Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations

"Take That! One of the best but last of the Phoenix Wright games hits the DS!"

Introduction:

Trials & Tribulations is the third but last of the Phoenix Wright games, a series based on trials run by a fictional legal system. This game features 5 cases, with 2 of them being flashbacks before the events of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Or 5-6 years before this game's present time) to give you an in-depth backstory to Phoenix's past and Mia Fey, Wright's long time friend and mentor. Before playing this game, I highly suggest you play Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Justice For All in order to get a better grasp at some of the characters and the events that took place before this game's story.

Story 9/10:

Two years after Phoenix Wright had became a defense attorney, he recalls a past event in which he was charged with murder. At that time, he was an art student at Ivy University and had been dating a young girl named Dahlia Hawthorne. However, one of his fellow classmates had been killed and he's been set up to take the fall. In that case, defense attorney Mia Fey took the stand and defended him until he was declared innocent. Afterwards, Dahlia's true nature is revealed and Phoenix decides to become a defense attorney and will one day work at Mia's law firm.

Five years later (Present Day), he meets a mysterious prosecutor like no other. A coffee addict with a deep grudge towards Phoenix, a dark secret and a sorrow past hidden behind that mask of his. Some says he's a legendary prosecutor who instills fear into the hearts of many defense attorneys. During Phoenix's career and battles with the mysterious prosecutor in court, his past comes back to haunt him as he discovers a shocking but epic truth about the girl whom he once loved. With his final case, he puts his past to rest and reveals the true identity of our mysterious prosecutor.

Gameplay 8/10:

Though the gameplay is what keeps this visual novel text adventure game interesting, it's still pretty much the same as the first four cases of Ace Attorney and Justice For All. You navigate from screen to screen from the main menu, and you present evidence and profiles to people you meet in the area. With the power of the Magatama, you have the ability to see a person's "Psyche-Lock", mental locks that hides the secrets of that person's heart, and also the ability to interrogate them with evidence until they spill the beans. The game forces you to find all the evidence and important information that are available at the time of the case, so you are never permanently stuck in any trial days.

Controls 10/10:

The controls are very easy, and doesn't require you to press any buttons, as you can just set the DS down and use the touch screen to get around. During the trials, you can choose the evidence you want to present and hold the Y button in the evidence menu and shout "Objection!" or hold the L button during cross examinations and yell "Hold It!" to press witnesses on their statement.

Graphics 9/10:

The animations are flawless, and so are the game graphics itself. The background visuals are nice to look at, and most of the time, conceals evidence that you would later find for that case or after hearing more information from other people. Nevertheless, the graphics are pretty much the same as the previous two titles in the series.

Music 10/10:

The second best soundtrack of the three so far in my opinion. Every one of them is enjoyable, and are in very good quality compared to their GBA counterpart. Some music tracks from the past titles also returns in this game.

Character Development 9/10:

Each characters are given their own unique personality and behavior, making them easily likeable. Also, each and every one of their names are intentional puns. Example, the name Luke Atmey is a pun for "Look At Me". This game features returning characters from previous two titles. Those characters were somehow involved in Phoenix's past cases at a certain point of his career. They are also reintroduced to the players in order to remind the player of who they were, or to simply tell new players who they are and their connection with Phoenix.

Replay value 6/10:

The only major flaw with this game is that it lacks a replay value, seeing as there is only one ending, and you can never change the way the cases and trials develop according to how you progressed through the case. Also, you can go back and play the previous cases. The only reason you should replay this game is to get a better understanding of the story and what's going on.

Rent or Buy:

I'd recommend you buy it, as it has memorable events and also a great story with great gameplay.

Final comments:

Overall, I give this game a score of 10/10, seeing as the characters in this installment are memorable and the story of how Phoenix Wright met Mia Fey is finally revealed. Also, the cases in this game are epic, each with their own unique development and conclusions.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/02/07

Game Release: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations (US, 10/23/07)