| 1 | [[WMG:[[center: [- ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' '''YMMV pages'''\ |
| 2 | [[YMMV/AceAttorney Franchise as a whole]]\ |
| 3 | Mainline entries:\ |
| 4 | ''YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll Justice for All]]'' | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations Trials and Tribulations]]'' | ''YMMV/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' | ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' | '''''Spirit of Justice'''''\ |
| 5 | Spin-offs:\ |
| 6 | ''YMMV/{{Ace Attorney Investigations|MilesEdgeworth}}'' | ''YMMV/GyakutenKenji2'' | ''YMMV/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' | ''YMMV/TheGreatAceAttorney''\ |
| 7 | Other media:\ |
| 8 | [[YMMV/AceAttorney2012 The 2012 film]] | [[YMMV/AceAttorney2016 The anime]]]]-]]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | This page is for the sixth game in the franchise, ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice''. |
| 11 | ---- |
| 12 | * AccidentalInnuendo: The phrasing leading up to the forensics investigation in 6-2 sounds a bit like Ema offering herself up for an [[APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy orgy]]. |
| 13 | -->'''Ema:''' Would you like to partake in my delicious dessert? I don't mind sharing.\ |
| 14 | '''Athena:''' Oh, yes, please! There's always room for dessert, right?!\ |
| 15 | '''Apollo:''' All right... I guess I'll join you two. |
| 16 | * {{Adorkable}}: |
| 17 | ** Ahlbi Ur'gaid. The variation of his "Shock" animation where he perches himself on one foot... before leaning too far and falling over entirely, is clumsy and adorable. |
| 18 | ** Bonny de Famme. Just look at that cute PlayfulCatSmile she gives, how meek she is, and how much genuine enthusiasm she puts into her work. It's also cute to see her fangirl over Trucy. She's even fairly clumsy and a tad shy. |
| 19 | ** Rayfa acts haughty and regal until someone gets a one-up on her. Then she sputters childish insults and blushes bright red. Spending a lot of time around her probably won't be good for your heart. |
| 20 | * AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: |
| 21 | ** Trucy forcing Apollo (and Athena [[spoiler:once Apollo moved out to Khura'in at the end]]) to take part in her dangerous magic shows could be seen as her slowly turning out to be like [[{{Jerkass}} Zak and Magnifi]], her biological father and grandfather respectively. |
| 22 | ** Another interpretation regarding Trucy's actions is that [[spoiler:she has already figured out that Apollo is her brother, and she wants to unlock his potential as a magician thanks to the Gramarye blood from their mother's side.]] One piece of evidence to support this interpretation is that in that trial, Trucy realized that [[spoiler:Apollo was able to see through Retinz's "magic"(i.e. the murder of Manov Mistree), when Trucy could not, and may have concluded that Apollo is potentially a superior magician.]] |
| 23 | ** How well does Trucy know her grandfather and the rest of Troupe Gramarye? [[spoiler:She's convinced that Magnifi was right to expel Mr. Reus from the troupe for the latter's selfish and self-serving approach to magic, but doesn't seem to know about Magnifi using Trucy's mother's "death" to {{blackmail}} Zak and Valant, and may not even know about Valant trying to frame Zak, resulting in her viewing the entire troupe through rose-tinted glasses.]] |
| 24 | ** About Uendo Toneido, some fans theorize that [[spoiler:his secret Owen alter is actually his original personality, with the main three alters (Uendo himself, Patches and Kisegawa) being the alternate ones that ended up being developed and taking over when he was 5 years old. This is supported by the fact that Owen is a traumatized child, which is how mental disorders normally tend to manifest]]. |
| 25 | ** Nahyuta could also [[spoiler:be a Heel-case of Becoming The Mask, i.e. everything he did, he ''meant'', even if his old self would have been against it. Datz supports this interpretation, as shown by his disappointment with "Yuty" at the end of the first trial in "The Rite of Turnabout" and when talking with Phoenix in Dhurke's office. However, there is a considerable faction that see in him the signs of a domestic abuse victim, which could explain why he's such a doormat for Ga'ran. This interpretation is supported by his behavior in the fifth case suggesting he felt a level of controllable helplessness, such as his comments implying he thought of his wrongfully guilty verdicts as "inevitable" and admitting at the end that he was in too much despair to examine his own behavior. Furthermore, many see his rude behavior towards Apollo as an attempt to protect him and not tip Ga'ran off to the fact that Dhurke had another child.]] On a siller note, some interpret his {{Jerkass}} behavior to be due to jet-lag, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome since the guy has had to fly overseas and back for cases]] ''twice''. |
| 26 | * AluminiumChristmasTrees: A bunch in Case 4, such as: Rakugo performed in English, while not common, does happen, Time Soba and Soba Glutton are real Rakugo routines, and there actually are English sets of karuta cards, typically used to teach [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseLanguage Japanese]] speakers English. |
| 27 | * ArcFatigue: "Turnabout Revolution", and ''not'' because it takes two trials -- although there would probably have been fewer complaints on that count had the civil trial been labelled as Case 5, and the Khura'in segment as Case 6. The second trial just goes on and on that some fans joke about losing count how many times the "To Be Continued" card appears on the screen. |
| 28 | * [[AwesomeBosses/VideoGames Awesome Bosses]]: There's quite a few that stand out, with any boss or significant witness testimony that isn't the BigBad being seen as a step up from previous games. |
| 29 | ** Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin is a memorable StarterVillain due to incorporating music into his testimonies and being challenging yet forgiving, easing people into the game's tone and mechanics. He's also fun to cross examine due to his charismatic presence. |
| 30 | ** [[spoiler:Bonny and Betty are a great DualBoss due to the two having completely different motivations for testifying. They're each other's biggest weakness and having to compare both their testimonies to find the weak links is a challenge that was and would be further explored in the Great Ace Attorney duology. It's a welcome change of pace and they're memorable opponents due to their antics and personalities.]] |
| 31 | ** [[spoiler:Roger Retinz is a surprisingly difficult enemy for an early case. Illusionists are skilled at deception by default and he's a character whose occupation is mirrored in his testimonies instead of just a personality quirk. His vendetta against Trucy makes him far more determined to best her and gives an insight into just how fearsome the Gramaryes can be when they're against you. Beating him is difficult, engaging, and utterly cathartic.]] |
| 32 | ** [[spoiler:Datz Are'bal's Psyche Locks are not particularly challenging but it's executed in such a great way that makes you really feel like you're reminded of what you're fighting for. And the last lock being destroyed by presenting the Attorney's Badge gave players chills in the best way possible.]] |
| 33 | ** [[spoiler:Tahrust Inmee is a BaseBreakingCharacter, but being channeled by Maya Fey is a real treat. Not only is his battle interesting, with appealing to his morality being as important as refuting his statements, there's also something mesmerising about his contortions and expressions mixed with Maya's hair and clothing. He's a decent challenge and a visual treat due to the gameplay and animations using Maya's channeling to the story's full potential.]] |
| 34 | ** [[spoiler:Uendo Toneido is an interesting battle due to his multiple personalities. His statements are fragmented and contradictory due to jumping in and out of alters and there's a unique and welcome challenge in identifying what is worthwhile testimony and what is merely confused observations.]] |
| 35 | ** [[spoiler:Phoenix Wright as a rival attorney is a highlight of the controversial final case, and part of the reason why the first half is so beloved. Getting to see how fearsome he is from Apollo's perspective is an impressive experience and having to fight against the tactics that you've used as him for the previous games is something unique and interesting. While he's not too difficult due to being ForcedIntoEvil, it's still a great confrontation against a deservedly respected character.]] |
| 36 | ** [[spoiler:Queen Amara, in contrast of her sister is often seen as one of the best parts of the case, being an intimidating yet challenging witness to crack, as her calm demeanour and FriendToAllLivingThings being suddenly contrasted with a sudden lighting strike and GlowingEyesOfDoom making for a worthy challenge to uncover her lies, while also providing a lead up to the biggest plot twist of the game, and helping matters how she's really a [[TheHighQueen nice queen]] who was actually roped into the case just cause she really did believe in her sister's word.]] |
| 37 | ** [[spoiler:Pierce Nichody is one of the smartest characters to appear in the series, so it makes sense he's one of the trickiest criminals. Being the first civilian to evoke his legal rights, tricks commonly used on culprits are rendered moot and it becomes an intense battle of wits against someone who is well aware of who they're up against. While his actual testimony is rather easy due to him being backed into a corner, seeing him put up a creative and unusual resistance is a memorable event that makes him a truly special opponent.]] |
| 38 | * [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Awesome Video Game Level]]: The second case, "The Magical Turnabout." Not only is it a very interesting case with ''Trucy'' of all people as the defendant, finally giving her some genuine CharacterDevelopment in the process, [[TheBusCameBack Ema Skye's return]] and Apollo as the lead attorney (with Athena as the assistant), but the case itself is also quite well-written, and it has a [[EnsembleDarkhorse great villain to boot]]. Notably, despite the polarizing nature of the game itself, ''everyone'' agrees on the case being fantastic. Even critics of the game love this dramatic and well-written mystery that not only closes out the Gramarye story in epic fashion but gives Trucy Wright more limelight and narrative importance than even ''Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney'' did. |
| 39 | * BaseBreakingCharacter: |
| 40 | ** Rayfa is pretty divisive, especially since the character is part of [[{{Tsundere}} a divisive archetype]]. Detractors find her haughty and abrasive attitude absolutely insufferable and her later situation and CharacterDevelopment impossible to invest in or empathize with. Fans instead find her attitude {{Adorkable}}, feeling that detractors are exaggerating her negative qualities, and argue that, even setting CharacterDevelopment aside, she represents an interesting new take on the series' traditionally supportive and friendly assistants, and that the gameplay mechanics she introduces in trials are fun twists on the series' formulas. |
| 41 | ** Dhurke has become one. [[spoiler:Is he a badass revolutionary and not only a great parent, but one of the best in the entire franchise? Or is he a horrible parent who not only dumped Apollo in a foreign country while running off and hiding with his biological family (even having another child to boot) and seemingly left Nahyuta to the wolves (unless you take the interpretation that Nahyuta should have asked him for help) until he could pass off rescuing him onto Apollo, but is a naïve idealist whose methods really don't work on a dictator at the level Ga'ran was at? For that matter, did Apollo forgive him too easily?]] |
| 42 | ** The culprits of "Rite of Turnabout" [[spoiler:Tahrust and Beh'leeb Innmee]]. Some fans see them as some of the series' most effective {{Tragic Villain}}s in the franchise [[spoiler:a pair of secret political rebels who were betrayed by one of the people they cared about most, with Tahrust ultimately forced into a terrible position to protect both the rebels and his family even if it meant betraying someone who trusted them.]] Others see them as UnintentionallyUnsympathetic due to how EasilyForgiven they are by Phoenix and Maya despite [[spoiler:them willfully working with a plan that would get the two of them executed by the state, with Tahrust even pushing for Maya being his killer once Phoenix catches onto the truth.]] That [[spoiler:Beh'leeb]] [[KarmaHoudini ends up going more or less unpunished]] [[spoiler:outside of her husband's HeroicSuicide]] is also a point of contention, as although [[spoiler:Tahrust deliberately did not include her in his plan to frame Maya, she was in a position to know much more about what was going on than anyone else]]. |
| 43 | * BizarroEpisode: Case 4. It has absolutely no bearing on the overarching story whatsoever and is particularly weird even by ''Ace Attorney'' standards. This is because it was intentionally designed to be a BreatherEpisode along with giving Athena and Blackquill ADayInTheLimelight, as otherwise Phoenix and Apollo would have hogged it all. |
| 44 | * BrokenBase: |
| 45 | ** The entire existence of Kingdom of Khura'in. Some fans find it an interesting and unique new setting for the franchise to explore, and like the new characters introduced in it. Others view it as a betrayal of the franchise's prior tone that moves far too into "fantasy" territory to fit with the established world, and find the immense amount of importance the courtrooms are given in the country's culture to be little more than a comical plot contrivance. Others TakeAThirdOption and find it an interesting idea, but that the immense amounts of BlackAndWhiteMorality and having to share the story with an entirely separate country wastes anything the game might've been going for. |
| 46 | ** Apollo turning into TheHero in "Turnabout Revolution." Some view it as a fantastic decision given accusations of Phoenix being a SpotlightStealingSquad, finally giving Apollo the focus and CharacterDevelopment he deserved in the process, and find his relationship with [[spoiler:his adopted father Dhurke,]] one of the most moving in the series. Others hate how it was handled, finding that that the immense amount of contrived {{Retcon}}s to his backstory render his character borderline unrecognizable compared to what he previously was, dislike how the civil trial subjects Phoenix, Athena, and Ema to a turn holding the IdiotBall [[CharacterShilling all to make Apollo look good]], and find his sudden importance utterly unearned both in how underused he was over the course of the series and even the game itself. The ending where [[spoiler:he chooses to stay in Khura'in]] is either a meaningful conclusion, or a cheap excuse to [[spoiler:have Apollo PutOnABus]] while still not giving fans the truly satisfying conclusion they wanted (the lack of resolution on his relationship with Trucy being a major point of dispute). |
| 47 | ** Most of the cases are rather divisive, save for the well-loved "The Magical Turnabout," and "The Foreign Turnabout," which is relatively good for a first case. |
| 48 | *** The third case is rather divisive. Fans enjoy how it's one of the most tragic cases in the series, the fact that it's a third case that actually advances the storyline and the twist that [[spoiler:Tahrust, the supposed first victim, actually committed suicide]]. Detractors, however, dislike it for one of the reasons why "Turnabout Big Top" is disliked- the UnintentionallyUnsympathetic culprit. [[AssholeVictim While no one is likely to shed tears over the victim]], the culprit[[spoiler:s were willing to frame Maya, nearly getting her executed for the crime]], making it hard to feel bad for what happens to them in the end. |
| 49 | *** The fourth case is easily the most divisive. Criticisms are that it's a pointless diversion from the main storyline (one reason why the franchise's third cases tend to be unpopular), your client isn't particularly likable, the story is short and unsatisfying with only one major trial segment and no investigation, and the explanations of rakugo and noodle-making frequently go into WallOfText InfoDump territory to try to make a fundamentally inaccessible case and subject matter comprehensible and solvable to a non-Japanese audience. On the other hand, some love it for being so unashamedly rooted in Japanese culture (for once, the localization didn't do anything to try and make it fit the American setting), Uendo being an extremely likable and fleshed out witness, having a [[BreatherEpisode lighter and goofier tone]] compared to the rest of the game, and many were glad to see Simon Blackquill back in a prominent role and getting further character development. As an added bonus, he even joins you at the defense's bench, and he pulls his asshole-prosecutor act on your behalf, which is immensely fun. |
| 50 | *** "Turnabout Revolution" is a very polarizing case, and one's opinion on it will likely depend on how one sees the game as a whole. Those who enjoy the game see it as an incredibly epic and large-scale story that gives Apollo massive CharacterDevelopment, has an extremely compelling focal character in Dhurke, a unique gimmick of being essentially two completely separate cases that flow into each other, multiple extremely shocking plot twists, and a cathartic and powerful conclusion to the story. Detractors meanwhile see it as a massively cluttered mess forced to cram huge amounts of exposition and CharacterDevelopment into a single series of events that should've been instead spread over the entire game, with the first half also suffering contrivance to justify Apollo and Phoenix facing off in court, the latter from [[spoiler:Ga'ran]] being an uninteresting and uncompelling BigBad, and Apollo's sudden emergence as TheHero feeling unearned and contrived given how little he interacts with the main story beforehand. Others TakeAThirdOption and consider it a flawed but admirable attempt from the developers of creating a very different kind of conclusion for the game, and to give [[spoiler:Apollo]] the kind of conclusion he never really got in the previous games. |
| 51 | *** "Turnabout Time Traveler" is another divisive case among fans. Some like it due to the NostalgiaLevel angle and the genuinely interesting villain and backstory. Others find it cheap PanderingToTheBase weighed down by the {{Flanderization}} given to Phoenix, Maya, Edgeworth, and Larry, and feel the story (especially in regards to Sorin and Ellen) ended up badly underdeveloped and rushed in favour of excessive time spent on surface-level [[CallBack Call Backs]] to the original trilogy. |
| 52 | ** The fact that the two Asinine Attorney episodes are not ported to iOS and Android, and are not present in the ''Trilogy'' rerelease. On one hand, many fans didn't like those episodes, anyway and a sub-group from that group were actually quite glad that Capcom didn't waste their energy porting those and channeled their energy into polishing the port instead. On the other hand, there are fans who quite enjoyed those chapters, or are intrigued by the chapters because they didn't live in a region who have access to the eShop or are playing the game after the 3DS eShop closed and want to experience everything AA, regardless of the quality. |
| 53 | ** The PunnyNames this time around, due to the setting, are extremely blatant due to not actually being real names for the most part and are generally less clever than previous games due to how they're things like "I'll be your guide," "real name" and "anonymous" spelled to look Khura'inese. However, some people still find the puns entertaining. |
| 54 | * CaptainObviousReveal: |
| 55 | ** In Case 2, [[spoiler:Roger Retinz is actually the Great Mr. Reus.]] Even if you don’t catch things like [[spoiler:his hatred of the Gramaryes and increasingly obvious penchant for stage magic]], you’re almost never allowed a close-up look at the victim in the case, and the few times that you are, [[spoiler:“Mr. Reus” doesn’t look like he’s aged a day in the 15 years he was out of the action.]] Meanwhile, you have [[spoiler:Retinz popping up throughout the case, who could easily pass for an older version of Mr. Reus much like how Zak and Valant visibly aged in the years between their appearances in ''Apollo Justice''.]] |
| 56 | ** In the DLC case, [[spoiler:Pierce Nichody being Selena's fiancé and the surgeon who saved Sorin's life.]] Beyond the plentiful hints sprinkled throughout the case, what seals it as such is that the very same scene establishing the later as existing [[spoiler:Pierce reveal he was present to hear Selena's final words]], with the accompanying CG showing very blatantly [[spoiler:a man in a white labcoat.]] |
| 57 | * CatharsisFactor: |
| 58 | ** Seeing Nahyuta get nailed by his own beads every time he loses a case is nothing short of satisfying. |
| 59 | ** The final episode may have been long and daunting, [[spoiler:but for all of Queen Ga'ran's 23 years of innocent blood spilled by her brutal laws, seeing Apollo finally bring her down makes it all the more WorthIt]]. |
| 60 | * CharacterRerailment: |
| 61 | ** Ema Skye actually getting her dream job as a forensic investigator, and becoming nicer as a result, was probably done for this reason, as her personality in ''Apollo Justice'' [[SameCharacterButDifferent was a far cry from how she acted in the original series.]] Fans of her ''Apollo Justice'' personality meanwhile were pleased that Ema still retained her DeadpanSnarker traits and stayed distinct from Maya. |
| 62 | ** ''Dual Destinies'' gave Trucy very little focus, and most of that focus was spent on magic panties jokes or being a DamselInDistress. Case 2 of this game gives her ADayInTheLimelight, granting her much needed attention and CharacterDevelopment while revisiting the still incomplete Troupe Gramarye subplot that was completely overlooked in ''Dual Destinies'', even if it still didn't do anything to resolve the plot threads first brought up in ''AJAA'', instead adding more to the Troupe's past and lore. |
| 63 | %%Do not add any unapproved Complete Monster entries without first coming to the cleanup thread. |
| 64 | * CommonKnowledge: It’s often assumed that Phoenix kept [[spoiler:Maya’s hostage situation]] a secret from his friends during the last case, which invalidates the lessons he learned from [[spoiler:case 4 of ''Justice for All'' about relying on his friends for help in those circumstances]]. Contrary to this, Phoenix says he informed Edgeworth of the situation before coming back from Khura’in, which is why Edgeworth was spotted in Kurain Village during the investigation. Apollo was the only one Phoenix withheld the information from, [[spoiler: because he didn’t want to force Apollo to choose between Dhurke’s revolution and Maya’s life]]. |
| 65 | * CompleteMonster: [[spoiler:[[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Ga'ran Sigatar Khura'in]] is the sadistic megalomaniac responsible for the [[KangarooCourt draconic legal system]] of the [[Characters/AceAttorneyKingdomOfKhurain Kingdom of Khura'in]]. After being passed over for the throne in favor of her gentle sister Amara due to lacking spiritual power, jealously led to [[CainAndAbel Ga'ran orchestrating multiple attempts on Amara's life]] in order to strong-arm her into going into hiding while [[FrameUp framing]] Amara's husband Dhurke for her apparent murder. After seizing the throne, Ga'ran passed the [[DisproportionateRetribution Defense Culpability Act]], which would force a defense attorney to suffer the same fate as the accused upon losing a case; this led to hundreds, if not thousands, of unjust deaths of defendants and lawyers alike under Khura'in's one-sided court system. Completely uncaring towards her own family, Ga'ran forces Amara and her nephew Nahyuta to cater to her whims on threat of ruining her niece Rayfa's life, and doesn't hesitate to blackmail them into taking the fall for a murder she committed or secretly ordering for Amara to be shot in court. Heartless enough to leave the [[WouldHurtAChild baby Apollo Justice]] to die in a fire which she started--and [[YouKilledMyFather killing Apollo's father]] while leaving--and egomaniacal to the point of making standing up to her a crime worthy of execution, Ga'ran proved to be among Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice's most depraved foes yet.]] |
| 66 | * ContestedSequel: While all of the main-series games from ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' onward have divided the fanbase, ''Spirit of Justice'' might be the most polarizing: |
| 67 | ** Those who praise the game consider it one of the most entertaining games in the series and a vast improvement from the previous mainline entry ''Dual Destinies''. Common points of praise include the vastly more consistently written and intelligent mysteries which don't resort to constant hand-holding or constant uses of ContrivedCoincidence, the much grander and epic storyline, the interesting and likable new characters for the cases themselves and giving Apollo a proper epic case to handle. Of them, "The Magical Turnabout" is especially beloved by fans due to restoring Trucy to focus after her severe sidelining in ''Dual Destinies'' and overall being one of the best cases in the series in terms of mystery construction. |
| 68 | ** The critics for the game, on the other hand, are far harsher to the story (with the pointed exception of [[BestLevelEver "The Magical Turnabout"]]), and consider the game one of the worst in the series. Common complaints include the Kingdom of Khura'in being a gimmicky and implausible setting, Nahyuta being a poorly written and incredibly unlikable rival with an implausible character arc, Maya being an AdvertisedExtra despite heavy marketing focus on her return, and the story suffering from immense pacing and focus issues due in large part to splitting the story across two separate countries with different characters. The final case especially attracts complaints due to the heavily convoluted nature of it that rather clumsily attempts to make Apollo the main protagonist after Phoenix has led the story for the entire game prior, and for the rather underwhelming nature of [[spoiler:Ga'ran]] as a villain. |
| 69 | * CryForTheDevil: |
| 70 | ** A good amount of fans feel bad for [[spoiler:Roger Retinz]]. [[DownplayedTrope Not enough to excuse him of]] [[spoiler:killing his fan and student just for]] RevengeByProxy, but he's still sympathized with because of how [[spoiler:his life was ruined from getting kicked out of Troupe Gramarye, even if it was still technically his fault because he was told not to go onstage due to fear of injuring the other performers, and he did so anyway]]. It helps that [[spoiler:the original Troupe Gramarye weren't exactly the nicest people (sans Thalassa [[AntiVillain and possibly Valant]]), to the degree that even though it's never explicitly confirmed, many fans are confident that Roger genuinely had legitimate reason to hold a grudge against Magnifi]]. |
| 71 | ** The game's biggest AssholeVictim, [[spoiler:Inga Karkhuul Khura'in]], gets similar treatment, especially in comparison to his EvilerThanThou killer. Yes, he was TheHeavy for both the Defense Culpability Act and the BigBad ([[spoiler:his own wife and eventual killer, no less]]), and he even [[spoiler:abducted Maya and killed Dhurke during an attempted {{Starscream}} coup]]; but it's also revealed that he, [[spoiler:unlike his wife, genuinely cared about Rayfa]]. |
| 72 | * DisappointingLastLevel: The revisualization segment of "Turnabout Time Traveler" is widely considered the most underwhelming to date, and to many players feels more like it's only there out of obligation, having only three questions with the first two being painfully obvious. The first question effectively amounts to [[CaptainObvious "the murderer used the murder weapon"]], a fact people have mercilessly mocked this revisualization for ever since. Part of the problem is the revisualization's placement in the narrative, as instead of taking place when the defense is in a dire spot and the culprit is about to get away with everything, it happens when the culprit is already pretty much cornered and the defense is simply readying to deliver the final blow, so the whole thing can also come across as an AntiClimax. |
| 73 | * EnsembleDarkHorse: |
| 74 | ** The Khura'inese Judge is beloved for being the one ReasonableAuthorityFigure in Khura'in and someone who has shown to genuinely seek justice, unlike the other Khura'inese people at trials who chanted death every chance they got at both Phoenix and the defendants. What truly cemented him as an EnsembleDarkHorse, though, was him [[ShutUpHannibal standing up to Rayfa]] and having her removed from the courtroom in the first case. |
| 75 | ** Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin is regarded as a great StarterVillain due to having a unique and charming gimmick and being a challenging enemy, despite his hammy persona. The fact that he incorporates music into his testimonies makes them memorable on a gameplay level, and leads to some hilarious moments when the courtroom temporarily becomes a musical. |
| 76 | ** [[spoiler:Bonny and Betty]] for their eclectic, likeable personality and having one of the most creative courtroom schticks in the game -- though [[spoiler:Bonny]] is liked far more than [[spoiler:Betty]] for being much nicer. |
| 77 | ** Roger Retinz has managed to become popular for being an extreme HateSink TV producer who repeatedly makes things get worse during the investigation. [[spoiler:He's also an old member of Troupe Gramarye and switches from sleazy producer to over-the-top vengeful magician once exposed, and the insane complexity of his plan to get revenge on the Troupe via Trucy, which involves manipulating Trucy's fangirl apprentice and her sister, sacrificing his one true fan, and ultimately shutting down the Wright Anything Agency while getting Trucy locked up for murder, makes him simultaneously despised and loved as one of the greatest minor villains in the series.]] |
| 78 | ** Uendo Toneido is a fairly positive portrayal (though basic) of mental illnesses such as [[ShownTheirWork Dissociative Identity Disorder]] -- but out of Uendo's alters, [[spoiler:Owen has the most fans thanks to being such a sweet boy with the most ''adorable'' scared face when hiding in Uendo's cloak]]. [[NiceGuy There's also his cooperative disposition (at least compared to past witnesses)]] and [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} his weird factor]]. The fact that he also managed to successfully [[spoiler:trick Blackquill, of all people]], certainly helped. |
| 79 | ** Geiru Toneido got a lot of attention since the advent of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVAHr53KoBQ this animation]] by [=Speedoru=], which characterizes her as a MsFanservice character. |
| 80 | ** "Sarge"/[[spoiler:Armie]] Buff, for being a GadgeteerGenius [[spoiler:lad-ette]] with both a downright awesome toy helicopter and an absolutely {{Moe}} character design. [[spoiler:Even more so when she provides the final evidence against her father's killer, thus avenging her father.]] |
| 81 | ** Archie Buff is well liked despite being a victim with no screentime due to his selflessness and love for his daughter. Not to mention [[spoiler:being badass enough to stand up to Paul Atishon and Inga Karkhuul Khura'in by hiding the orb they have desperately been trying to obtain]]. |
| 82 | ** Despite being a smug blowhard, Paul Atishon is one of the most beloved witnesses in the series thanks to his hilarious lines and mannerisms that milk his "crooked politician" shtick for all its worth. Empathizing with Apollo kvetching about his question-dodging and then getting to tear apart all those lies is downright ''cathartic''. |
| 83 | ** Inga Karkhuul Khura'in is far more popular than his wife, being a chillingly despicable mass murderer who poses a substantial threat to Phoenix and Apollo due to his intelligence and ambition. [[spoiler:He, out of all people, is a loving (if terrible) parent to Rayfa, adding an unexpected layer of depth to such a monstrous man. Many fans would have rather he been the BigBad instead of his FlatCharacter of a wife.]] |
| 84 | ** Pierce Nichody is also well liked due to [[spoiler:being a highly intelligent culprit who actually uses his profession to pull off his crime instead of it merely being an InformedAttribute. He's also a handsome and charismatic opponent with a legitimately tragic motivation]]. |
| 85 | * FanNickname: |
| 86 | ** "Khura'in Jesus", for Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin. [[spoiler:After he reveals his true nature, "Heavy Metal Jesus" became just as, if not more, popular for the same.]] |
| 87 | ** Some people nickname Nahyuta Sahdmadhi [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa]] because of their similar hairstyles and Nahyuta's habit of saying "let it go". [[spoiler:Both of them also keep their true feelings hidden in an attempt to protect their loved ones.]] |
| 88 | ** Roger Retinz is nicknamed Creator/RobertDowneyJr or Creator/JohnnyDepp because he looks like them. |
| 89 | * FashionVictimVillain: [[spoiler:Queen Ga'ran's prosecutor outfit looks ''ridiculous''. It's a purple jumpsuit with gold swirls on her boobs and cleavage, a necklace with five magatamas, multi-colored rings on every finger, long fingernails that somehow work as pens, two large pink jewels on the side of her head, and long blue hair that, thanks to PowerFloats and the jewels on the side of her head, make her hair look like a giant spider.]] |
| 90 | * FranchiseOriginalSin: |
| 91 | ** Since the second game, the franchise had an established tradition of making new characters and plot points tie into the backstory of established ones despite never being planned with those in mind, most famously with ''Trials and Tribulations''. While the majority of these are well-received, many think [[spoiler:Apollo being from Khura'in, and Dhurke's adopted son]] is a step too far, as the new backstory is so drastic to where it makes very little sense to have not been brought up before, and the immense influence of it renders [[spoiler:Apollo]] almost unrecognizable as a character. |
| 92 | ** The franchise has long used {{Punny Name}}s to convey hidden meanings in character names found in the original Japanese, and some puns translated less gracefully. For example, the main joke in Kaoru Ohba's name[[note]]Her name, when spelled in the Japanese order, also has "Baka" or "Idiot" in it, although this may not be the main joke, since she isn't as outrageously stupid as some characters[[/note]]- that her surname, when pronounced, sounds like "ObaSan,"- is harder to convey in English, which is why she's called "Wendy Oldbag" in the localization. That said, most of the names in earlier installments actually sounded semi-normal; the first person Phoenix meets in the Kingdom of Khura'in, a young tour guide, is called Ahlbi Ur'gaid, [[DontExplainTheJoke an obvious pun on "I'll be your guide"]] (although "Ur'gaid" is pronounced "Ur-''gay''-de," rather than "your guide" when he's arrested). Even more ridiculous is that Inga's full name is a pun on "How could this name be any longer or more pompous than it already is?", leaving players to wonder "WhoWritesThisCrap" |
| 93 | ** The franchise has been juggling multiple player characters since ''Trials and Tribulations'', in which you played as people besides Phoenix in two out of the five cases, as well as almost half of the last one. In that game, however, it wasn't much of a problem, since Phoenix is still indisputably the protagonist, and the two cases as Mia (which take place before Phoenix became a lawyer) help flesh out her and Phoenix's backstories and ties in to the game's overall plot, while playing as Edgeworth is a fun bonus, fanservice for the first leg of the GrandFinale case. ''Spirit of Justice'', however, makes Apollo the protagonist at the start of the last case despite the fact that he only was the player character in "The Magical Turnabout," while Athena's case is largely plot-irrelevant, much to the disappointment of her fans. |
| 94 | * HePannedItNowHeSucks: Exandshadow's review on WebVideo/GameXplain got flack as many felt he didn't give the game a fair chance having stated in the past ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' is his most hated video game and disliking Apollo and Trucy both who receive large amounts of focus in this game. The fact he decried the game for not capturing the "Charm" of the Original Trilogy didn't do him any favors with the review sitting as one of [=GameXplain's=] most disliked videos. |
| 95 | * IKnewIt: |
| 96 | ** A lot of people predicted that Trucy was going to be a defendant, thanks to multiple screenshots showing a magic show while Trucy herself was conspicuously absent. |
| 97 | ** Many people guessed that Maya would return when trailers showed Phoenix traveling to a country called the "Kingdom of Kurain", though this was more wishful thinking than anything... until it was actually confirmed. Following this, quite a few people predicted that her propensity to get accused as a murderer would come back to haunt her even overseas and that ended up being the plot of "The Rite of Turnabout". |
| 98 | ** Many people guessed Apollo's deceased father was a musician (as he was originally only described as a performer of some kind), to complement his then wife's singing talent. |
| 99 | * ImprovedSecondAttempt: This game's finale has another go at a plot point that had already been used in the finale of ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Investigations]]'', namely that [[spoiler:the BigBad is virtually untouchable due to being in a powerful political position, and can only be formally indicted after being stripped of said position]]. But while the first time, this was strongly disliked, this time around the fans were okay with it (albeit the case was still criticized [[ArcFatigue for a different shared trait]]). The key difference is that in ''Investigations'', [[spoiler:Alba is fired from the embassy offscreen early into his confrontation, when Lang, who was last seen leaving with a wounded leg, takes the evidence of his crimes to the Allebahstian imperial household, and to many players this felt cheap and like a DeusExMachina that virtually made Alba's diplomatic immunity not matter to the plot]]; while in ''Spirit of Justice'', [[spoiler:the player themselves take away Gar'an's power by presenting evidence that she's an illegitimate ruler, and this is only accomplished at the very end of the trial, making it feel a lot more earned; furthermore, the fact Ga'ran kept changing the law throughout the trial to hinder Apollo makes it feel like her power carries a lot more weight in the conflict]]. |
| 100 | * IronWoobie: Apollo Justice. [[spoiler:First, he finally sees his foster brother Nahyuta again after 10 years, and Nahyuta gives him the cold shoulder and keeps prattling on about Apollo going to hell. He then finally sees his adoptive father after 10 years, but then finds out in the middle of a court case that he's been dead all along. Finally, he learns about his real father and has to watch his death through his eyes.]] Multiple characters point out that Apollo doesn't need to put on a brave face considering all the trauma that's happened to him, but Apollo soldiers on with a smile on his face. |
| 101 | * ItsTheSameNowItSucks: A recurring complaint about the game is that certain elements of its plot are retreads of ideas from the original trilogy ("A dragon never yields", and "A true entertainer always keeps a smile on their face" for "The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over", [[spoiler:Nahyuta for Edgeworth in the first game]], [[spoiler:Ga'ran being a composite of Manfred von Karma, Morgan Fey, and several other major villains]], Maya getting accused of murder [[spoiler:and also kidnapped, the latter being used to force Phoenix into representing a client guilty of murder...]]). |
| 102 | * JerkassWoobie: |
| 103 | ** Rayfa at the beginning of her character arc. She's very nearly a SmugSnake, cannot go ten minutes without insulting Nick or making a death threat, cannot admit to error in any way and becomes massively petty if confronted with it...and has absolutely ''abysmal'' self-confidence, torturing herself whenever she fails to live up to her nearly impossible standards and sinking into a CornerOfWoe every time she screws up, even if it's only in her own mind. [[spoiler:Graduates to a plain Woobie later on, when she starts letting go of her prejudice...and it's revealed her “adopted” parents are two of the worst people in the cosmos, with her mother being an order of magnitude or five worse than Inga and actively abusive.]] |
| 104 | ** Paht Rohl turns out to be a thief who stole many artifacts, tried to steal the Founder's Orb and threatened Ahlbi with a gun just before his murder, but he's also a down-on-his-luck man who gave up his dream of becoming a monk and turned to thievery to feed his family. His telling Ahlbi not to turn out like him indicates that he cared for the boy, and that he has regrets about the kind of person he became. |
| 105 | ** Dumas Gloomsbury tries to kill Ellen on her wedding day [[spoiler:as well as stabbing Sorin]] and comes off as an AssholeVictim. However, his turn toward murder becomes understandable (albeit not justified) when you consider that [[spoiler:he was made into TheScapegoat for the accident that killed Selena, just to protect Sorin's reputation, so he'd obviously have reason to resent him]]. It also turns out that he wasn't killed in self-defense, but [[spoiler:by his accomplice, in an attempt to wrap up loose ends and frame Ellen.]] |
| 106 | * LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: |
| 107 | ** A non-lethal case in "Turnabout Revolution". [[spoiler:Trucy is worried that Apollo's court battle against Phoenix will make things sour enough between them for Apollo to leave the agency]]. The player isn't likely to take this seriously, not even Apollo himself... but [[spoiler:he really does so at the end of the case to reopen Dhurke's law offices]]. |
| 108 | ** Another variation happens in "Turnabout Time Traveler." After Sorin becomes the prime suspect in Gloomsbury's murder, Phoenix and Maya realize that if the only way to save Ellen is by convicting Sorin, then there's no way for them to be together. [[spoiler:Phoenix persists and finds out that Pierce is the real culprit, giving the couple their happy ending]] |
| 109 | * LoveToHate: |
| 110 | ** Roger Retinz, AKA the Ratings Rajah. On the hate side, he has many KickTheDog moments against Trucy and the entire agency. On the love side, [[spoiler:the way he pulls off a near-perfect murder plan with a hint of Rube Goldberg can almost make one admire how insane it was how he pulled it all off, just to spite Troupe Gramarye]]. |
| 111 | ** Paul Atishon. On the hate side, he is a terrible person who plays into every negative sterotype regarding politicians out there. On the other hand, he has side-busting hilarious lines and [[spoiler: the case ends with him going into a hilarious top-notch breakdown]]. |
| 112 | ** Inga is shown to be a ruthless bastard who happily talks about how often he signs off on getting political prisoners executed [[spoiler:and ends up killing Dhurke]], and fans love him due to his intimidation factor and [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes genuine love for Rayfa]]. This stands in sharp contrast to [[spoiler:his wife Ga'ran]], who fans [[TheScrappy genuinely can't stand]]. |
| 113 | * MagnificentBastard: |
| 114 | ** [[spoiler:[[AntiVillain Tahrust Inmee]] is a member of the Defiant Dragons and a high priest in Khura'in. After finding out his wife murdered Rheel Nehmu out of self-defense he staged a plan to defend her by committing suicide, pinning the blame and the identity of Lady Kee'ra on Maya by using the Divination Séance to his advantage thanks to the DC Act. After Phoenix finds the entire truth about his death and the murder of Nehmu, Inmee confesses his crimes before bidding farewell to his wife in the Twilight Realm.]] |
| 115 | ** [[spoiler: Pierce Nichody is the seemingly helpful butler of the Sprocket Household. At first, he seems to only be executing the wishes of Sorin Sprocket's parents, it later turns out he's a surgeon, and had a hidden agenda. Wanting revenge on Sorin and his fiancée Ellen, for the loss of his fiancée, Nichody kicks up a framing plot that involved the usage of false time travel, Pierce organized a near perfect operation, to get both Sorin and Ellen confessing to the crime of murdering Dumas Gloomsbury, Pierce's co-conspirator. Despite insulting the judge and attorneys when cornered as well as bribing them with the company's wealth, Pierce still has a distinct kinder side to him in that he realizes albeit too late that [[TheLostLenore Selena]] would not have wanted him to take revenge and is a surprisingly helpful witness despite being the killer. After admitting his guilt, Pierce's [[TragicKeepsake pocketwatch]] begins to function once more, thus giving him a rather tragic arrest. He even refuses to talk unless directly questioned knowing very well of Phoenix's tactics]]. |
| 116 | * MemeticMutation: |
| 117 | ** It was common to assume that Apollo had died, given the subtitle of this game. Of course, being Apollo, [[{{Jossed}} he's]] [[CatchPhrase fine]], but even after a trailer revealed Apollo as being in the game alive and well, the jokes didn't stop. [[spoiler:The last case does involve the "spirit" of his dead father though, so those people were onto something.]] |
| 118 | ** The turnabout which involves Apollo facing against Phoenix led to numerous [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]] jokes, largely because of the similarity of the conflict between the heroes and similar color schemes of the leaders of both sides. |
| 119 | * MisBlamed: The infamous {{Punny Name}}s used for Khura'in are often held up as the franchise's CulturalTranslation getting a ''bit'' too jokey to the point of making the story hard to take seriously. In reality, however, the names are actually a fairly direct adaptation of the Japanese names, which are just random Japanese words spelt out in katakana to denote them as "foreign". If anything, the localization makes the names ''more'' subtle, since they at minimum still use enough altered spelling and apostrophes to where they could plausibly function as names, while the Japanese doesn't even pretend and has the puns completely unaltered in every way. |
| 120 | * {{Moe}}: |
| 121 | ** [[spoiler:Owen, Uendo's fourth, hidden (and very timid) alter is pretty adorable with the way he tries to shelter himself under Uendo's jacket.]] |
| 122 | ** [[spoiler:Armie Buff, Archie Buff's 12-year old daughter who fancies herself as a DrillSergeantNasty, is absolutely adorable. Even Athena seems to agree.]] |
| 123 | ** Bonny de Famme. She's a sweet, soft-spoken girl who just oozes kindness. [[spoiler:While there are points in the case where you come to question her true personality, those moments end up revealing it's her {{Jerkass}} [[TwinSwitch twin sister]] Betty and that Bonny is every bit as lovable as she comes across as]]. While her {{Leitmotif}} is shared between multiple characters, it's so bouncy and perky that you instantly come to associate it with Bonny on first thought. |
| 124 | * MoralEventHorizon: |
| 125 | ** Amara's assassination [[spoiler:attempt was this for Ga'ran]]. Not only was the queen herself targeted, but the culprit assaulted a person completely unrelated to the matter, leaving him unconscious, and was perfectly content with that person's baby [[spoiler:(Apollo himself)]] ''[[WouldHurtAChild being left to die in the fire]]''. From this point you know how far [[spoiler:Ga'ran]] is willing to go. |
| 126 | ** Gaspen Payne wasn't much of a villain in ''Dual Destinies'', just a huge {{Jerkass}}. Here, however, not only does he trick Phoenix into defending someone without telling him about DC Act, he outright demands his ''execution'' when the Judge claims he'll only be sent to prison if he fails. Not only that, but he gleefully persuades the judge to give the death penalty ''to a nine year old boy'' just to make this happen. Even after Ahlbi is declared innocent, Payne still cares more about the fact that his unbroken winning streak in Khura'in just got broken. By extension, the real culprit crosses it by having Ahlbi take the fall for his crime, and gleefully looking forward to Phoenix being punished along with him. |
| 127 | ** [[spoiler:Roger Retinz]] murdering Manov Mistree. [[spoiler:Retinz murdered someone who was not just his apprentice, but also a dedicated fanboy just to frame Trucy and destroy her life for something her grandfather did.]] |
| 128 | ** [[spoiler:Rheel Neh'mu/Puhray Zeh'lot]] from case 3 crossed this by [[spoiler:trying to murder the ''pregnant'' Beh'leeb Inmee for her and her husband's associations with the Defiant Dragons, mainly due to the fact that the Inmees trusted Neh'mu and viewed him as a surrogate son.]] |
| 129 | ** From what you find out about [[spoiler:Inga Karkhuul Khura'in]] after his death, you might be tempted to conclude that despite his {{jerkass}} behavior he was actually a decent guy deep down, and only acted as he did because of fear of what [[spoiler:Queen Ga'ran might do if he openly tried to oppose her]]. That impression is quickly crushed when you see a flashback depicting him [[spoiler:fatally shooting Dhurke without a care in the world, simply because it was easier than actually going to the trouble of putting him on trial, and making it clear he's only slightly less of a horrible individual than Ga'ran]]. |
| 130 | * SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: |
| 131 | ** Dhurke's "Objection!" is easily one of the coolest in the series thanks to his awesomely deep and powerful voice. |
| 132 | --->'''"A dragon never yields."''' |
| 133 | ** Simon Blackquill's "Silence!" returns from ''Dual Destinies'' in case 4, only targeted towards the prosecution this time around. |
| 134 | * {{Narm}}: |
| 135 | ** At the end of Case 2, Trucy and the culprit have a brief conversation about the latter's motives for the murder and attempt to frame her, but it's harder to take seriously because both speakers are taking turns on the witness stand, despite the fact that Trucy should be elsewhere in the court; the manga and anime show the defendants sitting elsewhere in the courtroom while someone else is on the witness stand. |
| 136 | ** The end of case 3 where [[spoiler:Beh'leeb and Tahrust say their final goodbyes before Tahrust departs for the afterlife once more. It's a heartwarming and sad scene that can be hard to take seriously thanks to the fact that due to being channeled by Maya, Tahrust, a bald and emaciated middle-aged man with black eyes, looks ''ridiculous''.]] |
| 137 | ** Beh'leeb muttering the words "it's that time again" may cause a few players to stifle a laugh or two over the [[MenstrualMenace poor choice of words]] during a dramatic moment where [[spoiler: she confesses over her killing of Puhray Zeh'lot in self-defense]]. |
| 138 | ** Finding out a certain character's real name [[spoiler:(Rheel Neh'mu)]] is often pointed out as the tipping point for many players to stop taking Case 3 seriously. |
| 139 | ** While Apollo's HeroicBSOD upon learning of [[spoiler:Dhurke's death]] is a genuine TearJerker, his line "Wh-Who... What... ...was I even fighting for?" may ruin the mood for people familiar with the infamous [[MemeticMutation "WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOOOOOOORRRRR?!"]] in another Creator/{{Capcom}} game, ''VideoGame/MegaManX4''. |
| 140 | ** While [[spoiler:Dhurke's death scene]] is most certainly seen as a badass moment, it has been noted that it looks very strange how [[spoiler:Inga]] is supposed to run away from the tomb when his animation makes it look like he's running into the sarcophagus. |
| 141 | ** For a number of people, everything about [[spoiler:Ga'ran]] in the final trial can be this [[spoiler:due to her ridiculous evil attires that border on unapologetic {{Fanservice}}, or how rather easy it can be to deduce that she's the true culprit and BigBad of the game]]. |
| 142 | * NightmareFuel: See [[NightmareFuel/AceAttorney here]]. |
| 143 | * ObviousJudas: The BigBad being [[spoiler:Queen Ga'ran]]. From before you even start the final case, [[spoiler:she's established as the person [[BigGood Dhurke]] is directly fighting against, having been the one who drafted the DC Act, as well as the one who falsely accused Dhurke of being Amara's killer. During the investigation, it's revealed Inga was planning a coup against her, giving her a rather obvious motive to kill him (Amara, by contrast, has no motive for the entire case up until she gives her false confession), and she is also the only narrative candidate for being behind Amara's assassination attempt in the backstory (as the only two characters established to have been present back then besides her are Amara and Dhurke).]] Phoenix observes that [[spoiler:Ga'ran seems rather calm for someone whose husband was just killed (unlike Rayfa, who is rather upset), and notes that Amara's "death" allowed Ga'ran to take the throne]], making [[spoiler:Ga'ran]] an obvious suspect. This is all before the the final trial, where, right at the start, [[spoiler:Ga'ran does a complete 180 in [[CardCarryingVillain personality]] and [[ObviouslyEvil design]], and the ''very first statement'' of the trial, when pressed, has Dhurke outright refer to her as a villain.]] While granted, during the investigation it is stated that they had an airtight alibi with multiple witnesses, it can be hard to believe that [[spoiler:she]] isn't involved in the final case in any way. |
| 144 | * OlderThanTheyThink: The idea of lawyer genocide wasn't actually invented by this game. Over 10 years before the game's release ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' used it in the episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS1E4And5InBlackestNight In Blackest Night]]" where an alien race claims that punishing the lawyers with their clients was how they "[[EvilLawyerJoke solved their lawyer problem]]". |
| 145 | * PlayerPunch |
| 146 | ** Case 1 operates under the constant threat of one and uses it to establish the stakes you are up against: if you lose this trial not only is a nine-year old ''child'' going to be ''sentenced to death'' for a murder they aren't guilty of but the DC Act ensures Phoenix Wright himself is going to join him. Never in the series has the potential outcome of a trial felt as direly winner-take-all as this one with as much pressure to not screw up and you're just starting the game. |
| 147 | ** [[spoiler:Dhurke]]'s death. [[spoiler:He suddenly shows up in case 5 after being teased multiple times and appearing very briefly at the end of the third case, and it turns out he's a [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents hilarious]] [[GoodParents father]] who wants nothing more than to reconnect with his foster son and figure out a way to have the revolution succeed. He manages to reconnect with Apollo after saving his life- but upon their return to Kuh'rain he manages to get framed for murder. He's made extremely lovable and sympathetic over one day in-game and then, as you slowly find out, he was DeadAllAlong.]] |
| 148 | * RonTheDeathEater: Nahyuta Sadhmadi is undeniably quite the relentless jerk to the defense and is quick to demonize the defendant, but he's otherwise quite civil and polite. He's quite fair with Ema, reasonably critical when he feels she's siding too much with the defense but extensively praises her when he believes she's done a good job, is more respectful towards the judge than arguably any other prosecutor in the series, and is shown to be quite understanding with witnesses (so long as they're cooperative and don't lie, anyway). And yet these good points tend to get ignored by a decent portion of the fandom, with his bad points commonly exaggerated and some made up entirely to suit the purposes of those that dislike him (such as supposedly being an abusive boss towards Ema). |
| 149 | * TheScrappy: |
| 150 | ** Bucky Whet for being a useless drunk defendant who only redeems himself at the end of Case 4; with a bizarre design (not ugly per se but just very weird for a 20 year old young man) he constantly vomits in his mouth (to the point it becomes an unfunny gag) and faints, speaks extremely slurred, and gets people's names wrong, particularly Athena. He's not nearly this terrible when he's sober, but that is unfortunately uncommon. |
| 151 | ** Although [[spoiler: Ga'ran]] is a clear HateSink through and through, a good portion of the fandom hates them more due to how relatively weak they are compared to the other villains of the franchise. [[spoiler: Her ObviouslyEvil attire and how much the game tries to frame the fact that she's not somehow the murderer of the case (especially considering the longevity of the case) did not sit well with many fans. Adding to it, she's also not as intelligent and cunning as one would expect, making a few too many mistakes that were seen as convenient for the game to find her guilty given that she could've just not had the trial in the first place. She's usually compared to [[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Quercus Alba]] when discussing worst main antagonist in the franchise.]] |
| 152 | * ScrappyMechanic: The fingerprinting in this game has gotten on some people's nerves. For starters, the player is required to examine a pretty large 3D object with white powder, but there's a limited amount and the action area is tiny compared to the object's surface. Not only that, but the player has to bear with a camera that's very zoomed in, requiring a lot of scrolling and rotating of the object. The blowing doesn't work sometimes, and to top it all off, the location of fingerprints is sometimes [[ViolationOfCommonSense counterintuitive]]. Worse, you can't save during the fingerprinting sequence, thereby forcing you to finish if you want to put the game down without potentially losing progress. |
| 153 | * SelfFanservice: Largely influenced by Speedoru's ''Disgraced Attorney'' fan animation a lot of fan art of Geiru Toneido depicts her with large breasts and her outfit showing a lot of cleavage. In the actual game her outfit covers up her cleavage, and while she does have large breasts [[spoiler: [[FakeBoobs they're actually balloons]]]]. |
| 154 | * SequelDifficultySpike: |
| 155 | ** Because of the overabundance of UnwantedAssistance in ''Dual Destinies'', the developers have said they want to pursue a more challenging game this time by dropping fewer clues directly in the dialogue and letting players turn off hints. Probably an instance of Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad. |
| 156 | ** The game also gives the player just five penalty points instead of the health bar system most AA games since the first one use, probably because the previous game mostly ceased with the practice of variable penalties... though the game also has a few variable penalties as well, and is even the first game since ''Trials & Tribulations'' to include 100%, or ''unlimited'' penalties. |
| 157 | ** InUniverse example: in his entire career, Phoenix has never had to face evidence more damning than the conjured last memories of the murder victim showing his defendant raising the murder weapon up to their face. |
| 158 | ** This is especially evident in the first case, which happens to reach levels of difficulty not seen since ''Trials and Tribulations'' right after you take on the true culprit [[spoiler:Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin]], much like when you take on [[spoiler:Dahlia Hawthorne.]] |
| 159 | * ShockingMoments: The ''entirety'' of "Turnabout Revolution", especially during the Khura'in half. From Apollo and Dhurke's venture into Kurain Village, to Apollo taking on and ''defeating'' [[spoiler:''Phoenix'' during the U.S. trial,]] to the multiple reveals and twists throughout the case, to [[spoiler:Apollo's HeroicBSOD after learning of Dhurke's death,]] and [[spoiler:Apollo beating Queen Ga'ran and her henchmen when confronting her,]] this case is an emotional rollercoaster on the level of "Farewell, My Turnabout" and "Bridge to the Turnabout", [[spoiler:only with Apollo as the main character instead of Phoenix.]] |
| 160 | * ShipsThatPassInTheNight: Simon Blackquill/Nahuyta Sahdmadhi, or "Blackmadhi," has some popularity despite only having a few antagonistic interactions in "Turnabout Storyteller." Reasons why they are shipped can be because [[FoeYayShipping people enjoyed their antagonism]], [[OppositesAttract their opposing color schemes and temperaments]], or [[spoiler: [[MirrorCharacter the similarity of them both turning out to being]] GoodAllAlong foes who put up a façade to protect a young girl (Athena for Simon, Rayfa for Nahyuta)]], or all of the above. |
| 161 | * SpecialEffectFailure: The otherwise-impressively animated sequence of Inga [[spoiler:fatally shooting Dhurke]] in Queen Amara's tomb is undermined a little by having Inga pass through Amara's coffin when he runs out of the tomb. |
| 162 | * {{Squick}}: ''Spirit of Justice'' features a distinct increase in sexually-charged jokes made toward young adult or outright underaged characters, including multiple such jokes directed at the 17 year-old Trucy. For instance, at the start of the final case, [[spoiler:Dhurke makes a passing comment to his former adopted son Apollo about Trucy being "bride material", to which Trucy plays along, calling Dhurke "dad". Seems like a cute bit of Ship Tease...until one remembers that Apollo and Trucy are ''[[SurpriseIncest biological half-siblings.]]'']] That none of the parties in the scene are aware of this fact makes it all the worse. |
| 163 | * TakeThatScrappy: Many players find Prosecutor Nahyuta Sahdmadhi to be insufferable and irritating, with his extreme arrogance despite being on a gradually increasing losing streak, holier-than-thou attitude, pathological refusal to believe that anyone the police arrests could possibly be innocent, and repeated proclamations that every member of the Wright Anything Agency and all of their clients are going to burn in hell for all eternity. [[spoiler:And even upon the learning that this was all an act he was forced to play, that doesn't make his behavior any less infuriating to sit through, and that's to say nothing of whether or not they feel this twist made sense]]. Thankfully for these people however, Nahyuta has possibly the most viscerally satisfying attorney breakdown animation in the entire series; he stretches his beads between his fingers in anger until they snap... and then every last one of the beads, as if by magic, ''flies straight into his face'', assaulting him one after the other in rapid succession until he's finally knocked clean off his feet and falls flat on his back behind the prosecutor's stand. |
| 164 | ** At the end of the second case, Apollo replies to Nahyuta's latest claim that Apollo and Trucy are going to hell with a rather satisfying ShutUpHannibal, saying that ''Nahyuta'' is the one going there for trying to convict an innocent girl, resulting in the aforementioned breakdown. It's fun to watch, and it's nice to see a prosecutor get called out for continuing to insist on the defendant's guilt to the bitter end despite all evidence to the contrary. |
| 165 | ** In addition, when Blackquill steps in to assist Athena, it's extremely satisfying to hear his trademark "[[SilenceYouFool SILENCE!]]" directed at Sahdmadhi. Not to mention how he constantly mocks Nahyuta during the whole trial. |
| 166 | * ThatOnePuzzle: The final Bracelet segment in the game comes off as this as it's surprisingly difficult compared to other Perceives in the series. It's a ''very'' subtle tell that happens in a portion of the statement you'd initially not pay any attention to, [[spoiler:as you assume Amara's tell is on lying about killing Inga, but it's on lying about going to the tomb during the Rite of Channeling]]. |
| 167 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: |
| 168 | ** Inga is a legitimately threatening, intelligent villain who is established early into the story, and also works an EvilCounterpart for Dhurke in his [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes genuine love for his daughter Rayfa.]] [[spoiler:He only gets a few scenes where he threatens Phoenix, before being killed off as the victim of the final trial.]] Many fans lament his underuse, feeling he would've made a far more effective and interesting BigBad than [[spoiler:Ga'ran]], a character widely reviled for being a GenericDoomsdayVillain, and especially feel that his relationship with Rayfa needed far more elaboration. |
| 169 | ** [[spoiler:Jove Justice, Apollo's biological father. Other characters speak well of him and his final moments in the Divination Séance are crucial to taking down Ga'ran. However, little else beyond him being a wandering musician is revealed. Even the information gleaned from his final memories has nothing to do with who he was as a person, since he just happened to catch a glimpse of his killer’s hand in a reflection after falling over.]] |
| 170 | ** Yay, Maya Fey's back! Except she doesn't actually appear until the third episode and even then she spends most of the game being a plot device over a character, either as a DamselInDistress to give Phoenix angst and motivation or as a tool in Spirit Medium shenanigans, if not both. It doesn't help that both options are mere retreads of territory explored by the original trilogy without the benefit of Phoenix and Maya's relationship being the centerpiece of the story to generate real drama. She also gets almost no interactions with any characters besides Phoenix and Edgeworth, to the point of not even speaking once to Phoenix's own daughter. |
| 171 | ** A common complaint about about "Turnabout Time Traveler" is that Sorin is this. Many consider TheReveal that [[spoiler:he, not the victim, was responsible for the accident that killed Selena, and that he suffers from a memory disorder which causes him to lose all memories developed after the accident]] a genuinely fascinating one, but the character in left greatly underwritten in the actual game. His relationships with Ellen and Nichody are left heavily unexplored (most glaringly never giving a reason why the heir of a wealthy aviation company fell in love with a simple maid), and [[spoiler:his anterograde amnesia]] is treated as more a plot device for the case in spite of the tremendous impact it would have on his life and relationships. This makes the push towards giving him and Ellen a happy ending lose a lot of impact. |
| 172 | ** Also from "Turnabout Time Traveler," it's shown that Sorin's family is not at all happy about him marrying his maid Ellen, but the player only meets a handful of people who don't get names or portraits. Having one of the other Sprockets testify might have been a nice addition to the case, especially considering that Ellen's in-laws were the first to see Ellen with the body and might have provided more insight into how they feel about their son's marriage or the crash that killed Selena. |
| 173 | ** "Turnabout Time Traveler" is presented as a NostalgiaLevel, featuring Phoenix and Maya facing off against Edgeworth, with Larry as a witness, as well as making several nods to the original trilogy such as the murder weapon being a clock or one of Larry's drawings being used as evidence. However, many fans lamented that this intended nostalgia trip isn't complete without Gumshoe, who hasn't been seen since ''VisualNovel/GyakutenKenji2'' and had just received a quick indirect mention in "Turnabout Revolution"; to those fans, this was the obvious case to [[TheBusCameBack bring him back]], and the fact that he was passed over for Ema is seen as a waste, even if it gets a [[CharacterRerailment freshly re-railed Ema]] a bit more screentime. |
| 174 | * TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: |
| 175 | ** Inga's relationship with Rayfa. [[spoiler:While Inga helped spearhead Gar'an's oppressive regime, killed Dhurke, kidnapped Maya, and planned a coup, it's implied that he genuinely loved Rayfa. He not only used her birthday as a safe number but he also kept a card she made for him when she was younger, which touches and surprises Rayfa. However, this plot point is quickly dropped, making it feel wasted, particularly as it offers a contrast to how Ga'ran treats Rayfa.]] |
| 176 | ** It's mentioned multiple times that ''anyone'' deceased can be channeled no matter how much time has passed since their death, with their memories always no different to what they were at the time of death (or last channeling). [[spoiler:This never gets used once, as Tahrust and Dhurke, the only two characters to be channeled, were both recent deaths.]] This especially sticks out in regards to the Founder's Orb, a major MacGuffin which the first half of "Turnabout Revolution" is about [[spoiler:and is supposed to allow a medium to channel the Holy Mother, or even a normal person to gain spiritual powers. Despite having an extremely skilled medium on the heroes' side in Maya and a number of possibilities for granting other members of the cast her channelling ability, this never actually happens, with the orb being relegated to a minor subplot used to prove Ga'ran is a fraud when she fails to channel the Holy Mother.]] |
| 177 | ** "Turnabout Revolution" has attracted complaints of suffering from attempting to shove almost an entire game's worth of backstory and CharacterDevelopment into a single case, and as a result having ''severe'' issues in narrative truncation. Apollo's relationship with Nahyuta is easily the biggest victim of this; after the reveal midway through Case 3 that [[spoiler:the two are adopted brothers]], the two don't meet again until the final trial, which Nahyuta spends much of it taking a backseat [[spoiler:to Ga'ran]] until late into the trial. This causes the emotional impact of their interactions in the endgame to be neutered heavily, especially come the climax. |
| 178 | ** At the end of “Turnabout Revolution”, you learn that Trucy hid in Edgeworth’s suitcase and smuggled herself into Khura’in alongside the rest of the cast. This could’ve allowed for her to assist in Apollo’s investigations there like she did in the fourth game, as well as meet and interact with his foster family members and the other characters from Khura’in. Rather than take advantage of these opportunities, though, the game doesn’t reveal that she’s there until after the conclusion of the final trial, seemingly just so [[spoiler:she can say goodbye to Apollo when he decides not to return to the U.S.]] It’s never explained what she was up to in the intervening time, and she has no meaningful interactions with Nahyuta, Rayfa, or anyone else. |
| 179 | * TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler:Dhurke. Leader of a revolution. Raised two children by himself, as an outlaw, for almost 20 years. Finally killed saving [[HeroicSacrifice someone he didn't even know]]. And he even comes back from the dead to help finish the revolution and meeting the son he never got to see one last time]]. |
| 180 | * TrappedByMountainLions: Athena and Simon's role in case 4. It has absolutely nothing to do with the main story, it's not nearly as interesting as the other cases, and it is sometimes criticized for being a rather pointless case that disrupts the momentum that the first three cases built up. |
| 181 | * UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: As mentioned in BaseBreakingCharacter, the culprits of Case 3, [[spoiler:Behleeb and Tahrust Inmee.]] While they were forced into a desperate situation, they resorted to a plan that could likely have cost Phoenix and Maya (the latter of whom knew them for two years and was practically part of their family) their lives under the Defense Culpability Act, and end up being EasilyForgiven for it. |
| 182 | ** The culprit of "Turnabout Storyteller" [[spoiler:Geiru Toneido]] is intended as a TragicVillain who ended up horrifically remorseful over the murder she committed, and whom even Simon shows sympathy for after their arrest. Many fans don't agree, as [[spoiler:she ended up murdering her master and framing Uendo for reasons that seem ''incredibly'' petty to many people, given that even she admits she didn't have nearly enough talent to inherit her late father's title, yet ''still'' went through with a murder plan out of bitterness towards Uendo being given it over her. This is made worse by how her plan specifically framed Owen, who was mentally a five-year-old child, yet never once is she called out on this in any way.]] |
| 183 | ** Alternatively, the victim may qualify (although the two aren't mutually exclusive). Even if you accept the explanation that he [[spoiler:wanted the victim to feel free to follow her own path]], he did so in perhaps the most insensitive way possible, and would have been better off having her sit down for a talk before [[spoiler:giving the title to Uendo]]. There's also the fact that he stole Bucky Whet's deed to the soba shop, allegedly as a SecretTestOfCharacter. He's meant to be seen as a wise old man who's misunderstood, but he's one of a relative minority of murder victims who [[AssholeVictim wronged both the defendant and the real killer enough to give them a plausible motive for murder]]. |
| 184 | ** The true culprit of the DLC case. His whole reason for wanting revenge against Sorin largely came about due to his own idiocy, which he [[NeverMyFault doesn't acknowledge]], and he [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown flat-out ignores]] the fact that Sorin has his own painful experiences to deal with from the same incident. And yet when he's exposed in court, he's treated as a TragicVillain rather than a murderous {{hypocrite}} out to ruin Sorin's life even further because of a misplaced sense of vengeance. To explain; [[spoiler: after his fiancée and Sorin were both caught in a car crash, Nichody agreed to perform lifesaving surgery on Sorin first, at the request of his even more badly injured fiancée. Sorin meanwhile lost his sister (Nichody's fiancée) in that same crash, and is literally unable to remember anything that happens after said crash]]. |
| 185 | * ValuesDissonance: Not only is "Turnabout Storyteller" hard to understand for non-Japanese audiences due to focusing on rakugo, as well as soba and udon noodles to a lesser extent, there's also the killer's motive. [[spoiler:Geiru, the daughter of the previous Uendo Toneido, ended up being snubbed in favor of the current Uendo, an outsider, resulting in her killing her master and trying to frame Uendo for the crime.]] According to a comment on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUOYXcKtfJA this]] [=YouTube=] video, stage names are SeriousBusiness in Japan, having been passed down since the 17th century, making the killer's reasons more understandable. |
| 186 | * ViewerGenderConfusion: |
| 187 | ** It's really hard to tell what gender Nahyuta Sahdmadhi is, whose face borders on looking like a {{Bifauxnen}} woman and a very {{Bishonen}} man. It doesn't help that his gender wasn't mentioned at all when the character was announced. The anime prologue finally resolved this by showing he has a clearly masculine voice. This is leftover from earlier designs where Nahyuta was supposed to be gender neutral, so likely {{Invoked}}. |
| 188 | ** [[spoiler:Kisegawa. Since Uendo, Patches, and Owen are all male, it's easy to assume that Kisegawa is male as well, but a perceptive player may pick up on the fact that she uses the higher pitched bips. Additionally, if a certain statement is pressed Athena addresses Kisegawa as 'Ms. Kisegawa', confirming that Kisegawa is indeed female.]] |
| 189 | * ViewerPronunciationConfusion: Some fans, at least at first, misinterpret the [[PunnyName pun]] on Datz Are'bal (which is "that's a rebel") as "that's our ball", and pronounce the name accordingly. Then again, Datz is very much a goof''ball'', so the "incorrect" pun does make a bit of sense. |
| 190 | * SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The team is clearly more accustomed to working in 3D this time as they go to much greater lengths to take advantage of it: |
| 191 | ** Even early screenshots of the game resemble the higher resolution of the iOS port of ''Dual Destinies''. |
| 192 | ** When a new witness appears on the stand, [[FeetFirstIntroduction the shot pans up from the floor.]] |
| 193 | ** The channeling dance demonstrated by Rayfa is a great achievement by itself as the most elaborate animation in series history thus far. |
| 194 | ** Bonny [[spoiler:and Betty performing their teleporting trick in the courtroom, having them sit atop the defense and prosecution benches]]. |
| 195 | ** Roger Retinz's [[spoiler:breakdown is so well done in terms of animation, symbolism, and music that it's now considered to be one of the best breakdowns in the entire series. The way his expressions and movements go from calm, and cool, to panicked, and terrified as the spotlights get brighter, and brighter on him as his [[RuleOfSymbolism crimes come to light]] make the entire thing absolutely ''stunning.'']] |
| 196 | ** Phoenix manipulating Khura'in's Treasure Box. |
| 197 | ** Trucy actually demonstrating a trick during her testimony instead of simply describing it. |
| 198 | ** The confrontation between [[spoiler:Dhurke and Inga, where Dhurke gets shot in the chest. Particularly the animation of Inga panicking, dropping his weapon, and running away, all done from the usual forward-facing investigation perspective]]. |
| 199 | * TheWoobie: |
| 200 | ** Ema Skye. She may have [[ThrowTheDogABone received the forensic detective position she always wanted ever since case 1-5]], but between having to testify against two of her friends (Trucy and Maya), being subject to hours-long sermons by Nahyuta, and [[spoiler:breaking the bad news about Dhurke's death to Apollo]], things have been pretty rough on her. At least she finally gets to testify for her hero, Edgeworth, in the DLC case. |
| 201 | ** [[spoiler:Armie Buff, Archie Buff's 12-year-old daughter. Her mother died in a fire, she lost the ability to walk, and gained severe PTSD as a result, especially around fire, and she becomes a shut-in. 6 months later, her father is killed.]] |
| 202 | ** Ahlbi Ur'gaid from the first case. The poor kid is ''nine years old'' and not only is he accused of a murder, but the entire court wants him ''dead'' and the prosecutor is gleefully cheering them on. To make matters worse, [[spoiler:the victim was someone he really admired but turned out to be a thief who actually ''pulled a gun on him'' in a moment of panic.]] |
| 203 | ** The culprit of case 3. [[spoiler:Tahrust and Behleeb Inmee are both ultimately good people: one being a kindhearted priest and the other being his loving wife. But due to them associating with the Defiant Dragons who wish to overthrow the corrupt Khura'inese government, their lives are ruined when Behleeb kills a secret police member in self defense. Thanks to their connections with the rebels, Tahrust and Behleeb have no way to avoid being executed due to the corrupt DC Act, which leads to Tahrust killing himself and framing Maya Fey for it as well as the secret police member's murder in order to protect his ''pregnant'' wife.]] |
| 204 | ** The culprit of Case 4. [[spoiler:Who actually had a good reason to want her master dead. Her reason for wanting her master dead was because he snubbed her by not giving her the name Uendo instead giving it to his junior disciple basically telling her (in her mind) that all she could ever amount to is being a balloon artist. She [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight hates the job]], and just wanted to follow in her daddy's footsteps who she really admired. Turns out the reason she wasn't given the name wasn't because she was talentless but because Taifu wanted her to find her own calling in life away from Rakugo and was making Udon noodles knowing perfectly well she was allergic to Soba to talk with her about exactly that. When she finds that out and is exposed as Teifu's killer, she cries tears of remorse. Geiru killed Teifu on impulse and a misunderstanding. When you find that out, you'll want to hug the poor thing after she's confessed]] |
| 205 | ** [[spoiler:Owen. The poor kid watches as Geiru murders his mentor and then gets framed for it.]] |
| 206 | * {{Woolseyism}}: |
| 207 | ** [[http://www.capcom-unity.com/zeroobjections/blog/2016/10/01/one-grand-finale-weddings-rakugo-and-succession This development blog]] recounts how the English version was actually able to outright mention alcohol in Case 4. [[ValuesDissonance The Japanese rating system, CERO, is much harsher on alcohol than America's ESRB or Europe's PEGI]], so the original Japanese had to use an UnusualEuphemism for sake [[ViewersAreGeniuses that would only make sense to players with knowledge of a specific Rakugo story]] (apparently, even native Japanese players had trouble with it). The English version couldn't have done this without several pages worth of InfoDump to explain it, but thanks to more lenient ratings they were able to just outright call it sake, making figuring out one plot point a lot less cryptic while also making Bucky Whet's antics much funnier. |
| 208 | ** The whole business with Paul Atishon[[spoiler:-Wimperson]]'s EmbarrassingLastName was made up for the English localization as an alternate solution for a puzzle. In Japanese, his e-mail address is an alternate reading of his name's kanji followed by his birth date. English doesn't have any real equivalent, so they added an extra bit to his last name and then made the address his full initials followed by his birth date. |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext YMMV / PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
