The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles is a wonderful return to form for Shu Takumi and the Ace Attorney series. It breathes new life into the series and stands strong on its own merits.
The game looks wonderful. All the characters have distinct looks and mannerisms to them, each unforgettable in their own way. Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice somewhat struggled to take full advantage of their 3D models, but TGAA uses memorable character design and dynamic camera angles in a way that brings the 3D models up to par with the quality of the original trilogy's 2D sprites, possibly even surpassing them. The scenery of TGAA is also fresh, taking us back to the 1800s, for Meiji-era Japan and Victorian era London, respectively. Every single screen you can investigate is brimming with detail.
No longer bound by the DS' soundfont or series tradition, TGAA goes for a significantly grander, orchestral soundtrack that constantly drives emotion in the exact ways it needs to. Many of the tracks in this game are going to be stuck in my head for months.
Gameplay has been expanded in a few areas. In cross examinations, multiple witnesses will take the stand at once, and when pressing a witness' statement, you can press the other witnesses if they show signs of suspicion. Facing the jury in "summation examinations" is a great change of pace as well, pitting jurors' conflicting conclusions against each other in an attempt to continue the trial.
The cases themselves are phenomenal (no spoilers, obviously). While these are technically two separate games, make no mistake; There's an overarching plot with characters that constantly develop over the course of the entire package. Having all 10 chapters of the games combined serving to push one continuous narrative forward does wonders for keeping the story and characters engaging.
Overall, yeah, this is one of, if not my absolute favorite game in the entire Ace Attorney franchise. Worth a play for both fans and newcomers alike.
The game looks wonderful. All the characters have distinct looks and mannerisms to them, each unforgettable in their own way. Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice somewhat struggled to take full advantage of their 3D models, but TGAA uses memorable character design and dynamic camera angles in a way that brings the 3D models up to par with the quality of the original trilogy's 2D sprites, possibly even surpassing them. The scenery of TGAA is also fresh, taking us back to the 1800s, for Meiji-era Japan and Victorian era London, respectively. Every single screen you can investigate is brimming with detail.
No longer bound by the DS' soundfont or series tradition, TGAA goes for a significantly grander, orchestral soundtrack that constantly drives emotion in the exact ways it needs to. Many of the tracks in this game are going to be stuck in my head for months.
Gameplay has been expanded in a few areas. In cross examinations, multiple witnesses will take the stand at once, and when pressing a witness' statement, you can press the other witnesses if they show signs of suspicion. Facing the jury in "summation examinations" is a great change of pace as well, pitting jurors' conflicting conclusions against each other in an attempt to continue the trial.
The cases themselves are phenomenal (no spoilers, obviously). While these are technically two separate games, make no mistake; There's an overarching plot with characters that constantly develop over the course of the entire package. Having all 10 chapters of the games combined serving to push one continuous narrative forward does wonders for keeping the story and characters engaging.
Overall, yeah, this is one of, if not my absolute favorite game in the entire Ace Attorney franchise. Worth a play for both fans and newcomers alike.