Overall 8.9 Graphics 9.8 Sound 8.8 Addictive 7.8 Story 9 Depth 6.8 Difficulty 7.8
8.8
Einspruch! juuldude
Hold it! What does einspruch mean?
It's German for 'objection'!
Maybe now that I've said hold it and objection you may know which game series I'm talking about: The Phoenix Wright series, where bluffing and last-minute evidences are your power! This review is about Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. This game takes place about 7 years since Phoenix had his last trial... wait, last trial? What's going on?
Basically, the game comes with a big new set of characters and a few returning ones from the original trilogy. Oh, and why is the title of this review einspruch? Simply because I played the game in German, because I couldn't find a working English rom. Luckily my German is good enough to understand it and things I didn't understand I googled afterwards, but the fact that I played it in German doesn't mean that I experienced the game in a different way. I’ve also played Trials and Tribulations so in case you’re wondering ‘How does he know this, he only played this game right?’.
Stories: 8
Like I said in the intro, this game takes place 7 years after Phoenix Wright, famous defense attorney, had his last trial. From then on, Phoenix became a piano player, although he has a doublelife as a poker champ, and he has never been beat since he started.
The game starts with the first trial of our protagonist and newbie defense attorney Apollo Justice. Apollo is quite nervous but he has a trusty mentor on his side: Kristoph Gavin, at this moment known as one of the best defense attorneys. It turns out that the defendant of the first case is a friend of Kristoph who is being suspected of murdering a poker opponent, so Kristoph will help you through the trial and you have to win at all costs. Then the defendant comes in, and it turns out that it's Phoenix Wright! Phoenix doesn't say much
about what happened but he tries to cheer up Apollo though.
And that's how our first case starts. We immediately get to see two other old friends as well, the ever-present judge and prosecuting rookie killer Winston Payne. They may have aged, but their personalities haven't. Throughout the game, we will meet more old characters like Ema Sky for example, the sister of Lana Skye (an old defendant from Phoenix) who has become a police investigator now. As for the new important characters, we get Trucy Wright, an up and coming magician and adopted daughter from Phoenix and Klavier Gavin (known as Kantilen in German), the younger brother of Kristoph and not only leader of a rockband but also a well known prosecutor and of course the usual new victims, defendants and witnesses.
The game has 4 cases. While they are all very good, the fourth one is so weird and complicated that it takes the top spot, although case 1 is very interesting because of its returning characters and case 3 is about a murder that occured when the rockband of Klavier, the Gavinners, was performing, while case 2 is your usual case with some new characters but that's it. The stories of each case are really difficult and strange at first, but they are really smart. At first it may look like you have nothing to begin with, but one picture can turn the whole case around. What makes the cases better though is to hear some backstory, like MINOR SPOILER ALERT [spoiler]how the fourth case could have to do something with the first case[/spoiler] and when vague things get cleared up later in the game. Even though it’s not really part of the story (although it adds to the fun and depth of the story), I think the only thing that's a bit lacking is that I like investigating with Phoenix more than Apollo, because Apollo has less character build than Phoenix, although many people said he is more interesting in Dual
Destinies (the sequel). Some things are still a bit vague afterwards too, although sometimes that's done on purpose.
Graphics: 10
The Phoenix trilogy was originally a set of three GBA games, so for GBA games they looked pretty good but on the DS the quality was a little bit low. This game however, comes with some great new and bright character and background sprites. Phoenix looks new, some characters have amazing tiny details, backgrounds get more and more realistic. In the prologue of the first case a part is shown like it’s a canvas drawing, which is impressive. The third case has an animation video that is also very good looking. There are also times where you help Ema to investigate objects and look for fingerprints and shoeprints. The old characters still have their old sprites though, so the judge for example will look like he hasn’t aged a bit, Winston Payne however wears a yellow suit this time and has weird hair which he will swing if he’s confident, which is a nice addition I think. The courtrooms also got a new design, making the wood look better and the judge his place also looks very impressive.
There is a moment in the fourth case however when you play a case from the past and you will get to see the old sprites from Phoenix and the old courtroom back, which is pretty cool. Klavier will also be there although he has a different design (especially his hair is different) so
you will get a little bit of a mix-up, so unlike most of the game you get old backgrounds with new characters (instead of the other way around). This is one of the best looking Nintendo DS games I can think of and I think they have tried everything to make the game look as good as possible and that paid off, I don’t think they could have made it look better.
Sound: 9
It is known that the Nintendo DS has some really good music in many games and it’s the same with this game. If you know some tunes from the trilogy, you may know that many themes had a mix of 8-bit sounds and some other sounds, giving the music a strange but interesting vibe. Apollo changed that however, coming with music with all kinds of sounds and instruments. Klavier Gavin has his own electric guitar theme called Guilty Love for example and the theme that plays before the trial begins has some piano in it.
I think this decision fits the game well although I think that the tracks got less catchy, they fit the atmosphere better however. There are also many moments where the game has some of the old sounds, like the kind of ‘swish’ sound when a character is shocked or yells. And don’t
forget the characters yelling ‘Ojection!’. I listened at Youtube how the English characters sound like compared to the German version, and I think that the differences are small. Apollo sounds pretty good in both games, in German he sounds younger but in English he sounds more confident and it also fits with him doing his ‘chords of steel training’, Klavier sounds better in German to me and Kristoph as well, they sound fluent and compared to how they sound in other languages they really have the most different voices, Kristoph is very calm and
Klavier is really confident. Phoenix however, sounds way different than in English, like he’s more yelling for attention and his voice totally doesn’t fit him, so I prefer his English voice. And Winston? Well, just like in any language you can’t take him seriously :P
Depth: 7
In my opinion the weakest point in the series overall is the depth. While the cases itself take really long (prepare for cases that will take more than three hours of your hands and brains) there isn’t anything besides the cases, no kind of post-game or unlockable stuff like artwork or a musicbox. This is very disappointing, I would love to see more effort to put extra stuff in. The game is also very linear so unlike many other games where you can completely focus on something else before doing something else this game holds your hand the whole time it seems.
Is 4 or 5 cases a good amount for the game? Yes. The games may be short, the cases are not. You will have to talk a lot and look for evidence everywhere so it will definitely take a long time to find everything, not to mention you have to think a long time before presenting
evidence as well in court. But because the games are so linear you might get stuck because you have to present your badge to Ema or look in a garbage can or something weird like that, which has impact on the flow of the game. The parts where the depth is at its best is when you press witnesses during trials as they will make funny jokes and sometimes they will mention new things, like telling about a poker pack and how the cards resemble the year or something similar. When investigating things on your own Apollo and Trucy also say random stuff all the time and that’s how you can find out small things about your characters.
Addictiveness: 8
Without over the top characters and weird cases, I think this game would be less popular. The most addictive thing for me is searching for contradictions, as they cause turnabouts to happen and the best part of doing this is seeing the breakdowns from characters, where they
will do things like choking themselves, screaming, laughing maniacially or moving their hair super fast. The characters add a lot to the addictiveness, because although some characters are pretty weird, you can recognize certain traits and think ‘Hey, my friend does that!’ for example. What also is really interesting is that there are a lot of references if you’re keen. Popular shows, movies, books, so many
stuff is referenced! They also add a bit to the depth although some are not as clear as others.
Whether you like it or not, investigating is also part of the game and it’s the most boring part in the game, it also feels more like you’re a police investigator or detective. You have to talk, look for evidence and do some small kind of mini-games now and then but these parts take very long and often you can be clueless what you haven’t done yet. You also have to check literally everything, otherwise you might miss a small brooch on the ground or something like that. However, in the courtroom you may be surprised how much you point out with maybe three papers as all your evidence that you have gathered, so it’s somewhat addicting to look for evidence though.
Difficulty: 8
Shu Takumi, the main director from the original trilogy, wanted to make the games easy enough for non-gamers like his mother to play (proof: [url]http://www.capcom-unity.com/zeroobjections/blog/2014/10/31/ace-attorney-trilogy---surprising-tidbits-you-never-knew).[/url]
This makes it sound like this game as well might be ridiculously easy, but that is not the case. In the beginning of the case, other people or Apollo will mention things like ‘Wait, that sounds strange.’, so they will give you a hint or something like that. Later on in the game, you have to press characters more and more for stranger facts, or you have to examine your evidence to find out some facts that you will need to point out contradictions. But most of the time, the characters will tell you a little or you will have strange thoughts about certain parts of the testimony.
Another part for this game which is new is Apollo his ‘perceiving ability’, which allows him to look at a witness from really nearby to see if they have a kind of nervous tic. When characters have a testimony that has no contradictions they will show their nervous tics when they say certain things. In the beginning they will be pointed out or they’re pretty obvious. Later on, you’ll get some more difficult ones, although the most difficult maybe take two minutes to find.
So to wrap it up, the difficulty is just right I think. It could have been more difficult, but then the games should have been longer. That brings me to the end of my review! Maybe I’ll review other games in the series later and I’m thinking about playing the sequel as well now that I’ve played this game. I hope you enjoyed my review and maybe learnt something from it and until my next review, TAKE THAT!
Graphics 10 Sound 9 Addictive 8 Story 8 Depth 7 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 04-24-15
Review Replies: 22
8.5
A New Turnabout Itachi9695
First off, I would like to apologize for being late with this review, school and other things have kept me going around in circles, nonetheless, let's actually get on with the review! Greetings ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the Ace Attorney Marathon! Today, we'll be looking at the next game in the Ace Attorney franchise, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. What's interesting to note about this game is that Phoenix Wright isn't the main character. There's a new attorney on the scene named Apollo Justice, a young, newbie attorney trying his best to help his clients. This game has been received with very mixed reception among fans, with some loving the game and the character, and others absolutely despising both. What do I think? Well, let's jump in and find out. This is my review of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.
Graphics
The graphics in this game are really good and definitely a step up from the original trilogy. There are a few more frames per animation which can make for some pretty awesome scenes and breakdowns. The investigation areas in this game also look very detailed, but just a little more so than the previous games, which is actually a good thing because, in my opinion, if they were to add any more detail, the scenes would become cluttered and just a giant mess overall. The courtroom also looks somewhat different, sporting a darker wood than the previous games'. I honestly can't tell which courtroom setting I prefer, but both work just as well. Again, great graphics, but how does the rest of the game do?
Sound
The soundtrack in this game is pretty good. There are several tunes in it that I can remember like Apollo's Objection theme, the Pursuit theme, and of course, Klavier Gavin's theme. (The prosecutors in this series get awesome theme songs!) However, I can't say the same for the soundtrack as a whole. Sure, a lot of the songs are pretty good, but not very many are very memorable to me. I would end up forgetting some of the songs mere minutes after hearing them. The sound quality is really good, though. Seeing as how this game was made specifically for the DS and not originally for the GBA like the previous games, there was definitely a great improvement in terms of instruments and sound quality in general. To sum it up, great sound quality, o.k. soundtrack.
Addictiveness
I haven't picked up this game again since I've beaten it. I honestly don't find much to back to in this game. If you were to go back to this game, I personally think it would be for either the first or last case, but I'll discuss that more in the Story section of this review. Like the previous games, the story is going to be what brings you back if you go back at all.
Story
Well, let's get this started! Just like my previous Ace Attorney reviews, I'll be giving you the beginning of each case and telling you what important characters, if any, are introduced in those cases. In the first case, your client is...Phoenix Wright?! Yeah, so apparently, Mr. Wright has gotten himself into some trouble since the previous game. He's also no longer an attorney, hence the new main character. Anyway, Phoenix has gotten himself accused of murdering a man named Shadi Smith, who will become important later on in the game. Guided by your boss, Kristoph Gavin, it's your job to defend this ex-lawyer and find the real culprit. Now in order to explain the next cases, I'm going to need to give away a minor spoiler from this case. It is the first case however, and it's rather easy, so I don't feel like I'm giving too much away here. You eventually find out that it was indeed Kristoph Gavin who murdered Mr. Smith and Phoenix Wright invites you to work at his place, seeing as your boss is now in jail. In the second case, you're defending the son of a gangster leader name Wocky Kitaki who has been accused of murdering his family's doctor, Pal Meraktis. In this case, we meet several important characters. First off, the new detective Ema Skye. (Yes the same girl from the first game's extra case) We also meet Phoenix Wright's, adopted, daughter Trucy Wright, who absolutely loves magic and is apparently a really good young magician. The last character we meet in this case is the new prosecutor, Klavier Gavin, who is a member of a rock band and Kristoph's younger brother. In the third case, you defend a young boy named Machi Tobaye, the assistant of the only character introduced in this case that's important at all, Lamiroir, a musician with a very mysterious past. Machi has been accused of murdering Lamiroir's manager and could also potentially be in a lot of trouble with his home country for something you'll find out about by playing through the rest of the case. The fourth and final case (Yes, they went back to four cases) has you defending a young girl name Vera Misham who has been accused of murdering her father. No one really important is introduced in this case, but I will say that the ending is quite good. In this case, there's also a flashback case where you take control of Phoenix Wright and learn how he lost his attorney's badge. The overall story is okay, but not too memorable in my opinion. My biggest problem, though, is that Apollo just seemed like a new version of Phoenix Wright to me. Nothing about him was too drastically different from Phoenix in the first 3 games. I just wish there was a little more character development for him.
Depth
There is a lot to do in this game. From the investigations to the courtroom, you won't be getting bored anytime soon in the game. There's as much to do here as there was in previous games. The investigation scenes have tons of stuff to look at and the dialogue can be pretty interesting at times. There are a lot of characters, but to be honest, I don't remember nearly as many of them as I did from the previous games.
Gameplay
The gameplay remains largely the same as the previous games, but this time, there are a few more features due to this game being built specifically for the DS. You can investigate certain items on a 3D plane, use fingerprint dust, and the newest feature, Apollo's bracelet. It allows him to tell when people have an unusual habit, in other words: when they're lying. When you get to a part in a witness's testimony that you think the could lying about, simply activate the bracelet and look around for an unusual habit at certain phrases. Once spotted, Apollo can then use this against the witness and turn the case around. Again, the gameplay is mostly the same, just with a few tweaks for the sake of the DS.
Overall, I don't find this game to be bad, but I also don't find it to be as good as previous games. In fact, I would argue that this has the weakest story and characters out of all the games in the series. However, the new gameplay elements bump my score for this game up a little bit. With a decent soundtrack, decent story, and new gameplay elements, I give this game an 8.5 out of 10. Join me next time as we look at an entirely new game in the franchise, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Until then, Peace out!
Graphics 9 Sound 8 Addictive 7 Story 8 Depth 8 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 5/5
Submitted: 03-01-14
Review Replies: 0
9
“Mysteries behind an Attorney’s Loss” sonicthehedgeho..
The law...something that is nurtured like a fruit stemming from a tree, which we then pass on into our daily lives and sooner or later it’s something that we have to face at least once in our lifetime. People always assume that by having knowledge of this phrase that the law will continue to be the same, becoming completely unshakeable...but the sad fact comes to life in this game. The law isn’t absolute at all as it’s something that’s always changing...intelligent people notice this loophole trying to make use of it to their best advantage, this brings up one of the worst crimes to take place in legal society one thing that tarnishes both the trust in a system and in professions “Falsified Evidence”. Our very well received attorney Phoenix has had to face this challenge for 7 long years, as a normal citizen now but what truths will we uncover in this game that’s something you the viewers in this gallery will have to see and make the choice on your own, *Sonic57 Pops up* It’s your choice loyal viewers but make sure you take a look at everything.....judge this case wisely and make sure you judge it well!
Graphics: 10 out of 10
Now if you viewers wouldn't mind looking at the court records then you shall see that I talked about in my earlier review of Rise from the Ashes from the first game in this magnificent series, in which you had the ability to examine evidence at different angles to find more definitive evidence laying in solitude (whether it be a bloodstain or concealed secret). You may think well it doesn’t seem like much has changed in this game compared to the other ones? Tsk tsk tsk sorry Herr Readers but that idea is kaput as this game offers literally more than meets the average eye, while Phoenix may be able to see the locks surrounding ones heart our mature boy in red has a few tricks up his sleeves as well since his bracelet allows him to see the nervous habits of witnesses up close and in great detail. There’s can also be seen more improvements in the games scenery whether it be in the backgrounds like the courtroom which looks more polish and refined, or the actual characters themselves for example in case 3 you get to see a video of the main prosecutor in this game performing his concert showing the faces of the fellow band members up close. My final example for how the how well the graphics are for this game and it’s system is certain parts of the ending where whenever characters get done talking at the epilogue a photocard of them falls onto a desk in front of you, I must say I can’t disagree with how pleased I was when I first saw this as it looked very unique and beautiful...Either way I’d say the game definitely lives up and might even surpass most DS games graphic standards so I’ll give this section a 10 out of 10.
Sound: 8 out of 10
While this games music may not live up to some of the most memorable games on this handheld I’d still say that it does lives up nicely to this series very well especially considering how well it lives up to this games rich and dark story which I’ll go into more detail later on. Now while it may not be my favorite music out of the entire DS stock of music it’s still very worth knowing that this specific game in Capcom’s series of the thrilling Attorney series is actually the reason I became interested in this series because of how nice and powerful the themes sounded and I’ll go over what songs I personally find to be my favorite and quite possibly many others favorites as well. First off we’ll start with the theme that generally comes to mind when people think about Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice or any of the other games hence this theme being the Objection theme, also if you thought the first three themes catchy and would be very nostalgic long after playing the game then you’ll definitely strap on your headphones, put the volume up, and relax while you take on these diverse and extraordinary cases. Secondly I’ll talk about the newest prosecutors theme called Guilty Love (or Love Love Guilty as it is known in most PAL other countries outside of North America) which I think sounds amazing for just a normal persons theme with its guitar/rock style mixed with a little bit of symphony as it relaxes about 30 seconds into the song and shows that he’s not as bad as he may seem at a first glance. Lastly I’d like to talk about the Prison/Solitary Confinement theme found in this game (not to be confused with the detention center theme as they are completely different) This song...is very mysterious because you’d think that this theme would be even more depressing compared to the Detention Centers but it actually is very calming for some strange reason? I can’t even grasp why it has such a great feeling behind it that is of course unless you don’t account for the person lying behind the bars of this steel cell door. Either way this music had to have been either my favorite out of the series for the DS or very close it’s hard for me to say, but either. I know as the defense I shouldn't’t bore you with such a long section so I’ll end it off....*readers walk away* HOLD IT! I was going to tell you that the dialogue in terms of sayings haven’t changed much in this game so I didn’t feel the need to bring it up *Grabs Readers* GOTCHA! If you’d be kind enough to stay though, I’ll finish the section which leaves me to give the sound an 8 out of 10.
Addictiveness: 9 out of 10
Alright now you may wonder since I liked the music so much in this game that this might be either my favorite or close to it, well the latter choice would be correct (since I still enjoy the first Phoenix Wright more so than this game). This game does come very close though because the story in this game is just as amazing as when this series was just kicked off and rocking once it was introduced to those of us in North America, alongside the fact that each case is very interesting in its own way the best way I can describe it is like this: Case 1 would have to be described as nostalgic as if you have played the previous Phoenix Wright trilogy in the series then you’ll definitely enjoy this case as once again our well known defense attorney has been accused of murder and it’s your turn to defend him once more! Case 3 would be best described as interesting since it shows the true nature behind a prosecutors as well as a defense attorney’s goal in court which is to find the honest truth behind a murder which can be seen when our prosecutor questions one of his own band members of his supposed innocence which is something that you wouldn't’t expect of them to do making the case interesting on how it will progress. Finally Case 4: There’s no other way to put it this case is SHOCKING! I can’t even really explain that much if you have the chance watch this game and pay close attention to this case because it just may blow your socks off (and if you’re not wearing any well it was so great that it blew them off without you even knowing it haha) Another thing I find addictive about this game is the fact that like I said in the graphics department, Apollo has the ability to see the nervous habits of a person giving testimony inside or outside of the court and the screen while turn a negative effect type style and you’ll hear a kind of heartbeat sound, which means whenever his bracelet gets tighter onto his wrist he knows that person is lying or hiding a secret. This gives the game a nice deal of depth and creativity presenting something new by searching for nervous habits: pulsing veins, putting your hand to the back of your neck, exedra. The only reason I gave this a 9 out of 10 is because the game only has 4 cases (this also happened in Justice For All) so it won’t be as long as the previous entry into the storyline but all in all it’s still highly addictive so the score I stated above is pretty fair in my opinion.
Story: 10 out of 10
If you weren’t sold into the idea of playing this game so far then the storyline will surely attract you to at least giving this game a chance... since it has probably the most unique story out of all the Ace Attorney games released on the DS. As you can tell from my intro Phoenix Wright is not the same cheerful self he was 7 years before because of how corrupt the law has become in these dark times and it only seemed like the beginning however; our new protagonist Apollo Justice will see with his keen observation of detail that Justice will be served especially when he has greatly admired Mr. Wright and trusted in his beliefs so much that Justice wanted to become a defense attorney...and it’s even more so important with this trial as the so proclaimed hero Phoenix has been put onto the defendants bench once again. Of course Apollo knows that he must be innocent although; why does Phoenix seem to be really sketchy on his explanations, also what’s up with the new prosecutors disdain towards Phoenix? Only time will tell and there’s only more darkness to be found hidden throughout the depths of this games cartridge, it sets up the perfect tone for a game trying to start off fresh alongside making us question our suspicions many times over so be prepared for this story as it will keep a hold of your attention like the bracelet that grips onto our heroine’s wrist. Considering everything it’d be fair to give this game a solid 10 out of 10 for the story.
Depth: 7 out of 10
Sadly like I said once already this game is one case short of the normal tree stem in a metaphorical sense so you will most likely be able to breeze through this game faster than the previous game including the games that follow afterwards. One thing I really need to explain because it’s something that many people are confused about and that’s which entry comes into the games series chronologically Apollo Justice or Miles Edgeworth Investigations especially seeing as how this game came out first. There’s a very simple answer for this *grabs evidence* if you would kindly take a look at these two games you’ll notice yes this game was released two years before Edgeworth’s game *slams desk* It also takes place 7 years after Phoenix’s final case which we learn more about in the game, *points finger* another piece of evidence is that in the investigations game you can clearly still see him in his attorney’s outfit meaning the case hasn’t occurred yet. I hope this clears some problems up anyway that went WAY off track; this game does have nice aspects included inside with the new features I mentioned and also returning ones when you play as a certain character in a segment of a case. Although I feel they could’ve had a little more to offer with this 4th addition into the series it’s still worth a try if you think about buying or trying it out leaving me to give this game a 7 out of 10 for depth.
Difficulty: 7 out of 10?
This is probably the easiest section to describe for the category that this game falls under, as it’s more so a game about logic and detection rather than blunt force and reaction times. Meaning that this game can either be hard or easy depending on who plays this game, if you can spot something wrong with a sentence or wording in normal day life easily then you’ll probably have an easier time with the game, on the other hand however; if you can’t keep evidence/testimony straight in your mind you could have a more so difficult time progressing through this game. Since there is no real set difficulty for this game not everyone’s score on this section will be exactly the same, although it is correct to say that this game doesn’t really suffer from any errors in this department so I can’t help but leave this section as it is by giving the level of difficulty a 7 out of 10.
As you reach the final turnabout you reluctantly continue onward with an icy chill covering your entire body when this mysterious alongside dangerous atmosphere enters the courtroom one final time. It’s time to bring it to an end in order to at least minimize the darkness of deceit filling in our court’s judicial system of law, but the only question is can we truly solve this case when nothing but evidence is really accepted in this worlds definition of justice? Of course it’s something we can do as long as we work together to bring it to its conclusion, don’t worry though because MY NAME’S SONIC57 (Erick Davis) AND I’M FINE!!!
(sonicthehedgehog57/Erick Davis Tm)
Graphics 10 Sound 8 Addictive 9 Story 10 Depth 7 Difficulty 7
Review Rating: 4.8/5
Submitted: 01-23-14
Updated: 02-08-14
Review Replies: 9
8.5
Herr Forehead: Ace Attorney Furret
I’m back once more with another Ace Attorney review! This time I’ll be looking at Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. It’s the 4th game in the franchise and is the first Ace Attorney game to get released only for the Nintendo DS back in 2007. The story takes place 7 years after the original trilogy and features a brand new main character, Apollo Justice. Like Phoenix in the original game, Apollo has just gotten his Attorney Badge and is about to start his first trial. Unlike Phoenix in the original game, this one wouldn’t be so easy. But I’ll get back to that later.
Enjoy!
Sound - 10/10This is a rating that will never change no matter what game of the franchise you throw at me. The music is fantastic and actually sounds a lot more clean thanks to the DS’ capabilities, with there being a lot more instruments included as well. Some shining examples of this are the Pursuit theme or the Prosecutor’s theme song. Other sound effects remain as funny as they have always been. Great job to the artists!
Graphics - 10/10The graphics take the same style as the original trilogy but with a lot more focus and way less visible pixels. Thanks to the higher limits of the DS you can even look through good looking security footage frame by frame or while it’s on loop. The characters you meet get more frames of animation so they look way more realistic and still evenly cartoony. Lastly I noticed that the color pallets used for this game look a lot less rough than they used to which is pleasing to the eye.
Depth - 5/10The game is easily the shortest up until this point, even shorter than Justice for All. It has the same amount of cases in 4, and while the first case of this game is by far the longest first case in the franchise, the others are all relatively short when compared to their counterparts. The second and third cases are also complete filler so it’s not even like there exists one big plotline for the whole game like in the original or in Trials and Tribulations.
Addictiveness - 7/10Being so short, there really isn’t much incentive to play it all over again so this game has the least amount of replayability of all of them. While you could realistically play through the entire original trilogy and view it as one big story, this game is its own separate thing with a new main character and almost no recurring characters.
Story - 10/10The story starts out like every other game, you get thrown right in court without a clue of what’s going on. This time you’re a rookie again though as you’re playing as Apollo Justice instead of the usual Phoenix Wright. Much like in the original game, you meet your mentor, Kristoph Gavin, who will oversee your first trial. And your defendant is …. a hobo. Yeah that’s right, you’re defending a guy who looks like he has been living on the streets for years. Not a good start. You’re once again up against “Rookie Killer” Winston Payne who looks as fabulous as ever. It isn’t until the trial starts that you find out that your hobo client … is really Phoenix Wright. The guy you used to play has. What on earth happened to him, and why is he being accused of murder? You’ll find those answers as you progress through the game. And while half the game is technically filler and not related to the overarching plot, it’s still good filler with interesting crimes and some characters you’ll see again in future installments.
Difficulty - 9/10I’m rating this slightly lower than the trilogy as I found myself getting really frustrated at how needlessly difficult some parts can be. I vividly remember a witness testimony that was like 20 lines of text long, which is a pain to press and present on without getting penalized. Other times my logic would be spot on but I needed to present the picture of the car instead of the car itself, for example. I still highly enjoyed the game but it has more flaws when it comes to these kinds of things compared to the others.
Overall - 8.5/10The lowest score so far for an Ace Attorney game but it’s fair. It’s easily the most flawed game out of all of them. Personally I still enjoy it and it’s not my least favorite in the franchise, that honor goes to Justice for All. It has one of my favorite prosecutors and I personally really enjoy Apollo’s character (as can be seen through my profile picture and post layout :P). Though I will give sour points for also having my least favorite character of all, Spark Brushel the toothbrush man. God he was annoying.
Anyway, that’s it for this review! I’d love to hear any feedback you may have, positive or negative, as it will help me become better at writing these reviews.
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 7 Story 10 Depth 5 Difficulty 9
Review Rating: 3/5
Submitted: 01-10-19
Review Replies: 0
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