Really solid charming game. Has a strong identity and core which I think is its’ best strength. It has really satisfying puzzles, and I think what makes this one better than others in the series is how the gameplay loop of solving puzzles actually feeds back into the story and twist around how the whole village is one big test set up by the baron. I enjoyed my time with the game, but with that being said some of the puzzles felt cheap and too difficult/ obtuse, and the game can be paced badly if you are trying to collect as many puzzles as possible. Otherwise it was an enjoyable experience.

Really enjoyable no holding of your hand experience. Everything I learned from this game from its mechanics to all the shortcuts and secrets were all done by me and I have to say, that’s a really satisfying feeling. To have a challenge set in front of you and the game just lets you either solve it or not. This game does have some minor problems though. I feel like respawning in the room you died could’ve really helped in the long run. This isn’t huge, but when you are struggling with one little section and the game keeps forcing you to run back to the one room, you really start to feel it. The music was meh. I think I legit can only remember one song and that’s the one for the telephone rooms, I get that it’s trying to be atmospheric, but I mean come on at least try to make some of it memorable. Other than the running from the dog which I found very irritating this game is really well done, and the fact that it’s made by just Billy Basso and is only 101mb is a feat of video game design/ optimization.

"Art is either so abstract that it means nothing, or it's as subtle as a sledgehammer" - Apollo Justice.

Before I had begun this game, I was excited to play the black sheep of the mainline ace attorney games, and to form my own opinion on it. Ironically this quote from the games third trial is an accidental commentary on the whole game. This game is not subtle at all about its' main messages, and that can get really exhausting. While there are things the game does well, they are largely overshadowed by the problems. Here are the things I think it does well.

Pros - The newly added characters Athena Cykes and Simon Blackquill are great, even with the seemingly lack of focus on their dynamic up until the final trial.
- The quality of life improvements are awesome, especially being able to teleport to whichever location without having to travel through a bunch of other rooms to get there.
- The soundtrack is non-shockingly good, with my standouts being the cross examination theme, investigate theme, Blackquill's theme, and Wandering Heart.

Here are things I don't like
Cons- The game feels too full of main characters, which is a big issue I have with this game. The game has to juggle 3 main protagonists, and their stories, but I don't think it does it well at all. Apollo gets absolutely shafted in this regard, as he gets little to no development from his previous game, and the characters associated with that game get no love either. Klavier shows up in the background of trial 3, Trucy is reduced to a babysitter at the office, and Ema makes no appearances whatsoever. This feeling of lack of balance even extends to Phoenix as well. Even though he gets more time in the spotlight, it feels like they just use him and characters from his game purely for fan service, like both Pearl and Edgeworth's appearances in the final trial. They didn't seem to make any huge efforts In really developing either Phoenix or Apollo as characters in this game.
I could make peace with this if I felt like they did Athena's stuff really well, but I don't think they really nailed it on that front either, mainly because all of her connections with Blackquill and the final trial all come out right at the end of the game. My main critique is that it feels like this game lacked focus, and I think a part of that is because the game is to cluttered with main leads, and intstead of developing the ideas and characters from the 4th game, they just abandoned it and made Athena's entire plot line.

Another big issue I have with the game, is the lack of subtlety and the kind of plot piece known as "The Dark Age of The Law". From trial 3 onwards this game constantly reminds you that you are in an age where nobody trusts the law, and both prosecutors and lawyers fake evidence to get the verdict that they want. The main issue I have with this is that this game would rather tell you over and over again that you are in this Dark Age, but the game does nothing to show that fact. Like the trials are just like normal, and throughout each trial we still uncover the truth, an even Blackquill as a prosecutor doesn't commit crimes to win cases. The whole stakes that this game is built upon just falls flat because nowhere in the game do I feel like I am truly in a dark age, where all members of judicial system are corrupt, and that the public distrusts and hates the system. No character represents this game better than Aristotle Mean. He lacks subtly, is shallow, and would rather yell at you "The Ends Justify the Means" over and over again than show you his convictions through action.

As a conclusion this game is really held together by the fact that it has the ace attorney formula. While it's still fun, it's just sad to see the wasted potential from result of in my opinion a bloated cast, and its' insistence to tell you the plot rather than show you. Unfortunately for me this game falls under the sledgehammer archetype of art.

This game is good. It redeems a lot of the issues I have with xenoblade 2. It has faster and more interesting combat, and for me way more likable characters. The music is ridiculously good, and I really like the story in this one, even with its more tragic end. Only real issues I have with it is the ham fisted community system, and the unique enemies that get buffed when they have the orbs on them, which feels like the game punishing you for interacting with the chain attack system. It’s a good fun add on that contextualizes the original story.