political viewpoint and stereotyped culture that doesn’t exist, simply to raise the stakes for the player in an act of extremely misguided fanservice.
Speaking of fanservice, all of your favorite characters are back and they’re all shells of their former selves! I could go on about how The Magical Turnabout in particular is a masterclass in character assassination. In fact, I will.
Well written characters have desires. In AA4, Ema Skye was introduced to the player as a disillusioned police detective who never accomplished her goal of becoming a forensic scientist. Her grudge against the police force extends back to her debut in Rise from The Ashes, and her bias against the current justice system go hand in hand with AA4’s broader themes of disillusionment. Her viewpoint is remarkably different from the police presence in past games, and her willingness to cooperate with Apollo and Trucy (along with her past allegiance to Phoenix) subverts the player’s expectations to create a distinct web of relationships not present in newer games.
In AA6, Ema is not a police detective anymore. She achieves her goal of becoming a forensic scientist offscreen, and her disillusionment with the justice system is cast aside completely. She no longer has greater desires, and her character is no longer multidimensional. She isn’t set up to change or grow at all.
Here’s another example. Trucy was introduced in AA4 as an assistant with a lot more agency and wit than her predecessors. She frequently held her own during courtroom conversations, stalled a trial with a fake hostage, and was brave enough to confront her family trauma in Turnabout Succession. In the post-trial conversation between Phoenix and Thalassa, Phoenix mentions that he’s the only one who knows how hurt Trucy feels deep down. She puts on a face, but never truly reckons with the evil deeds done by her father, grandfather, and Valant.
In AA6, Trucy is accused of murder during her magic show. Not only does this magic show retcon a secret fourth member into Troupe Gramarye that was entirely irrelevant to the love triangle and accident that formed Trucy and Apollo’s original backstories, but this case also seems to completely rewrite and exonerate Magnifi Gramarye from his original misdeeds. Remember that original source of Trucy’s anguish? Yeah, it’s totally erased. Magnifi is genuinely portrayed as a kind and benevolent mentor here (You know, the man who blackmailed his troupe, tried coaxing one of them into murdering him, framed his suicide after that failed...). The game still tried to keep her concealed anguish as a character trait, so we’re left with a Trucy who feigns a smile for no discernable reason.
I talked about Apollo’s rewriting in my AA5 review, so I’ll keep this one short; once again, he is portrayed as a protégé who looks up to Phoenix, when his debut game had them act more like puppet and puppet master respectively. It’s the same in AA6, Apollo simply sees Phoenix as a generic mentor and the tension he felt towards Phoenix (which also fueled his desires as a character!) is completely gone.
I think it’s funny that spirit seances were chosen as the new big mechanic for this game even though the video analysis minigames in past entries were like, universally hated among fans.
Look, I could go on about how the Ace Attorney series effectively backed itself into a corner with stagnant characters and childish shonen writing (…and I probably will in a separate review for the Trilogy release), but in short, this series is left with nowhere to go. Phoenix Wright as a character is a husk of his former self, Apollo Justice is whatever the hell each game wants him to be, and Athena Cykes is a focus grouped cookie cutter “new protagonist” whose goal of exonerating Simon has been accomplished, leaving her with no more desires as well, effectively also making her a husk of what little depth she had.
Also I’ll say it as many times as necessary: DLC cases in this manner are inherently depraved. Remember when RPGs were sold as full games? Oh right, that means there has to be an actual cohesive story arc.
The stakes have been maxed out, and we’re 6 numerical entries in. This is unsustainable. What next, yet another hostage situation?
Following up a game that stifled continuity so severely left the series very little room to expand. Phoenix and Apollo’s trajectories were cut off after AA4. Athena’s poor excuse for an arc was open and shut in her debut game. What ground does the series have left to stand on? Naturally, Capcom didn’t aim to slip out of the corner they backed themselves into. They raised the stakes and cornered themselves even further.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the overt orientalism present throughout the game. The original Ace Attorney trilogy centralized a family drama around a modernized depiction of spirit channeling. The ritual was used not only as a component to multiple murder mysteries but as a conduit to express generational trauma. The design aesthetics of Kurain Village and the Fey family borrowed only from traditional Japanese architecture and fashion, harmonizing with the cosmopolitan city life of Japanifornia.
Spirit of Justice not only contains uninteresting and stagnant characters that make far worse use of spirit channeling as an in-universe plot device, but the aesthetics of Khura’in (additionally a full-blown kingdom…one of this game’s many retcons) seem to broadly take design inspiration from the Middle East and South Asia without any tact or reason. The kingdom is presented as a theocratic (while also secular?) monarchy that has a ridiculous hatred of defense attorneys and wishes to execute them alongside their wrongfully charged defendants. While AA5’s only overarching theme to stand on was the pitiful and heavy-handed “dark age of the law,” completely overturning the moral argument presented to the player in AA4, Spirit of Justice’s moral argument, if you can even call it that, disavows a fictional and vaguely oriental monarchy for having a made-up law that criminalizes being a defense attorney.
AA6 continues to cast away the character drama present in the first four games to tell a story about a strawman political viewpoint and stereotyped culture that doesn’t exist, simply to raise the stakes for the player in an act of extremely misguided fanservice.
Speaking of fanservice, all of your favorite characters are back and they’re all shells of their former selves! I could go on about how The Magical Turnabout in particular is a masterclass in character assassination. In fact, I will.
Well written characters have desires. In AA4, Ema Skye was introduced to the player as a disillusioned police detective who never accomplished her goal of becoming a forensic scientist. Her grudge against the police force extends back to her debut in Rise from The Ashes, and her bias against the current justice system go hand in hand with AA4’s broader themes of disillusionment. Her viewpoint is remarkably different from the police presence in past games, and her willingness to cooperate with Apollo and Trucy (along with her past allegiance to Phoenix) subverts the player’s expectations to create a distinct web of relationships not present in newer games.
In AA6, Ema is not a police detective anymore. She achieves her goal of becoming a forensic scientist offscreen, and her disillusionment with the justice system is cast aside completely. She no longer has greater desires, and her character is no longer multidimensional. She isn’t set up to change or grow at all.
Here’s another example. Trucy was introduced in AA4 as an assistant with a lot more agency and wit than her predecessors. She frequently held her own during courtroom conversations, stalled a trial with a fake hostage, and was brave enough to confront her family trauma in Turnabout Succession. In the post-trial conversation between Phoenix and Thalassa, Phoenix mentions that he’s the only one who knows how hurt Trucy feels deep down. She puts on a face, but never truly reckons with the evil deeds done by her father, grandfather, and Valant.
In AA6, Trucy is accused of murder during her magic show. Not only does this magic show retcon a secret fourth member into Troupe Gramarye that was entirely irrelevant to the love triangle and accident that formed Trucy and Apollo’s original backstories, but this case also seems to completely rewrite and exonerate Magnifi Gramarye from his original misdeeds. Remember that original source of Trucy’s anguish? Yeah, it’s totally erased. Magnifi is genuinely portrayed as a kind and benevolent mentor here (You know, the man who blackmailed his troupe, tried coaxing one of them into murdering him, framed his suicide after that failed...). The game still tried to keep her concealed anguish as a character trait, so we’re left with a Trucy who feigns a smile for no discernable reason.
I talked about Apollo’s rewriting in my AA5 review, so I’ll keep this one short; once again, he is portrayed as a protégé who looks up to Phoenix, when his debut game had them act more like puppet and puppet master respectively. It’s the same in AA6, Apollo simply sees Phoenix as a generic mentor and the tension he felt towards Phoenix (which also fueled his desires as a character!) is completely gone.
I think it’s funny that spirit seances were chosen as the new big mechanic for this game even though the video analysis minigames in past entries were like, universally hated among fans.
Look, I could go on about how the Ace Attorney series effectively backed itself into a corner with stagnant characters and childish shonen writing (…and I probably will in a separate review for the Trilogy release), but in short, this series is left with nowhere to go. Phoenix Wright as a character is a husk of his former self, Apollo Justice is whatever the hell each game wants him to be, and Athena Cykes is a focus grouped cookie cutter “new protagonist” whose goal of exonerating Simon has been accomplished, leaving her with no more desires as well, effectively also making her a husk of what little depth she had.
Also I’ll say it as many times as necessary: DLC cases in this manner are inherently depraved. Remember when RPGs were sold as full games? Oh right, that means there has to be an actual cohesive story arc.
The stakes have been maxed out, and we’re 6 numerical entries in. This is unsustainable. What next, yet another hostage situation?
star and a half is just for rayfa, she's important. she's so special. everything else belongs in hell ❤️
Would be worst game of the series if Dual Diarrhea didnt exists. Someone save Ema from this dumpster fire
This is my favorite Ace Attorney game. I don't think it's the best, or the most coherent, but it's my favorite. I really like the idea of trying to use logic with something that's completely illogical (this is why I liked the trials in Layton vs. Wright since you had to make fucking magic make sense), so I really enjoyed the new trial mechanics. Also even if she isn't used that much, grown up Maya is really cute. Like really, really cute.
People are kinda harsh on the 3DS Ace Attorney games, but to be honest, I find them extremely enjoyable. Even more than the original trilogy in places.
There might be a slight tonal shift towards more fantasy and over-the-top themes, but the characters are still solid and the Ace Attorney formula is incredibly difficult to fuck up at this point (Also the new versions of classic themes from the soundtrack are amazing).
Spirit of Justice starts a bit slow (cases one and two are a bit whatever), but once it gets past that initial hump it's kinda great. Cases three four and five all feature really creative murders which are extremely fun to unravel (as long as you have tolerance for the series leaning very hard into the whole spirit channelling thing; which I don't mind, but I get why it bothers some people), and you get some really fun character dynamics like Athena and Blackquill or Phoenix and Edgeworth investigating cases together.
Overall very entertaining with a couple of genuinely emotional moments.
My only real complaint is that the new prosecutor kinda sucks, he feels more like a plot device than a fully realized character.
As much as I enjoy sympathetic prosecutors, I feel like if they make another Ace Attorney we need a return to a Manfred Von Karma-style prosecutor. Just a real bastard of a guy that it's fun to hate. I kinda miss that.
There might be a slight tonal shift towards more fantasy and over-the-top themes, but the characters are still solid and the Ace Attorney formula is incredibly difficult to fuck up at this point (Also the new versions of classic themes from the soundtrack are amazing).
Spirit of Justice starts a bit slow (cases one and two are a bit whatever), but once it gets past that initial hump it's kinda great. Cases three four and five all feature really creative murders which are extremely fun to unravel (as long as you have tolerance for the series leaning very hard into the whole spirit channelling thing; which I don't mind, but I get why it bothers some people), and you get some really fun character dynamics like Athena and Blackquill or Phoenix and Edgeworth investigating cases together.
Overall very entertaining with a couple of genuinely emotional moments.
My only real complaint is that the new prosecutor kinda sucks, he feels more like a plot device than a fully realized character.
As much as I enjoy sympathetic prosecutors, I feel like if they make another Ace Attorney we need a return to a Manfred Von Karma-style prosecutor. Just a real bastard of a guy that it's fun to hate. I kinda miss that.
i dont know if this is fully controversial or not but i lovbe spirit of justice or let me re phrase that. i love turnabout revolution. i wont go into spoilers but to me its my second favorite just below farewell my turnabout and its mainly because of the characters and the emotions it gives you. that case is truly the best part of the game
the rest of the game is a bit of a mixed bag unfortunately. i really like the first case and the magic case but the third case (as usual) sucks. nahyuta is a boring prosecutor and most definitely the worst in the series.
turnabout storyteller can be summed up by saying
athena
clown
uendo toneido
overall its a mixed bag of a game but like justice for all it really comes together in that final case damn
the rest of the game is a bit of a mixed bag unfortunately. i really like the first case and the magic case but the third case (as usual) sucks. nahyuta is a boring prosecutor and most definitely the worst in the series.
turnabout storyteller can be summed up by saying
athena
clown
uendo toneido
overall its a mixed bag of a game but like justice for all it really comes together in that final case damn
the game rocks! lots of course corrections from dual destinies to mesh things better into the overall franchise while still maintaining the sort of batshit absurdity that seems to sort of give this 3ds duology its identity.
yes of course the extra backstory for apollo is kind of ridiculous but i would say hardly moreso than all the retcons in aa3 and everyone knows that game rules. in my opinion it works great and finally gives him a lot more of his own stuff to do. i found it weird that in aa4, apollo's titular game, he is largely just going through phoenix's story and battles for him (still prolly the best one besides tgaa tho).
there is no case i did not enjoy, although i will say for as fun as the game is, a bit more focus would have been good. if it were up to me, one improvement i'd make is i'd spend all 5 cases in khurain besides the first trial of case 5 and save the trucy thing in case 2 and the simon case 4 for the inevitable aa7 with thena.
datz arebal best witness ever lol
yes of course the extra backstory for apollo is kind of ridiculous but i would say hardly moreso than all the retcons in aa3 and everyone knows that game rules. in my opinion it works great and finally gives him a lot more of his own stuff to do. i found it weird that in aa4, apollo's titular game, he is largely just going through phoenix's story and battles for him (still prolly the best one besides tgaa tho).
there is no case i did not enjoy, although i will say for as fun as the game is, a bit more focus would have been good. if it were up to me, one improvement i'd make is i'd spend all 5 cases in khurain besides the first trial of case 5 and save the trucy thing in case 2 and the simon case 4 for the inevitable aa7 with thena.
datz arebal best witness ever lol
Bisexual man with an extensive knowledge of stepladders and a man who’s defining trait is screaming attempt to overthrow a monarch
Maravilhoso
Literalmente o motivo na qual Apollo Justice é o meu personagem favorito.
Literalmente o motivo na qual Apollo Justice é o meu personagem favorito.
This review contains spoilers
In my opinion, Spirit of Justice is a slight improvement over its 3D predecessor (Dual Destinies) thanks to its stronger focus and fluid graphics, but is really mixed in the grand scheme of Ace Attorney. The game is, in several aspects, good and does grant Apollo his much-needed closure, but falls flat in almost every other way. This is because it tried to offer more of what the fans wanted (for example, the game’s whole setting was made just to reintroduce Maya Fey from the trilogy), but completely fails at making that meaningful (using Maya as an example again, Spirit of Justice set up her grand return, but she only gets used as a cheap plot device in Cases 3 and 5) amidst other issues. Hence, the game doesn’t feel innovative despite its new setting, making Spirit of Justice passable at best.
The setting of this game is a major thing to review, before talking about its cases. It takes place in the fictional country of Khura’in, which is superstitious much like the trilogy’s Kurain Village from which it is based on. Because of this superstitious feel, most of the cases allude to or involve ‘spirit channelling’ (the act of letting dead people talk through a living person) also from the trilogy, meaning Khura’in is divisive for some fans (as some liked this concept in the trilogy while others didn’t). I don’t mind this new feel myself, but do take issue with how it’s a bit far-fetched at times; for example, Khura’in was said to hate lawyers, and I found it hard to believe a whole country would be against them. Even if the games are fiction of course, Ace Attorney was always somewhat sensical, meaning some of Khura’in’s story-building doesn’t feel legit and so doesn’t truly immerse the player. And this is quite an issue, since Khura’in and its customs are a huge part of the game.
Another thing to bring up here would be the ‘Divination Séance’ mechanic, which is new gameplay that shows a victim’s last few moments as you find video frames that contradict with statements below the Séance. In my opinion, this gameplay was strangely confusing, as finding the correct statement and video frame was too simultaneous. This addition to courtroom gameplay wasn’t improved by its bits of voice acting, either, which I found quite bad (especially that of the courtroom audience).
Technical faults aside, the real meat of the game is the case stories. But this, sadly, is where the game gets really mixed. On one hand, most of the cases are good in a way, with a popular one being Case 2 that finally gives Trucy Wright screen time (since she got none in Dual Destinies). It also built on the dynamic between the two newest members of the Wright Anything Agency (which is appreciated), while it has a good mystery paired with cool characters.
However, every other case has major gripes that overshadow otherwise good qualities— namely in Cases 3 and 5. Case 3, in my opinion, shines for world-building (thanks to its introduction of Khura’inese customs and societies like the ‘Defiant Dragons’) and how it plays on ‘show, don’t tell’ compared to the previous game (as other fans have pointed out, this is because Case 3 shows the bad effects of its main conflict— the ‘Defence Culpability Act’ —on the Khura’inese, as opposed to Dual Destinies which brought up its ‘Dark Age of the Law’ conflict through dialogue). As well, it shows character development of new character Rayfa (the princess of Khura’in), realising the ways of her country and what she knows are wrong, which is another example of Case 3 neatly showing, but not telling. This follows into the rest of the game, too.
Despite those perks, though, the case suffers from long investigation segments, and its raising of stakes (as Maya is your defendant here) wasn’t done well at all. Personally, I hated Maya being the defendant because this is not only an overdone trope in the trilogy, but even back then in mattered to her story and that of the trilogy’s; in Case 3, you could’ve swapped her role for anyone else and it wouldn’t have made a huge difference. They used her for the sake of bringing her back, which feels lazy. Plus, it’s not like you get to interact with her much, since she gets stuck at the detention centre. And because of that, Case 3 fails at using its fan-service meaningfully. Simply put, the little, good parts of Case 3 aren’t enough to win over the bad ones, especially when it’s basic stuff to follow (like ‘show, don’t tell’ or subtle character growth).
Case 5 suffers from that same issue of raising the stakes à la final case of Justice for All. This means Case 5 has Maya kidnapped and used as blackmail against Phoenix once more, as if he hasn’t learnt from this before. This only solidified the rehashing of tropes and crushing of character development in the game, adding to Case 5’s list of issues. Besides, Case 5 is notoriously long— not only for having two cases in one (when it could’ve easily been split in two likewise to Dual Destines’s finale), but because it shoved way too much lore (like the fact the previous queen of Khura’in ‘died from arson’) at the player, instead of distributing it across the game for a smoother pace. To make matters worse, Case 5 has an obvious and subsequently anti-climactic villain, adding to the sluggish feel of the story (since you take hours to expose her, when it’s already so obvious she’s guilty).
Another Case 5 issue worth mentioning is its handling of Nahyuta (the game’s main prosecutor) and his redemption arc. Up until this point, he’s been nothing but callous, showing no signs of gradual improvement. However, that changes when he disobeys the villain of Case 5 (who was blackmailing him) towards the end, yet this never felt satisfying. Again, this easily comes down to the fact Nahyuta never had signs of change until the end, unlike older-game prosecutors (such as Edgeworth from PW:AA, who changed his courtroom ways in Turnabout Samurai, right before you find out his backstory in the next case). Hence, Nahyuta’s redemption in Case 5 felt rushed and fruitless, not making up for his dislikability nor that of Case 5, for that matter.
But no matter how bad I made Case 5 sound in these last few paragraphs, Case 5 still has a great character that slightly redeems the case. His name is Dhurke Sahdmadhi, leader of the ‘Defiant Dragons’ (a group wishing to change Khura’in’s legal system) and Apollo’s adoptive father. Actually getting to investigate with him as Apollo during Case 5 really brought life to his character and why the player should care about him, seeing as he is both charming and Apollo’s saviour. Interacting with the character ultimately made the case’s big twist (of Dhurke being dead the whole time) really devastating. It makes the twist an instance you, the player, WISH wasn’t true. All in all, his character and the emotional twist he brought was the saving grace of Case 5. A lot of fans see it this way, and rightfully so. But unfortunately, it’s only one positive in a sea of negatives, meaning what was meant to be an ‘epic finale’ wasn’t much so.
The cases I failed to mention so far (Cases 1, 4 and the DLC case) have less to praise, or are just plain forgettable. Case 4, to start with, is honestly not great, but is a welcome filler case. It has a fun cast and reintroduces the quarrelling-sibling-like dynamic between Athena and Blackquill, but suffers from not allowing Athena independence over the case (when she never had much screen time in the courtroom) and an uncooperative defendant. And while it sticks to the ‘succession’ theme of the game as seen in the culprit’s motive, Case 4 feels awkwardly placed between Cases 3 and 5, both of which are much more content-heavy. The fact it sticks out like a sore thumb also makes it obvious it was only slipped in to make Athena ever-so-slightly relevant to the story, making the case out to be poor writing as the developers couldn’t include her in any other, meaningful way.
Likewise to Case 4, the DLC case has a unique concept but with subpar writing. For context, the case ties to time-traveling and involves the classic trilogy cast. Though this sounds great in theory, it’s forgettable in execution. I think this can be attributed to the mischaracterisation of trilogy characters (like how Edgeworth just came off meaner than usual), and especially how there were too little characters to the point you could tell who the culprit is based on the process-of-elimination alone. Besides that, the case isn’t necessarily bad for nostalgia-pandering, being separate from the main story (unlike the rest of the game), but more so for how it ‘plays it safe’ (as others have put it) and how that makes it uninteresting. On that note, Case 1 is also fine as most intro cases go, just with character gimmicks that get stale fast.
In conclusion, Spirit of Justice suffers from a lot of things, ranging from keeping the stakes too high and lengthiness to poorly-used fan-service and bad mechanics. These problems are enough to make it mediocre, but I should emphasise the Khura’in setting many take issue with might be a matter of preference; if you enjoyed the occult of the first trilogy, you might find yourself liking the game, and not so much if you never liked it. I, again, didn’t mind this factor and so it doesn’t weigh much into my rating, but only disliked it sometimes due to characterisation. Overall, the negatives of game outweigh the positives in quantity, even without touching on the new setting, forcing me to give Spirit of Justice a 2.5 stars.
The setting of this game is a major thing to review, before talking about its cases. It takes place in the fictional country of Khura’in, which is superstitious much like the trilogy’s Kurain Village from which it is based on. Because of this superstitious feel, most of the cases allude to or involve ‘spirit channelling’ (the act of letting dead people talk through a living person) also from the trilogy, meaning Khura’in is divisive for some fans (as some liked this concept in the trilogy while others didn’t). I don’t mind this new feel myself, but do take issue with how it’s a bit far-fetched at times; for example, Khura’in was said to hate lawyers, and I found it hard to believe a whole country would be against them. Even if the games are fiction of course, Ace Attorney was always somewhat sensical, meaning some of Khura’in’s story-building doesn’t feel legit and so doesn’t truly immerse the player. And this is quite an issue, since Khura’in and its customs are a huge part of the game.
Another thing to bring up here would be the ‘Divination Séance’ mechanic, which is new gameplay that shows a victim’s last few moments as you find video frames that contradict with statements below the Séance. In my opinion, this gameplay was strangely confusing, as finding the correct statement and video frame was too simultaneous. This addition to courtroom gameplay wasn’t improved by its bits of voice acting, either, which I found quite bad (especially that of the courtroom audience).
Technical faults aside, the real meat of the game is the case stories. But this, sadly, is where the game gets really mixed. On one hand, most of the cases are good in a way, with a popular one being Case 2 that finally gives Trucy Wright screen time (since she got none in Dual Destinies). It also built on the dynamic between the two newest members of the Wright Anything Agency (which is appreciated), while it has a good mystery paired with cool characters.
However, every other case has major gripes that overshadow otherwise good qualities— namely in Cases 3 and 5. Case 3, in my opinion, shines for world-building (thanks to its introduction of Khura’inese customs and societies like the ‘Defiant Dragons’) and how it plays on ‘show, don’t tell’ compared to the previous game (as other fans have pointed out, this is because Case 3 shows the bad effects of its main conflict— the ‘Defence Culpability Act’ —on the Khura’inese, as opposed to Dual Destinies which brought up its ‘Dark Age of the Law’ conflict through dialogue). As well, it shows character development of new character Rayfa (the princess of Khura’in), realising the ways of her country and what she knows are wrong, which is another example of Case 3 neatly showing, but not telling. This follows into the rest of the game, too.
Despite those perks, though, the case suffers from long investigation segments, and its raising of stakes (as Maya is your defendant here) wasn’t done well at all. Personally, I hated Maya being the defendant because this is not only an overdone trope in the trilogy, but even back then in mattered to her story and that of the trilogy’s; in Case 3, you could’ve swapped her role for anyone else and it wouldn’t have made a huge difference. They used her for the sake of bringing her back, which feels lazy. Plus, it’s not like you get to interact with her much, since she gets stuck at the detention centre. And because of that, Case 3 fails at using its fan-service meaningfully. Simply put, the little, good parts of Case 3 aren’t enough to win over the bad ones, especially when it’s basic stuff to follow (like ‘show, don’t tell’ or subtle character growth).
Case 5 suffers from that same issue of raising the stakes à la final case of Justice for All. This means Case 5 has Maya kidnapped and used as blackmail against Phoenix once more, as if he hasn’t learnt from this before. This only solidified the rehashing of tropes and crushing of character development in the game, adding to Case 5’s list of issues. Besides, Case 5 is notoriously long— not only for having two cases in one (when it could’ve easily been split in two likewise to Dual Destines’s finale), but because it shoved way too much lore (like the fact the previous queen of Khura’in ‘died from arson’) at the player, instead of distributing it across the game for a smoother pace. To make matters worse, Case 5 has an obvious and subsequently anti-climactic villain, adding to the sluggish feel of the story (since you take hours to expose her, when it’s already so obvious she’s guilty).
Another Case 5 issue worth mentioning is its handling of Nahyuta (the game’s main prosecutor) and his redemption arc. Up until this point, he’s been nothing but callous, showing no signs of gradual improvement. However, that changes when he disobeys the villain of Case 5 (who was blackmailing him) towards the end, yet this never felt satisfying. Again, this easily comes down to the fact Nahyuta never had signs of change until the end, unlike older-game prosecutors (such as Edgeworth from PW:AA, who changed his courtroom ways in Turnabout Samurai, right before you find out his backstory in the next case). Hence, Nahyuta’s redemption in Case 5 felt rushed and fruitless, not making up for his dislikability nor that of Case 5, for that matter.
But no matter how bad I made Case 5 sound in these last few paragraphs, Case 5 still has a great character that slightly redeems the case. His name is Dhurke Sahdmadhi, leader of the ‘Defiant Dragons’ (a group wishing to change Khura’in’s legal system) and Apollo’s adoptive father. Actually getting to investigate with him as Apollo during Case 5 really brought life to his character and why the player should care about him, seeing as he is both charming and Apollo’s saviour. Interacting with the character ultimately made the case’s big twist (of Dhurke being dead the whole time) really devastating. It makes the twist an instance you, the player, WISH wasn’t true. All in all, his character and the emotional twist he brought was the saving grace of Case 5. A lot of fans see it this way, and rightfully so. But unfortunately, it’s only one positive in a sea of negatives, meaning what was meant to be an ‘epic finale’ wasn’t much so.
The cases I failed to mention so far (Cases 1, 4 and the DLC case) have less to praise, or are just plain forgettable. Case 4, to start with, is honestly not great, but is a welcome filler case. It has a fun cast and reintroduces the quarrelling-sibling-like dynamic between Athena and Blackquill, but suffers from not allowing Athena independence over the case (when she never had much screen time in the courtroom) and an uncooperative defendant. And while it sticks to the ‘succession’ theme of the game as seen in the culprit’s motive, Case 4 feels awkwardly placed between Cases 3 and 5, both of which are much more content-heavy. The fact it sticks out like a sore thumb also makes it obvious it was only slipped in to make Athena ever-so-slightly relevant to the story, making the case out to be poor writing as the developers couldn’t include her in any other, meaningful way.
Likewise to Case 4, the DLC case has a unique concept but with subpar writing. For context, the case ties to time-traveling and involves the classic trilogy cast. Though this sounds great in theory, it’s forgettable in execution. I think this can be attributed to the mischaracterisation of trilogy characters (like how Edgeworth just came off meaner than usual), and especially how there were too little characters to the point you could tell who the culprit is based on the process-of-elimination alone. Besides that, the case isn’t necessarily bad for nostalgia-pandering, being separate from the main story (unlike the rest of the game), but more so for how it ‘plays it safe’ (as others have put it) and how that makes it uninteresting. On that note, Case 1 is also fine as most intro cases go, just with character gimmicks that get stale fast.
In conclusion, Spirit of Justice suffers from a lot of things, ranging from keeping the stakes too high and lengthiness to poorly-used fan-service and bad mechanics. These problems are enough to make it mediocre, but I should emphasise the Khura’in setting many take issue with might be a matter of preference; if you enjoyed the occult of the first trilogy, you might find yourself liking the game, and not so much if you never liked it. I, again, didn’t mind this factor and so it doesn’t weigh much into my rating, but only disliked it sometimes due to characterisation. Overall, the negatives of game outweigh the positives in quantity, even without touching on the new setting, forcing me to give Spirit of Justice a 2.5 stars.
i dont understand why everybody hates this game so much
Oh yay an ace attorney game with actual themes (wasian savior complex) and so its not the series, dual destinies really is just that bad huh
Still playing through the game, just wanted to say that I’m impressed that The Magical Turnabout gives Phoenix, Apollo, and Trucy more character development than in AA4
i think this game is a bit underated, i love the mix between everyone POV, another case with maya being acused and that final case my god i bawled my eyes out
I don’t Like this game very much but I love rayfa she’s the only good thing to come out of this game also FUCK GARAN ALL MY HOMIES HATE GARAN
I think they forgot that this was a series where people care about the writing and the continuity considering they just rewrote Apollo's backstory (again)
This review contains spoilers
divination séances are a pretty neat addition imo and i was satisfied by the ending.
though i really love ace attorney and would always like more, i feel that this one was a little bit too long for the story it was telling. the amount of times that they have the exact same flashback/ remembering of stuff that happened in the case less than like 30 minutes ago is staggering. i get that if you don't play for long periods of time you might completely forget some important minute details, but a lot of the time it just feels silly and i feel like at times i was like "are you serious i literally just watched this." woulda been nice if they had like a professor layton-esque recap thing at the start of a play session or something to mediate things like this, but idk how successful something like that would be.
as the series grows in size and scale with the amount of characters it introduces, espeically playable characters, it gets harder and harder to give everybody a satisfying amount of time to be furthered as a character. they definitely did apollo right, and honestly this is basically his game and the end of his arc up until this point. athena gets a little bit of time to shine in turnabout storyteller, and she did just have dual destinies before this, but i felt she was just kinda missing from the overall story in a way that phoenix and apollo weren't. also i absolutely adore maya but she is not significantly in this game, lmao. shes a defendant, and gives testimony for a little bit, but theres not really interacting with her outside of that. she doesn't show up until the third case and then doesn't return in a significant capacity until the end of the fifth. i haven't played the dlc case, turnabout time traveler yet, though, so maybe maya gets some love there.
overall, I enjoyed the game, I just wasn't as actively excited to keep playing it as I was with other games in the series.
though i really love ace attorney and would always like more, i feel that this one was a little bit too long for the story it was telling. the amount of times that they have the exact same flashback/ remembering of stuff that happened in the case less than like 30 minutes ago is staggering. i get that if you don't play for long periods of time you might completely forget some important minute details, but a lot of the time it just feels silly and i feel like at times i was like "are you serious i literally just watched this." woulda been nice if they had like a professor layton-esque recap thing at the start of a play session or something to mediate things like this, but idk how successful something like that would be.
as the series grows in size and scale with the amount of characters it introduces, espeically playable characters, it gets harder and harder to give everybody a satisfying amount of time to be furthered as a character. they definitely did apollo right, and honestly this is basically his game and the end of his arc up until this point. athena gets a little bit of time to shine in turnabout storyteller, and she did just have dual destinies before this, but i felt she was just kinda missing from the overall story in a way that phoenix and apollo weren't. also i absolutely adore maya but she is not significantly in this game, lmao. shes a defendant, and gives testimony for a little bit, but theres not really interacting with her outside of that. she doesn't show up until the third case and then doesn't return in a significant capacity until the end of the fifth. i haven't played the dlc case, turnabout time traveler yet, though, so maybe maya gets some love there.
overall, I enjoyed the game, I just wasn't as actively excited to keep playing it as I was with other games in the series.
Spirit of Justice vai ser meu último Ace Attorney por agora, desde novembro estou fazendo uma maratona da franquia e FINALMENTE terminei a timeline principal, e nossa, foi uma grande jornada hein.
Spirit foi um jogo que não me pegou tanto, boa parte dos casos achei só normal mesmo e o final apesar de ser muito único e fechar perfeitamente o personagem do Apollo (caba que gosto muito) não supera os casos finais de outros jogos pra mim.
Ainda assim, é um final digno, quanto mais a franquia avança mais os finais vão ficando cada vez mais malucos de seu próprio jeito, Spirit of Justice tem uma trama épica de revolução te esperando nesse final.
Não sei o que o futuro Ace Attorney 7 vai ser, mas espero que seja focado na Athena, porque eu quero muito ver um dia todo mundo de volta a ativa em mais um jogo com uma trama extremamente foda, eu confio.
Spirit foi um jogo que não me pegou tanto, boa parte dos casos achei só normal mesmo e o final apesar de ser muito único e fechar perfeitamente o personagem do Apollo (caba que gosto muito) não supera os casos finais de outros jogos pra mim.
Ainda assim, é um final digno, quanto mais a franquia avança mais os finais vão ficando cada vez mais malucos de seu próprio jeito, Spirit of Justice tem uma trama épica de revolução te esperando nesse final.
Não sei o que o futuro Ace Attorney 7 vai ser, mas espero que seja focado na Athena, porque eu quero muito ver um dia todo mundo de volta a ativa em mais um jogo com uma trama extremamente foda, eu confio.
Why would you market your game as the return of Maya Fey when shes in it for 20 minutes
anyone who says dual destinies is worse is a fucking liar lmfao this is like bottom tier garbage
More like Spirit of Flashbacks cause they genuinely think I have the memory of a goldfish
aa6 is a game.
the pacing is downright awful compared to previous entries (including aa5). however, i will say that the highs of aa6 are much much higher than any positives i found in aa5. which is something. i still dislike the game, but it gave me 6-2 and 6-4 which i would genuinely replay. i dislike a lot of the new characters in this game, the new location is way out there and feels way too racially charged (in naming conventions lol), and did not like the implications of the conclusion. any character included from a previous aa game has like zero development (its been years since we've seen maya in a game and they write her the exact same way!!)
wanted to murder nahyuta multiple times.
the pacing is downright awful compared to previous entries (including aa5). however, i will say that the highs of aa6 are much much higher than any positives i found in aa5. which is something. i still dislike the game, but it gave me 6-2 and 6-4 which i would genuinely replay. i dislike a lot of the new characters in this game, the new location is way out there and feels way too racially charged (in naming conventions lol), and did not like the implications of the conclusion. any character included from a previous aa game has like zero development (its been years since we've seen maya in a game and they write her the exact same way!!)
wanted to murder nahyuta multiple times.
Played this for nearly an hour before deciding enough was enough. The Yamazaki team have been one disappointment after another, managing to squander the themes which made the series compelling beyond the "wow, cool mystery!" aspect.
Spirit of Justice revels in the worst excesses the franchise: bloated scripts, a fetishisation of technology and black-and-white characterisation of the cast. Add the weird orientalist feel, the setting's naïve portrayal as well as the fact that almost fifteen years in we still have to deal with fixed speed textboxes and you've utterly lost me.
It's as if every title from Investigations 1 onwards were building up to this: a complete reimagining of the series, shaped one game at a time into something alien beyond the most surface aspects. The writing had been on the wall since the gutless Investigations 2, the hints it left of things to come taking monstrous shape in the dull Dual Destinies. Spirit of Justice is just the final form of this new beast, one living in a courtroom-shaped hyperreality entirely detached from its origins.
The game enjoys a healthy rating, the series still has fans clamoring for a seventh mainline entry. As for me, if things don't change drastically going forward I can safely say I'm good, thank you. Time for this old geezer to step off the ride. You kids have fun.
Spirit of Justice revels in the worst excesses the franchise: bloated scripts, a fetishisation of technology and black-and-white characterisation of the cast. Add the weird orientalist feel, the setting's naïve portrayal as well as the fact that almost fifteen years in we still have to deal with fixed speed textboxes and you've utterly lost me.
It's as if every title from Investigations 1 onwards were building up to this: a complete reimagining of the series, shaped one game at a time into something alien beyond the most surface aspects. The writing had been on the wall since the gutless Investigations 2, the hints it left of things to come taking monstrous shape in the dull Dual Destinies. Spirit of Justice is just the final form of this new beast, one living in a courtroom-shaped hyperreality entirely detached from its origins.
The game enjoys a healthy rating, the series still has fans clamoring for a seventh mainline entry. As for me, if things don't change drastically going forward I can safely say I'm good, thank you. Time for this old geezer to step off the ride. You kids have fun.
As an avid fan of the Ace Attorney series, I can confidently give Spirit of Justice a 10/10. As with any Ace Attorney game, Spirit of Justice hits on many of the same exemplary features that have made the series such a standout over the years.
The storytelling in this installment is both absurd and delightful, weaving together seemingly disparate threads in a way that constantly surprises and satisfies. The new cast of characters, despite their somewhat problematic names, are endearing and well-crafted, with the classic Ace Attorney charm and polish evident throughout.
Several cases stood out in particular, with one of them being the exceptionally long final case, a pinnacle of top-tier mystery writing. The returning characters are always a delight, and while Athena Cykes doesn't quite get her due in this finale of the second major trilogy, it's wonderful to see familiar faces back in action.
Musically, Spirit of Justice does not disappoint. The soundtracks of Ace Attorney games have always been a hallmark, and this installment is no exception. Both returning tracks and a plethora of new, catchy melodies enhance the gaming experience greatly.
The introduction of spirit-medium-based discernment in the land of Kura'in was an interesting touch, although it became somewhat convoluted and frustrating after a few encounters.
Like many Ace Attorney games, Spirit of Justice takes some time to get its hooks into you, but once the story starts to roll, it becomes an immersive experience that's hard to put down.
It's difficult to review Ace Attorney games objectively, as I inevitably fall in love with the characters and the story by the end of the game. If you're a fan of Ace Attorney, you're going to love this return to form. If the game-style doesn't appeal to you, then this installment is unlikely to change your mind, as it faithfully retains the core elements that define the series.
In conclusion, Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice is an excellent addition to the franchise. Its compelling storytelling, charming characters, and engaging music make it a must-play for fans of the series. It might have a few minor shortcomings, but they are easily overlooked in light of the game's overall brilliance. If you're a fan of the Ace Attorney series or enjoy well-crafted, character-driven stories, you won't want to miss this one.
The storytelling in this installment is both absurd and delightful, weaving together seemingly disparate threads in a way that constantly surprises and satisfies. The new cast of characters, despite their somewhat problematic names, are endearing and well-crafted, with the classic Ace Attorney charm and polish evident throughout.
Several cases stood out in particular, with one of them being the exceptionally long final case, a pinnacle of top-tier mystery writing. The returning characters are always a delight, and while Athena Cykes doesn't quite get her due in this finale of the second major trilogy, it's wonderful to see familiar faces back in action.
Musically, Spirit of Justice does not disappoint. The soundtracks of Ace Attorney games have always been a hallmark, and this installment is no exception. Both returning tracks and a plethora of new, catchy melodies enhance the gaming experience greatly.
The introduction of spirit-medium-based discernment in the land of Kura'in was an interesting touch, although it became somewhat convoluted and frustrating after a few encounters.
Like many Ace Attorney games, Spirit of Justice takes some time to get its hooks into you, but once the story starts to roll, it becomes an immersive experience that's hard to put down.
It's difficult to review Ace Attorney games objectively, as I inevitably fall in love with the characters and the story by the end of the game. If you're a fan of Ace Attorney, you're going to love this return to form. If the game-style doesn't appeal to you, then this installment is unlikely to change your mind, as it faithfully retains the core elements that define the series.
In conclusion, Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice is an excellent addition to the franchise. Its compelling storytelling, charming characters, and engaging music make it a must-play for fans of the series. It might have a few minor shortcomings, but they are easily overlooked in light of the game's overall brilliance. If you're a fan of the Ace Attorney series or enjoy well-crafted, character-driven stories, you won't want to miss this one.
I never thought I'd find a game that edges out AA3 in this series for me but here we are.
totally get why this may not be some people's Thing ace attorney-wise but i really loved it. real talk sometimes even in my fave games of this series there's at least one case that really drags/feels like filler (i think dual destinies really suffered from having TWO cases that i wasn't super invested in, even if i thought the concluding case was strong) whereas that wasn't a problem here! even the non-plot relevant case worked because it 1) didn't outstay its welcome, 2) had some fun characters in the witness box (and from what i've read a surprisingly accurate depiction of did?) 3) gave the focus to characters who otherwise wouldn't have had much in this game. between that and trucy's case i think this did a much better job than dual destinies at juggling an increasingly large cast of characters by simply acknowledging that it COULDN'T give them all equal attention all the time but could spotlight a few for one part. though i understand that maya may be less prominent than people imagined when it was first announced she was coming back (it's a bit hard to gauge this for me 7 years on).
also i think it's fun that you get followed around a bunch by a teenage girl who hates you and insults you at every opportunity!
also i think it's fun that you get followed around a bunch by a teenage girl who hates you and insults you at every opportunity!
This review contains spoilers
i can understand why people like this one, i do enjoy rayfa's character arc and case 3 was pretty cool, but it's definitely not for me. i am not partial to Little Apollo's Tale finding hidden treasure in the crystal caves. i wish i was. but i personally am not. i also feel like the last confrontation really elevates the stakes way too high for me. generally the whole killing all defense attorneys thing is just kinda silly, it's a common joke that defense attorneys and prosecutors are the most important people on earth in this series but it's actually real in this game. the defeat of a genocidal monarch at the hands of the lost son of a disgraced revolutionary hailing from the oppressed class sounds cool but not when applied to Prosecutor World in my personal opinion. it certainly appeals to some and i am glad they can enjoy.
- Excerpt from the journal of Gaspen Payne before his execution
- Excerpt from the journal of Gaspen Payne before his execution
I just don't know. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about Apollo's character bothered me since DD, and others' reviews shed light on it, and I was like "yeah, he's like a different character every time". It's not something super obvious, but yeah.
Tired of all the retconning these games did, which end up making these later games feel so forced.
This game is absolutely my least favorite of the 6. I dislike the Kura'in monarchy and the STUPID law that the characters are forced under, it's almost comical how ridiculous it is. I also dislike Nahyuta; he's by far my least favorite prosecutor, BUT the last chapter did make me like him in the end.
The last chapter in general was insane, but kind of in a good way. I do like how it ended up, definitely the highlight of the game.
Rayfa is cute and I love her development. Some great designs from new characters. Some really fun twists.
I left this game on a pretty positive note, but I'm so glad it's over.
Tired of all the retconning these games did, which end up making these later games feel so forced.
This game is absolutely my least favorite of the 6. I dislike the Kura'in monarchy and the STUPID law that the characters are forced under, it's almost comical how ridiculous it is. I also dislike Nahyuta; he's by far my least favorite prosecutor, BUT the last chapter did make me like him in the end.
The last chapter in general was insane, but kind of in a good way. I do like how it ended up, definitely the highlight of the game.
Rayfa is cute and I love her development. Some great designs from new characters. Some really fun twists.
I left this game on a pretty positive note, but I'm so glad it's over.
A big step up from Dual Destinies, but still ranks below the first four games. The sprites are significantly better (still not a fan of Edgeworth’s) and 3D is utilized in a lot more clever way (this game has the best breakdowns in the series imo), none of the cases are outright bad like 5-2 was, the soundtrack has this cool Spyro kinda vibe. Most of the introduced characters (e.g. Dhurke, Rayfa, Datz) are enjoyable.
The biggest negative is Nahyuta, who is by far the worst prosecutor in the series, the only one I outright dislike. We’re told by other characters how nice he is, how great of a kid he was, but this doesn’t really matter when he’s a massive dick 95% of the game, even in the Japanifornia cases. And not even a dick in a funny way like Godot or von Karma. The bizarre thing is it’s almost like the game recognizes how weak he is, since he’s barely given lines in the last case and is completely absent from the DLC case.
The biggest negative is Nahyuta, who is by far the worst prosecutor in the series, the only one I outright dislike. We’re told by other characters how nice he is, how great of a kid he was, but this doesn’t really matter when he’s a massive dick 95% of the game, even in the Japanifornia cases. And not even a dick in a funny way like Godot or von Karma. The bizarre thing is it’s almost like the game recognizes how weak he is, since he’s barely given lines in the last case and is completely absent from the DLC case.
fixes some of the issues with aa5 (3d models look slightly better and the color design is less of an eyesore), but introduces some VERY significant problems. the thinly veiled conservatism from aa5 turns into outright imperialism in this game, and orientalism is present in nearly every case. sad!