Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch
Rewind to 2001, when Capcom’s Ace Attorney series appeared as “Gyakuten Saiban” on the Game Boy Advance in Japan and appeared destined to remain exclusively in that country. Still, it’s become a cult classic worldwide more than two decades later—not bad for a visual novel courtroom drama with very little interactive content. Unfortunately, when Nintendo closed down its 3DS eShop, several of the series’ games—which were only available digitally in the west—became nearly unplayable.
With the remastering of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, this compilation of the second core trilogy in the venerable series rightfully rectifies that injustice. This bundle significantly improves the visuals of all three games, which were previously released in high definition on iOS and Android platforms.
It’s not exactly the snappy remaster that fans would have hoped for, though. Even though the three games—especially the last two—look much better than their original handheld versions, there is still some noticeable pixelation and a general lack of detail that is noticeable at TV screen sizes and resolutions that are much larger than those of smartphones. At least in portable mode, the Switch release (version tested) somewhat mitigates issue.
However, these aren’t the kinds of games that draw players in with graphics that tax their GPUs; instead, Ace Attorney is known for its rich cast of characters and dramatic court cases with absurd turns that rely on an exacting attention to detail. This is still the case, and the trilogy presents three of the best storylines in the larger franchise because of more accurate translations.
The first, which is set seven years after the first trilogy (which was remastered for contemporary platforms in 2019 and released as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy), introduces Apollo Justice, the new protagonist, whose first case is defending the previous hero against a murder charge. Even though Phoenix reclaims the lead position in the final two games, Apollo plays a smaller part, but it’s still a pleasure to watch the large cast of the series expand, alter, and mature throughout the trilogy.
It’s all worthwhile when you dissect a false assertion and give a “OBJECTION!” interjection that becomes a meme.
It’s unavoidable, though, that they are extremely slow games. The way to play courtroom is to cross-examine witnesses in each case, asking them for further details about their testimony, and searching for discrepancies. Apollo can also be used to focus on a defendant’s suspicious tics and tells, providing fresh opportunities to expose their lying. Examining the evidence occasionally gives the game a more traditional point-and-click adventure vibe—for example, by spinning an object to reveal a hidden clue—but the gameplay is still relatively simple. Although Spirit of Justice and Dual Destinies include a few new tricks, such assessing a suspect’s emotional state, the series is never too difficult to follow technically. It’s all worthwhile, though, when you correctly dissect a false assertion and make one of the series’ iconic “OBJECTION!” interjections.
A few quality-of-life enhancements for the trilogy also contribute to the overall streamlining of the experience. One such enhancement is the addition of the history feature from later games to Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, which enables you to replay dialogue in case you miss an important line. The ability to jump into any chapter of any game has also been added, but this is mainly useful for replays. It’s great if you already know the cases by heart and want to revisit a particularly memorable scene, but it’s not much use for new players who might find themselves clock-watching as they go through endless dialogue.
In addition, the trilogy packs in a ton of extra material that will satisfy die-hard fans. Orchestra Hall, a committed music player with an incredible 175 tracks from the trilogy—including orchestral performances from the series’ 15th anniversary concerts and two brand-new tracks for the remaster collection—is without a doubt the pièce de résistance. You have the option to create playlists with your favorite songs from the entire suite or to play the tracks continuously, looping, or broken down by game.
To create your own compositions, you can choose from a catalogue of cast members, poses, and settings in the Animation Studio, which makes use of the simple character movements in the games. A similarly extensive Art Library provides endless character designs, in-game backgrounds, and key art visuals to peruse. The best part is that none of this museum’s content is restricted by completion requirements; instead, it is all available right away.
It’s a great collection for a strangely compelling series, though longtime fans of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will probably get more out of it than newcomers. The best part for those who are drawn in by its allure, though, is that all of the main Ace Attorney games can now be played on a contemporary system, so the argument is closed.