Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All

"Continuing Phoenix Wright's legacy, Justice for All is a MUST for fans of the series!"

Phoenix Wright: Justice for All is the second game in the Phoenix Wright series, a rather unique series about being an attorney at law. It brings back the lovable cast of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for four more murder mysteries, requiring you to defend your client and prove their innocence by gathering clues and pointing out contradictions in witness's testimonies. Here's an overview of Justice for All.

Story: 8/10

Well, the stories in the Phoenix Wright series are always pretty good, but out of the three Phoenix Wright games available, I didn't like these stories as much. I guess for starters, there are only four cases here, while Ace Attorney and Trials and Tribulations each had five. If you take away the first case, which is always an easy one, you're really left with three good sized cases. To be fair, I'm pretty sure the last case in Justice for All is the longest one in the trilogy, so that kind of helps. The cases themselves are pretty good still, with the usual twists and turns along the way. While they may not completely stump you, they are quite a challenge towards the end, requiring some really out-of-the-box thinking. And as I mentioned before, all of the lovable characters return, as well as a few new ones, my favorite being Maya's cousin Pearl (cutest little girl EVER). Overall, the stories are well worth you time to play through and still feature an uniquely humorous writing style, I just think the other two games were slightly better.

Gameplay: 8/10

The gameplay changed little from Ace Attorney. As a defense lawyer, as well as an extremely unlucky guy, Phoenix will often find himself defending clients against accusations of committing murder, often needing to prove their innocence even when it appears that they did it. To do this, you will have to search crime scenes and various other places for evidence, which you will use to defend them. In court you will listen to witnesses testimony, and you'll need to point out any contradictions that may appear to prove your clients innocence. The gameplay is rather simple, really, the only change from Ace Attorney was the addition of a special jewel that Maya gives you that points out when people are lying. You can than use this, combined with showing them key items, to get them to tell you the truth. A nice change of pace that adds an interesting twist to getting to know the people you're questioning.

Graphics: 9/10

The graphics in Justice for All, and every Phoenix Wright game really, are top notch. The extreme amount of detail put into the screens is not only necessary but beautiful as well. The excellent character design carries over from the first game, while giving the new characters their own set of lovable mannerisms and looks. And of course the great animations are back in full force, making you chuckle multiple times per court visit, just by seeing how people react to things. There's not much more to say here, but the graphics of Justice for All would make any gamer happy.

Music / Sound Effects: 9/10

The music in Justice for all is just as good as it's predecessor, many memorable tunes await the player, specifically the ones they play when you're having a "touching moment" with someone, or when you present a piece of critical evidence. And who could forget the "Nickel Samurai" theme music? While not quite as good as Trials and Tribulations music was, Justice for all maintains the excellent music of the series very well.

The sound effects are pretty much a mirror image of the last game, there really isn't anything too special here apart from the fact that you can hold down "Y" to turn on your DS's microphone and manually shout "OBJECTION!" while in the middle of a case, as well as a few other key words.

Re-playability: 6/10

The true curse of these games, Justice for All included, is the surefire lack of re-playability. Once you're through a case, that's about it. On the plus side, like I mentioned in the other Phoenix Wright reviews, these chapters will take you quite awhile to play through, even if Justice for All has one less than normal.

Overall: 8/10

Overall, another enjoyable Phoenix Wright game, Justice for All carries on a proud series. I would recommend trying to play Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney first, as well as trying to find the game used if you are interested in it. Trust me, after I played one Phoenix Wright game, I had to go get the others. Have fun and keep playing!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/06/08

Game Release: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (US, 01/16/07)