Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Genre: Visual Novel / Graphic Adventure

Players: 1

.

Review:

Apollo Justice, released on Nintendo DS in 2008, ported to mobile devices in 2016, and then ported to Nintendo 3DS in 2017 with improved visuals and sound over earlier versions, is the fourth game in the Ace Attorney series that combines Visual Novel and Graphic Adventure elements with a plot that’s split between courtroom dramatics and crime investigation. As the title indicates, Apollo Justice follows the story of a new character, the titular Apollo Justice, along with the addition of several new supporting characters. However, don’t take this to mean that this series has moved on from series protagonist Phoenix Wright – not only does Wright still play a large part in the story, one could make the argument that he and his past are the overarching mystery behind this game’s four seemingly unrelated cases.

Taking place seven years after the prior game in the series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations, we discover that Phoenix was long ago stripped of his license to practice law, and now makes a living “playing piano” (in reality, he’s a poker hustler), as well as looking after his adoptive daughter, Trucy. One of the more delicious mysteries in this game is gradually uncovering how Wright lost his license, and how he came to be responsible for Trucy.

As it happens, Phoenix Wright is the defendant and murder suspect in the first of the game’s cases, and specifically requests new attorney Apollo Justice to represent him, much to the surprise and confusion of both Apollo and Apollo’s mentor, attorney Kristoph Gavin, who is an old friend of Wright’s. Far from the wet-behind-the-ears lawyer we were introduced to in the earlier Ace Attorney games, Wright here is calm, confident, aloof and even a bit mysterious.

For this game’s presentation, this uses much the same art style as prior Ace Attorney games, even re-using some art and music from earlier games in the series. The game still has a very nice 2D anime art style with a catchy synthesized soundtrack, but it’s hard to credit this game for that when the groundwork was already laid out in previous games in the series.

However, these visuals are supplemented by other elements that were added to this installment to make use of the capabilities of the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. Inventory objects, which still appear in the same style as the 2D objects of prior games, are actually fully 3D objects using well-crafted cel-shading, and the ability to rotate and examine these objects in three dimensions is frequently used throughout the game. In addition, there are now some stylistic videos strewn throughout the game depicting in abstract events surrounding the game. What’s more, you’ll often find yourself interacting with 3D representations of hypothetical versions of the crime scene, a nice touch that makes for a more dynamic recreation of the crime that allows players to look for the contradictions central to the gameplay.

There are at least superficially other new elements to the gameplay here, such as Apollo’s ability to sense when others are lying, but this oddly enough feels more gimmicky and less integral to the gameplay than the new visual elements.

The one other thing to mention here is the nature of this game’s release, coming out in Western regions only in digital format on the Nintendo 3DS eShop priced at $20. Compared to the $30 price tag for the entire trilogy of games that preceded it, this feels a bit on the pricey side, but the other side of that argument is that this is arguably the best version of a pivotal and inventive entry in the franchise.

Regardless, Apollo Justice is yet another excellent Visual Novel / Graphic Adventure game that’s an excellent choice for players looking for a great detective game and courtroom drama. And if you’re on the fence on whether to get it, know that after the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes in March 2023, the only way you’ll be able to play this game is to get the inferior Nintendo DS or mobile versions of the game. In other words, if you’re a Nintendo 3DS owner who enjoys this series, you should definitely make it a point to add this game to your collection while you can.

tl;dr – Apollo Justice is the fourth game in the Ace Attorney series of Graphic Adventure / Visual Novel games with a courtroom / detective theme. This game follows the titular new protagonist while jumping ahead seven years in Phoenix Wright’s story, which players will have to gradually piece together. The shift in perspective and associated mystery are delightful, and some new elements to the presentation help to offset other elements that were clearly recycled. The result is a strong entry in the series, and the Nintendo 3DS release is possibly the best version… but it’s an eShop exclusive in the US, so get it while you can.

Grade: B+

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