Umm, which ones?.
I ended up editing that passage to \"albeit at the cost of dropping some plot elements from the previous game.\" For example, the Jurist(sic) System doesn\'t seem to be in effect anymore, since the judge still decides whether the defendant is guilty and whether the proceedings should continue. Another example is how Apollo and Trucy still don\'t know they\'re siblings.
I think I mostly agree, even if I personally preferred Spirit of Justice. While most of the other aspects of individual cases were pretty strong, the villains in general were a bit too broad and pantomime for my taste. Even the one from the DLC case, who was otherwise probably the strongest.
I also think I see what you mean about \"balancing the characters\" compared to Spirit of Justice (for better or worse, Athena got the short straw there), though I was willing to forgive since it otherwise concentrated well on the characters it introduced.
One thing I\'ll praise that you didn\'t mention is the integration of heavy voice acting for, I believe, the first time in the series, with good actors well-cast turning in strong performances even for weaker characters. And I can appreciate how strong a course-correction it put in on Phoenix Wright, just as its sequel put in a good one for Lana.
I don\'t know if I\'d call it part of a \"trilogy,\" so much as a set of two titles like the Investigation titles. Apollo Justice is kind of off on its own, strange island, temporally as well as thematically.
...Been trying to add something to the above comment for a while, acknowledging that the starter case villain was also alright and had a bit of charisma and a neat gimmick, even if he wasn\'t an especially deep or interesting character.
I assume you mean Ema, not Lana. Lana hasn't been seen since Rise from the Ashes, and some people wonder if she's still in prison. If anything, there's no proof that she isn't, and if she is, that would explain why she hasn't been mentioned.
The voice acting is good, but I was getting close to the character limit- close enough that I had to trim it down a bit when I edited the review(even though the first draft wasn't up to 3,000 character). Besides, it's relatively limited compared to Danganronpa, in which all class trials, dialogue during CG images and some characters' last words are voiced.
I've heard Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice be referred to as a trilogy of sorts, with Apollo as the lead character.
I did in fact mean Ema. Sorry.
I dunno if I buy that trilogy explanation. If nothing else, Apollo is far from the lead of this title, and while he\'s pretty central to Spirit of Justice, I wouldn\'t call him the lead either.
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The best game of the sequel trilogy
While people find the games in the Apollo Justice trilogy to be divisive, I personally find Dual Destinies to be the best game outside of the original trilogy, to the point of perhaps being better(or at least more consistent in quality) than Justice For All.
The plot deals with Phoenix, once again a defense attorney, fighting against the "Dark Age of the Law." He is joined by Apollo from the previous game, as well as Athena Cykes, a newcomer with an expertise in psychology and a traumatic past. The story's relatively engaging and stands on its own fairly well, albeit at the cost of dropping some plot points from the previous game.
The game makes better use of Phoenix than Apollo Justice did, since he plays a significant role, but doesn't quite steal the spotlight in what isn't supposed to be his game. He's also more similar to his original personality than in Apollo Justice, albeit Older and Wiser. Overall, the plot does a significantly better job of balancing the player characters than Apollo Justice or Spirit of Justice did.
The first case is decent, and has a number of ties to other cases that prove relevant later.
The second case is probably the weakest case, with one of the worst villains in the series, but overall, it's not quite as bad as Turnabout Big Top or Serenade.
The third case is relatively well-done, having some of the most interesting and well-written witnesses, who undergo Character Development and feel like characters in their own right.
The fourth case does a good job of upping the stakes and ends on a rather surprising note.
The last case isn't quite up to Farewell, My Turnabout" or Bridge To The Turnabout, but it's a solid conclusion to the game with a number of good twists that ties together the story elements thus far, and has a good twist villain.
The DLC case is one of the better cases, especially the twist behind the murder. Without spoiling too much, it works better as a tragedy caused by good intentions than Big Top did.
The new Mood Matrix is a nice mechanic in which you analyze witnesses' emotions and identify what's out of place. It's relatively simple and fun to use.
I've heard that people don't like how the game is easier than previous installments, but I don't mind it that much. Having a checklist of where to go in the investigation helps prevent you from feeling lost, especially when you're unable to proceed because you haven't found all the evidence in a given area yet. As for the hints given in the trials, perhaps the developers made it a bit easier because as the first AA game in years and the first on the 3DS, it might be many people's first game.
Speaking of the 3DS, not only are the 3D graphics more pleasant to look at, but they also make investigation easier, especially finding small bits of evidence. The animated cutscenes are also fun to watch.
Dual Destinies might not be the best AA game, but it's still worth your time if you own a 3DS.