Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection

Genre: Compilation / Visual Novel / Graphic Adventure

Players: 1

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Review:

Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection is a Compilation that contains within it two other Compilations. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, released on multiple platforms over the years and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2019, includes Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulation. And The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, released alongside this collection in 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch includes the games The Great Ace Attorney Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. All of the included games combine Visual Novel and Graphic Adventure elements, with players taking the role of an attorney combing through witness testimony during a trial to find contradictions that refute their arguments against your clients, with additional gameplay coming in the form of investigating crime scenes to gather information to bolster your client’s case.

Here is what I thought of each of the compilations in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy	Compilation / Visual Novel / Graphic Adventure	1	A-
tl;dr Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a collection of the first three games in this series of investigation and legal drama games that lies somewhere between a Graphic Adventure and Visual Novel. This is a fantastic collection of three superb games with memorable characters and wonderful gameplay, but $30 for three games that are nearly 20 years old seems a bit much, even if you’re not likely to find a better deal on these games elsewhere.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles	Compilation / Visual Novel / Graphic Adventure	1	A
tl;dr The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a Compilation of two Victorian-era prequels in the Ace Attorney series previously only released in Japan, combining the series’ trademark courtroom drama gameplay with a new setting, new characters, new gameplay elements, outstanding graphics and a superb soundtrack, all at a great value. There are a few elements here that don’t quite work as well as they could, but overall, this is a must-have game in the Visual Novel genre, and even if you’re not a fan of the genre you’ll want to give this game a look if you enjoy courtroom dramas.

In short, these are five truly great games in the Visual Novel/Graphic Adventure genre. The Phoenix Wright trilogy is a bit more old-fashioned, and I think the $30 price tag on a trio of remastered Nintendo DS games is a bit on the high side. However, I think that’s balanced out here by the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, which works wonders to modernize the series, perhaps paradoxically while focusing on a story set in the distant past. And while the newer compilation has one fewer game, the modern nature of the included games and the wealth of gameplay content makes that the better value of the two in my opinion. However, don’t get me wrong – everything in this collection is quality.

Speaking of value, this compilation shaves $10 off the price of buying both of these compilations separately, so if you haven’t already gotten the Phoenix Wright trilogy and have an interest in this series, now is the ideal time to snatch up this series.

As compilations go, Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection builds on the great value already present in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles by giving players who never played the first three games in the series a discounted look at where the franchise began. And as stated above, while I think you get more bang for your buck from the Great Ace Attorney games, each game in the franchise is an absolutely superb Visual Novel/Graphic Adventure with a great story, memorable characters, and excellent courtroom drama-backed gameplay. The only thing that could make this collection sweeter is the inclusion of the Ace Attorney Investigations games, Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright… but barring a comprehensive package like that, Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection is one of the best compilations you’re likely to see in the Visual Novel or Graphic Adventure genres.

tl;dr – Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection is a Compilation of two Compilations – Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, the first three games in the series and the two more recent prequels. All of these games are a superb blend of Visual Novel and Graphic Adventure with a fun courtroom drama story, and the compilation is an excellent value. If you’ve never tried this series before and have an interest, this is an excellent package to bring you into the series.

Grade: A

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