Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

"4th Amendment? I hardly knew her!"

For very understandable reasons, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a hard sell. Visual novels in this day and age, and especially on American shores, are never the most successful projects, because let's face it: we Americans don't like to read. So imagine my surprise when I learn of PW:AA's localization in the US! Initially it seemed that the game was selling poorly, doomed to be discontinued after one printing, but through the unbelievable power of word-of-mouth it has since received two reprintings and a far larger audience. Those who first experienced the pleasure of Phoenix Wright simply couldn't turn away.

As far as the visual novel mold goes, Phoenix Wright doesn't offer outstanding innovation. With the exception of the first case, a lot of the game is stock-standard clue hunting and scouring your environment/interrogating people for important evidence. The game stands out, however, when it takes its proceedings to the court. But before we get too ahead of ourselves in the actual gameplay category, let's study what makes PW:AA such a triumph of a game.

One of the strangest things about Phoenix Wright is, despite dealing with no fewer than five murders, the game rarely takes itself seriously. Sure, there's plenty of drama when it's needed, but in the meantime, the game is just outright goofy. Most notable is the way it warps the law: PW:AA takes place in the year 2018, where trials are only allowed to go on for three days (?!). Worse yet, it seems that lawyers such as yourself can hunt around the crime scenes for evidence to be presented in court. You know, completely barring the fact that no one else would understand the circumstances in which you found them, as well as being an illegal search and seizure. And people complain about forged clues so much in this game! Between the game's bizarre interpretation of the law, the humorous banter constantly being tossed around in and out of court, and the outright bizarre circumstances of some of these crimes, PW:AA is merely a lighthearted foray into the murder mystery genre.

Adding to the entirely lovable atmosphere of the game is the cheerful, fun graphics and upbeat music. The character design is some of the most bizarre and anime-stylized you will ever see in a game -- trust me, no real people dress like half of the folks you'll be meeting in PW:AA. Still, these designs are incredibly distinctive, creating characters you'll be sure to remember (whether you want to or not) for a great deal of time. The music is interesting; though you'll probably be hearing the same tunes a lot, they are very well-composed and appropriate to the situation at hand.

As it stands, the fairly harmless nature of PW:AA is actually a complete advantage. How fun would this game be without its humor, really? Without cutting corners, Phoenix Wright is one of the funniest games to be developed in many years. Some of the characters are complete comedy goldmines, such as a television producer who communicates in -- what else? -- 1337speak, a bitter old security guard woman, or a schizoid bimbo with a brain the size of a chickpea. The character design is absolute genius, and the writing certainly follows suit. With a cast as diverse as Phoenix Wright's, the hilarity never ends. When complaints ARE lodged against the game, it's that it is either "overrated" or "lacks replay value". Quite simply, if you come into PW:AA expecting a crime mystery epic, then you're bound to be mistaken. The game demands that you simply go along with the flow, and let yourself be amused. Don't raise your standards right off the bat.

The issue with replay value, of course, does have merit. Like almost all other entries in this genre, the novelty is almost entirely expended once you complete all of the cases. The will to replay the game lies entirely in the owner, and whether or not he or she is willing to re-experience the game. As I've stated before, it's akin to reading a novel over again -- if you liked it enough, it's just as enjoyable of an experience as the first time. Of course, video games are different than novels fundamentally, but still.

I may have made Phoenix Wright out to be a fluffy, harmless mystery romp, but the plots in the game can get surprisingly complex at times. And because you are responsible for solving these heinous murders, the difficulty of the stories directly pertains to the difficulty of the game itself. Sure, you'll blow through the 1st case pretty easily. The 2nd case may offer a few little kinks, but other than that it's all too elementary. But by the 3rd case...things are going to get a little tough. The 4th and 5th case will probably have you restarting your trials a few times. The game is divided into two parts: the first is mucking around outside the courtroom, searching for evidence and talking to witnesses/detectives. It's crucial, but not exactly demanding. Most of the meat of the game lies with the trials themselves.

As your courtroom escapade begins, you will be given 5 exclamation points, screens full of evidence, and a largely uncooperative witness to cross-examine. You must first listen to their BS testimony, interrogate them about specific parts of this testimony, and then find and present contradictions by using evidence. Easier said than done, of course. Should you present the wrong evidence, or even the right evidence at the wrong time, you will lose one of your exclamation points. Upon losing all of them, the game will end -- adding a little bite to the normally forgiving visual novel genre. As said before, this won't even be a concern until you get to the final two cases, which are easily the most difficult in the game. They will have you wracking your brains and your evidence records, looking desperately for something to get yourself a little leverage in the court. The trials can get downright intense at times.

Don't let the occasional spots of difficulty get you down, though. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a 20-hour journey that's worth every second you spend on it. You'll laugh, you'll cry (actually probably not) and you'll be sure to thoroughly enjoy yourself. That is, as long as you don't take the game too seriously and get sidetracked on unimportant things like logic, the law and realism. I mean, come on, guys. If you couldn't pull evidence out of thin air, then how else would cases get solved in three days? Jeez.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/30/06