The Ace Attorney series has been a mixed bag post-Trials & Tribulations as Capcom attempts to extend the life of a franchise that hit its peak in quality and emotional resolution with its third game, but Spirit of Justice is certainly the best of the second trilogy of games.
The alternating chapter structure swapping between Phoenix visiting Maya in the country of Khura'in, and Apollo back home in "America" keeps things from getting stale, and the way their two stories connect in the latter half endeared me far more to Apollo Justice's character than the game actually named after him ever managed to do.
While the quality of the individual mysteries still never quite reaches the heights of the original trilogy, the series charming writing and character animations are still operating in full force. A character from the first case had me constantly laughing with their specific gimmick while giving testimony, and might be one of my new favourite one off characters in the whole series. It's also a joy to finally see Maya Fey return to the series after being absent for the past two games.
Spirit of Justice adds a new gameplay mechanic with Khura'in's "Divination Séance's," which replay the sights and sounds experienced by a victim in their final moments. There are a few fun twists when it comes to interpreting what at first looks to be damning evidence, but it's concerning that Ace Attorney feels the need to constantly add a gimmick to every new release, and on top of Apollo's tell detecting bracelet and Athena's mood matrix AI from the last two games, it feels like the courtroom is being crowded with flashy new mechanics instead of refining the core mystery writing that makes the series so special.
But my biggest criticism of Spirit of Justice is the criminal underuse of Athena. After being established as a strong addition to the series cast in Dual Destinies I was looking forward to seeing more of her, but Spirit of Justice is far more interested in exploring Apollo's character, leading to her taking a backseat, and only taking the lead in one short courtroom only case.
Even if the Ace Attorney series is past its prime, I'm still on board with the franchise and keen to see where Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena's stories go next if it can maintain at least this level of quality.
The alternating chapter structure swapping between Phoenix visiting Maya in the country of Khura'in, and Apollo back home in "America" keeps things from getting stale, and the way their two stories connect in the latter half endeared me far more to Apollo Justice's character than the game actually named after him ever managed to do.
While the quality of the individual mysteries still never quite reaches the heights of the original trilogy, the series charming writing and character animations are still operating in full force. A character from the first case had me constantly laughing with their specific gimmick while giving testimony, and might be one of my new favourite one off characters in the whole series. It's also a joy to finally see Maya Fey return to the series after being absent for the past two games.
Spirit of Justice adds a new gameplay mechanic with Khura'in's "Divination Séance's," which replay the sights and sounds experienced by a victim in their final moments. There are a few fun twists when it comes to interpreting what at first looks to be damning evidence, but it's concerning that Ace Attorney feels the need to constantly add a gimmick to every new release, and on top of Apollo's tell detecting bracelet and Athena's mood matrix AI from the last two games, it feels like the courtroom is being crowded with flashy new mechanics instead of refining the core mystery writing that makes the series so special.
But my biggest criticism of Spirit of Justice is the criminal underuse of Athena. After being established as a strong addition to the series cast in Dual Destinies I was looking forward to seeing more of her, but Spirit of Justice is far more interested in exploring Apollo's character, leading to her taking a backseat, and only taking the lead in one short courtroom only case.
Even if the Ace Attorney series is past its prime, I'm still on board with the franchise and keen to see where Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena's stories go next if it can maintain at least this level of quality.