Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Preview

Now at first glance, this game might not seem entirely interesting. The main point of this game is to be a rookie defense lawyer and prove that your client is not guilty of the crime he or she is being charged for. But really, it should end up being a lot of fun simply because it makes you think and can really make you feel like you ARE one of those “lawyers” that people just love to hate! The game may essentially be driven by conversations with numerous NPCs, but that’s part of the game that will make you think! Now obviously if you don’t like thinking much in games, this probably isn’t for you. But for those that would like yet another “different” type of game that should be enjoyable for critical thinkers, Ace Attorney may be for you!

In Ace Attorney, you will take control of Phoenix Wright, a young man who is the newest local defense attorney! You happen to do your job under the guidance of Mia Fei and her law firm. During your play, you will take careful look at all different kinds of evidence as well as examining the testimonies of the various NPCs that you interact with. Then looking for any kinds of contradictions between the evidence and their testimonies, you will be driven to catch these evildoers in their own lies! Let’s just say you’re Judge Judy, only REALLY dumbed down.

In the demonstration that IGN had the honor of going through the game began with your learning of a woman that was killed. Now unlike most tv shows or movies that contain a murder mystery, this game actually shows you a small cutscene that actually REVEALS the real thug behind the vicious act! In the case of the demo, it was a shadowy looking man that goes by the name Mr. Sahwit. You are then introduced to Phoenix Wright who you discover has chosen to undertake the defense of his friend Larry Butz! So if you haven’t guessed it yet, you should realize that you actually KNOW who the real criminal is, you simply have to gather the evidence to prove that he or she is the guilty party!

As for how the game actually works with the DS. The top screen of the system will display the actual conversations you have with the various NPCs in the game. But how the conversations actually work between you and the witness in the courtroom is actually unique! Instead of their just being allowed to say everything they would want to at once not giving you a chance to respond to anything, it all appears in “chunks.” With each chunk, you are given the option of either “pressing” the particular witness or presenting contradictory evidence.

To help you guys better understand this, I will use IGN’s example to clarify just how this actually works. Just for the sake of the example, we’ll say the testimony is being delivered by a man named John Smith.

Mr. Smith: “The top screen of the DS is reserved for conversations and characters…Continue?”

That one statement right there would be considered a certain “chunk” of his testimony, and at the “continue?” prompt, you have the option of presenting contradictory evidence or pressing him. If you have nothing to present against a certain chunk, then you simply allow the testimony to continue. So let’s say you actually see something suspicious about that particular chunk of testimony.