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Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Mini Review

Chris Leyton

05/04/2006

On remand in Europe since October, Phoenix Wright finally gets released...

Murder, Sugar Daddies and the death sentence, Nintendo's latest release on the DS certainly isn't what you'd typically expect from a handheld format normally associated with a younger market. OK so Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney may not stem from the hallowed corridors of Nintendo's EAD, instead coming from the crazed minds of the guys at Capcom, but for some reason the publisher behind Resident Evil and Streetfighter decided against bringing Phoenix to Europe, so fortunately for us Nintendo picked up the title.

Under its pseudonym of Gyakuten Saiban, Pheonix Wright has enjoyed four original titles in Japan, with the DS title an adaptation of the first game in the series released exclusively on the GameBoy Advance in Japan during 2001.

Assuming the role of Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney finds players ditching the traditional roles of gruff fighters or action heroes, instead taking the slightly less glamorous role of a lawyer. However before that sends you desperately lurching for the Back button let me assure you this is a game quite unlike anything you could ever imagine; thoroughly engaging, genuinely amusing and yet another DS title that continues to push forward the idea of original experiences.

Told across five different episodes of an increasingly complex and bizarre series of events, Ace Attorney's tangled web finds the player encompassed in a story of lies, cover-ups and deceit, all of which is up to you to work through and come out with the truth.

Excluding the opening chapter which serves as a tutorial of sorts, Ace Attorney is largely made up of two separate gameplay areas, Investigation and the Court Battles. Investigating typically involves moving between different locations keys to the storyline, interviewing key witnesses, obtaining evidence and generally pushing forward the storyline. It's during these sections that you'll need to acquire the information to use in the courtroom, often you'll need to present evidence to characters for them to open up and learn certain facts about the case in question. Having stumbled upon a certain piece of information or discovered a crucial piece of information the game will instantly switch to the Courtroom Battle phase, where the most enjoyment stems from.

Defending a string of clients, the Courtroom Battle phases revolves around a series of turns essentially, which begins with a witness providing their testimony. Having listened carefully, players have the opportunity to cross-examine the witness (who needs Law School), using evidence and information gained during the investigation to highlight any contradictions in their testimony. Later in the game you'll come across some watertight testimonies which seem impossible to break, however Phoenix has the ability to "Press" the witness or badger them into making mistakes, which in turn opens up an opportunity to spot a weakness in their statement and "Present" evidence to corroborate your objection.

What initially sounds to be a simple gaming experience actually transforms into a compelling affair, due largely to the fact that Ace Attorney requires a degree of concentration and thought to succeed - particularly if you're more accustomed to first-person-shooters and other such popular titles of the moment. It's very much an adventure game that proves the genre can still bring worthy titles to the drawing board. Despite the inclusion of multiple choices when interviewing characters and choosing how to plan your attack in the courtroom, Ace Attorney is largely a linear game however it does still present a sense of choice to the player which is crucial for a game of this sort, you never really feel as though you're being pushed towards the correct solution or thankfully resorting to trial-and-error resolutions. Perhaps the constant tapping to progress through dialogue and the puzzling nature of the Investigation scenes will be a little slow for some gamers, however those willing to persevere and try something different will likely be rewarded by yet another strikingly original titles for the DS.

Away from this element Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is also a damn stylish game, one that has a unique flair and one that is genuinely funny to boot. The story, characters and dialogue are strong enough to pull you into the game, whether it's Miss April May's wanton winking and boob juggling to pull the wool over everybody's eyes in the courtroom, to the loathsome Redd White who you'll take genuine pleasure in wiping the smile off his smug face. Drawing heavy influence from Japanese anime, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is little more then a series of briefly animated stills, but still the game has a wonderful sense of style and presentation; lawyers square up against each other in true Manga fashion whilst witnesses crumble and literally become completely different people under heavy questioning - at times it's like Law & Order crossed with Streetfighter. Equally the music and sound effects may be little more then the traditional assortment of videogame beeps and chirps, but it suits the game well and is often used to enhance the comedic effect to good results.

Despite the use of the DS microphone to shout "Hold Up" and "Objection" during the Courtroom Battle phases, it's evident that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney originally began as a GameBoy Advance title, however the stylus certainly suits the adventure nature of the game. A fifth episode not present in the 2001 GBA title makes further use of the DS capabilities, such as applying powder with the touch screen to duct for fingerprints and blowing away any excess powder with the mic. The fourth title in the Gyakuten Saiban series is currently in development exclusively for the Nintendo DS, we can't wait to see what the team can come up with.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has been worth the long wait for European DS owners, and carries on the handheld's strategy of introducing original concepts for gamers of all demographics to enjoy. With heavy amounts of text and progress based upon your brain reflex as opposed to your trigger finger, Ace Attorney isn't a game for everybody; but for those looking for a stylish and original experience, make sure to check this out immediately as it will probably surprise you.