Finally, there exists a game that allows me to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. Okay, while that’s not completely true, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is still a fun and enjoyable game.
In this quirky,
rather-on-the-Japanese-side DS/Wii/GBA game, you take on the role of young, bumbling
defence attorney Phoenix Wright. With a name like that, could you really have
any other than to defend the innocent? Throughout the five cases,
Phoenix comes into his own as a lawyer, solving crimes, making friends, and
making a few enemies, too. He stays bumbling, though. Just to keep your ego in
check after saving innocent people from jail, I guess.
This game really
stands out when it comes to characters and scenarios. Let’s face it. Ace Attorney is basically an interactive
novel. It can be a little linear, and you can’t move on until you’ve uncovered
every available clue and plot point. This means that in order for it to be a good
game, it has to be as well-written as a book. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney does this, well. The
crimes are inventive – defending your nemesis who is wanted for murder, or
helping a young girl clear her sister’s name of a murder she’s already
confessed to, for example – and the characters stand out. Maybe you dislike
Phoenix for being an idiot, or Larry for being a total tool, or Sal for… just
being Sal, but these characters are fun. They’re hilarious, but they all have
their dramatic points, their serious characteristics that make them matter.
This is kind of important in a story where the main character making a wrong
move could mean someone’s imprisonment.
In order to solve
these crimes and free your clients, you investigate the world and people around
you. A little unorthodox for a lawyer? Yes, but it beats taking a bar exam. You
have the option to talk to characters to learn everything you can, look for
clues in a point-and-click fashion, move around the world, and present your
findings to characters to try to figure out all you can about the case at hand.
The exploration can feel a little limited, since you’re pretty much just
pointing at a one-dimensional page and going, “what’s that? What’s over there?
Who’s she?” at everything, but the silly dialogue and inner monologue certainly
make it worth doing, and you do still learn a lot. Some people really enjoy the
exploring portion of the game. Others prefer the other main component.
See, once all the
learning’s done, it’s off to the courtroom, where you must use logic and
attention to details to disprove witness testimonies, argue with the prosecution
(with a firm OBJECTION!), and prove your client not guilty. Careful, though:
too many wrong moves and you’ll try the judge’s patience. You have what could
be described as lives, and each time you show wrong evidence, you’re liable to
lose a life, and when they’re all lost, it’s game over. The difficulty
increases at a nice, easy pace, allowing players to firmly grasp the logic of
this unique game. The opening case does a very good job of getting players used
to this new world, which is good, since there’s no game exactly like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and one
has to get used to the logic of the universe.
If you choose to figure
everything out on your own, this game offers a fair amount of play time to enjoy its fun world. Even though
some characters may be annoying, you might get stuck here and there, and there
isn’t always a lot to explore during the exploration portion of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, this cult
classic is charming, entertaining and original. And man, do you feel smart once
you finally, finally come up with
that one piece of evidence you needed to prove a character innocent!
This game is for
people who are willing to sit around and think before they reach a conclusion,
but what’s nice is that if you’re not that kind of person but you’re still
interested in it, it’s just as much fun to watch a friend play it, thanks to
its book-like nature.
OBJECTION!
Sorry... I had to.
OBJECTION!
Sorry... I had to.
Find Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on ebay |
Released: 2005-10-11
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
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