"Apollo Justice is a passing of the torch, or is it?"

Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice is the successor to the highly acclaimed Phoenix Wright Trilogy. Set seven years after the third installment, Apollo Justice continues the series trend of great writing, humorous courtroom drama, and memorable characters. Can Apollo Justice create a name for himself, or will the weight of the crushing shadow of Phoenix Wright consume him?

The gameplay in Apollo Justice essentially treads the same water as its predecessors. Each chapter follows a basic formula that has been the staple of the series for four games running. Each case consists of two basic parts: the investigation sequence and the trial. It begins with a murder (always a murder). Invariably, the prime suspect always ends up the rookie lawyer's hands, and it's his job to see that they “beat the rap”, so to speak.

In the investigation phase, Apollo gathers information by examining the environment for clues, speaking with witnesses about what they saw or what they know, and presenting evidence to witnesses to help “jog” their memory. Making its return to the series is the ability to dust for fingerprints, and even take footprint molds. They add more variety to the investigation to be sure, but unfortunately, there are only a handful of times throughout the game where each is used. The investigation involves a bit of trial and error, as it's not always clear what to do next. You will often find yourself moving from location to location looking for clues, or presenting evidence to different people hoping to find the “trigger” to advance the story. It can get a bit tedious to be sure, but it's the game's way of making sure you don't make it to trial without all the evidence necessary for your client's defense.

The real meat of the game is found in the trial portions of each chapter. As in all previous Ace Attorney games, a witness will give their testimony, and it's up to you to use the evidence to reveal contradictions or inconsistencies in their testimony. Finding a contradiction will cause the witness to change their testimony, bringing you a little closer to the truth. Once again, there is some trial and error involved, as a given piece of evidence may actually contradict a couple of statements, but only one will advance the game. Given that this is the fourth entry in the series, it's quite inexplicable that they haven't altered the mechanic at all. It's still functional, but it's certainly time for a change.

All the old voice commands from the previous games are back in full glory. You'll still say “Hold it!” into the microphone to stop and question witnesses on particular statements. In doing so, something they say may help reveal the underlying contradiction. “Take that!” is used to present a piece of evidence when the heat is on, and the judge wants proof of your outlandish claim, and believe me, it will happen a lot. Of course the signature line from Phoenix Wright is here as well. It sounds corny, but there are honestly few things more satisfying in gaming than yelling “Objection!” when you have evidence that clearly debunks a witness's testimony. For those bashful folks, you can always opt to use the touch screen or face buttons in place of any voice command, to avoid public embarrassment.

New to the trial phase is the ability to perceive a witness's lies. Sometimes the evidence won't provide a clear contradiction, but a nervous habit may reveal the truth. Apollo has a bracelet that begins glowing, based on his intuition that the witness is hiding something. At that point you can zoom in on the witness and observe their mannerisms as they deliver their testimony. As they deliver the lie, or tell a half truth, the witness will exhibit some form of nervous habit. While I won't spoil what any of them are, when you do catch them in the act, you can simply yell “Gotcha!” in the microphone, and the story will proceed from there.

The visuals in Apollo Justice are right on par with the three previous installments. The backgrounds look great and are full of detail. The characters are well drawn and animate well, though many are quite stereotypical and over-the-top. Simply put, the game is a joy to look at. It's not going to dazzle you with photorealistic graphics, nor should it. The art direction is excellent in that most everything is pleasing to the eye.

Apollo justice benefits greatly from a soundtrack that is both adaptive and dramatic. You'll hear creepy tunes as during the murder or in other dangerous settings and light-hearted tracks for those interrogations of the game's colorful personalities. Dramatic music, however, has become the hallmark of series. It fits perfectly with those moments of peak drama in the courtroom, particularly when dealing the decisive blow to prosecution. AJ always seems to have the perfect melody for every situation. It's plausible to think that some tracks will stay with you long after you've completed the game; I don't really think it could be much better.

The story of past Ace Attorney games past is what has made them so successful, and thankfully, Apollo Justice is no exception. Each case follows a similar premise, someone gets murdered, Apollo is chosen to defend them, the prosecution puts the defense on the ropes and through cross-examination and presenting evidence, Apollo turns the case completely upside down. If there's one thing the series is famous for, it's to never take what you've seen or learned at face value. The plot twists and turns will keep you glued to the DS and playing for far longer than you should, trying to piece it all together. Ace Attorney is the very definition of addictive.

Apollo Justice succeeds because it works both as a sequel to the Phoenix Wright trilogy and as a standalone game. Though there are references to the past, newcomers needn't worry. While a few subtleties may be missed, the overall arc of the story is still crystal clear to everyone. Veterans of the series will ultimately learn what happened to the vaunted Phoenix Wright. While I won't spoil any details, I did find the final case to be a bit lacking. The entire game was one exhilarating ride, and just prior to its climax, it screeched to a halt. It was still quite enjoyable, but it didn't live up to the benchmarks established by its predecessors; I couldn't help expecting a bit more.

Apollo Justice, at its heart, is an interactive murder mystery. As such, it really lacks any replay value. There are no difficulty levels or unlockables. Like a good book, it's quite difficult to return to it when the outcome is already known. But like any well written mystery, it's nearly impossible to put down, as you're always left wondering what the ultimate outcome will be. Newcomers, be warned, you may experience a few sleepless nights upon delving into this game.

Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice continues one of the best new franchises in recent years. With an engaging, addictive as crack story, excellent touch screen controls and voice controls, and one of the best soundtracks in recent memory, Apollo Justice is a strong entry on all fronts. It lacks the climax that we've come to expect from the series, the courtroom mechanics need tweaking, and some of the new elements were vastly underutilized. Still, it's hard not to recommend AJ to fans of the series or fans of highly suspenseful writing. It offers a wonderful change of pace from the norm, and newcomers are encouraged to give it a whirl. Apollo Justice marks the beginning for what should be a promising franchise character for years to come.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/27/08

Game Release: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (US, 02/19/08)