chandler05
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4 reviews liked by chandler05
Before Your Eyes
2021
I've never cried so much at a game before or really in life. The eye detection started popping off like mad because of how hard I was crying just go play it already.
Cool trick! If you click this link, you can see right through your screen! Simply amazing!
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is an Ace Attorney mascot. It is trying so hard to be the most Ace Attorney thing it can be, but tramples over everything the series has existed as. At the very least it has the charm and enjoyment that Ace Attorney inherently has.
Dual Destinies is not good at all and it is a sad downturn to see the series take. Every single interesting development and future plot point alluded to in Apollo Justice is completely dropped and ignored. The game's main philosophy and "moral" completely contradicts what the series and specifically Apollo Justice stood for. For a series about how corrupt the legal system is and how people, specifically in the legal system, will abuse their status and power for their own benefit, it is unfortunate to see it take a "We need to help people learn to trust the legal system again!" stance.
Phoenix's character has completely reverted and the game just jumps right into him being an attorney again. Apollo Justice didn't have many "weird fanservice moments" and it feels like Dual Destinies is trying to make up for it by having Juniper swoon over Apollo and have the game remark weirdly often that he's extremely masculine. Apollo's character seems to have become whatever the game needs him to be. The complexity of Trucy's character is completely ignored and she's just some quirky girl that's an accessory to Phoenix.
This is the introduction to Athena and it would not be a stretch to say Dual Destinies seems like it should be her game, but ten minutes in when you are switched from playing as her to being Phoenix in the first case, you know it's not true. It is weird they even pushed her into the series since it seems like the writers do not like her. It never seems like they like women very much, but Athena always seems so trampled over.
Simon is interesting as an idea for a prosecutor, but, due to the core concept of him being in jail, you never get the "outside of courtroom" interactions with him like you would see with previous prosecutors in the series. It feels like there's not as much time to connect with him.
The twist villain is lame and offers nothing interesting at all. Justice for All's Farewell, My Turnabout was so wonderful that it seems to have rebound and Ace Attorney forgot why it worked. Farewell, My Turnabout worked so well since it understood and supported the themes and ideas of Justice for All. Also it had been subtlety built up to through game mechanics through each case. Apollo Justice's Turnabout Trump on a fundamental level did the same thing as Farewell, My Turnabout. Not only that but Turnabout Trump was a unique version of the Ace Attorney twist villain since it happened so fast but it still managed to build up strong expectations and shatter them. Dual Destinies has a twist villain since it thinks that is what will make it's story and mysteries good. It offers nothing to the plot at all. Well maybe that's being a bit harsh. Maybe the twist villain is trying to communicate the theme of "Nothings wrong with the legal system, all issues are actually being caused by some foreign spy and we're all in a quasi-cold war, it's us vs them."
The most charming, dumb fun case, The Monstrous Turnabout, is made vapid due to being weirdly homophobic. The Cosmic Turnabout was good but, everything it stands for, and everything it leads to, sucks. I guess the game at least has an interesting structure. The only positive takeaway from Dual Destinies is it really is a showcase at how strong the charm of Ace Attorney is.
Dual Destinies is as bad as it is since I love Ace Attorney. Dual Destinies is only good since I love Ace Attorney. If not for these facts I would call it a bland game. For an Ace Attorney game, it is extremely bland honestly.
Dual Destinies is not good at all and it is a sad downturn to see the series take. Every single interesting development and future plot point alluded to in Apollo Justice is completely dropped and ignored. The game's main philosophy and "moral" completely contradicts what the series and specifically Apollo Justice stood for. For a series about how corrupt the legal system is and how people, specifically in the legal system, will abuse their status and power for their own benefit, it is unfortunate to see it take a "We need to help people learn to trust the legal system again!" stance.
Phoenix's character has completely reverted and the game just jumps right into him being an attorney again. Apollo Justice didn't have many "weird fanservice moments" and it feels like Dual Destinies is trying to make up for it by having Juniper swoon over Apollo and have the game remark weirdly often that he's extremely masculine. Apollo's character seems to have become whatever the game needs him to be. The complexity of Trucy's character is completely ignored and she's just some quirky girl that's an accessory to Phoenix.
This is the introduction to Athena and it would not be a stretch to say Dual Destinies seems like it should be her game, but ten minutes in when you are switched from playing as her to being Phoenix in the first case, you know it's not true. It is weird they even pushed her into the series since it seems like the writers do not like her. It never seems like they like women very much, but Athena always seems so trampled over.
Simon is interesting as an idea for a prosecutor, but, due to the core concept of him being in jail, you never get the "outside of courtroom" interactions with him like you would see with previous prosecutors in the series. It feels like there's not as much time to connect with him.
The twist villain is lame and offers nothing interesting at all. Justice for All's Farewell, My Turnabout was so wonderful that it seems to have rebound and Ace Attorney forgot why it worked. Farewell, My Turnabout worked so well since it understood and supported the themes and ideas of Justice for All. Also it had been subtlety built up to through game mechanics through each case. Apollo Justice's Turnabout Trump on a fundamental level did the same thing as Farewell, My Turnabout. Not only that but Turnabout Trump was a unique version of the Ace Attorney twist villain since it happened so fast but it still managed to build up strong expectations and shatter them. Dual Destinies has a twist villain since it thinks that is what will make it's story and mysteries good. It offers nothing to the plot at all. Well maybe that's being a bit harsh. Maybe the twist villain is trying to communicate the theme of "Nothings wrong with the legal system, all issues are actually being caused by some foreign spy and we're all in a quasi-cold war, it's us vs them."
The most charming, dumb fun case, The Monstrous Turnabout, is made vapid due to being weirdly homophobic. The Cosmic Turnabout was good but, everything it stands for, and everything it leads to, sucks. I guess the game at least has an interesting structure. The only positive takeaway from Dual Destinies is it really is a showcase at how strong the charm of Ace Attorney is.
Dual Destinies is as bad as it is since I love Ace Attorney. Dual Destinies is only good since I love Ace Attorney. If not for these facts I would call it a bland game. For an Ace Attorney game, it is extremely bland honestly.
I debated between giving this a 3/5 and a 3.5/5. As a stand-alone, it would probably get the 3.5 but it’s hard not to compare it to previous entries in the series, and… definitely a downgrade.
Starting with the good, Athena and the Blackquill siblings are great. I enjoyed the new emotion-based minigame. Most of the cases are enjoyable. I might be the minority in this, but I liked the mix of playing as three different protagonists. There are also a number of quality of life improvements that started with this game, which later ports would also adopt.
Then, what I didn’t like as much.
- The soundtrack isn’t bad, but compared to other AA games I’d rank it lower (Disclaimer: haven’t played SOJ or TGAA). Only track that really stood out to me was “Difficult People”.
- Investigations are way watered down here, with not being able to examine anything but the crime scene, and often being “forced” along instead of figuring it out yourself.
- Not a fan of the 3D sprites at all, gives me a cheap mobile game vibe and the previously existing character’s designs get into Uncanny Valley territory.
- 5-2 is like watching paint dry, by far the dullest case in the series so far. Worse than Big Top.
- I recognize this is a totally unfair and imprecise criticism, but… the energy is off here! I don’t get the same feeling as when I play the 2D games.
- Some of the case-specific characters are too cartoon-ish. “But it’s Ace Attorney, isn’t that the point?” Previous games were better at balancing it, to the point where even characters with ~wacky~ designs could be relatable or sympathetic. Plus, in previous games, the weird factor often came from styling or speech patterns or quirks, not… literally looking like a statue. The new characters in DD other than Athena and the Blackquills are forgettable or hard to feel anything for because they’re so far removed from reality.
Lastly, something I’m neutral on but polarizes a lot of the fandom and should be noted:
- This game almost completely ignores the Apollo Justice (as in, the game). Beanix may as well have never existed, Phoenix is back to his trilogy design and personality.
Starting with the good, Athena and the Blackquill siblings are great. I enjoyed the new emotion-based minigame. Most of the cases are enjoyable. I might be the minority in this, but I liked the mix of playing as three different protagonists. There are also a number of quality of life improvements that started with this game, which later ports would also adopt.
Then, what I didn’t like as much.
- The soundtrack isn’t bad, but compared to other AA games I’d rank it lower (Disclaimer: haven’t played SOJ or TGAA). Only track that really stood out to me was “Difficult People”.
- Investigations are way watered down here, with not being able to examine anything but the crime scene, and often being “forced” along instead of figuring it out yourself.
- Not a fan of the 3D sprites at all, gives me a cheap mobile game vibe and the previously existing character’s designs get into Uncanny Valley territory.
- 5-2 is like watching paint dry, by far the dullest case in the series so far. Worse than Big Top.
- I recognize this is a totally unfair and imprecise criticism, but… the energy is off here! I don’t get the same feeling as when I play the 2D games.
- Some of the case-specific characters are too cartoon-ish. “But it’s Ace Attorney, isn’t that the point?” Previous games were better at balancing it, to the point where even characters with ~wacky~ designs could be relatable or sympathetic. Plus, in previous games, the weird factor often came from styling or speech patterns or quirks, not… literally looking like a statue. The new characters in DD other than Athena and the Blackquills are forgettable or hard to feel anything for because they’re so far removed from reality.
Lastly, something I’m neutral on but polarizes a lot of the fandom and should be noted:
- This game almost completely ignores the Apollo Justice (as in, the game). Beanix may as well have never existed, Phoenix is back to his trilogy design and personality.
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