Once I stumbled upon Ace Attorney, my view and interest of courtroom trials skyrocketed. Never before did I manage to understand how the legal system works, even though the one mainly shown in the series is based upon the Japanese legal system.
With Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, I never thought of the legal system the same. Suddenly I was much more interested in real cases happening, and the laws that get the green light in countries around the world.
Ace Attorney itself is a fictional representation of all this I talk about and more. The gameplay is first and foremost point and click related in the way that you will have to read through a lot of clever writing.
The trials and cases are most of all humoristic with ridiculous and stereotypical characters appearing in court to tell their stories. From witnesses to defendants, you will have to defend your clients as an ace attorney and confront the truth each and every time during the case chapters.
Specifically, there are 2 main phases of Ace Attorney. First is the investigation phase, where you will travel to the crime scenes, talk to people, examine clues and collect evidence in order to prepare for the next phase, which are trial sessions.
Inside the courtroom, you must "battle" with the prosecutor who usually claims that your client is guilty before all of the facts and perspectives are dealt with. You do this by discussing away the claims that have been made, and by coming up with theories provided with conclusive evidence to get to the bottom of each case.
Thinking outside the box is regularly present, because many cases feature an unexpected twist that continues to keep the series interesting. "Whodunit" is a recognized feature where it sometimes is fun to guess the true murderer, but at other times, especially with the first chapters, it is plain obvious as to who is the criminal.
Intriguing mysteries combined with the clever writing and adorable characters make the Ace Attorney games very entertaining, but their only weakness is that they have low replay value, unless you replay them in several years.
The thought provoking final turnabouts are the highlight of each title, where as they are always the best chapter with the most intense courtroom proceedings, dramatic outcomes and unforgettable actions done by individuals.
Perhaps the core gameplay of it all is cross-examining people who present their testimonies to the court, and it is up to you to either uncover the contradictions found in the statements, press for more information or present evidence to overthrow or progress the case.
Ace Attorney features fantasy elements such as spirit mediums and ridiculous events in certain cases, but that's part of the fun that it provides. It is also the franchise that popularized the phrase "Objection" into the gaming culture.
So far, 5 core entries have been released, which are Ace Attorney, Justice for All, Trials and Tribulations, Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies. There's also the Investigations sub-series, where you play as Phoenix's friend and rival Miles Edgeworth and the main difference is that the gameplay of the trial sessions happens during investigations now.
A spin-off title called Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has been released and will come soon to the west in early 2014. Seeming as I haven't touched Professor Layton yet, that title will have to get postponed from me personally.
In any case, Capcom's Ace Attorney is one of the very few current successful IP's that despite lower sales has seen an enormous rise regarding cult status and it hopefully will continue to receive new entries and enjoy the fans that have discovered this unusual approach towards video games.
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