VisualNovel Rise From the Ashes: An Interesting Addition
Western fans might not know this, but the last case in every version of AA 1 that we've received was not part of the game's original release. When the game was released on the GBA in Japan, this case was barely a twinkle in creator Shu Takumi's eye. Instead it was an addition to the DS port, meant to entice returning players with new content and make use of the DS' new hardware capabilities. That port was not made until after the release of the third game in the original trilogy. As such, it's possible that Takumi assumed at the time that this would be the last Ace Attorney case he would ever write. That might explain this case's length and complexity. Takumi had gotten used to writing on that level and probably wanted to leave the series on a high note. Let's look at the results.
I mentioned it above and it bears repeating here: this case is very long, and very complex. It's essentially three crimes in one, with each of the three investigation and trial days covering one of the crimes. It's worth noting though that unlike all the original cases in this game, this one splits each trial segment into at least two parts, with the final one taking three. That's a lot of content to cover in a game that was already struggling in the pacing department. To its credit, the length is better utilized here than it was in Turnabout Samurai. I don't know if I'd say it's better paced than Turnabout Goodbyes, but they're on roughly even footing. But the biggest reason it's so long isn't because the case is a slog, it's because it covers a staggering amount of ground.
Being caught between the original ending of AA 1 and the beginning of AA 2, there's a limit to how much this case can incorporate series mainstays and what it can do with them. Their arcs are already set, so it can't rock the boat too much. The solution to that problem is to populate this case with mostly new characters. Aside from Phoenix, Edgeworth, Gumshoe and the Judge, everyone in here is a new character that we haven't seen before. That's the first level of complexity, as this case has to simultaneously introduce a new cast of characters while also explaining why we never actually see these characters again. That could've been a relatively simple process if the writers had decided to set the case in an area Phoenix wouldn't have a reason to return to later, like Global Studios in Turnabout Samurai. But that would also be underwhelming after the higher stakes of Turnabout Goodbyes. If this case was going to follow it up, new players would want it to feel bigger. The obvious choice on how to do that is to make a case involving corruption in the police and prosecutorial departments. But that means that each character involved now has to be linked to departments that Phoenix is involved with regularly. If that's the case, then each one needs to have their own reason that they don't show up again later in the trilogy. In this scenario, the writers ended up making more work for both themselves and the player.
That said, it is a mostly good cast. The supporting players are utilized effectively, and most of the new characters work well. Meekins and Angel Star are exceptions, with Meekins being somewhat annoying and Star being underwhelming. They're not particularly bad, but they could've been better. The remaining new players fare much better. Ema Skye makes for a very fun assistant and Maya substitute. They're both excitable and quirky, but Ema is less of a rule-breaker and more ambitious than Maya, in addition to the obvious science/magic dichotomy. Jake Marshall seems like a one-note joke character at the start, but as the case goes on he reveals a surprising amount of depth. Lana Skye is a good defendant. It's obvious that things are going on beneath the surface when we meet her, but peeling away her defenses and learning the truth about her is both satisfying and heartbreaking. Damon Gant is one of the series' best villains. He appears affable on the surface, but is also immediately recognizable as someone you don't want to cross. As you slowly learn more about him the affability fades away, and you begin to realize just what a monster he is. This man will resort to murder, blackmail, and threatening a child in order to gain power. He claims that it was in the pursuit of justice, but it’s a hollow excuse when one considers that instead of murdering the unconscious serial killer, he instead targeted a detective. Whatever noble goals he might have had are undone by his heinous actions and selfishness.
Overall, my feelings on this case are similar to my feelings on the Lord of the Rings movies or Avengers: Endgame. They’re wonderful stories that I always come out of happy that I put aside the time to experience them. But it’s very hard to find that time because they’re so long. Rise From the Ashes is a great story, but it’s a hard one to revisit.
VisualNovel Turnabout Goodbyes: A Rousing Climax
I've saved a lot of my talking points about Edgeworth for this section because it seemed most appropriate to cover it here. While Phoenix is still the main protagonist who has to grow and become a hero, the character who undergoes the most change in this game is Edgeworth. It's similar to Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in the first Star Wars, or Aang and Zuko in Avatar. We enjoy the protagonist's journey and they form the necessary backbone of the story, but the foil character is often more interesting to analyze because of how they contrast with the protag. So let's get into it.
To truly understand Edgeworth we need to know what it is that he values above all else. The core value that drives his being. The game obfuscates this at first, but as it goes on and we see more and more of him, the answer becomes clear. Edgeworth's core value is the Truth. As we discover through this case, the reason that core value was obscured in the past is because of the influence of Edgeworth's mentor and adoptive father, Manfred Von Karma. As revenge for Gregory Edgeworth getting Von Karma stuck with his first and only penalty, he decided to mold Gregory's son into a reflection of himself. Rather than the crusading defense attorney Miles had wanted to be in his youth, Von Karma's influence led him to become a cold, pitiless prosecutor obsessed with winning. But no matter how Von Karma tried, he couldn't change Edgeworth's core being. Deep down, he still believed in the search for the Truth.
This is where Phoenix comes in. He knew what Edgeworth was like underneath the years of Von Karma's influence. If anyone could show Edgeworth the way to his true self, it would be Phoenix. It would take going against him in court and ending his perfect record, but that turned out to be the shock to the system Edgeworth needed. It didn't happen all at once of course. No shift that large happens overnight. But it was enough to plant the seed of doubt into Edgeworth's mind about Von Karma's teachings. A seed that would start to grow during Will Powers' trial. And that's when I believe Von Karma began planning the events of this case.
Now let's address this case's prosecutor and ultimate culprit, Manfred Von Karma. Von Karma is a narcissistic perfectionist, and quite possibly a sociopath. He does not care what happens to anyone so long as he maintains his perfect self-image. The problem is that Gregory and Miles cut through that. They wounded him professionally and physically. Rather than accepting his losses and learning from them, Von Karma decided to lash out in revenge. First he did this by killing Gregory and molding his son in his own image. But then Miles Edgeworth began to lose. What's more, he began to wonder if there was more to being a prosecutor than what Von Karma had taught him. And that wasn't good enough for Von Karma. After all, if Edgeworth abandoned his teachings then his revenge on Gregory would be incomplete. So he came up with a plan. A plan that would ensure Edgeworth either took the fall for the murder of Robert Hammond, or would plead guilty to killing his own father. That second part in particular was a masterpiece of manipulation on Von Karma's part. No matter which death Edgeworth was found guilty for, Von Karma would win.
But there's a problem with that. Von Karma's worldview is completely self-centered. He sees other people either as obstacles to be overcome or tools to wield. Everything and everyone exists as a stepping stone for his greatness. At the end of the day, he is alone in his perfection. But that's not the way the rest of the world works. Edgeworth was never truly alone. First he had Gumshoe's loyalty, then he had the help of Phoenix, Maya, and Larry. Any single one of them Von Karma could've taken on alone, but all of them working together? That was a force that Von Karma could not beat. In other words, he was beaten by The Power of Friendship.
Now that we've exhaustively covered both the defendant and the culprit, let's talk about the case itself. It’s great! It has all that dramatic character work I just spent 2 pages writing about, but it also has a complex and engaging mystery mixed with some good moments of levity. This case is the one where you confront a man’s childhood trauma about possibly murdering his father, but it’s also the one where you cross-examine a parrot, and at no point does this feel incongruent. It’s a testament to this game’s versatility. It does share its predecessor's pacing issues, but to a lesser degree. The character aspects and the comic relief do a lot to help with that. It could have used some tightening up, but I think it does work overall. This case set a great precedent for finale cases, but it also would’ve been a great note to end on if the series had stopped at one entry. It’s a wonderful effort all-around.
VisualNovel Turnabout Samurai: Why Pacing Matters
There's a phenomenon that's been coined by the Ace Attorney fandom as "Third-case syndrome". Simply put, this is when the third level in a mystery-solving game is commonly seen as lackluster compared to the others. The reasons for this vary, but a common complaint is that these third cases tend to feel like padding and not important to the game's story arc. Without getting too much into spoilers for later cases in this game and beyond, the Phoenix Wright trilogy in particular tends to follow a pattern. The first case serves as a tutorial that allows newcomers to learn the ropes and old hands to ease back into things. The second case picks up the difficulty and establishes the supporting cast. The third case is a bit of light fluff that provides some worldbuilding and minor character-building for the prosecutor. The fourth/fifth case acts as the grand finale to the game's story arc, wrapping things up in a neat bow. Of that set, the third naturally feels the most expendable. The case is generally unrelated to the characters who are important to the main story, and any development the prosecutor receives could've been handled in other ways.
That being said, I think it is important for the series to have cases like these where the stakes are lower and the main cast can let their hair down. It builds a bond between the audience, the characters, and the world. In order for the weight of a high-stakes finale to truly be felt we need to have a sense of contrast. A series needs a status quo for any changes to feel significant.
This is why I'm less hard on the third cases in this series than many other fans I've seen talk about them. I don't necessarily need the major story arc to advance in every case so long as every case is entertaining in its own right. And I would argue that Turnabout Samurai is, even if it's not without its problems.
One of the things the case does very well is showcase the dynamic between Phoenix and Maya Fey, who has become his assistant after the last case. The straight man/wise guy dynamic they have is a tried and true one, but no less effective for it. Maya in particular really gets to stand out this time as an excitable and somewhat chaotic force. Her enjoyment of the opportunity to see the studio where her favorite Samurai TV show is infectious, and it helps keep up the players spirits during the slower sections of the investigations.
The supporting cast here is good to. Gumshoe starts to have his edges from the last case rounded off, becoming a more likable character in the process. Edgeworth gets some good material towards the end, but I'll get to him when I review the next case. The new characters for this case are generally good. I get how Wendy Oldbag can be frustrating for others, but I think this case does a good job of both humanizing her and positioning her to be a thorn in the side of your opposition instead of just your own. Characters who are annoying to the other characters but fun for the audience can be tricky to pull off, but I think they managed to here. Penny Nichols, Cody Hackins, and Will Powers are all fine characters who can be enjoyable at times, but don't stand out a whole lot. The only truly bad character here is Sal Minella. He's a walking caricature who only offers two repeated jokes, neither of which were funny the first time. In a game where a lot of the characters feel more grounded, he sticks out like a sore thumb.
When it comes to the main villain, as time goes on I find myself warming to Dee Vasquez more and more. Even when it becomes clear that she's the killer, there's still a lot of information that's tantalizingly out of reach. The fact that she killed Jack Hammer in an act of self-defense makes both her character and the mystery more interesting and complex. The twisted nature of her relationship with Hammer gives the case some surprising poignancy towards the end. She absolutely was wrong to blackmail Hammer and threaten to kill Phoenix and Maya, but her sorrow over the loss of Manuel makes her somewhat sympathetic, especially considering that Hammer tried to murder her and might have murdered Manuel. It also makes Hammer one of the more interesting victims of the franchise, as he ultimately brought his death on himself.
So I've been very complimentary to this case so far, but I do need to acknowledge that for all that stuff it gets right, I do understand why many fans see this as one of their least favorite of this game's cases. The biggest issue here is the pacing. That's a problem I've had with a lot of the mid-to-long range cases in this series, but going back and replaying it I see why so many don't like it here. Both this and the next case will draw things out in order to have three trial days when a lot of the information could've been condensed. This mystery isn't complex enough to warrant the amount of time we spend solving it, and the frequent backtracking through the studio doesn't help things. It doesn't help that there's little variety to the activities you do while investigating. A lot of it turns into fetch quests, which only calls attention to the game's backtracking issues. I did admittedly enjoy the bit where you swap trading cards with Penny and Cody, but I'll admit that could've been cut. This case really only needed two days, and the pacing problems combined with the lack of connection to the main storyline make it easy to see why this one isn't as popular as others. I personally prefer this one to Turnabout Sisters, but I get why people might disagree.
Overall, I do like this case. It's not perfect, but it is often a fun time. It needed some tightening up, but I wouldn't remove it altogether. Next time I'll be taking a look at one of the series highlights and start peeling back the layers of the onion that is Miles Edgeworth. See you there!
VisualNovel Turnabout Sisters: Doesn't Quite Live Up to its Potential
The second case of the game starts with a bang. Your mentor is dead, her sister is being framed for the deed, and no one seems willing to help you find the real killer. That's a compelling set-up, and it changes the underdog dynamic from the previous case in an interesting way. Rather than being on the backfoot because of inexperience, now you're taking on a system that's stacked against you. Phoenix is not exactly an 'Ace Attorney' yet, but it's clear that even if he was this won't be easy.
The first day of the case starts with the first investigation segment of the game. These sections function like point-and-click adventure games. You step into a more detective-like role here as you look for clues, talk with witnesses, and try to piece together what really happened. Once you've gotten far enough, the game shifts over to the trial segments. These progress back and forth until you reach the final trial segment and win the case.
Getting back to the case at hand, it introduces several important characters for both the game and the trilogy as a whole. Defendant and spirit medium in-training Maya Fey, Detective Dick Gumshoe, and Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth all find their start in this case. It's not the most impressive introduction, but it does establish a baseline for the characters that later cases will expand upon. Edgeworth fares the best, as its clear that while he is more than willing to resort to underhanded methods in court (and believe me, I *will* be touching on Ace Attorney's nightmare of a legal system eventually), there's more to him than meets the eye.
The one-off characters of this case sadly don't fare as well. Redd White isn't a bad villain, but once you get him to the witness stand his lies are fairly easy to catch. In theory he's more dangerous than Frank Sawhit, but in practice he's about the same. April May isn't a particularly memorable accomplice either. But to end things on a compliment, the nameless bellboy actually turns out to be a fun addition to the cast. His obsession with turning the hotel White and May stayed at the night of the crime into an attraction for macabre enthusiasts is as strange as it is amusing. He provides some good levity without feeling like a caricature.
But now we have to get into the mystery itself. Once again we see the villain commit the crime in the opening, so there's still no whodunnit element. Like last time I don't think that's necessarily a flaw, especially since once Phoenix meets Redd White it would've been obvious pretty quickly. It's more important to catch him, although in that regard the end of the case is a letdown. He's not a difficult witness, but the end features him somehow managing to worm his way out of your trap only for Mia to blackmail him into admitting his guilt. From a dramatic standpoint it is nice that Mia got to take down her own killer and by using his own methods, but from a player perspective it makes the work you did feel meaningless. I just can't shake the feeling that the game yanked victory away from me to give it to an NPC. It doesn't help that Mia first shows up in order to tell us to turn a piece of paper over and look at the other side. That feels like something Phoenix really should've been able to figure out on his own.
In conclusion, Turnabout Sisters is alright. It starts off well, but it loses momentum as it goes on and finishes on a bit of a sour note. Still, the game has been enjoyable enough so far that I'm willing to give it some slack for that. I'm growing attached to Phoenix, and I want to see his journey continue.
VisualNovel The First Turnabout: A Promising Start
This first level, or case as the game calls them, is here to set up the basic gameplay of the series trial segments and set the tone for the series. It accomplishes both very well. The tone in particular is important, because if it goes too dark it risks becoming too self-serious to be fun. It might seem odd for a game predicated around murder trials in a dystopian-level legal system to have a generally light-hearted tone, but it actually works to the series advantage. Instead of constantly dreading what new trick the game will pull against you next, you're excited to see what new twists are around the corner. The witnesses are silly but endearing, as is Phoenix himself.
It helps that while the main characters in this case are a colorful bunch, the mechanics of the murder itself are fairly realistic and grounded. The game does reveal the murderer at the very beginning of the level, but I'm okay with that for two reasons. First, as the first case of the entire series, it's a good idea to make it more accessible to new and especially young players. Second, much like in Columbo the appeal in this case lies less in finding out whodunnit than in howcatchem.
One odd thing about this case in retrospect is just how short it is compared to the rest of the series. Generally the first case of a game takes somewhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete. This one can be finished in under 15 minutes. I think that's to the case's benefit though. No gamer enjoys lengthy tutorials, and this one does a good job of giving you the basics you'll need for the series. Beyond that, I don't have much else to say. It's a simple but elegant case that does exactly what it needs to and then ends. All in all, a good start.
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I was originally planning on doing a review of the whole game, but as I was writing I realized I had more to say than I thought. So I figured it would make more sense to break it down into episodes. I also tried to avoid putting too many spoilers in, but as the game goes on it will become more difficult to do so while still offering a complete review and analysis. If you're wanting to follow along but haven't played the game yet, I would highly encourage doing so first.
VisualNovel EDITED: A good start to the series
The first Ace Attorney game is a good start, even though you can tell that the writers were still trying to get a feel for the series.
The plot is good, showing Phoenix coming into his own as a lawyer and trying to save his old friend Edgeworth, which results in him solving a murder case from 15 years ago. Edgeworth is probably the most interesting prosecutor rival in the series, possessing a tragic past, a complex personality and a good redemption arc.
The story is surprisingly down-to-earth compared to the later games(with the possible exception of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney), since the characters have less over-the-top personalities and simpler designs compared to later games. Whether this aspect is relatively boring or has its own charm is a matter of personal taste.
PW:AA establishes the gameplay AA is known for. In court, you press witnesses for more information and present evidence to find contradictions in their testimony, and outside, you speak with witnesses and search for evidence on the case. The investigation sequences are a bit tedious compared to those of later games due to lacking interactivity(e.g. the Magatama from the second game), but they're important to solving the mysteries and often involve surprising twists.
PW:AA's difficulty is reasonable, and has a simple but fair way of penalizing mistakes. Every time you present a wrong piece of evidence, you lose one of your five !s, and when you lose all five, the judge declares your client guilty. It keeps you on your toes, and is less arbitrary than some of the larger penalties in other games.
The first case is by far the simplest, easiest and shortest case in the series, since it can be finished in 20 minutes and has obvious contradictions(you don't even need to press the culprit).
The second case shakes things up and establishes the main plot of the game, although it suffers from a lackluster one-dimensional villain who would be completely obvious if the case wasn't a Reverse Whodunnit. It's not bad, per se, but it's probably the weakest case in PW:AA.
The third case is where the series starts Growing the Beard, with a more complex mystery, a less obvious killer and a few good twists. The main downside is that it's a bit drawn out and has some superfluous Fetch Quests.
The fourth case is probably the best, being an excellent climax to the game with a highly memorable villain and delving into Edgeworth's tragic backstory.
The fifth case, added in the DS release and later versions, is a good standalone case that has highly memorable characters, especially the culprit, and starts Edgeworth's redemption arc. While it's one of the longest cases in the series, it's well-written and challenging.
All in all, PW:AA is a solid experience that has overall strong gameplay and writing and few noticeable shortcomings. If you want to get into Ace Attorney, I recommend you start here.
VisualNovel First Closing Statement
The success and longevity of the series speaks to the quality of this first game more than I ever could. Still, I'll give my best go. AA 1 is a game that consistently impressed me the first time I played it two years ago. Its mysteries are mostly well thought out, its cast is delightful, and it balances tone exceptionally well. It was clearly a labor of love for those involved in its development. And while it certainly could've been an excellent one-off, that cast combined with the game's innovative approach to meshing story and gameplay in its trial segments were clearly too good to stop at one. Thankfully players and Capcom agreed with me on that front, as Ace Attorney has become a staple among their franchises. But there's one particular reason I haven't touched on yet that I think was essential to the series success, and that's the way it makes the player feel like an underdog.
So how does it do this? Well, that's simple. It casts you as a defense lawyer in one of the worst legal systems possible. In this world, defendants are presumed guilty until proven innocent, trials are held while the crime is still being investigated, there is no jury of your peers, and the prosecution regularly gets away with acts that would result in a mistrial if not disbarment in the real world. Trials are also limited to three days maximum, although that limitation stops mattering after this game. Suffice it to say, this system is terrible and incredibly biased against defendants. The only way it could be worse was if it was a literal witch trial (which Phoenix would actually participate in during the Professor Layton crossover). But in stacking the deck so thoroughly against you, it does two good things for the series. First, it makes the player character, in this case Phoenix, more likable because he's helping the helpless. Most of the defendants in this game have no one else on their side, which makes Phoenix appear all the more noble. Second, it makes every victory you earn as a player feel more satisfying because you know that you're beating a rigged system. You aren't handed victory, you have to claw and scrape for it. So when you finally get that victory, it's all the more meaningful because of the hardship you endured getting there. The underdog fantasy is a powerful one, and this series excels at fulfilling it in a way that few other games are able to do.
That said, this game isn't perfect. I've touched on it several times in the later cases, but the pacing really needed some tightening. There are several points during the investigation sequences that are padded out with fetch quests, and it's not helped by the game's primitive movement system. You pull up a menu to choose where you want to go, but rather than being able to visit anywhere you've already been you have to move from spot to spot in a somewhat logical order. This makes the fetch quests all the more tedious. Most of the cases also just don't have the content to justify spending three days on them. The first trial days of the last three cases can be rather drawn out when some snappier pacing would've been more effective. There were failures as well as successes to learn from here.
Overall, I'd say that this is the most consistently good of the five main series games I've played. While not perfect, it gets so much right on the first try that it's no wonder it spawned a series. Stopping with this one would've been a waste of the wonderful work the development team put into this game. AA 1 is a great game, and it deserves to be regarded as one of the best mystery games out there.