The Ace Attorney Topic (DS, 3DS, iOS) - News in OP

[goodone121]

Okay, it's 12:00AM, and it's still not released. What the--?!

[Jetronic]

Okay, it's 12:00AM, and it's still not released. What the--?!

It's not pokemon, therefore probably wont be released immediately....or you're probably on the east coast, or I'm just bad with time.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Jetronic

[Nix]

Okay, it's 12:00AM, and it's still not released. What the--?!

 

It'll probably come up when Nintendo normally updates the eShop (which is around 9AM Pacific I think?).

 

I was waiting for a midnight release too, don't worry.

[goodone121]

Ok, thanks (although they should have made the normal update time more prominently displayed.)

[pppp]

Even though i disagree with their stance on the series needing change in the next game, i have to say, Gametrailers review of the game is pretty awesome, they even poked fun at their stupid 8.4 review of Shadow the Hedgehog:

 

http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/8ymqd7/phoenix-wright--ace-attorney---dual-destinies-review

Edited October 24, 2013 by Noctis Caelum

[Sean]

For anyone who's buying the game within the next 7 days, be sure to remember to start up the game and download the free costume pack, because it won't be free forever. You can't get it off the eShop itself.

 

I picked this up today but I won't be able to play it once I'm done with school matters. I also still want to finish AAI first.

[Jetronic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8QohYyactE

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8QohYyactE

 

Can't believe no one added the launch trailer to the topic yet, and for once everyone is actually talking in one of these trailers *in english*

Edited October 24, 2013 by Jetronic

[Speederino]

I finished the first case and I'm just waiting for my 3DS to recharge right now, so I figure I'll leave my current impressions. Overall I love the major graphical improvements and the minor tweaks that pop up here and there (having a dialogue log is a GODSEND), and I don't think I need to say anything regarding the cutscenes. I am definitely very optimistic on how these things are going to improve the overall package. But I think the first case left a little bit to be desired. I'll need to go into heavy spoiler territory here so don't say I didn't warn you.

 

I know it's only the first case, but I thought this was too easy. It's certainly not like Case 1-1 or anything like that, but in comparison to the first cases of AA3 and AA4 this felt a bit forgettable. You know who did it right from the start. Not that it isn't glaringly obvious in here anyways, but when you had to finger Gavin in the very first case of Apollo Justice that was a really big HOLY CRAP moment for me. While it became pretty damn obvious in AA3's opener that Dahlia was the murderer, there were still a lot of little puzzles and contradictions in there that really made me think.

 

This time, very few twists caught me off guard and at times I noticed glaring problems with evidence immediately and then had to wait another 20 minutes before one of the characters happened to realize the same thing. (I didn't buy for a second that "WOODS" was anything other than the altered ID number, so it just felt like I was beating around the bush for a while after that) Stuff like that just kinda draws my patience a little. Great presentation and writing as always, but this case didn't really give me a mental workout of any kind.

 

But again, first case. I'm sure it will only get harder as I go, I just don't think this was as strong an opening as the last couple games.

 

Oh, and one little thing that has nothing to do with the game itself: I really don't like the placement of the (original model) 3DS microphone. It simply doesn't work for me unless I put my mouth right in front of it or am able to yell very, very loudly (which isn't really an option for me at the moment). I'm not gonna pretend the mic on the original DS was perfect, but it was definitely more responsive than this thing.

[Nix]

I'm on Case 2 so far, and I have to say...

 

Athena may just be the greatest character ever.

 

I really love how she animates, and how Widget pretty much tells us how she's feeling at any given time.  I remember one time in the first case Athena gave her confident "peace" sign only to have Widget be on the Dx sad/scared face, and now she's doing it again in the second case only for Widget to be happy.  It's a small detail and I love it.

[Covskin]

Just finished Case 1, and its great to be back in the Courtroom!

 

Also, I've avoided the majority of previews for this game as they were getting spoiler-rific, so imagine my surprise when...

I saved my game and there were TWO SAVE SLOTS.

 

ABOUT FREAKING TIME.

[Speederino]

Heads up: I just tried to open the conversation log and the game crashed on me. I don't know if this was just a one-time fluke or if this might be a larger issue that will need to be patched, but I figure I should let other people know about this. Thankfully it hadn't been long since a save point but...yeah, save often if you don't already.

[Sean]

I'm finally done with this game and it's time to dive right into my impressions, especially with how it measures up with the rest of the series.
 
In short: I couldn't have asked for a better follow-up.
 

First off, what I believe completely makes this game for me is Apollo's character. AA4 was an absolute mess; it never had clear sights on its goals that the original trilogy always had a firm grasp of: to develop its own protagonist and establish a new start with a fresh perspective. Instead, Apollo was little more than a tool for other characters to explain every major plot detail, and his spotlight was stolen within the first five minutes by Phoenix himself. When AA5 was finally revealed, a lot of people, myself included, expressed concern about how Apollo would be handled, if at all.

Clearly, some of us thought, Phoenix was brought back merely for brand recognition, especially since the series' progressive timeline has been dead in the water since 2007. I was excited to see Phoenix back in court again, but I was extremely worried that AA4 would have ended up mostly swept under the rug.
 
...And while it's true that the majority of plot details and cliffhangers were, which is a shame but something I kind of expected from the outset, Capcom's writers at least brought back the most important element of all: Apollo himself, and they took every opportunity to give him new meaning. He is given far more development in this game than I could have ever expected out of his pathetically blank state at the end of AA4, and now that Dual Destinies is out, nobody can claim Apollo to be lacking in potential and depth. I wholeheartedly believe that this is the game that establishes his rightful place in the Ace Attorney universe.
 
Athena Cykes is fucking fantastic. She comes pretty close to being the game's real main character for someone who is only playable in one full case, but I don't see this as a bad thing, since the plot revolves around her in a realistic way and she's as much of a realistic character as the others are. Have I mentioned that she's absolutely nothing like previous Maya expies? As far as AA partners go, she's the most down to earth and proactive of them all, to the point where I hesitate to call her a straight-up assistant: her footing is equal to that of Phoenix's and Apollo's. She frequently helps out both during investigations and court sequences, and I was smitten with her the moment I started up the full game. After seeing her in action, I can't say I miss Maya at all, and I'd go so far as to say she's even better, even if Maya will always have a special place in the series. I hope that future games are on the horizon, because I desperately wish to see more of her.
 
As a result of the game mostly developing Apollo and Athena, it became increasingly apparent that Phoenix really isn't the true main character of the story, which is hilariously ironic considering how AA4 turned out. Nevertheless, this worked out in the game's favor; Phoenix is a seasoned veteran whereas his loyal companions are only just starting out as defense attorneys. His story arc ended back in AA3; case 3-5 was the ultimate culmination of everything that he had learned up to that point, and it was only then was he able to learn exactly what a defense attorney was about... in his era, that is. If Dual Destinies can teach us anything, it's that we can learn plenty from both the old and the new. Apollo and Athena both were able to develop in their own separate ways, and Phoenix was there to hold them together in the end - and as it turns out, he was even able to learn a thing or two from his own protégés. The game may not be about Phoenix this time, but each of the three lawyers have their role to play and they are all much wiser at the end of the game than they were before AA5's events.
 
Simon Blackquill is probably the best prosecutor in the series since Edgeworth himself. Franziska von Karma's flaws in her prosecution ability primarily stemmed from her desire to make Phoenix look like an utter fool; I doubt that she personally believed in half the things she spout out in the courtroom. Godot, while a fantastic character, was a terrible prosecutor, since 98% of his rebuttals were simply demands for proof - and naturally, that makes case in his sense since he didn't start out as a prosecutor. Blackquill's power is cut from a similar thread to that of Edgeworth's: he's not only intimidating, but also can intelligently argue for just about any damn position he wishes to pursue. Basically, unlike with Franziska and Godot, I felt like I was dealing with a genuine threat, one who can turn the judge to his favor not by whipping or thrown coffee mugs, but by his logic alone.

 

(As for Klavier, he was a very welcomed addition to AA4 due to actually doing his job properly and not having any hidden agenda for a change, but I felt that his impact is lessened considerably due to Apollo's inability to stand on his own. It's hard to view Klavier as any sort of "opponent," as he helped you far more often than what might have been appropriate.)
 
Cases were all pretty great. My only problem was that it was occasionally difficult to follow certain threads of logic, especially those of the long-winded variety. I lost track of the facts somewhere along the line when characters were explaining the often-changing setting of the murder of case 5-2, and there were a few times when I had to back up when reading about the space center switcheroo. Nonetheless, I had lots of fun playing each and every case, and the pay-off was simply incredible for all of them. Don't even get me started on the raging boner 5-5 gave me. It could even be better than AA3's last case!...

 

The music is some of the best in the series, and it definitely tops all of Iwadare's previous efforts. A bit of a shame that the original Pursuit theme doesn't make a cameo somewhere, since it's been in every main AA game to date and it would have been lovely to hear it with the improved soundscape. My personal favorite track? Easy decision, as this particular piece blew me away when it first showed up:

 

 

Dual Destinies is my new favorite Ace Attorney game. It surpasses even the original in my eyes, although both games share the notable distinction of being the absolute best stand-alone AA games in my opinion. (AA3 beats out AA1 if you consider its place in the overall Phoenix trilogy; otherwise, I feel that the first game works better as an enclosed package.) As I mentioned earlier, I truly hope that this is not the last we'll see of Ace Attorney. I want to see even more of Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena, and it'd be a damn shame to bring their stories to a premature close, even after this game does phenomenal justice to each of its primary lawyers. This is proof that the writers at Capcom know exactly where to take the series even after Takumi's departure, and I am extremely excited to find out what other ideas they have in store. In a way, Layton VS Wright will be a big let-down since it's coming out in the west after AA5, seeing as how it's a bit of a graphical downgrade and that it's certain to not have any meaningful impact on the overall AA story. But I say bring it on anyway (as well as the upcoming DLC case!), because I have never been this intrigued about the series' future than I am now.

 

Bravo, Capcom. Your game gets 10 justices out of the Amazing Nine Tails from me.

[Nix]

I figure I should post my thoughts on the game.

 

I don't think AA5 hits some of the highs the previous games did, but AA5 probably the only Ace Attorney game that's consistently amazing throughout all of its cases.

 

In Ace Attorney 4, Phoenix was sort of the aloof badass mentor character, damn near nothing could touch him and he was a cunning bastard through in through.  It's really cool to see Phoenix be put into a position where he's vulnerable again; Case-5 had to have been the hardest moment in Phoenix's life honestly.  Phoenix was the mentor figure for Athena and Apollo; they and many others looked up to him.  During Cases 4 and 5 Phoenix loses Apollo and Athena gets labeled a criminal, and even when he decides to defend Athena, he gets to the point where he damn near loses all hope thanks to Edgeworth digging a nice grave for him.  He failed his subordinates and himself, and seeing Phoenix drop his head in between his hands in defeat is probably the most painfully agonizing situation I've ever seen him in.  Other than that, I'm just happy to see Phoenix's inner monologues again ("Come back to me... my beautiful contradiction...").

 

One of the disappointments I have is that we still don't really know why Apollo even decided to become a lawyer (unless I missed it somewhere), however we do know what makes Apollo who he is as a character.  I didn't particularly mind Apollo in AA4, but Apollo hardly did anything in that game; practically everyone did the work for him.  It's hard to call the game "Ace Attorney" when Apollo leaves off just as fresh as he was in the beginning of the game (he literally ends the last trial claiming he has no fucking idea what he's doing).  Apollo actually contributing and making his own deductions even when he's actually the partner character for the case was very nice to see.

 

As for Athena... goddamn I love her.  I love the way she looks, the way she animates.  I love her story, why she became a lawyer, her sheltered life at the space center, Widget, everything.  She's also part of #teamstepladder and has the best Objection! Theme ever (which isn't used nearly enough in the game).

 

Simon's a pretty cool guy.  In Case-2 he was pretty damn intimidating, and there was some fear to be had when he broke his shackles and started to do some sword tricks.  By Case-3 I came to a realization that Simon isn't as intimidating as he makes himself out to be, his particular brand of prosecution is psychology and mind games and he's more than likely just working his convict status to his advantage.  Then entire thing fell into place when we learned why he was convicted.  That being said, he definitely is very competent as a prosecutor and is able to think on the fly in a similar manner as Edgeworth.  He's very fun to butt heads with, and that's something Franziska, Godot, and Klavier lacked.  However I wouldn't say he's as interesting as Godot as far as his character goes.

 

May favorite case in AA5 is probably Case-3, it's just perfect.  The friendship themes, the constant twists and turns, tying Athena up with rope, getting a look inside Athena's head, the chemistry Athena and Simon have in court, Apollo being the deadpan every man, just... beautiful. Oh and Robin, fucking Robin.

 

AA5 might be my favorite Ace Attorney game, I'm not sure yet.  I do think it has the best soundtrack though.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Nix

[Sean]

One of the disappointments I have is that we

still don't really know why Apollo even decided to become a lawyer (unless I missed it somewhere), however we do know what makes Apollo who he is as a character.  I didn't particularly mind Apollo in AA4, but Apollo hardly did anything in that game; practically everyone did the work for him.  It's hard to call the game "Ace Attorney" when Apollo leaves off just as fresh as he was in the beginning of the game (he literally ends the last trial claiming he has no fucking idea what he's doing).  Apollo actually contributing and making his own deductions even when he's actually the partner character for the case was very nice to see.

 

We still don't know why Apollo chose to become a lawyer, despite elaborating on his past with Clay. There's a chance that he didn't have some huge reason like Phoenix and Edgeworth did; however, what we do know is that he had a friend supporting him the entire way even when Apollo was feeling at his lowest. I loved that little moment when Apollo mentioned turning to Clay after the disaster that was case 4-1, since I had been wondering just what the hell he was doing between the first and second cases of AA4.

 

Even though Apollo did jack shit in AA4, I always wanted to have a sequel that fleshed him out as a character since I knew the potential was there to do something with him, and Dual Destinies certainly surpassed my expectations. Apollo's one of my top favorite characters in the series now, and I'm glad that my faith in his character was justified in the end.

[Sami]

So I just finished it. Overall, I'd say that it's one of my favorite Ace Attorney games for sure, but still hasn't reached the height that I hold AA3 at. I would consider it about on par with the original, however, and better than everything else as a result.

 

I'll start with what I loved about the game, because boy there were a lot of things to love.

 

I really enjoyed the three character dynamic; I think sharing the spotlight between Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena was a really good way to give them all plenty of development and time to show why we love Ace Attorney's characters so much. Athena in particular was a god damn star, and I have no idea how anybody could possibly dislike her. She's a ton of fun. I love her attitude, her inner monologue, and her cheerful nature, making her really shine as her own character even despite the main character bloat the series is starting to get. Apollo also got some wonderful development (though it did feel a bit forced towards the end - I'll talk about that later), and I've even started to think "I'm fine!" to myself whenever I'm nervous about something. Actually kind of surprised at how well that works, haha. Seeing Phoenix struggle to be a proper mentor to the new generation was also really nice, and it's very clear that he's grown a lot as a character. 

 

The story overall was pretty good, but not quite as great as some prior entries (THIRD GAME THIRD GAME THIRD GAME). I liked Athena and Blackquill's backstories a lot (Blackquill in general was awesome for the reasons Sean mentioned), and I thought the presentation of that was top notch. I did, however, feel that the "Dark Age of the Law" nonsense was really overdone, and I swear to god if I ate a cookie every time I heard that and "the end justifies the means!" I'd be the size of a whale. It kept being mentioned, but we never actually saw it. Evidently evidence was being fabricated left and right, but... who was guilty of doing so? Through the entire game we got only two pieces of fabricated evidence, and even then it wasn't really a big shock. It just didn't feel cleverly implemented at all, and had there not been someone to shout "THIS IS THE DARK AGE OF THE LAW" every ten seconds, I don't feel like it would have had much impact on the game at all. It felt like the game thought I was stupid when Prof. Means had to say to my face "oh by the way the end justifies the means" at every possible opportunity, even when it was completely unnecessary. I still loved 5-3 (best filler case, no contest), but that irked me.

 

I also didn't like the climax very much. I felt like the end of the game just got really cheesy and petered out without leaving much of an impact. Both 1-4 and 3-5 left me teary-eyed, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. The endings were just beautiful, and they stuck with me for years. I played AA3 about four or five years ago, and still remember the ending very vividly. "The only time it's okay to cry is when it's all over..." and a small stream of blood coming from under Godot's visor is something I don't think I'll ever forget. AA5? Eeeehh. I'll admit the villain's breakdown was fun and I liked the back and forth between Phoenix and Phoenix?, but then the main characters just started droning on and on about how hope and friendship have the power to make hearts and rainbows and butterflies, and the villain insisting that emotions and trust are useless and bla bla bla just felt so animu and silly. I know I might sound stupid saying this but... I honestly thought AA1 and AA3 were much more mature than AA5 was. I know Ace Attorney is known for its wackiness, and I really do love it for that too, but I also loved when they calmed things down, got down to Earth, and felt real. Even the murders now feel zany and Rube Goldbergian, which really is fine, but the game never bothers to slow down and really give me some emotions and passion for what's going on. 

 

Also, while I did really like Apollo's development and loved going up against him in the final case, I also didn't care for how quickly he just threw all of his Raiden gear off and went back to normal. The way he just threw the jacket up in the air feels almost disrespectful to his friend's memory, even, and I was hoping that would actually be integrated into his usual design. After thinking about it some more I realized that he was basically shedding the "ghost" of his friend that had been haunting him, but even then it just felt really jarring. 

 

The twist about the Phantom's identity was amazing, even though there really weren't enough suspects in the case to make it as big a surprise as it could have been. Even at the beginning of the case, I just stopped and looked at the profile list and figured it would have to be either Candice, Fulbright, or Terran himself. I will admit I was genuinely shocked though when the reveal came. When they mentioned "the detective in charge of security" I thought for sure that the phantom had to be Candice.

 

The Phantom himself though wasn't all that special. Taking him down was far too easy and his personality and motivation were just dull. I think the only thing he's worth remembering for is the fact that he was so likable beforehand and that the twist was one of the series' best. He doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Dahlia, Morgan, Manfred, Gant, or even Kristoph, though.

 

I think that's my biggest issue with the game overall. It introduces these really interesting concepts and ideas, but rather than really delving in and fully realizing them, it just sort of peters out or stops abruptly in their development. It's not an enormous deal, and again, despite all of my complaints, I have to insist that I really did love the game and am happy with the final product. I just feel some potential was missed.

 

Despite all that, however, I absolutely adored 5-3, and I thought 5-1 and 5-4/5 were fantastic as well (5-1 is my favorite first case now, topping 3-1 before it). The game's quality was very consistent and it's up there with the series' best for sure.

[Sami]

Man, the Phantom really is incompetent as hell, lol. Spoilers -

Edited November 14, 2013 by Discoid

[Speederino]

The Orca-defending DLC case is set to come out on November 21st for $5.99! Or at least in the states, this article doesn't say anything about the European release but for now I assume it's the same.

 

http://www.destructoid.com/ace-attorney-5-orca-defending-dlc-coming-next-week-265647.phtml

 

[Thigolf]

Or at least in the states, this article doesn't say anything about the European release but for now I assume it's the same.

 

It is the same, price is 4.99€.

[Vec]

Orca...Defending...? And I though that Cross-examinating a parrot was weird enough

 

Speaking of the Phantom...There's more creepy stuff in this game than in previous games

 

-After Ted Tonate's visor explodes...is that his eye sockets!?

-The images, music and dialogue when Simon tells what he really saw...it'll hunt me forever

-The Phantom himself...his fear expression and right when he starts to breakdown how he starts tearing his Phoenix Wright mask...

[Jetronic]

 

It's here!

[Nix]

I've been playing the DLC case.

 

DLC case and main game spoilers ahead:

 

I met up with Detective Fulbright.

 

"You're not such a bad guy after all, Detective Fulbright!"

 

 

Fuck you game.  Fuck you.  I don't even know how to feel anymore.

 

But that Case 1-4 reference was so good.

[Jetronic]

Speaking of which, I've always wondered how much money Phoenix...or the law office itself makes. Hell even when Phoenix was Hobo-Nick, especially in other games where he gets hit with some rather hefty bills for things he never truly asked for.

[Autosaver]

iOS ports - get all 3 games for $4.99

 

Not a bad deal.

[Sean]

Pretty great case. Had some fantastic plot twists as par the course of the series and then one that hasn't ever been attempted before. Anyone who goes into this hoping for a bonus case along the lines of Rise of the Ashes will be thoroughly disappointed, but this is an example of a filler case done right. I liked it way more than case 5-2.

[Solly]

Anyone who goes into this hoping for a bonus case along the lines of Rise of the Ashes will be thoroughly disappointed, but this is an example of a filler case done right. I liked it way more than case 5-2.

Personally, I didn't like Rise from the Ashes, and don't know why people hold it in such high regard. It felt like a cheap attempt to one-up the game's original ending, the characters aren't that memorable, and in terms of style I don't think it meshes that well.

 

Some of the plot points were dumb, too.

Gant invokes his right to not testify and it's made out to be a big privilege that HE has, but Adrian Andrews pleads the fifth in the next game.