Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy) - PS 4
So I don't typically indulge in visual novel type games as I generally like games with a bit more meat on their bones in terms of gameplay, but lately I've been in the mood for some relaxing games that aren't quite as taxing as the typical stuff I play, and I've also been thinking of going outside my comfort zone and trying some games that aren't the same stuff I always play. This seemed to fit the bill. Plus, Phoenix Wright seems to be a popular, iconic, character from a respected series with a fair amount of history behind it. So I thought about playing it for a while and one day on a whim, I just picked up my controller and started playing. I didn't own the original version of the game, but had purchased the PS 4 collection some time in the past. So it was more convenient to play this version. Also, the added allure of trophies was even more reason to play it. I figured this collection would be a piss easy platinum, but still one I could take some pride in given the reputation of the series.
I have to say, I'd expected something so dialog heavy to bore me after a while and leave me itching to go play something with more actual gameplay. Something where I can run, jump, kill things, etc, etc, etc. I figured this would be something I would get through in short play sessions, turning the game off whenever I found myself tired of all the talking and itching for some actual action. I was very surprised by how engaging the story and characters were, as well as the courtroom drama, and the comedy. I'd watch hours go by to my astonishment without me ever wanting to just put the controller down and go play something else or just go do something else.
"Episode 1 finished...I think I'll go play episode 2...holy crap, now I'm starting Episode 3 LOL."The third one is really drawn out though I have to say. I did get to a point during episode 3 where I decided to put the game down for a while. So much back tracking, and I was a bit put off by the Sal Manella character too. Up to that point I kind of liked every character, but I thought he was kind of lame. Fortunately, I would go on to find Dee Vasquez utterly captivating and had to see how the episode would finish once I met her. There's a lot of great characters here. Phoenix is funny and a good protagonist. The sisters are utterly charming, and my god is Mia GORGEOUS.
SPOILER :
Gumshoe I thought was lame at first, but came to really like him in episode 3 "pal". Edgeworth is just plain awesome and really brings tension to those cases where you're facing off against him. You think things are going well
and then...FUCK!!!!!
What is Edgeworth up to!?!?
DAMMIT!!!
Perhaps it's a bit cliche to say about a visual novel game, but it really felt like watching a fun anime.
I love scanning the environment for stuff. It brings out the explorer in me, I swear I get a little shot of dopamine to the brain every time I find something I can click on and it's interesting how you get different dialogs while clicking on the same stuff after certain story events.
The court cases are great. You get to do some deductive reasoning or I guess you can call it puzzle solving, which can be really satisfying, and there's always surprises during the trials to really keep you engaged in the story being told. Sometimes I felt like the game could be harder. It would be interesting if just one mistake could cost you a trial, instead of letting the player make a certain amount of goofs and still keep things going. Given that you can always save and reload at any time though, I guess it wouldn't make a difference in the game's difficulty.
I absolutely, fucking, LOVED the game's art style. It reminded me of the Punch Out series. Hear me out, as that may sound ridiculous. It's just that a lot of the characters look like completely, over the top, caricatures and it left me busting out laughing when I'd see them. The different facial expressions you would get from them as the trials went on was really entertaining. Sometimes it felt rewarding when you would start making them sweat just to see the facial reactions, like when a super cute, adorable, character suddenly turns into a scary, eye, twitching, witch once caught by you in a lie that they can't get out of.
There's a fun arcade like element to the trials too. The intense sound effects you hear, when you catch someone in a lie you hear a sound almost like you just smacked someone hard in a fighting game. The silly voices you hear as these large lettered words OBJECTION!!! or TAKE THAT!!! come on to the screen brings this arcade like fun to the trials and makes them feel exciting. I also never get tired of Phoenix's dramatic pointing. A lot of the audio/visual dynamics are surprisingly effective at making what would otherwise be mundane court trials really engaging. In a weird way, it feels like a fighting game. Point out a witness's lie, explain WHY it's a lie, then present evidence to basically hit them with a three hit combo, then you hear an OBJECTION from Edgeworth and he basically comes in like an assist attack and pulls off a counter on you LOL.
I plan on finishing the whole collection. I've thought about other, similar games that I can try. I've heard some people mention the Danganrompa series so I may look into those as well.
Ace Attorney is just fun and there's no excuse for anyone not to try it if you like anime, legal shows, and don't mind something a bit light on traditional game play. As I've pointed at, it doesn't take itself too seriously, so maybe avoid it if you want a courtroom drama that is more true to life. The story is engaging though and worth experiencing