Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Review

This is in effect why trials (especially the last two) are a fair good length of time. Sometimes brand new situations will arise from testimony and evidence in court, which will cause the trail to go on for days on hand. At times, things you never thought you would experience happen to pop up, which has the judge require both you and the prosecutor to do further investigation into the matter. It can be rather tedious at times indeed, but it just adds to the whole law-based atmosphere the game is trying to convey. This isn’t just an “end your trial in five minutes every time” kind of game. The story is there for a reason, and you will have to work rather extensively to get through every trial with definitive proof.

The only aspect of the game that can be rather frustrating at times is not knowing exactly what you have to do next or where to go next. Phoenix Wright is a completely linear game, but it’s linear in a very unique fashion. There is just no branching of any sort, as the story will never change because you can’t progress unless you do what is needed. So if you happen to miss a minute detail in a certain crime scene that you needed to examine or you didn’t receive a small bit of information from someone, you won’t get anywhere from there. You have to complete all prerequisite tasks before being able to move onto something new, and if you’re slightly lost, it can take a rather long time for that to happen.

It can also be slightly frustrating to not know what to do next in your current trial. Especially during the cross examination of any kind of witness, if you are unable to spot a contradiction right away, this will eat up some time. Then to make things a little more unrealistic, you can actually sift back and forth between the statements made in a witness testimony just to find a small statement made that isn’t exactly true. Sometimes you actually have to press a witness hard enough to finally bring out a contradiction, and that can be a pain as well.

Nevertheless, even with the game being linear and not knowing what to do next sometimes, Phoenix Wright is a very fun game to play. It certainly is one of the most intuitive titles for the DS thus far, and Capcom has a lot to be proud of with it. It really does feel like a law game, but just how it’s presented will hardly bore you or make it uninteresting. The story is definitely strange, but that’s how it was meant to be. If it weren’t for working with a young girl “spirit medium” or various females who have rather exaggerated physical characteristics, or even those really strange characters, it simply wouldn’t be the same. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to interact with a witness who spoke entirely in “1337″ (leet) talk? Well, in this game, you actually can in rather eye opening detail. So if you really want a fun game for the DS, Phoenix Wright is most definitely something to look for.

One of the more surprising aspects of Phoenix Wright is how it fools you. After one particular case, you get to view a rather lengthy sequence of a number of characters you have met that will talk about how they feel towards you. This lends you to believe you have completed the game. But lo and behold, after the last person is done with what they have to say, you are presented with more.

The final case is very…very long. That is no joke either, as it may actually take you two real days (or even more) to actually get through the entire thing. It’s a very intense and tragic murder case that will throw you through a whole lot of loops, and even more once the trail is finally finished. Once you are relieved after seeing the final celebration, you are treated to a very nice ending sequence. While the credits are rolling and you hear a very nice and relaxing musical theme, you witness more people you’ve interacted with a lot saying random things from the game. Some seem like they’re talking to you at that present time, and some statements seem to just be from past moments. But nevertheless, it’s a very nice way to end the game, and leaves you very satisfied when finished.

When it comes to replay value, Phoenix Wright has a fairly good amount. The game will run you a minimum of 25 hours or more, because the story and all five case scenarios are just that long. The story alone is so intriguing and immersive that you will find yourself not wanting to put the game down even after you turn it off. It’s just like an excellent book in which you really want to know what happens next, so you will be tempted a fair bit to continue playing it even after you don’t really want to anymore.

But really, it’s not without good reason. There are so many twists and turns in the plot that you’ll have your head spinning like a zombie’s. It’s all just very surprising, especially near the end, that you’ll want to continue as often as possible. Now unfortunately since nothing in the plot or sequence of action throughout the game ever changes, there’s not a whole lot to come back to once finished. Sure if you want to experience the awesome story again just for the sake of it then more power to you. But after you beat it, you will know pretty much all the answers save a few minor details here and there. So that makes playing it through a second time not nearly as worth as actually coming back on a consistent basis to get through it once. However, it really is just that fun, so playing through a second time isn’t totally out of question.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is indeed the right game for the Nintendo DS. It’s especially strange too, considering Capcom is known far more for their Resident Evil, Mega Man and Devil May Cry franchises. Phoenix Wright is actually an already existing franchise in Japan, but obviously it’s never had any kind of presence here in America. Even more surprising is Capcom has already announced a sequel to this game, which is indeed a great thing for us. Being able to experience everything in the game all over again with new crime scenarios is something to definitely look forward to. The anime/manga style of graphics is very appealing, even to those that may tend to prefer a more realistic approach. Then you have the music and sounds, which are overall downright strange, but very fitting considering the game’s story and atmosphere. The gameplay may not be perfect and somewhat frustrating at times because of its uniquely linear features, but it still allows you to have a ton of fun with it. It may not be exactly worth going through a second time, but some will feel the motivation to do so. So simply put, if you thought law couldn’t be a fun game concept, think again. Capcom proves it’s possible in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the Nintendo DS.