XxDaBigestBirdxX
3 reviews liked by XxDaBigestBirdxX
So, here we are, again. All six mainline Ace Attorney games finished, with two journeys to Britain taken care of as well. The resting point for the series for over half a decade reached, and the conclusion of the second trilogy. Needless to say, I was really excited to get to this one, and I recommend you read my reviews on Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (in that order) to get a full understanding of my perception and view on these games. But in short: I'm a series-as-a-whole enjoyer and really respect what both Shu Takumi and Takeshi Yamazaki do for the series.
Spirit of Justice had a lot on its shoulders, just as Dual Destinies did before it. It needed to both finish the ongoing trilogy about the law's influence on people and the concept of trust, as well as be a conclusion to Apollo Justice's story arc and provide meaningful content for more characters than you can shake a stick at. It needed to answer crucial, unavoidable questions for a game seeking to end a saga, not just the end of one trilogy but to establish a comfortable resting place for the series at large.
The game had to do all of that, yet it also set out to be the most ambitious, jam-packed, content filled and best Ace Attorney game the series had yet seen. I'm not here to argue that it absolutely succeeded at exactly all of that, but what I can say is that it is definitely close to- or IS, my favorite game in the series, and a near perfect conclusion to Apollo Justice's character arc. Despite the troubled development of this trilogy I believe it still achieved its goals, of telling the story of the new generation of lawyers growing up in a world far more oppressive and distrustful than the storybook tale Phoenix went through. And while it's undeniably more flawed than the original Trilogy, I believe all three games ended up being more interesting specifically due to this ambition. Because, say it with me: A Dragon Never Yields.
After Dual Destinies gave Phoenix such a perfect book-ended tale of rescuing both Apollo and Athena, it feels difficult to imagine a way where he would be able to get story relevance again in the series. Yet he IS the main mascot of the series, the appeal and key protagonist (yes, even in Apollo Justice). So how do we allow this relatively-concluded character to still play an important part in this conclusion to the second protagonist’s story, without just making it feel as if we’re treading on old ground? Simple: Focus on everything around Phoenix, instead of he himself. Thus the defining trait of this entry, Khura'in, becomes the focus of Phoenix's own cases, which gives Apollo and Athenas cases a distinct feel of their own whilst allowing them room to breathe and grow as characters. While I know Khura'in as a whole as a mixed reception with fans, it as a concept is a genius solution to so many things at once. Beyond mostly resolving the Phoenix issues up above, and giving AA6 its own distinct flair in the series, it gives the game a new perspective on the dark age of law theme that AA4 and AA5 established, showing us just what can happen when trust and humanity are forgotten in the law world: The outcome that AA4 very well could have led to, if it weren't for Phoenix's and Miles' efforts. I get that some find Khura'in's intensely aggressive anti-lawyer stance a bit ridiculous: executing all lawyers who align with criminals and all that, but given the traumatic origin of this law I can't help but draw parallels to some very real incidents and their outcome in real world countries. Its over-the-top in typical Ace Attorney fashion of course but I find it really thematically interesting and fitting for a trilogy exploring what happens when the law world fails to be trusted by the people. Its fitting for a law about punishing those who defend possible criminals to be tied to a land with heavy faith, where sin is actually thought of and reviled.
This thematic relevance of Khura'in extends to its main characters, who I almost all adore. People like Ahlbi, Rayfa, Inga and Datz are just plain fun to watch and be with, but then you have characters like Nahyuta, immensely layered with meaning and parallels to our main characters. Just like how Khura'in shows a world where the people completely gave up trust for the law, Nahyuta directly contrasts Apollo as someone who never learned the good nature of being a lawyer, of defending those you trust in. Apollo in AA4 defended weird, shady people he himself didn't trust or like, and it gave him a jaded outlook of his profession that he eventually snapped out of with the case of Clay's death in AA5. Nahyuta, just like his country, never had this revelation, staying loyal to his profession purely out of obligation, out of false hope that what he's doing might one day be leading to something good. His personality also contrasts Apollo really nicely, despite lacking personal attachment to the cases he takes on he's always calm, collected, and very respectful of all the details pertaining to the case. Whenever he snaps during a trial, it's not because he's angry that his argument's been dismantled: it's because he feels genuinely insulted that the defense disrespects the will of the dead to rest in peace. For Khura'in's anti-Lawyer stance seemingly being a gimmick, they weave it into its culture in a really natural way in that sense: Lawyers are seen as disrespectful of the dead by actively trying to twist the truth of their death, refusing to simply let the dead rest. This is why I LOVE Case 4, despite it often being derided as just filler: Its a case where, for once, we actually get to see a truly flawed defense of a client take place, and where Nahyuta and Khura'in's beliefs almost seem understandable for a moment.
I could genuinely go on for two paragraphs more than I just did on Nahyuta with Dhurke. This is the second time I'm trying to write this review, because my first got erased by Twitter acting up, and in that first one I genuinely could not shut up about Dhurke. He's an amazing character in the same way Nahyuta is: He parallels a main cast member, Phoenix, and shows just how different things could have gone had different things been prioritized in Phoenix's life. He's a great person, fighting for what he believes in with unwavering conviction, but in doing so faltered in caring for the new generation, his children: He felt it was his responsibility to save the world for his kids, rather than the other way, making sure his kids would be ready to take on the new world. Phoenix, however, after his defeat in AA4, reached out: He raised Trucy, played behind the scenes to rebuild the law world together with those around him, including seeking out Apollo and Athena to further reach that goal. Dhurke's flaws of being a determined good-hearted man failing in the sense of remembering the importance of our youth, makes him a super cool parallel to Inga, the tyrant of Khura'in who loves his daughter all the same. These kinds of analysies, contrasts, and connections to the themes of the game can be drawn everywhere, and its one thing I think all three games in this trilogy really excel at.
But cool theming and nice character depth can only get your game so far, yeah? Like I just said, I think AA4 nails its themes and meaning, yet I also think its by far the least fun game in the series to actually play. (Go read my AA4 review to find out why, I promise I like the game). Thankfully, I find Spirit of Justice to possibly be the most consistent quality game in the series: the only game where I would, honestly, say that EVERY case is a banger, both in terms of being fun to read but also in terms of being fun to solve. Sure, other games in the series have had far higher peaks than this game: The second halves of both Dual Destinies and Great Ace Attorney 2 are some of the best visual novel content I will probably ever experience, yet they're simply not able to contend with how constantly good and, most importantly, varied Spirit of Justice is. Thanks to the Khura'in setting and three lawyers in play at once, as well as the sheer amount of important characters present in the game, every case feels distinctly its own and goes to extreme lengths to fulfill the most of their potential. In a way it's like an Ace Attorney Greatest Hits album: An intro case that sets up so many mysteries in your head, a case that's very successful in being funny and unbelievable at every turn, a case that subverts everything you thought you knew about how an Ace Attorney case plays out, a case that's like a puzzle box of different interlinking mechanisms at play…these traits are shared with several golden cases in the series before, yet it doesn't at all feel derivative or redundant (except one moment in Case 5: You know exactly what I mean if you've played it, and it's the one part of the story I REALLY wish had been rewritten.)
But let's take a step back. This game at its core, as alluded to at the start, had to answer some very important questions, in order to truly allow the series to rest comfortably at its ending. -Where does Apollo Justice's character arc go and, finally, end, and
-How do we put a capstone on this entire saga of the Dark Age of the Law, after said age was unofficially ended in Dual Destinies? What message do we end the series with?
The game, in my eyes, delivers answers to those questions in the most satisfying way possible: After his Dual Destinies growth, Apollo now only defends people he genuinely cares and empathises with: be they friends like Trucy, complete strangers like Armie, or a mix of both like Dhurke. Unlike Athena, not knowing his client beforehand no longer stops him: He's learned the power and meaning of a mutual trust in your client, regardless of who they are. His newfound faith in others finally lets him take charge with newfound confidence and surpass Phoenix in a way we as players always knew was possible, but that he was just never able to do before due to his mentorship under Kristoph, and the looming distrust under the Dark Age of Law. Basically, he's someone who's risen above the effects of an age of distrust, and has become a more whole person than even Phoenix because of it.
The game, and series, ends on this note: That by not only banding together to solve the problems of the current day, but also ensuring that the next generation is given the help, care, mentorship and understanding that they need, the world will become a better place. If you ignore one, then the other will haunt you. It's a beautiful way to end the trilogy all about the new generation, passing the torch on in wonderful fashion, and putting a bookend on the Dark Age of Law once and for all.
And I have small gripes with how all this is presented, of course. The Case 5 story detailed I mentioned: Phoenix being blackmailed again, instead of them committing to a true moment of having the torch passed to Apollo. There's also the matter of Ga'ran, who for being the "final boss" of the game and arguably trilogy as a whole might not be as deep of a character as she maybe should be, especially compared to Nahyuta and Dhurke. (I still think she works really well as just an intimidatingly authoritative figure to take down). If I really wanted to, I'm sure I could go picking like a fine-toothed comb through Spirit of Justice and find small things to bitch about, yet I'll probably also find half a dozen more things to appreciate. Have you ever noticed, for instance, that every returning character in Spirit of Justice is finally living more or less completely happily, chasing the dreams they've always wanted? Trucy, Maya, Ema, Blackquill, Phoenix…through finding and sticking to the passion of their goals, they're happier than they've ever been, contrasting beautifully with Nahyuta's sorrowful compliance with doing his occupation solely because he believes he's right– okay, I'll shut up about him now, despite those above minor flaws and more…the ambition, consistency in quality, variety, theming and just, overall tons of emotional pathos packed into Spirit of Justice, make it tie very closely at the top of the series' best games for me.
And all of this Ace Attorney goodness, wrapped up in an extremely Takeshi Yamazaki-paced and designed game and story, with all the good and bad that entails. Every case, yes even 6-4, has meaning, has weight that mounts up and builds to the insane finale. Things are foreshadowed at every moment, even in the most subtle ways (Dual Destinies' Case 2 foreshadowing of its biggest twist still haunts me). The game also feels very cohesive to itself and the rest of the series, never directly spoiling things from the previous games but still making damn well sure existing fans are aware this is a continuation. Okay, so the Divination Seances aren't always the most fun, and for as much as I didn't care at all about Forensics in AA4 it and the Psyche-Lockes are painfully underused in this game. Like I've said before, Yamazaki's main weakness is his inconsistency in making fun-to-use mechanics. And that's what I've really grown to love with Ace Attorney: Despite just being ten games of pointing, clicking, reading and solving, their directions allow them to be so good in so many different ways. This isn't like Kirby where I'll gladly say every game in the series is good, but a lot of them are good in similar ways: Every Ace Attorney game is great, and each one can be someone's favorite for its very specific strengths and appeal. Do you love artsy, subversive, meaningful games where maybe the feeling you have while playing them shouldn't always be satisfaction and empowerment? Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney might be for you! Do you love seeing things built up for you over an immense span of time be resolved in the most satisfying manner imaginable? The Great Ace Attorney 2 is like made for you! Do you love a story that can pull the rug under you at the last minute, despite subtly foreshadowing said rug-pull throughout the game's runtime? Justice for All - the one most fans consider the weakest of the original trilogy, is actually my favorite of those three games specifically because of that!
Or did you read this entire, enormous review, and loved thinking about just how well put together a package Spirit of Justice is, not for its high peaks but for its pitch-perfect consistency, for how well it pays respect to the past whilst celebrating a new future ahead? Then yeah, this game may just be a contender. It sure is for me.
[Play Time: 48 Hours]
[Key Word: Ceremony]
[Note: DLC not played]
Spirit of Justice had a lot on its shoulders, just as Dual Destinies did before it. It needed to both finish the ongoing trilogy about the law's influence on people and the concept of trust, as well as be a conclusion to Apollo Justice's story arc and provide meaningful content for more characters than you can shake a stick at. It needed to answer crucial, unavoidable questions for a game seeking to end a saga, not just the end of one trilogy but to establish a comfortable resting place for the series at large.
The game had to do all of that, yet it also set out to be the most ambitious, jam-packed, content filled and best Ace Attorney game the series had yet seen. I'm not here to argue that it absolutely succeeded at exactly all of that, but what I can say is that it is definitely close to- or IS, my favorite game in the series, and a near perfect conclusion to Apollo Justice's character arc. Despite the troubled development of this trilogy I believe it still achieved its goals, of telling the story of the new generation of lawyers growing up in a world far more oppressive and distrustful than the storybook tale Phoenix went through. And while it's undeniably more flawed than the original Trilogy, I believe all three games ended up being more interesting specifically due to this ambition. Because, say it with me: A Dragon Never Yields.
After Dual Destinies gave Phoenix such a perfect book-ended tale of rescuing both Apollo and Athena, it feels difficult to imagine a way where he would be able to get story relevance again in the series. Yet he IS the main mascot of the series, the appeal and key protagonist (yes, even in Apollo Justice). So how do we allow this relatively-concluded character to still play an important part in this conclusion to the second protagonist’s story, without just making it feel as if we’re treading on old ground? Simple: Focus on everything around Phoenix, instead of he himself. Thus the defining trait of this entry, Khura'in, becomes the focus of Phoenix's own cases, which gives Apollo and Athenas cases a distinct feel of their own whilst allowing them room to breathe and grow as characters. While I know Khura'in as a whole as a mixed reception with fans, it as a concept is a genius solution to so many things at once. Beyond mostly resolving the Phoenix issues up above, and giving AA6 its own distinct flair in the series, it gives the game a new perspective on the dark age of law theme that AA4 and AA5 established, showing us just what can happen when trust and humanity are forgotten in the law world: The outcome that AA4 very well could have led to, if it weren't for Phoenix's and Miles' efforts. I get that some find Khura'in's intensely aggressive anti-lawyer stance a bit ridiculous: executing all lawyers who align with criminals and all that, but given the traumatic origin of this law I can't help but draw parallels to some very real incidents and their outcome in real world countries. Its over-the-top in typical Ace Attorney fashion of course but I find it really thematically interesting and fitting for a trilogy exploring what happens when the law world fails to be trusted by the people. Its fitting for a law about punishing those who defend possible criminals to be tied to a land with heavy faith, where sin is actually thought of and reviled.
This thematic relevance of Khura'in extends to its main characters, who I almost all adore. People like Ahlbi, Rayfa, Inga and Datz are just plain fun to watch and be with, but then you have characters like Nahyuta, immensely layered with meaning and parallels to our main characters. Just like how Khura'in shows a world where the people completely gave up trust for the law, Nahyuta directly contrasts Apollo as someone who never learned the good nature of being a lawyer, of defending those you trust in. Apollo in AA4 defended weird, shady people he himself didn't trust or like, and it gave him a jaded outlook of his profession that he eventually snapped out of with the case of Clay's death in AA5. Nahyuta, just like his country, never had this revelation, staying loyal to his profession purely out of obligation, out of false hope that what he's doing might one day be leading to something good. His personality also contrasts Apollo really nicely, despite lacking personal attachment to the cases he takes on he's always calm, collected, and very respectful of all the details pertaining to the case. Whenever he snaps during a trial, it's not because he's angry that his argument's been dismantled: it's because he feels genuinely insulted that the defense disrespects the will of the dead to rest in peace. For Khura'in's anti-Lawyer stance seemingly being a gimmick, they weave it into its culture in a really natural way in that sense: Lawyers are seen as disrespectful of the dead by actively trying to twist the truth of their death, refusing to simply let the dead rest. This is why I LOVE Case 4, despite it often being derided as just filler: Its a case where, for once, we actually get to see a truly flawed defense of a client take place, and where Nahyuta and Khura'in's beliefs almost seem understandable for a moment.
I could genuinely go on for two paragraphs more than I just did on Nahyuta with Dhurke. This is the second time I'm trying to write this review, because my first got erased by Twitter acting up, and in that first one I genuinely could not shut up about Dhurke. He's an amazing character in the same way Nahyuta is: He parallels a main cast member, Phoenix, and shows just how different things could have gone had different things been prioritized in Phoenix's life. He's a great person, fighting for what he believes in with unwavering conviction, but in doing so faltered in caring for the new generation, his children: He felt it was his responsibility to save the world for his kids, rather than the other way, making sure his kids would be ready to take on the new world. Phoenix, however, after his defeat in AA4, reached out: He raised Trucy, played behind the scenes to rebuild the law world together with those around him, including seeking out Apollo and Athena to further reach that goal. Dhurke's flaws of being a determined good-hearted man failing in the sense of remembering the importance of our youth, makes him a super cool parallel to Inga, the tyrant of Khura'in who loves his daughter all the same. These kinds of analysies, contrasts, and connections to the themes of the game can be drawn everywhere, and its one thing I think all three games in this trilogy really excel at.
But cool theming and nice character depth can only get your game so far, yeah? Like I just said, I think AA4 nails its themes and meaning, yet I also think its by far the least fun game in the series to actually play. (Go read my AA4 review to find out why, I promise I like the game). Thankfully, I find Spirit of Justice to possibly be the most consistent quality game in the series: the only game where I would, honestly, say that EVERY case is a banger, both in terms of being fun to read but also in terms of being fun to solve. Sure, other games in the series have had far higher peaks than this game: The second halves of both Dual Destinies and Great Ace Attorney 2 are some of the best visual novel content I will probably ever experience, yet they're simply not able to contend with how constantly good and, most importantly, varied Spirit of Justice is. Thanks to the Khura'in setting and three lawyers in play at once, as well as the sheer amount of important characters present in the game, every case feels distinctly its own and goes to extreme lengths to fulfill the most of their potential. In a way it's like an Ace Attorney Greatest Hits album: An intro case that sets up so many mysteries in your head, a case that's very successful in being funny and unbelievable at every turn, a case that subverts everything you thought you knew about how an Ace Attorney case plays out, a case that's like a puzzle box of different interlinking mechanisms at play…these traits are shared with several golden cases in the series before, yet it doesn't at all feel derivative or redundant (except one moment in Case 5: You know exactly what I mean if you've played it, and it's the one part of the story I REALLY wish had been rewritten.)
But let's take a step back. This game at its core, as alluded to at the start, had to answer some very important questions, in order to truly allow the series to rest comfortably at its ending. -Where does Apollo Justice's character arc go and, finally, end, and
-How do we put a capstone on this entire saga of the Dark Age of the Law, after said age was unofficially ended in Dual Destinies? What message do we end the series with?
The game, in my eyes, delivers answers to those questions in the most satisfying way possible: After his Dual Destinies growth, Apollo now only defends people he genuinely cares and empathises with: be they friends like Trucy, complete strangers like Armie, or a mix of both like Dhurke. Unlike Athena, not knowing his client beforehand no longer stops him: He's learned the power and meaning of a mutual trust in your client, regardless of who they are. His newfound faith in others finally lets him take charge with newfound confidence and surpass Phoenix in a way we as players always knew was possible, but that he was just never able to do before due to his mentorship under Kristoph, and the looming distrust under the Dark Age of Law. Basically, he's someone who's risen above the effects of an age of distrust, and has become a more whole person than even Phoenix because of it.
The game, and series, ends on this note: That by not only banding together to solve the problems of the current day, but also ensuring that the next generation is given the help, care, mentorship and understanding that they need, the world will become a better place. If you ignore one, then the other will haunt you. It's a beautiful way to end the trilogy all about the new generation, passing the torch on in wonderful fashion, and putting a bookend on the Dark Age of Law once and for all.
And I have small gripes with how all this is presented, of course. The Case 5 story detailed I mentioned: Phoenix being blackmailed again, instead of them committing to a true moment of having the torch passed to Apollo. There's also the matter of Ga'ran, who for being the "final boss" of the game and arguably trilogy as a whole might not be as deep of a character as she maybe should be, especially compared to Nahyuta and Dhurke. (I still think she works really well as just an intimidatingly authoritative figure to take down). If I really wanted to, I'm sure I could go picking like a fine-toothed comb through Spirit of Justice and find small things to bitch about, yet I'll probably also find half a dozen more things to appreciate. Have you ever noticed, for instance, that every returning character in Spirit of Justice is finally living more or less completely happily, chasing the dreams they've always wanted? Trucy, Maya, Ema, Blackquill, Phoenix…through finding and sticking to the passion of their goals, they're happier than they've ever been, contrasting beautifully with Nahyuta's sorrowful compliance with doing his occupation solely because he believes he's right– okay, I'll shut up about him now, despite those above minor flaws and more…the ambition, consistency in quality, variety, theming and just, overall tons of emotional pathos packed into Spirit of Justice, make it tie very closely at the top of the series' best games for me.
And all of this Ace Attorney goodness, wrapped up in an extremely Takeshi Yamazaki-paced and designed game and story, with all the good and bad that entails. Every case, yes even 6-4, has meaning, has weight that mounts up and builds to the insane finale. Things are foreshadowed at every moment, even in the most subtle ways (Dual Destinies' Case 2 foreshadowing of its biggest twist still haunts me). The game also feels very cohesive to itself and the rest of the series, never directly spoiling things from the previous games but still making damn well sure existing fans are aware this is a continuation. Okay, so the Divination Seances aren't always the most fun, and for as much as I didn't care at all about Forensics in AA4 it and the Psyche-Lockes are painfully underused in this game. Like I've said before, Yamazaki's main weakness is his inconsistency in making fun-to-use mechanics. And that's what I've really grown to love with Ace Attorney: Despite just being ten games of pointing, clicking, reading and solving, their directions allow them to be so good in so many different ways. This isn't like Kirby where I'll gladly say every game in the series is good, but a lot of them are good in similar ways: Every Ace Attorney game is great, and each one can be someone's favorite for its very specific strengths and appeal. Do you love artsy, subversive, meaningful games where maybe the feeling you have while playing them shouldn't always be satisfaction and empowerment? Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney might be for you! Do you love seeing things built up for you over an immense span of time be resolved in the most satisfying manner imaginable? The Great Ace Attorney 2 is like made for you! Do you love a story that can pull the rug under you at the last minute, despite subtly foreshadowing said rug-pull throughout the game's runtime? Justice for All - the one most fans consider the weakest of the original trilogy, is actually my favorite of those three games specifically because of that!
Or did you read this entire, enormous review, and loved thinking about just how well put together a package Spirit of Justice is, not for its high peaks but for its pitch-perfect consistency, for how well it pays respect to the past whilst celebrating a new future ahead? Then yeah, this game may just be a contender. It sure is for me.
[Play Time: 48 Hours]
[Key Word: Ceremony]
[Note: DLC not played]
Playing Dual Destinies hot off of the heels of The Great Ace Attorney Adventures, and about a year after beating and feeling mixed on Apollo Justice, was one of the most interesting experiences I've had with a game considering its context. But: Surprise! I really like this one.
[Very vague, non-specific spoilers mostly. Should be safe to read.]
As AA fans are aware, this game was the point when a new team took over Shu Takumi's darling mainline series. Takumi was occupied with Ghost Trick, vsLayton and later Great Ace Attorney, and the Apollo Justice team had kind of just dissolved: so, the team behind the spinoff series Ace Attorney Investigations had to take the reigns of the main series. Essentially, this marked the first time that two different teams were making "core" Ace Attorney games: The Investigations team now making this game, led by Takeshi Yamazaki, and Takumi's team releasing The Great Ace Attorney just two years later. The reason I want to give this context is because I find the contrast between these games to be fascinating, that despite being fundamentally "the same kind of game" they had such different directions as to lead to two wholly different experiences for wholly different players.
Looking at Takumi's games and history in interviews, its clear to me that he values The Puzzle above all else (he IS a magician in training, fun fact!). The feeling of working things out in your head, drawing conclusions wholly on your own and submitting your answer to see the game react in amazement at your ability. Ghost Trick and the existence of Herlock Sholmes in general make this the most apparent, but in my eyes "The Puzzle" is only a piece of what makes Ace Attorney what it is, and it is only thanks to Takumi's direction that it has become a focus in his games.
All this build-up is just to say this: Yes, Dual Destinies easily has the least interesting gameplay in the series. Yes, it will often make it plainly obvious what the solution to a puzzle is, moments before its time to submit the answer. BUT: I believe this is because Yamazaki's priorities were elsewhere in production. In my eyes, Dual Destinies focuses far more on its own narrative, mysteries and character drama than it does puzzle-solving, detective sleuthing and experimenting with game mechanics. This in my eyes is neither "better" nor "worse": Its just the result of a CHANGE in direction. But it IS a change that's to my preference.
For instance: There's no Soseki Natsume-type case here that, as Takumi loves to do, exists SOLELY to be a fun puzzle to unravel. Instead every case feels as if it has more of a point to it narratively, having them all fit together well thematically. Characters return, dynamics are explored, themes reinforced in interesting ways and generally I rarely got the sense that--story-wise-- my time was being wasted with any of the cases I was playing. This was an issue I felt plagued AA3, despite its attempt to be dramatic and conclusive.
Its mainly because of this new direction that I feel Case 2 in this game is the worst one: It seems intentionally set up like a "puzzle-box" mystery typical of the most devious puzzles in AA1-3, yet as I've explained that kind of focus is not want Dual Destinies typically wants to have.
Because of the baggage that both Apollo Justice and Capcom high-ups gave the team, Dual Destinies' story was almost destined to be one that attempted a lot of things, yet I don't think I could have predicted that it'd pull those things and more off...surprisingly well. I know the whole "Dark Age of the law" setting has been derided by a lot of fans, but what I found especially commendable with this direction was that they used it as a tool to go in and clean up a lot of things that...Apollo Justice just kind of handwaved away. Like...if Phoenix was disbarred and shunned away from the law world for seven years, how was he able to set up all that he does to take down Kristoph in the end of Apollo Justice, including the debut of the wholly untested Jury system? Why was Phoenix so casually doing extremely shady things both in the development of this system and while in court in Case 1? And, of course: Why was a supposedly story about Apollo becoming the new face of Justice instead written to secretly be about Phoenix being this mastermind?
By retroactively framing Apollo Justice as ALSO taking place during this Dark Age, suddenly things begin to click: Apollo defending nothing but criminals in that game becomes more than a neat coincidence, and Case 3 in that game suddenly becomes more about showing that corruption. The grimy world of Apollo Justice aside, I find all the cases in Dual Destinies in some subtle way show how the perception of the law has changed (which is a big part as to why Case 3 is my favorite in the game). The world itself hasn't changed: People's perception of it has. Culprits commit crimes not because they're in a position of power to where they're able to get away with it (AA1) or because they seek revenge (AA2), but simply because they now feel its the easiest way to solve their situation: because the current law system will not catch or punish them. Kristoph in AA4 is an excellent, shining example of this, going to lunatic lengths to commit a crime because he knows that a law world run the way it is in this age will never catch him.
Dual Destinies shows a world where people see little benefit in being truthful because their "champions of truth":
-Used fake evidence in a murder trial
-Defended nothing but criminals
-Would rather want attention as a rockstar than as a lawyer
-Was convicted of murder
That's a really cool yet understated part of Dual Destinies: Almost every character, new or old, are hiding away the truth or their true selves, not because they have done anything, but because they are afraid of what will happen once that truth is revealed. They're scared of what honesty will do to themselves, their relationships, and their careers, and instead keep it to themselves. Because to them, what happened to Phoenix, their guiding light in an unjust world, seven years ago, was the truth about him coming out, and as soon as it did his career and public perception of the law plummeted. This feeds into Blackquill's backstory as well and how he willingly turned himself in as a murderer, rather than having him be exposed: The moment these guardians of the law world come clean about their honest nature, the world came crumbling down, thus a world of secrecy and distrust was seen as the only way to live.
In terms of playable characters, I feel like the 3DS Home Menu diorama best showcases the game's direction: With Phoenix's story now told (and told again) with AA1-4, and Apollo having been introduced, its his and Athena's story now being told with Phoenix as mentor and motivation. Apollo and Athena are shown fighting in court, with Phoenix at home in the office. This is even reflected in the ending cutscene of the game, with Apollo and Athena being the ones celebrating as Phoenix just watches and smiles. The Dual Destinies the title is referring to is the two young lawyers overcoming their inner doubts and no longer hiding from the truth, no matter how scary it may sound, thanks to the help of their mentor, channeling Mia's positive mentorship.
I've heard people (mainly Athena fans) say the game feels crowded because of the trio-setup, but I find everyone gets a very comfortable slot in to tell the cohesive story. Phoenix is a passive figure as the plot delves into Athena's life alongside Apollo's inner turmoil. Given that AA4 didnt really...establish much of any goal for Apollo beyond meaningless family relations, this game works as a springboard for him, with a character moment so perfectly executed and befitting of him that he shot to the top of character popularity polls after launch. Following AA4 up with another game just starring Phoenix and Apollo and..."exploring" those family relations could've been a safe and easy direction to go in, yet Yamazaki's team committed to an ambitious idea of two kinds of character growth: DUAL DESTINIES, so to speak.
This is why I don’t mind Apollo’s “new backstory” in this game being so brief and, in a sense, discardable. Because the point of the backstory is to drive his actions and growth as a character: Not to give him a goal to pursue. You aren't meant to sympathize with him on a personal, "I-knew-how-good-of-a-guy-your-friend-was" level, because you're just observing the mental effects its having on Apollo, and trying to help him from the perspective of two people who really don't know the pain he's going through. Its what starts his internal turmoil and it does that well.
And putting a bow atop of it all is presentation that feels almost a cut above Ace Attorneys typical stellar pedigree: The composer of AA3 paired with the sound director of AA4 leads to whats pretty easily my favorite sound in the series, narrowly beating Great Ace Attorney purely by the element of variety. One of my biggest issues with AA4 was just how...dislikable a lot of the interacting cast was (again, is retroactively made more interesting with the Dark Age framing), and Dual Destinies remedies this with some absolute top-of-the-line new favorites (Simon + Case 3 my beloved) All the characters animate beautifully, and I admire the restrictions the team placed on themselves regardless: Characters like Filch and Fulbright will still snap to animations to retain the snappy timing of the original games, something I felt The Great Ace Attorney was comparatively lacking in due to reliance of "natural" motion-capture.
But then we come back to that point, that interesting contrast in direction: The Great Ace Attorney’s character models have far more detail and a whole new sense of fluidity, giving it more of a sophisticated feel, wheras Dual Destinies’ more simple designs and harsh cuts lend themselves to a different vibe altogether. The game’s anime cutscenes are a great example of this. The simpler designs lend themselves nicely to the occasional shift, and it does wonders to help drive the story. TGAA gets half as much cutscene runtime and accomplishes precious little with it, mostly just feeling jarring and out of place; Again, different direction.
So let's summarize: A fantastic story that retroactively makes the Ace Attorney game I have the most issues with click better and established three Top-5 favorite characters, paired with the best soundtrack in the series and a really nice visual direction for the mainline AA series. And crucially, while as I explained before the game fumbles in puzzle design, it NEVER shows its hand too early. This is my distinction between “the puzzle” mentioned earlier and "the mystery”, and the mystery is always excellently paced out across each case whilst driving a good story to boot. The points at which the game nudges you toward what to pick aren’t several steps before said event occurs, but rather often right after a major new unveiling has happened within the story. THIS is why the handholdy design doesn’t bother me.
Neither Takumi or Yamazaki had an easy task on their hands. Takumi had to introduce and build a whole new world, knowing full well it and its new characters, story and games would likely always live in the shadow of what would occur in the mainline series. Yamazaki, on the other hand, had to tie together the tangled web that Apollo Justice established, and carry the torch of the mainline series forward with a wholly new team with a distinct new flavor for the series, whilst also making an impactful game in its own right for both new fans and old. The results of both efforts are ones that, in a way falter where the other succeeds. Dual Destinies just so happened to land on the side of the pond that I happen to vibe just a bit more with, with all due respect paid to Takumi’s equally impressive effort.
I feel its best summarized with this: TGAA’s new mechanics like the Jury and Herlock Deductions lead to deviously clever puzzles and fun character interaction. AA5’s Percieve/Mood Matrix are very lacking in substance, yet are both used to pull some of the series’ best storybeats with incredibly satisfying ludonarrative harmony. And just the fact that Dual Destinies even HAS those abilities, on top of it all, to me speaks volumes on how passionate the team was to honor and respect the old, push forward with the new, and give it their all.
*[Playtime: 35 hours]
[Key Word: Admirable]*
(This is one of my favorite games to discuss in general, and you'll probably see me in the replies to a good few reviews of the game here, because there are a lot of things people view as flaws with the game that I just flat-out disagree with.)
[Very vague, non-specific spoilers mostly. Should be safe to read.]
As AA fans are aware, this game was the point when a new team took over Shu Takumi's darling mainline series. Takumi was occupied with Ghost Trick, vsLayton and later Great Ace Attorney, and the Apollo Justice team had kind of just dissolved: so, the team behind the spinoff series Ace Attorney Investigations had to take the reigns of the main series. Essentially, this marked the first time that two different teams were making "core" Ace Attorney games: The Investigations team now making this game, led by Takeshi Yamazaki, and Takumi's team releasing The Great Ace Attorney just two years later. The reason I want to give this context is because I find the contrast between these games to be fascinating, that despite being fundamentally "the same kind of game" they had such different directions as to lead to two wholly different experiences for wholly different players.
Looking at Takumi's games and history in interviews, its clear to me that he values The Puzzle above all else (he IS a magician in training, fun fact!). The feeling of working things out in your head, drawing conclusions wholly on your own and submitting your answer to see the game react in amazement at your ability. Ghost Trick and the existence of Herlock Sholmes in general make this the most apparent, but in my eyes "The Puzzle" is only a piece of what makes Ace Attorney what it is, and it is only thanks to Takumi's direction that it has become a focus in his games.
All this build-up is just to say this: Yes, Dual Destinies easily has the least interesting gameplay in the series. Yes, it will often make it plainly obvious what the solution to a puzzle is, moments before its time to submit the answer. BUT: I believe this is because Yamazaki's priorities were elsewhere in production. In my eyes, Dual Destinies focuses far more on its own narrative, mysteries and character drama than it does puzzle-solving, detective sleuthing and experimenting with game mechanics. This in my eyes is neither "better" nor "worse": Its just the result of a CHANGE in direction. But it IS a change that's to my preference.
For instance: There's no Soseki Natsume-type case here that, as Takumi loves to do, exists SOLELY to be a fun puzzle to unravel. Instead every case feels as if it has more of a point to it narratively, having them all fit together well thematically. Characters return, dynamics are explored, themes reinforced in interesting ways and generally I rarely got the sense that--story-wise-- my time was being wasted with any of the cases I was playing. This was an issue I felt plagued AA3, despite its attempt to be dramatic and conclusive.
Its mainly because of this new direction that I feel Case 2 in this game is the worst one: It seems intentionally set up like a "puzzle-box" mystery typical of the most devious puzzles in AA1-3, yet as I've explained that kind of focus is not want Dual Destinies typically wants to have.
Because of the baggage that both Apollo Justice and Capcom high-ups gave the team, Dual Destinies' story was almost destined to be one that attempted a lot of things, yet I don't think I could have predicted that it'd pull those things and more off...surprisingly well. I know the whole "Dark Age of the law" setting has been derided by a lot of fans, but what I found especially commendable with this direction was that they used it as a tool to go in and clean up a lot of things that...Apollo Justice just kind of handwaved away. Like...if Phoenix was disbarred and shunned away from the law world for seven years, how was he able to set up all that he does to take down Kristoph in the end of Apollo Justice, including the debut of the wholly untested Jury system? Why was Phoenix so casually doing extremely shady things both in the development of this system and while in court in Case 1? And, of course: Why was a supposedly story about Apollo becoming the new face of Justice instead written to secretly be about Phoenix being this mastermind?
By retroactively framing Apollo Justice as ALSO taking place during this Dark Age, suddenly things begin to click: Apollo defending nothing but criminals in that game becomes more than a neat coincidence, and Case 3 in that game suddenly becomes more about showing that corruption. The grimy world of Apollo Justice aside, I find all the cases in Dual Destinies in some subtle way show how the perception of the law has changed (which is a big part as to why Case 3 is my favorite in the game). The world itself hasn't changed: People's perception of it has. Culprits commit crimes not because they're in a position of power to where they're able to get away with it (AA1) or because they seek revenge (AA2), but simply because they now feel its the easiest way to solve their situation: because the current law system will not catch or punish them. Kristoph in AA4 is an excellent, shining example of this, going to lunatic lengths to commit a crime because he knows that a law world run the way it is in this age will never catch him.
Dual Destinies shows a world where people see little benefit in being truthful because their "champions of truth":
-Used fake evidence in a murder trial
-Defended nothing but criminals
-Would rather want attention as a rockstar than as a lawyer
-Was convicted of murder
That's a really cool yet understated part of Dual Destinies: Almost every character, new or old, are hiding away the truth or their true selves, not because they have done anything, but because they are afraid of what will happen once that truth is revealed. They're scared of what honesty will do to themselves, their relationships, and their careers, and instead keep it to themselves. Because to them, what happened to Phoenix, their guiding light in an unjust world, seven years ago, was the truth about him coming out, and as soon as it did his career and public perception of the law plummeted. This feeds into Blackquill's backstory as well and how he willingly turned himself in as a murderer, rather than having him be exposed: The moment these guardians of the law world come clean about their honest nature, the world came crumbling down, thus a world of secrecy and distrust was seen as the only way to live.
In terms of playable characters, I feel like the 3DS Home Menu diorama best showcases the game's direction: With Phoenix's story now told (and told again) with AA1-4, and Apollo having been introduced, its his and Athena's story now being told with Phoenix as mentor and motivation. Apollo and Athena are shown fighting in court, with Phoenix at home in the office. This is even reflected in the ending cutscene of the game, with Apollo and Athena being the ones celebrating as Phoenix just watches and smiles. The Dual Destinies the title is referring to is the two young lawyers overcoming their inner doubts and no longer hiding from the truth, no matter how scary it may sound, thanks to the help of their mentor, channeling Mia's positive mentorship.
I've heard people (mainly Athena fans) say the game feels crowded because of the trio-setup, but I find everyone gets a very comfortable slot in to tell the cohesive story. Phoenix is a passive figure as the plot delves into Athena's life alongside Apollo's inner turmoil. Given that AA4 didnt really...establish much of any goal for Apollo beyond meaningless family relations, this game works as a springboard for him, with a character moment so perfectly executed and befitting of him that he shot to the top of character popularity polls after launch. Following AA4 up with another game just starring Phoenix and Apollo and..."exploring" those family relations could've been a safe and easy direction to go in, yet Yamazaki's team committed to an ambitious idea of two kinds of character growth: DUAL DESTINIES, so to speak.
This is why I don’t mind Apollo’s “new backstory” in this game being so brief and, in a sense, discardable. Because the point of the backstory is to drive his actions and growth as a character: Not to give him a goal to pursue. You aren't meant to sympathize with him on a personal, "I-knew-how-good-of-a-guy-your-friend-was" level, because you're just observing the mental effects its having on Apollo, and trying to help him from the perspective of two people who really don't know the pain he's going through. Its what starts his internal turmoil and it does that well.
And putting a bow atop of it all is presentation that feels almost a cut above Ace Attorneys typical stellar pedigree: The composer of AA3 paired with the sound director of AA4 leads to whats pretty easily my favorite sound in the series, narrowly beating Great Ace Attorney purely by the element of variety. One of my biggest issues with AA4 was just how...dislikable a lot of the interacting cast was (again, is retroactively made more interesting with the Dark Age framing), and Dual Destinies remedies this with some absolute top-of-the-line new favorites (Simon + Case 3 my beloved) All the characters animate beautifully, and I admire the restrictions the team placed on themselves regardless: Characters like Filch and Fulbright will still snap to animations to retain the snappy timing of the original games, something I felt The Great Ace Attorney was comparatively lacking in due to reliance of "natural" motion-capture.
But then we come back to that point, that interesting contrast in direction: The Great Ace Attorney’s character models have far more detail and a whole new sense of fluidity, giving it more of a sophisticated feel, wheras Dual Destinies’ more simple designs and harsh cuts lend themselves to a different vibe altogether. The game’s anime cutscenes are a great example of this. The simpler designs lend themselves nicely to the occasional shift, and it does wonders to help drive the story. TGAA gets half as much cutscene runtime and accomplishes precious little with it, mostly just feeling jarring and out of place; Again, different direction.
So let's summarize: A fantastic story that retroactively makes the Ace Attorney game I have the most issues with click better and established three Top-5 favorite characters, paired with the best soundtrack in the series and a really nice visual direction for the mainline AA series. And crucially, while as I explained before the game fumbles in puzzle design, it NEVER shows its hand too early. This is my distinction between “the puzzle” mentioned earlier and "the mystery”, and the mystery is always excellently paced out across each case whilst driving a good story to boot. The points at which the game nudges you toward what to pick aren’t several steps before said event occurs, but rather often right after a major new unveiling has happened within the story. THIS is why the handholdy design doesn’t bother me.
Neither Takumi or Yamazaki had an easy task on their hands. Takumi had to introduce and build a whole new world, knowing full well it and its new characters, story and games would likely always live in the shadow of what would occur in the mainline series. Yamazaki, on the other hand, had to tie together the tangled web that Apollo Justice established, and carry the torch of the mainline series forward with a wholly new team with a distinct new flavor for the series, whilst also making an impactful game in its own right for both new fans and old. The results of both efforts are ones that, in a way falter where the other succeeds. Dual Destinies just so happened to land on the side of the pond that I happen to vibe just a bit more with, with all due respect paid to Takumi’s equally impressive effort.
I feel its best summarized with this: TGAA’s new mechanics like the Jury and Herlock Deductions lead to deviously clever puzzles and fun character interaction. AA5’s Percieve/Mood Matrix are very lacking in substance, yet are both used to pull some of the series’ best storybeats with incredibly satisfying ludonarrative harmony. And just the fact that Dual Destinies even HAS those abilities, on top of it all, to me speaks volumes on how passionate the team was to honor and respect the old, push forward with the new, and give it their all.
*[Playtime: 35 hours]
[Key Word: Admirable]*
(This is one of my favorite games to discuss in general, and you'll probably see me in the replies to a good few reviews of the game here, because there are a lot of things people view as flaws with the game that I just flat-out disagree with.)
So, here we are. Having written my Dual Destinies review (one of my favorites I've written, still) and almost being finished with Spirit of Justice, I feel its about time I toss my hat into the ring regarding AA4, possibly the most discussed Ace Attorney game of them all. There's a lot to unpack with AA4, and a lot of different ways to unpack it.
After AA1/2/3 wrapped up as a pretty much perfect, concluded trilogy, the 4th game had to be one to really break some sort of new ground, to not just seem as if the franchise was being stretched thin. And to outsiders looking in, be assured: They did far more than just give us a new protagonist. You meet Phoenix only to find out that he's completely changed, the perception of what makes a good defense lawyer has changed, your relation to the prosecution has changed, the story being told and, indeed, the very world of the game has shifted wholly. Its a remarkably ambitious game: One that, rather than just telling another story of a new character's growth like the old trilogy did, chose to readjust the lens of the series to focus far more on the law world at large, whilst subverting player expectations along the way.
I'll drop the dramatics and be blunt: In terms of ambition, ideas and themes, AA4 ranks as possibly my favorite game in the series. But as the finished game we got, I consider it the least enjoyable game in the series I've played.
Yet I can't even be sure if that's a bad thing. Because with so many of the issues I take with the game, there's a fascinating viewpoint that changes it into an interesting positive that also fits right in with the game's general direction of...well, misdirection, and subversion. Simply put, its an artsy game. For example, I noted halfway through my playthrough that the game's repertoire of characters are all mostly annoying, mean, or hard to work with, which leads to me as a player feeling miffed. Yet at the same time, Apollo is living in a new age of distrust and darkness in the legal world. He's living in an age where few feel like they can trust in others anymore, because people like Kristoph who desire results far above truth or fairness rule the justice system: The idea of "evidence" is so easily manipulated, that anyone can escape justice. Thus, Apollo's unable to have his perfect storybook journey of growth and support like Phoenix had because the world around him has changed to be hostile. So, is it really right of me to complain about the game doing what it sets out to do exceptionally well?
On the topic of Apollo himself, its very interesting that he himself is such a passive and static figure throughout most of the game, which underwhelmed me at first. But like I said: This isn't a character-driven story like the Trilogy, so is Apollo's lack of focus a BAD thing? Is the game trying to subvert what came before, rather than running with the tried-and-true optimistic hero's journey, a bad thing? Its a lot of these dilemmas I run into when thinking about the game, and its the reason why I respect it so highly despite the actual process of playing it being a lot more middling than the rest of the series in my eyes.
With all that being said, for as much intent as the game may otherwise have, it IS still Ace Attorney and comes with all the pros and cons of that. The animation is gorgeous, music is stellar, most of the overall mysteries are still pretty fun to unravel, and the whole gameplay of untangling testimonies is as fun as ever. The great fundamentals are still here and keep it enjoyable to play to a degree, and you can even sort of tell a new director is at the helm with this project.
Mitsuru Endo, previously a game designer first and foremost on games like Breath of Fire and Sengoku Basara, really rubs off his love for new gameplay systems and quirks in this game. Like usual for the series though, these systems end up being a mixed bag. Investigating evidence can be pretty fun and is a natural fit for the series, and Percieving is a cool and distinct power, iconic to Apollo. Yet then you have stuff like Ema's Forensics minigames, which feel really out of place and are uninteresting to engage with. There's no puzzle to them, just a good ol' DS touchscreen game. You get the feeling a lot of these things, and the systems exclusive to the third and fourth case, were added as a novelty, as fun toys for the player to engage with rather than being anything substantial...yet at the same time, as a game themed around magic tricks, isn't that heightened interactivity also part of the point?
In terms of writing and general direction, the main thing I think Takumi's games (those being the Ace Attorney Trilogy and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles) are worse at than his peers' is linking cases together to form a cohesive whole. Takumi excels in writing amazing and deviously clever singular cases, but in all his games its as if he can't resist including one or two bonus cases solely for how cool their mysteries are, rather than thinking of how their inclusion will affect the pacing of the game in its totality. Samurai, Big Top, Masked, Recipe, a lot of the individual mysteries in Ghost Trick, Speckled Band, Clouded Kokoro, the first two cases entirely in The Great Ace Attorney 2...don't get me wrong, I think his works are almost universally fantastic, but at times they can feel disjointed to progress through due to his unashamed love of "filler".
Under Endo's directing, meanwhile, it does feel like effort was placed on giving all cases purpose, reigning in Takumi's style of writing just enough to get the best of both worlds. All cases have substantial meaning, yet are able to be as zany and clever as Takumi always loves to write them. Beyond being a crazy case of solving several crimes at once, 4-2 serves to highlight how much Phoenix has changed and how Trucy helps him. 4-3 features a murder that takes place during a series of live stage performances, asking you to rewatch its footage to catch specific details related to witness testimony. At the same time, it also has a great focus on Klavier as a character, and the corrupt police-force that's been able to thrive in this new age, asking questions on if the law is always just in what it stands for. Yet that being said, we run back to the original issue of fun: Despite its cool themes and depth, 4-3 remains the worst case in any Ace Attorney game to actually play, both because of poor gameplay pacing, but also because the writing doesn't feel fleshed out enough to properly convey its brilliant ideas.
The lack of Psyche-Lockes as well honestly destroys the fun of investigating, and the pacing across all three cases featuring investigations is honestly dreadful. The only substitute present for the lack of Psyche-Lockes is the aforementioned mind-numbing forensics minigames, which do little to help things. Now, I noted in my Dual Destinies review that that game also had underwhelming gameplay, but it to me was salvaged by still having a rock solid, well-paced story pace where things were always happening. The game lacks Psyche-Lockes (for most of it) as well but makes up for it with a steadier stream of discoveries, more interesting 3D crime scene investigations, and so on. Due to AA4s insistence on finding meaning in the mundane, it ends up far less fun to play.
So, its a really tough call. I don't think AA5 or 6 are as ambitious or nuanced in what they want to convey as AA4, yet but they make up for it by having more engaging story events and better pacing across the board, leading to a more enjoyable experience for me. They're stories that are told in a tighter and more fun way than AA4, yet it feels wrong to label the game as "the worst Ace Attorney!!" because, again, it tries so hard and has such a unique flair as by far the most artistic game in the series.
Had this been the final Ace Attorney as originally intended, it would've been an impactful note to end on. But I am glad we did get more games in the series, and it led to great things. The murky law world of AA4 begins to heal across the events of AA5, and AA6 gives you an insight into just how badly it could have escalated, emphasizing a theme of preparing the new generation to solve the issues that are inevitably going to occur through the old generation's stubbornness and evil. Apollo finally becomes a character with agency and goals, Trucy's relationship to the Gramarye's is given a sweet bookend, we get to see how Edgeworth and Klavier handle the growingly unjust law world, Ema is, there, and Phoenix takes on the mentor role he was destined to do.
What I'm saying is: I'm really happy with how AA4, 5 and 6 turned out as a trilogy, even though it makes AA4's ambition stick out in hindsight, and now just exists as "that one weird game" rather than "the crazy rug-pull finale of the series". Despite my grievances with it, I do still love AA4, and I'm glad its resonated with so many people. But its overambition alongside its stumbles, from pretty shallow gameplay additions to bad pacing, keep me from loving it wholesale and having it click entirely. Simply put, a lot of its "but its like this way on purpose"-isms just don't land with me the way they do in games like Suda51's work. Yet it remains Ace Attorney at its core, and the simple fact that they even tried in a series otherwise aiming for as much mass appeal as this one, is worth so much respect.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is forever going to be a standout game in the series, and for me that's both for better and for worse. Basically, I'm just glad it exists, even if its not for me.
[Play Time: 35 Hours]
[Key Word: Overzealous]
After AA1/2/3 wrapped up as a pretty much perfect, concluded trilogy, the 4th game had to be one to really break some sort of new ground, to not just seem as if the franchise was being stretched thin. And to outsiders looking in, be assured: They did far more than just give us a new protagonist. You meet Phoenix only to find out that he's completely changed, the perception of what makes a good defense lawyer has changed, your relation to the prosecution has changed, the story being told and, indeed, the very world of the game has shifted wholly. Its a remarkably ambitious game: One that, rather than just telling another story of a new character's growth like the old trilogy did, chose to readjust the lens of the series to focus far more on the law world at large, whilst subverting player expectations along the way.
I'll drop the dramatics and be blunt: In terms of ambition, ideas and themes, AA4 ranks as possibly my favorite game in the series. But as the finished game we got, I consider it the least enjoyable game in the series I've played.
Yet I can't even be sure if that's a bad thing. Because with so many of the issues I take with the game, there's a fascinating viewpoint that changes it into an interesting positive that also fits right in with the game's general direction of...well, misdirection, and subversion. Simply put, its an artsy game. For example, I noted halfway through my playthrough that the game's repertoire of characters are all mostly annoying, mean, or hard to work with, which leads to me as a player feeling miffed. Yet at the same time, Apollo is living in a new age of distrust and darkness in the legal world. He's living in an age where few feel like they can trust in others anymore, because people like Kristoph who desire results far above truth or fairness rule the justice system: The idea of "evidence" is so easily manipulated, that anyone can escape justice. Thus, Apollo's unable to have his perfect storybook journey of growth and support like Phoenix had because the world around him has changed to be hostile. So, is it really right of me to complain about the game doing what it sets out to do exceptionally well?
On the topic of Apollo himself, its very interesting that he himself is such a passive and static figure throughout most of the game, which underwhelmed me at first. But like I said: This isn't a character-driven story like the Trilogy, so is Apollo's lack of focus a BAD thing? Is the game trying to subvert what came before, rather than running with the tried-and-true optimistic hero's journey, a bad thing? Its a lot of these dilemmas I run into when thinking about the game, and its the reason why I respect it so highly despite the actual process of playing it being a lot more middling than the rest of the series in my eyes.
With all that being said, for as much intent as the game may otherwise have, it IS still Ace Attorney and comes with all the pros and cons of that. The animation is gorgeous, music is stellar, most of the overall mysteries are still pretty fun to unravel, and the whole gameplay of untangling testimonies is as fun as ever. The great fundamentals are still here and keep it enjoyable to play to a degree, and you can even sort of tell a new director is at the helm with this project.
Mitsuru Endo, previously a game designer first and foremost on games like Breath of Fire and Sengoku Basara, really rubs off his love for new gameplay systems and quirks in this game. Like usual for the series though, these systems end up being a mixed bag. Investigating evidence can be pretty fun and is a natural fit for the series, and Percieving is a cool and distinct power, iconic to Apollo. Yet then you have stuff like Ema's Forensics minigames, which feel really out of place and are uninteresting to engage with. There's no puzzle to them, just a good ol' DS touchscreen game. You get the feeling a lot of these things, and the systems exclusive to the third and fourth case, were added as a novelty, as fun toys for the player to engage with rather than being anything substantial...yet at the same time, as a game themed around magic tricks, isn't that heightened interactivity also part of the point?
In terms of writing and general direction, the main thing I think Takumi's games (those being the Ace Attorney Trilogy and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles) are worse at than his peers' is linking cases together to form a cohesive whole. Takumi excels in writing amazing and deviously clever singular cases, but in all his games its as if he can't resist including one or two bonus cases solely for how cool their mysteries are, rather than thinking of how their inclusion will affect the pacing of the game in its totality. Samurai, Big Top, Masked, Recipe, a lot of the individual mysteries in Ghost Trick, Speckled Band, Clouded Kokoro, the first two cases entirely in The Great Ace Attorney 2...don't get me wrong, I think his works are almost universally fantastic, but at times they can feel disjointed to progress through due to his unashamed love of "filler".
Under Endo's directing, meanwhile, it does feel like effort was placed on giving all cases purpose, reigning in Takumi's style of writing just enough to get the best of both worlds. All cases have substantial meaning, yet are able to be as zany and clever as Takumi always loves to write them. Beyond being a crazy case of solving several crimes at once, 4-2 serves to highlight how much Phoenix has changed and how Trucy helps him. 4-3 features a murder that takes place during a series of live stage performances, asking you to rewatch its footage to catch specific details related to witness testimony. At the same time, it also has a great focus on Klavier as a character, and the corrupt police-force that's been able to thrive in this new age, asking questions on if the law is always just in what it stands for. Yet that being said, we run back to the original issue of fun: Despite its cool themes and depth, 4-3 remains the worst case in any Ace Attorney game to actually play, both because of poor gameplay pacing, but also because the writing doesn't feel fleshed out enough to properly convey its brilliant ideas.
The lack of Psyche-Lockes as well honestly destroys the fun of investigating, and the pacing across all three cases featuring investigations is honestly dreadful. The only substitute present for the lack of Psyche-Lockes is the aforementioned mind-numbing forensics minigames, which do little to help things. Now, I noted in my Dual Destinies review that that game also had underwhelming gameplay, but it to me was salvaged by still having a rock solid, well-paced story pace where things were always happening. The game lacks Psyche-Lockes (for most of it) as well but makes up for it with a steadier stream of discoveries, more interesting 3D crime scene investigations, and so on. Due to AA4s insistence on finding meaning in the mundane, it ends up far less fun to play.
So, its a really tough call. I don't think AA5 or 6 are as ambitious or nuanced in what they want to convey as AA4, yet but they make up for it by having more engaging story events and better pacing across the board, leading to a more enjoyable experience for me. They're stories that are told in a tighter and more fun way than AA4, yet it feels wrong to label the game as "the worst Ace Attorney!!" because, again, it tries so hard and has such a unique flair as by far the most artistic game in the series.
Had this been the final Ace Attorney as originally intended, it would've been an impactful note to end on. But I am glad we did get more games in the series, and it led to great things. The murky law world of AA4 begins to heal across the events of AA5, and AA6 gives you an insight into just how badly it could have escalated, emphasizing a theme of preparing the new generation to solve the issues that are inevitably going to occur through the old generation's stubbornness and evil. Apollo finally becomes a character with agency and goals, Trucy's relationship to the Gramarye's is given a sweet bookend, we get to see how Edgeworth and Klavier handle the growingly unjust law world, Ema is, there, and Phoenix takes on the mentor role he was destined to do.
What I'm saying is: I'm really happy with how AA4, 5 and 6 turned out as a trilogy, even though it makes AA4's ambition stick out in hindsight, and now just exists as "that one weird game" rather than "the crazy rug-pull finale of the series". Despite my grievances with it, I do still love AA4, and I'm glad its resonated with so many people. But its overambition alongside its stumbles, from pretty shallow gameplay additions to bad pacing, keep me from loving it wholesale and having it click entirely. Simply put, a lot of its "but its like this way on purpose"-isms just don't land with me the way they do in games like Suda51's work. Yet it remains Ace Attorney at its core, and the simple fact that they even tried in a series otherwise aiming for as much mass appeal as this one, is worth so much respect.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is forever going to be a standout game in the series, and for me that's both for better and for worse. Basically, I'm just glad it exists, even if its not for me.
[Play Time: 35 Hours]
[Key Word: Overzealous]