AceAttorneyisthelatestinalineof
HD remasters of Capcom’s previously
console-only games. Prior to Ace
Attorney, hardly any visual novels
were officially localised, and even
now it’s still a niche that more
commonly brings to
mind dating games
over adventure. Ace
Attorney’s courtroom
setting and goofy
humour still set it
apart, both from visual
novels and games at
large. Trials range from
ridiculous to genuinely
suspenseful. Rather than just a
collection of selectable player
reactions, Phoenix Wright is one of
the few main characters in this type
of game who gets to freely express
himself. While he often seems
overwhelmed by the shenanigans
around him, he genuinely cares,
making me care in turn.
You learn everything you need to
know to become a winner in the
courtroom during your very first case.
Fresh from law school, defence
attorney Phoenix has promised to get
his best friend Larry Butz acquitted
of murder. Your clients are generallyhaplesspeoplelikehim,andinorder
to keep them out of jail, you have to
identify the true culprit and then – to
quote Wright – “put the pressure on
until they squeal”. First you listen to a
witness’s testimony, then pick it apart
statement by statement
during cross-
examination. You can
ask a witness to clarify
(“Hold it!”) or expose
inaccuracies and
straight-up lies by
presenting a piece of
contradicting evidence
(“Objection!”).
All evidence is handily collected in
the court record, which you can
access at any time. Presenting
evidence can be frustrating however,
because not only do you have to
present the right piece, it also has to
be presented at the right moment.
If a witness is elaborating on a
prior statement in their next
sentence, either seem like viable
moments to object, but the game will
only acknowledge the right sentence
to do so. Get it wrong, and you’ll be
penalised and lose part of a health
bar. The more that’s on the line, the
more health you stand to lose, butyoucansaveatanytimefromthe
optionsmenu.Diagnosis:MurDer
Starting with the second of 14
episodes, you also put your Sherlock
Holmes hat on and do some sleuthing
ahead of a court date. Looking for
clues out in the world is an unwieldy
process, as you have to move from
screen to screen in a certain order
and randomly click on just about
anything that could be of interest.
Sometimes you move about aimlessly
without knowing what to do next
until a person appears out of
nowhere or you’ve finished all
available conversations.
Trials soon turn into lengthy
affairs over multiple days, in which
dramatic revelations and new
evidence regularly provide interesting
twists and turns. Yet Ace Attorney
isn’t just a ‘case of the week’ serial- over time you come to know an
eclectic cast of main characters
whose backstories intertwine with
the seemingly unrelated cases you’re
trying to solve. Many episodes over
the course of the trilogy involve
Wright’s assistant Maya Fey, who
belongs to a family of spirit mediums
who often help with investigations
by, for example, channelling the dead.
Police detective and lovable village
idiot Dick Gumshoe is another
regular. Of course no trial would be
complete without prosecuting
attorneys, Wright’s opponents in
court. In the first game, this role is
filled by Miles Edgeworth, a
delightfully sour-faced fop who wears
actual cravats as part of his everyday
outfit. Edgeworth is my new
favourite character, because how
many men do you know, fictional or
otherwise, who can rock a magenta
suit and a tragic backstory?
Edgeworth provides a lot of the
overarching story’s backbone, as do
the Feys. Ace Attorney does put a lot
of stock in character development,
and watching Phoenix’s relationship
with his friends grow over time is
heart-warming. As much as these
NeedtoKNow
What is it?
A visual novel that
brings anime to the
courtroom
EXPECttOPaY
£30
DEvElOPEr
In-house
PublishEr
Capcom
rEviEWEDOn
Core i-5-8400, GTX
1060,16GBRAM
MultiPlaYEr
No
link
http://www.ace-attorney.comPhoenix has
promised to get
his best friend
acquitted of
murderB
efore I became familiar with Japanese media, I associated
courtroom dramas with the no-nonsense rulings of Judge
Judy or the uber-serious suspense of A Few Good Men.
Meanwhile, in Japan’s fictional courtrooms, the silly and the
dramatic is found in equal measure, making it a hugely popular
genre. This is especially true of Ace Attorney, which imbues its trials with
all the visual and stylistic trappings of an engaging anime serial.The WrighT STuff
ThePhoeNixwright:AceAttorNeytrilogy brings
one of the best visual novels to PC. By Malindy Hetfeld
courtroomemPire Try these next
ANime
Debate the anime’s
faithfulness with your
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Follow your favourites in
all-new cases with the
manga adaptation.StAgemuSicAl
Learn why everything is
better with women in this
all-female musical.live-ActioN Film
Enjoy the second-hand
embarrassment of people
wearing really bad wigs.PhoenixWright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
rEviEW