Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Quick Review

Ever felt like yelling “Objection!” or “Hold it!” at your Nintendo DS? Ever wondered how the court system (loosely) works? Ever just want to play a game where you barely have to do anything? Well here you are! The Ace Attorney series is here with the first installment featuring Phoenix Wright.

Phoenix Wright is a new spiky haired attorney fresh out of law school. He’s still wet behind the ears, but his boss Mia Fey is teaching him the ropes as he defends his friend Larry Butz, Mia’s little sister Maya Fey, and even a famous actor William Powers, all of whom have been unrightfully accused of murder. As Phoenix you find out alibis, collect evidence, and most importantly, find out whose lying about what. You’ll face off against the prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, whose every action leads him closer to victory…no matter what. As Phoenix you’ll need to challenge every new twist that Edgeworth throws at you.

I really fell in love with this game after the first stage. Collecting evidence, asking suspects questions that lead into details that were hidden and challenging cross-examinations. Not only is the gameplay dead simple yet challenging, but the humor in this game is outrageous. Every character has some little quirk that makes them unique. Detective Gumshoe for instance is involved in almost every case and it a bit of a dimwit, yet has moments where his true character is revealed, but again he’s mostly just there for laughs. Each section is broken up into trials or when key information for the trial is collected and these moments can become pretty intense. You’ll start playing the “Who did it?” game throughout each trial. The music is great for making those true moments shine as long with each time someone speaks. A slam to the table, a yell, or even a funny gesture all make the dialogue box shake in some manner. A great visual effect if you ask me. Altogether, this series seems like they took an anime director and told him to recreate Law and Order. o_o

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Rating: Must play!