If you're trying to get someone to play a genre they aren't familiar with, it would make sense that you'd try to really sell them on an exciting premise; something that is going to grab their attention and overpower their initial doubts. And even though the visual novel genre isn't exactly obscure, it's certainly more niche than most, it's probably not something most gaming enthusiasts have dipped their toes in. So when people go recommending an entry point to the genre, what's the exciting, gripping baseline of the most frequent recommendation? Why, legal proceedings, of course. The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series is easily the most recognizable in the genre-to the point where its main character was considered a realistic possibility for Smash Bros. DLC-and is well known and regarded to those outside the VN community as well. And if one of its games was your introduction to the genre, you're in good company.
The first AA trilogy was actually initially released on the Gameboy Advanced as Japanese exclusives, and only began transitioning to the rest of the world on the DS. This would prove to be a surprise hit (that is, for a mid-2000s VN in the west), and the series is now widely recognized as helping to popularize the genre in the region. And while a point-and-click legal drama may not sound like everyone's cup of tea, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney proves that looks can be deceiving, and it doesn't take long doing it. Perhaps what makes AA such a great entry point is that it's got a lot more gameplay than outsiders might expect from the genre; you're thrown directly into a courtroom scene where you learn the basics of trial proceedings. It's a well-designed tutorial that is simple enough for anyone to follow, yet engaging enough to draw skeptical players in further.
Once the tutorial ends, the game settles into its formula; you will learn a crime has been committed, you investigate the crime scene and talk to witnesses, and you try to prove your defendant's innocence in court. Ace Attorney is split into 5 chapters (including the tutorial), each one with a different case, while also having a general overarching story. They are for the most part, designed very well, and generally get better as they go on-the 4th case and 5th "DLC" DS-exclusive case are both excellent, gripping, and will have you on the edge of your seat for the entire time as each new twist and turn is revealed. There are some moments where a story beat can seem contrived, or something is revealed in an unsatisfying way, but for the most part, AA is filled with smart writing and entangling mysteries. And it's all in service of its ensemble cast, which is just fantastic. From the iconic Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, and Maya Fey, to all the one-off caricatures, it's one of the rare titles where practically every interaction and every piece of dialogue is enjoyable. Even the extremely one-note background characters are written in such a way that makes them delightful to interact with; the game is expertly balanced with surprisingly emotional and powerful character drama, all while refusing to take itself too seriously. It commits to a serious and a goofy atmosphere in equal measure, and somehow manages to pull both of them off.
And as mentioned before, the excellent dialogue and characters are paired with a surprisingly engaging gameplay loop. The investigation aspect is where you can really get to know many of the characters, and it gives you enough open-ended information for you to theorize on the case, without being able to outright confirm it. AA is excellent at keeping the solutions to its mysteries tantalizingly just out of reach, so you're never light on theories and suspicions. This is also where some cases can drag on a bit, though, and it can sometimes be unclear as to which locations you have to visit in which order to progress the story.
But Ace Attorney's real crown jewel is its courtroom scenes. Examining evidence, finding contradictions, and delivering justice is just so, so satisfyingly sweet, and in the later cases when the evidence list is quite lengthy and plotlines are more complex, that feeling of satisfaction is only amplified. There are a few times where you might notice something sooner than the game expects you too, and you are still forced to go the long way, but it's an overwhelmingly positive experience, and it's hard not to get caught up in the dramatics and the excitement of finally exposing the truth. It's over the top, fantastical, hilarious, and inspiring all at once. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney juggles so much so successfully that you'll find yourself playing for hours, refusing to quit in the middle of a case, lest you forget a key detail. The series is a titan in its genre for a reason, and it stands the test of time as an excellent introduction to VNs, as well as just being a great game in general. Delightfully quirky and unashamedly campy, Ace Attorney is a treasure that's hard to object to.
The first AA trilogy was actually initially released on the Gameboy Advanced as Japanese exclusives, and only began transitioning to the rest of the world on the DS. This would prove to be a surprise hit (that is, for a mid-2000s VN in the west), and the series is now widely recognized as helping to popularize the genre in the region. And while a point-and-click legal drama may not sound like everyone's cup of tea, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney proves that looks can be deceiving, and it doesn't take long doing it. Perhaps what makes AA such a great entry point is that it's got a lot more gameplay than outsiders might expect from the genre; you're thrown directly into a courtroom scene where you learn the basics of trial proceedings. It's a well-designed tutorial that is simple enough for anyone to follow, yet engaging enough to draw skeptical players in further.
Once the tutorial ends, the game settles into its formula; you will learn a crime has been committed, you investigate the crime scene and talk to witnesses, and you try to prove your defendant's innocence in court. Ace Attorney is split into 5 chapters (including the tutorial), each one with a different case, while also having a general overarching story. They are for the most part, designed very well, and generally get better as they go on-the 4th case and 5th "DLC" DS-exclusive case are both excellent, gripping, and will have you on the edge of your seat for the entire time as each new twist and turn is revealed. There are some moments where a story beat can seem contrived, or something is revealed in an unsatisfying way, but for the most part, AA is filled with smart writing and entangling mysteries. And it's all in service of its ensemble cast, which is just fantastic. From the iconic Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, and Maya Fey, to all the one-off caricatures, it's one of the rare titles where practically every interaction and every piece of dialogue is enjoyable. Even the extremely one-note background characters are written in such a way that makes them delightful to interact with; the game is expertly balanced with surprisingly emotional and powerful character drama, all while refusing to take itself too seriously. It commits to a serious and a goofy atmosphere in equal measure, and somehow manages to pull both of them off.
And as mentioned before, the excellent dialogue and characters are paired with a surprisingly engaging gameplay loop. The investigation aspect is where you can really get to know many of the characters, and it gives you enough open-ended information for you to theorize on the case, without being able to outright confirm it. AA is excellent at keeping the solutions to its mysteries tantalizingly just out of reach, so you're never light on theories and suspicions. This is also where some cases can drag on a bit, though, and it can sometimes be unclear as to which locations you have to visit in which order to progress the story.
But Ace Attorney's real crown jewel is its courtroom scenes. Examining evidence, finding contradictions, and delivering justice is just so, so satisfyingly sweet, and in the later cases when the evidence list is quite lengthy and plotlines are more complex, that feeling of satisfaction is only amplified. There are a few times where you might notice something sooner than the game expects you too, and you are still forced to go the long way, but it's an overwhelmingly positive experience, and it's hard not to get caught up in the dramatics and the excitement of finally exposing the truth. It's over the top, fantastical, hilarious, and inspiring all at once. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney juggles so much so successfully that you'll find yourself playing for hours, refusing to quit in the middle of a case, lest you forget a key detail. The series is a titan in its genre for a reason, and it stands the test of time as an excellent introduction to VNs, as well as just being a great game in general. Delightfully quirky and unashamedly campy, Ace Attorney is a treasure that's hard to object to.