which I greatly enjoy, mainly because
Von Karma, a monster of a
prosecutor, doesn’t terrify me as
much as he does with all his scary
jagged parts smoothed out.
The same core cast of characters
appear throughout multiple cases, to
the point where it plays out like a
soap opera, their lives entangled with
the investigations. Expect juicy family
drama, childhood flashbacks, and
cruel betrayals.
As you make your way through
the climactic witness cross-
examinations, you need to listen to
their testimony and present evidence
that proves a contradiction, catching
them out on the stand. All the clues
you have collected during the first
stage comes into play at some point
during the trial. This is where the
main puzzle element of the game
comes in. Knowing your evidence,
the details of the case, and when to
present them to the court is how you
get to the truth of the mystery. There
you go, those are my top tips as a
seasoned defence attorney.ACES HIGH
The Ace Attorney series does have
some pitfalls when it comes to
presenting evidence. Some moments
where you have to prove a
contradiction can be pretty obscure,
and if you get it wrong your
courtroom health bar, prominently
displayed in the top right corner of
the screen, depletes with a small but
dramatic explosion.
Even having already playing
through these cases and knowing
who committed the crime, and
understanding roughly how the trial
would play out, there were moments
where I still couldn’t figure out
which evidence I needed to present
at a particular moment.
Luckily, the PC version has
multiple save slots, meaning you can
save and load to your heart’s content.
You can also dip in and out of the
different games in any order you
want, so if you’re stuck you can hop
into another one for a break.
Issues like these are few and far
between, though, and most of theEXPECT JUICY FAMILY DRAMA,
CHILDHOOD FLASHBACKS,
AND CRUEL BETRAYALStime the game’s puzzles are solvable
with some outside-the-box thinking.
But, of course, Edgeworth isn’t going
to just let you command the
courtroom as you please, and one of
the best feelings in the Ace Attorney
series, that continues through its
multiple spin-offs and sequels, is
going head-to-head with the
opposing prosecutor.
As the trial develops, events begin
to escalate and when you’re at the
core of the case is where the games
really shine. As one of the attorneys
hits a crucial bit of information, the
music will start to swell. Suddenly,
you’re being catapulted back and
forth across the courtroom as
Phoenix and Edgeworth rebut each
other’s points. There’s desk
slamming, finger pointing,
“Objection!” flying left and right. It’s
impossible not to get swept up in it.
There aren’t many games that are
filled with thrills and humour like the
Ace Attorney trilogy, and my replay
only proves for me that its sharp
humour hasn’t dulled at all over the
years. The melodrama and mysteries
are tied together with a flair that still
makes it a standout in the detective
and visual novel genres.EXTRA LIFE
NOW PLAYING I UPDATE I MOD SPOTLIGHT I HOW TO I DIARY I WHY I LOVE I REINSTALL (^) I M U S T P L A Y
Wendy Oldbag may be elderly
but she’s got plenty of sass.