Line #14 YMMV/ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney


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]]'' \| ''[[YMMV/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]''\
5	Spin-offs:\
6	''YMMV/{{Ace Attorney Investigations\|MilesEdgeworth}}'' \| ''YMMV/GyakutenKenji2'' \| '''''Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''''' \| ''YMMV/TheGreatAceAttorney''\
7	Other media:\
8	[[YMMV/AceAttorney2012 The 2012 film]] \| [[YMMV/AceAttorney2016 The anime]]]]-]]]
9	----
10	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
11	** Is Johnny Smiles essentially a British Larry who's full of himself, or [[spoiler:[[HiddenDepths did he know about the jewel smuggling]] and deliberately hid evidence from the court hoping that the victim doesn't know anything about it so someone could catch her in a lie]]?
12	** Immediately after the Legendary Fire, [[spoiler:Eve's first reaction was asking people not to blame Espella for what happened. Was this more motivated by her desire to deflect the blame off herself, or to protect Espella? While Eve convinced herself that Espella was responsible, she also agreed to take part in the plan to heal Espella's trauma until it resulted in her father being DrivenToSuicide, suggesting that Eve genuinely wanted to help Espella before she blamed the Cantabellas for her father's death. The Storyteller always knew that Eve was the one who'd rung the bell, but knew from the look in her eyes that she wasn't intentionally lying]].
13	* AngstWhatAngst: While she's horrified about it at first, Darklaw seems to get over [[spoiler:the revelation that she's the one who caused the Legendary Fire]] alarmingly quickly. [[spoiler:Mere minutes after the reveal, the shock and trauma seem to have largely worn off and she appears to feel more upset about wrongfully blaming Espella for it than she does about learning that she accidentally killed likely hundreds of people as a child, including her own mother.]] This can be explained by how [[spoiler:the Fire was an accident that she couldn't have anticipated, while her revenge plot was a premeditated act of betrayal against her best friend caused by something that wasn't even Espella's fault]].
14	* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Awesome Levels]]: The Golden Court is beloved by fans due to [[spoiler:showing how the rest of the cast deal with Layton's "death", Maya being the defendant, Luke being a witness, and Jean Greyerl being an interesting antagonist]].
15	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
16	** The second trailer presents a mix of both the ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' ''and'' the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' themes.
17	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYg0J2rE0Aw The Labyrinthian Pursuit theme, "Casting Magic,"]] is possibly the most grandiose Pursuit theme to appear in an ''Ace Attorney'' game yet.
18	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Ysg4Tlu-4 "Puzzle Deductions"]] just makes you want to get up and solve a mystery or three.
19	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Mtx_4nJj0 The "Objection!" theme.]] With its sweeping strings and grand brass section, it lends a dramatic and epic air to the proceedings.
20	** When the final trial begins with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7czv7Ij3iM this powerful tune,]] you know it's sure to be a hell of a conclusion.
21	** The English court music is all orchestral mixes of ''Ace Attorney 1'' themes, giving them all an updated sound that has not been heard before:
22	*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdSlHGs4vOs "Objection! 2001"]].
23	*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LEBWgOC9ww "Cross Examination~Allegro 2001"]].
24	*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E8X4AYFIQU "Pursuit ~ Cornered"]].
25	** One of the cutscene soundtracks counts as well: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb5hssubTew "Rescue and Retribution"]]. It plays during a '''''MASSIVE''''' PlayerPunch in one of the most [[WhamEpisode shocking]] and [[TearJerker heart-wrenching]] scenes in the entire game, [[spoiler:''especially'' for the ''Ace Attorney'' fans.]]
26	** [[https://youtu.be/XFm72MwYBYc The main theme]] is swelling with mystery and wonder, perfect for our protagonists' journey into Labyrinthia.
27	* BrokenAesop: Phoenix and Layton [[spoiler: making a point that there is no such thing as magic]] can be seen as a bit hypocritical, given that both series have [[spoiler:elements of the supernatural as plot points, such as Maya's channeling and Luke's zoolingualism]]. On the other hand, they are actually pretty quick to accept [[spoiler:the magic overall and apply their logic in a MagicAIsMagicA sort of way, and only really start unraveling that thread when they notice contradictions in the magic itself]].
28	* BrokenBase:
29	** A recurring discussion among fans of the game is whether or not the Ace Attorney characters were overshadowed by Layton throughout the whole story, to the point that their presence comes across as pointless. The professor leads Phoenix in half of the game's cases, providing him with the evidence and hints needed for the turnabout, not to mention how he is the one who ultimately solves the mystery of Labyrinthia. Meanwhile, Phoenix's main contribution is taking part in the witch trials, which eventually turn out to be redundant, as it's revealed [[spoiler: that there really is nothing at stake. Those who are given the guilty verdict don't end up dying, they are merely taken to Eldwitch Woods]]. Others will argue that Wright's skills as a lawyer are absolutely vital to the development of the plot, and that [[spoiler:Layton's disappearance]] halfway through the game gives the attorney some much deserved spotlight, even giving him the opportunity to bond with Luke. The ending, where [[spoiler:Eve confesses that she never intended Phoenix and Maya to have much of a role in her plans]], has only added fuel to the fire. Either it lends credence to the idea that the Ace Attorney characters were pointless or [[spoiler:proves that Phoenix was a SpannerInTheWorks]].
30	** The utter ridiculousness of Labyrinthia's secret is either loved for being even more bizarre than Professor Layton's second game or despised to the point some think it ruins the game.
31	%%* DamselScrappy: Espella is the defendant in most of the game's trials and constantly needs people coming to her rescue. One of the first puzzles is untying her after she gets captured.
32	* EndingFatigue: The final trial spans ''three'' chapters, when every other trial only lasted one, and the third part basically consists of one InfoDump after another with only a few brief testimonies to break them up. The actual finale takes a while too.
33	* EnsembleDarkHorse: [[http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/dark%20layton Dark Layton,]] and [[https://nintendoeverything.com/dark-phoenix-could-have-been-in-professor-layton-vs-ace-attorney/ Dark]][[https://nintendoeverything.com/lots-of-neat-professor-layton-vs-ace-attorney-art-including-dark-layton/ Phoenix]]. The [[WhatCouldHaveBeen unused concepts]] for the game, seem to be becoming popular among fan artists.
34	* EsotericHappyEnding: While the main story ends happily, [[spoiler:the whole thing being a successful attempt by the British government to alter memories and brainwash people on a large scale]] goes unremarked on, despite the potentially horrific ramifications for the world's future. The sheer ''amount'' of trauma many characters go through can also prevent the ending from feeling as happy as it's presented, especially concerning Espella, Darklaw, and Jean.
35	* GeniusBonus: During the second witch trial, Phoenix suspects that one of the gems on the Talea Magica is a forgery, and the gems are tested by putting them in water; if the gem sinks, it's fake, and if it floats, it's genuine. This is a reference to [[ArtisticLicenseHistory a Victorian myth]] about how supposedly, people in the Middle Ages would test suspected witches by tying them up, throwing them into a pond and seeing whether they floated.
36	* HarsherInHindsight:
37	** During the second witch trial, someone in the gallery suggests that Phoenix himself be put on trial, and consequently "baked". In comes ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]'', in which Phoenix travels to a country where defense attorneys receive the same sentence as their clients in case of a guilty verdict.
38	** "Barnham's Wild Ride" from Special Episode 6, which is played entirely for comedy, was an incident in which a dog startled Barnham's horse during one of the Storyteller's parades, and the horse ran around town for several hours with Barnham's foot caught up in the reins. This stops being funny after Special Episode 8 reveals that [[spoiler:Barnham's horse accidentally killed the dog that startled it -- Constantine's parent.]]
39	* HilariousInHindsight: [[http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/14/5898075/company-says-its-created-the-worlds-blackest-black-with-carbon-nanotubes This]] article. [[spoiler:Not only did the phlebotinum used in a major plot point become reality the same year the game was released worldwide, but the company that made it is also from the UK.]]
40	* JerkassWoobie: High Inquisitor Darklaw/[[spoiler:Eve Belduke]]. She comes off as rather cold for most of the game, especially after [[spoiler:it turns out that she hijacked the Story to make Espella the Great Witch, but she spent ten years trying to help her best friend overcome the trauma of supposedly causing the Legendary Fire, only for her father to isolate himself from her and later kill himself out of guilt. At the very end of the game, Eve is confronted with the reality that ''she'' was the one who caused the Fire and all the tragedies that followed, and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is overcome with remorse]]]].
41	* LesYay:
42	** Lettie Mailer does seemingly have a huge crush on [[spoiler:Jean]], admitting she found [[spoiler:Jean]] attractive while [[spoiler:she was posing as a boy and even bringing her flowers in the ending]]. (In the special episodes, Lettie also says that she would've preferred it if [[spoiler:Jean had posed as a male longer, which makes you wonder how she truly views her friend]])
43	** Upon fully remembering their childhood friendship and what happened on the day of the Legendary Fire, [[spoiler:Espella and Darklaw/Eve have fairly strong traces of this. Even beyond Eve rushing to the Bell Tower to prevent Espella from committing suicide by [[TakeMyHand grabbing her hand]] at the risk of certain death for them both and then shielding Espella's body with her own as they fall, their apologies towards one another have an air of great awkwardness that could be interpreted as something more than two old friends making up for lost time. As Eve and Barnham have... ''[[UnresolvedSexualTension something]]'' going on between them in the special episodes, [[AmbiguouslyBi Eve could be read as bisexual]]. Of course, this can all be chalked up to [[ShrinkingViolet how shy Eve really is]] when she's not [[LargeHam playing a role]]]].
44	* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt:
45	** Layton gets [[spoiler:turned into gold]] at the end of Chapter 3, and Maya is [[spoiler:locked in a cage and plunged into the courtroom's fire]] at the end of Chapter 4. Even if you haven't seen the trailers and know there's still far more for them to do later in the game, it doesn't take a genius to figure out they're not gone for good.
46	** Like Layton would really [[spoiler:suddenly turn traitor/villain and prosecute Espella during the last trial for no reason. It's presented as a "shocking twist" cutscene, but [[ItMakesSenseInContext it makes sense in context]] and there are very good reasons for the scene progressing the way it does]].
47	** During the finale, [[spoiler:Espella's father reveals he's suffering from a fatal, incurable disease. After everything she went through, something like this would practically qualify as a DownerEnding, so it comes as no surprise that a cure has actually been found.]]
48	* MemeticMutation: [[Advertising/TheManYourManCouldSmellLike Phoenix is on a horse.]] [[http://hobohodo.court-records.net/rips/layton_vs_%20aceattorney/Image%2017.jpg Backwards.]]
49	* {{Narm}}: Some of the voice acting can fall into this. This also pertains to dramatic lines that get cut off by the text boxes. A lot of Phoenix's lines are delivered very flatly, leading to many DullSurprise moments from him. This is especially prevalent during emotional moments. Olivia, in particular, has an Italian accent so atrocious it makes ''Mario and Luigi'' sound culturally sensitive.
50	** The second case's insistence that the idea of logic is something foreign to Labyrinthia and that they've never heard of such a thing. It'd be somewhat okay as a once-off for them to acknowledge that the trials are essentially fixed and more there to be a show for the populace than an actual trial, but they constantly bring it up.
51	* NarmCharm: In true ''Layton'' fashion, TheReveal is so [[spoiler:utterly absurd in its efforts to create a "rational" explanation for the supernatural happenings--involving some hilariously made-up science, mass hypnosis, a staggeringly over-elaborate plot, no apparent consideration of trauma therapy, and the flawless cover up of the deaths of an ENTIRE village in the modern era--]] that you really have to salute the writers for coming up with it.
52	* PanderingToTheBase: The whole game is a present to people who enjoy both the ''Layton'' and the ''Ace Attorney'' series, but there is no reason to put [[spoiler:Edgeworth]] in the post-credits scene other than to cause a few fangasms.
53	* PlayerPunch:
54	** Once you find out [[CruelAndUnusualDeath what happens]] to those convicted of witchcraft, having to accuse ''anyone'' tends to come off as this. It's even explicitly pointed out late in the second trial that in order to save the defendant, you'll have to accuse and convict someone else.
55	** Having to cross-examine [[spoiler:a grieving Luke]] in the 3rd trial.
56	** [[spoiler:Layton and Maya]]'s apparent deaths. [[spoiler:Though it should be fairly obvious the narrative would [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt never pull something like this for real]] (especially in a crossover game of all things), it still hits hard because you get to see the reactions of the characters closest to them as if they really had died. So even if you know that the game will think of some way to bring them back, you get a long and painful look at how the characters would react if this really were to happen]].
57	** Espella's [[spoiler:attempted suicide towards the end of the final trial. It comes out of nowhere in the middle of a cross-examination with very little warning, and an unsuspecting player might feel like they're hit a particularly cruel Bad Ending. Nope, it's actually required to progress.]]
58	* SequelDifficultyDrop: The Layton portions of the game have puzzles that are significantly easier and less varied than those in the main games. Nearly all of them can also be solved by using brute force too.
59	* SequelDifficultySpike: A weird case. The Phoenix portions of the game are considerably harder than ''Dual Destinies'', which was released earlier outside Japan but developed after this game. Though the fact that the penalties are back to the "5 strikes" system as opposed to health bars combined with SaveScumming being less convenient (there's no easy way to reload saves during a trial, so it requires a full reset, you have to go through the recap dialogue every time and you reload at the start of the testimony rather than at a specific statement) does make it harder than most entries in Phoenix's home series. Thankfully there is a Hint System in place during trials. If you're aiming for a perfect score, your Credibility also counts as picarats too.
60	* SpecialEffectFailure: Barnham's animation for sheathing his sword looks like the blade is phasing through the side of the scabbard. While the inquisitor's bench obscures this during trials, making it practically unnoticeable, outside of court it sticks out like a sore thumb.
61	* SurpriseDifficulty: ''Ace Attorney'' fans who played ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'' first are probably going to be taken off guard by how much harder this game's trials are, mostly because you need to start the cross examination from the beginning even if you save during it and there's no option to just restart from the same statement with full life if you run out.
62	* TakeThatScrappy: Primstone is one of the most disliked witnesses in the game, thanks to her obnoxious arrogance and {{Jerkass}} attitude. So it's satisfying to see Jean, Ridelle and the entire main cast put her in her place in a Special Episode after she dismisses puzzle solving as a waste of time.
63	* ThatOneLevel: The band of vigilantes' testimony in the final trial, due to having so many similar characters, including some that serve next to no purpose beyond wasting your time.
64	* ThatOnePuzzle: '''Eccentric Tailor''': it involves filling out a specific pattern with an U-shaped stamp that fills in any unfilled squares it stamps and erases any already filled squares. Even worse, the final DLC episode requires you to complete an even ''harder'' version of the puzzle.
65	* UnderusedGameMechanic: Puzzles with Contradictions. The concept in and of itself is an amazing new twist on the formulas of both original series, but it is only used once in the entire game, albeit at a critical point. Also, you are again able to present profiles in cross examinations, but it's never used.
66	* TheWoobie:
67	** [[spoiler: Luke during the 3rd trial, having taken the stand due to extreme grief over Layton's apparent death. The game does a ''very'' good job of making you feel ''awful'' every time you have to press his testimony.]] Cross-examining a child isn't something that happens often in Ace Attorney games, but one of the few times it did at least the kid had some annoying qualities to balance it out. Not here.
68	** Espella spends the entire game being accused, more than once, of being a witch, and to make matters worse [[spoiler:even ''she'' starts thinking she's guilty, and it gets even worse than ''that'' after she (mistakenly) remembers having caused the Legendary Fire that killed lots of people (although fortunately it turns out it wasn't her)]].
69	** Jean Greyerl's backstory has been one big TraumaCongaLine. [[spoiler:Jean grew up in poverty, and when she tried to use magic to save her parents from financial ruin, she ended up turning her goat friend to gold instead. She then tried to drown herself, but ended up being saved by Newton Belduke, who took her in as his butler. She lived happily with him for years, but then he ended up being DrivenToSuicide after the reappearance of the bell tower, and Jean believed that he was trying to expose her as a witch with his final letter.]]
70	* {{Woolseyism}}: During one puzzle, the French version reminds the player the decimal mark is a comma in French, even though it's a dot in the given example.

Context YMMV / ProfessorLaytonVsPhoenixWrightAceAttorney