I hate the circus.
I hate the circus.
I hate the circus.
I hate the circus.
I hate the circus.
I hate the circus.
I hate the circus.

I knew out-of-print, obscure and/or unlocalized games tended to get hyped up beyond what they deserve and it always leads to disappointment once people actually get their hands on it. I took the things people said about it with a grain of salt and fully expected it to be good, but not the masterpiece people said it was, and even if I did end up liking it a lot, I didn't want to get carried away and end up continuing the cycle of overhype.

It didn't work. Ace Attorney Investigations 2 is my new favorite 2D-era Ace Attorney game.

The first Investigations was the weakest one I've played so far so I didn't really have high expectations for the sequel, but 2 does literally everything better. The addition of Logic Chess adds more variety to the gameplay and helps the game feel more distinct from the mainline series. There's a much greater exploration of who Edgeworth actually is as a character and the path he chooses to walk, and not only are the new characters a lot better, the returning characters from I1 get fleshed out in a great way as well. The cases are a lot stronger overall, they're actually connected to each other in a meaningful and interesting way and build to a much more satisfying climax, and while they're quite long (The Grand Turnabout can easily take an entire day to finish) they use their length much, much better than the first game's attempt at a long, epic case. It feels like what Investigations 1 should have been to begin with. My only real major complaint was with the amount of fanservice- it's not as bad as the first game, since the cases are built around the returning characters a lot better than "oh look! here's the funny character from the original trilogy! laugh!", but it still feels a bit excessive? I know it was released around the 10th anniversary of the original game but especially considering the context of a controversial new cast four years before this game's release it kind of feels desperate.

Either way, this is again my favorite AA game so far- Apollo Justice comes really close, but Turnabout Corner drags it down. There's not a single bad or even mediocre case in this game, and while sad dad Phoenix is still the most interesting character the character stuff in this game is really good as well. It's a real shame this didn't get localized officially- the fan translation is really good and fits in very well with the official team's work, and if there's ever an official localization I hope Capcom is willing to use it as a base, but it's less accessible and less polished than an official release would be.

Eu sonhava em finalizar essa parte da franquia, já é um sonho por si só terminar Ace Attorney inteiro, mas INVESTIGATIONS 1 e 2 são os jogos que menos tinha interesse, e agora, finalmente terminando eles, sinto como se tivesse ganhado essa luta.

O 1 foi legal, mas bem arrastado, o 2 foi tudo que o 1 errou, só que aumentado em 1000%, eu amei tudo que foi mostrado aqui, seja a gameplay, os personagens EXTREMAMENTE BEM DESENVOLVIDOS (que todos voltem no futuro) e a trama muito bem escrita, surpreendente e completamente interligada, uma das histórias mais bem feitas da franquia, e olha que eu tô falando de um padrão de qualidade ACE ATTORNEY, então ele ser um dos melhores, é realmente uma coisa a se notar.

Foi incrível, principalmente ver o quanto que o Miles cresceu desde o primeiro jogo da franquia, ver ele aqui e lembrar dos velhos tempos é simplesmente pensar em dois personagens diferentes, meu garoto cresceu cara vsfd que felicidade!

Sinto orgulho de dizer que Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Path, foi o meu primeiro jogo zerado de 2024, pra começar o ano já batendo o pé na porta. Esse ano vai ser foda!

A fairly miserable experience for me, by Ace Attorney standards. None of the new characters are really likeable, the cases try too hard to be perfectly connected and just end up contrived, and Logic Chess becomes the most tedious gimmick in the series as it grows more complex. I wanted to drop it in case 2, and really should have instead of slogging through it for over five months. It did not ever become worth it.

It is still an Ace Attorney Investigations game, though, so the pixel art is fantastic and always a treat to look at.

It is nearly impossible for me to craft with words how necessary Ace Attorney was to me in my life. A dear friend to me in some of my most crucial moments, these games transcend a connection that I don't think most people can understand. I feel at home here, and especially with Miles Edgeworth, whose character was foundational to my growing up and path in life.
I had my doubts about replaying this game. With the original trilogy, I feel as if it has a warm place in my past, but it almost feels wrong to revisit it as an adult. Nonetheless, I decided to experience aai2 again since I barely remembered the contexts of most of the cases, and it was the last one i played before tgaa. I am very, very happy I made this decision. I have not felt like this in so long, so passionate and invested in the power of a story. It is an intense feeling that I remember having as a child too, it was these very games that inspired me to learn several arts that are foundational aspects of me today. I never grew up with a father, and I was very much alone my whole life. I saw and experienced many wrongs committed by people who were supposed to know better than I, and I've never had a voice to object to it. To me, what this game has to say is very important. To choose your own path in life and be able to see the world clearly, this was what I wanted to live by as a child. And though some things could be better, and I have grown more since my first time here, I can not reject the impact this series had on me years ago and even still today.

I feel profound gratitude to the people who translated this game and let me experience it for myself. I still hope for an official translation one day, but the amount of love and care put into making this accessible to the west is really incredible, and I'm just so so happy I got to play it once more. This is a little embarrassing, and I always feel like my words aren't accurate enough, but even if it is hard I just want to share my love for this game and the characters in it. Goodbye, aai2, may we meet again in a few years.

Ace Attorney Investigations 2 is a legal thriller that goes above and beyond the typical standards of its series to deliver something truly special. Subversive of both its immediate predecessor and the Ace Attorney series as a whole, Investigations 2 weaves an entertaining and memorable cast of characters into an intricate plot which thoroughly develops just about every one of them. With strong themes of family and inheritance, powerful and substantial commentary on the justice system, and some of the most impressively constructed mysteries the series has to offer, AAI2 sits proudly at the peak of both its own series and video games in general.

banger story that doesn't waste a single beat and makes use of every single character in a refreshing, fulfilling narrative style that took me by surprise. I got stuck in this game way more than I did any other but I also found myself very invested in its characters which the game shows a lot of respect for.

it's a shame that it'll never be localized but I can kinda understand why. at the end of the day, a spin-off such as this is pretty niche but I gotta hand it to the team for dedicating their work towards preservation of what we love about ace attorney over making it more generic and marketable to everyone else. good show!

After playing ace attorney investigations and not liking it, playing the sequel... Am I a psycopath? No, I am playing this because I saw a lot of people swear that this is the best Ace attorney and better than trials and tribulations....

My answer is no. But I have to accept one thing. This game is an improvement upon the first investigations game. There is an interesting narrative this time! Less quirky one note characters and more focus on the mystery!

But also, still have the same problems of the first investigations game. Other than story, most of the jokey and serious parts still doesn't mesh well in this game too and that's makes the pacing unbearable at times. Also I still can't connect to "anything that is going on". Because other than case 4(only case where Edgeworth have own personal motives and best one for me because of it) rest of it just a helping the random people simulator that doesn't add anything to my experience for me. People are like oh ma gad did you see the finale?? Twists oh maa gaddd!!! And I was like, eh we just solved another case that unrelated to us? I am trying my best to understand why people like that much, but I just can't. Let me tell in a better way what I think: think about trials and tribulations's finale and person that blamed isn't Maya, it's a random nun that we met. Would you really invest in the case? It's still a solid mystery case with lots of twists in it yes but I would not and that's my problem of this game. I can't invest in anything that is going on.

Also I am super duper angry that they botched Miss Courtney's character at the finale. I almost liked her as a rival until the finale that is.

Unfortunately, compared to the general consensus, other than case 4, rest of is bland for me. Because I don't play these games as a detective mystery simulators. No amount of plot twists back to back to back to back will invest me if there is no personal goal or motive in the way. So it's a pass for me.

The events that unfold in this title in the Ace Attorney series are something to behold. A beautiful story, told through the best cast of characters in the series to date. Unfortunately, it was never officially released outside of Japan due to the low sales of the previous game. But that didn't stop fans from experiencing this masterpiece, as a team got to work and translated the entire game, which includes in-game images and voice clips. My deepest thanks goes out to the team that worked so hard to translate the title for Ace Attorney fans to enjoy.

The classic Ace Attorney gameplay is all here, with the new additions that the first Investigations added. Like the previous title, this entry follows prosecutor Miles Edgeworth and his search for the truth behind brilliantly crafted cases. Expanding the gameplay beyond the norm by being able to walk around the crime scene is an addition I'm glad to see return, it makes investigation segments much more interesting and helps you get a better grasp of the locations you're in. While investigating, you'll uncover evidence, which is added to the organizer. Not everything you find will be a piece of evidence, sometimes it'll be a question that some piece of evidence brings up. These points are what make up Logic. Once you get enough leads through Logic, you can add together two points that seem connected, answering a question about the case without relying on testimony. If you do need testimony, you'll start an argument with a witness, in which you'll rebuttal them in response. This functions as the classic testimony and cross-examination portions of the main games. You can press for more details, or present evidence when you've found a contradiction.

New to this sequel is another ability exclusive to Edgeworth related to his fondness of chess, Logic Chess. When Edgeworth encounters an unruly or difficult adversary, he visualizes a chessboard, as well as pieces in front of his opponent, representing their guard. He then goes through several lines of questioning to extract info from his opponent. Some questions may not lead you to the answer, but could instead provide a valuable clue that can be useful during another line of attack. It's important that when the opponent starts getting defensive, Edgeworth simply sits and waits for them to calm down, or he risks getting lost and having to start over. Each opponent has their own tells as to when you can further press them and when it's better to wait and see. This gets more and more difficult, especially later in the game. It's used sparingly enough so it doesn't feel shoehorned into any situations. It's a new and more interesting take on Phoenix's Psyche-Locks, where instead of using evidence to question people, Edgeworth uses his words and his opponent's words against them to extract that info himself. It fits Edgeworth well and is incredibly engaging whenever it shows up.

Spoilers for pretty much everything in this game beyond this point, stop reading now if you plan on playing this game.

With that out of the way, the heart of Ace Attorney is with it's characters and story, with the gameplay being there just to make it a more engaging experience. Once again, the story follows Miles Edgeworth as he gets entangled in a series of five connected cases forming an overarching plot. The cases include: an attempted presidential assassination that turns into a murder, a murder inside a prison, an old case resurfacing a similar incident with the same people, a murder where the main suspect suffers from amnesia, and one final murder that ties every past case together to reveal someone pulling the strings behind it all. Each of these cases is incredibly interesting even when you don't consider the overarching plot, they're good enough to stand on their own.

Many characters return from past titles, most notably Miles Edgeworth, Dick Gumshoe, Kay Faraday, and Shi-Long Lang. I'll talk more about Edgeworth later, since he actually gets considerable development throughout the game. Gumshoe is as lovable as ever, although he doesn't do much this time around. Kay is adorable, and is Edgeworth's investigative partner most of the time. The characters that really steal the show for me and mostly the new ones. Raymond Shields, Sebastian Debeste, and Justine Courtney most notably are all some of the best characters in the series. What's more, every other character in the game, whether they're a simple one off witness or a villain, is great. Although some left little to no impact on me, I didn't hate a single character. Every character is fun to interact with and most are tied to the plot in interesting ways.

The journey that these characters go on is nothing short of spectacular, especially the path that lies ahead of Miles Edgeworth. In the second case, The Imprisoned Turnabout, we meet Raymond Shields, defense attorney at Edgeworth and Co. Law Offices. Raymond worked under Edgeworth's father, who was also a defense attorney, as an apprentice. In previous titles, we learn that Edgeworth did intend to become a defense attorney himself, but strayed away from that path after his father had been murdered. The main suspect got away scot-free after the defense claimed he was ill. After that point, Edgeworth swore that he would become a prosecutor so no guilty culprits would get away like the one that killed his father.

Raymond comes onto the scene because he's the attorney assigned to the suspect, Simon Keyes, for the murder of the culprit from the first case, Horace Knightley. Edgeworth was the one to put Knightley behind bars, and he intended to learn the truth of his murder. To his dismay, a member of the Prosecutorial Investigation Committee, Justine Courtney, had already assigned a rookie prosecutor, Sebastian Debeste, to the case. The only way for him to continue with his investigation is to do so as an assistant to the defense attorney. Thanks to this incident, he gets to experience firsthand what it's like to defend someone. The case following has Edgeworth solve his father's final case, which he never found the truth to due to his untimely demise, further showing how great Edgeworth would be as a defense attorney. After this, Raymond Shields makes a proposition, "to fight crime as a prosecutor, or to save people as a defense attorney. I want you to think carefully about how you want to live your life from now on."

Further cementing this dilemma of Edgeworth is the fourth case, where Kay is suspected of murder, but due to an accident, has amnesia and can't remember the incident at all. She's the only suspect of the case, and Edgeworth can't seem to shake suspicion off of her. On top of that, Judge Courtney and P.I.C. chairman Blaise Debeste limit his ability to investigate due to their power over prosecutors. In order to save his friend, Edgeworth puts everything on the line and gives up his prosecutor's badge so he wouldn't be under any authority. As you may recall in Trials and Tribulations when Edgeworth fills in for Wright, he says "A defense attorney's job is to believe in people, and to believe until the bitter end." This is exactly what Edgeworth is doing now, not just to find the truth, but to protect his friend. During the final confrontation with the culprit, Blaise Debeste, we see his son, Sebastian, attempting to defend him. He knows a piece of information that would make him guilty if exposed, and does everything he can to defend his father whom he looks up to. But, in the end, he's almost convinced to tell the truth before being scared off by his own father.

AAI2 tells a story of making choices and deciding one's own path in life. It encourages it's characters to make their own path instead of choosing one given to them by someone else. Edgeworth confronts Sebastian, now on the verge of an emotional breakdown, about what happened. Through some counseling and a good game of Logic Chess, Edgeworth convinces Sebastian to not choose the path his father set out for him. His father, who paid his son's teachers to give him the best grades at his law school so he could graduate at the top of his class and get a jacket to show it, is not someone that should be looked up to. Sebastian runs away again, and Edgeworth returns to the courthouse where Blaise is being questioned for destroying evidence. Thanks to the evidence he destroyed, the villain of the second case, Patricia Roland, will get away scott-free. That is, until Sebastian arrives on the scene after being gone for who knows how long. He returns, with a new theme accompanying him, to stand up to his father. He decided that he wants to choose his own path and be a prosecutor that doesn't forge and falsify evidence, like his father is. He wants to be someone better than his father, and he makes that start by going to the dump, digging through mountains of trash, and finding the piece of evidence his father threw away to get Patricia Roland off the hook. At first, he's still a bit shaken and needs assistance from Edgeworth, but eventually, Edgeworth takes a step back and Sebastian takes the reins. He musters up the courage to solidify this path he's taking and puts his father behind bars.

Similarly, at the end of the game, Edgeworth has to decide for himself now what path to take. To continue his life as a prosecutor, or become a defense attorney like his late father. "To fight crime as a prosecutor, or to save people as a defense attorney." These words haunted him, the foundation for his decision. After all the dust settles, he decides he wants to save people as a prosecutor. This is thanks to the main antagonist of the game, Simon Keyes. Simon grew up without a father and without friends. At a young age, he witnessed a presidential assassination right in front of his orphanage. Because he witnessed this, the owner of the orphanage at the time, Patricia Roland, kept him up, night after night, asking him countless questions and pushing him to his breaking point. He ran away, wanting to prove the guilt of the two culprits of the case, Patricia Roland and Blaise Debeste. But, no matter where he went, he couldn't. Blaise was the chief prosecutor at the time and was assigned to the case, so any evidence and testimony went directly to him, which he could then falsify however he liked.

Years passed, Simon is now an animal tamer at the circus. Still hungry for revenge, he orchestrates an ingenious plan to get Patricia and Blaise behind bars. He is the mastermind behind literally every single thing that happens in this game. He gave Knightley the idea to make a fake assassination attempt on the president, which lead him to murder, and then his arrest. Simon plays correspondence chess with an imprisoned assassin, Sirhan Dogen, and he changed these letters to make it seem like Knightley was the one who played chess with Dogen. Patricia, knowing Dogen's involvement in the presidential assassination all those years ago, feared for her life of anyone related to him, and murdered Knightley under the false pretense that they worked together. She's incarcerated, one down, one to go.

Simon then makes two false letters to two members of the P.I.C., Blaise Debeste and Jill Crane. One letter to each, both with information about each other's "secrets." He watched the events unfold, as Jill attempted to confront Blaise, only for him to silence her forever. Simon then drugged and kidnapped Kay before escorting her to the scene of the crime. He knew that ace attorney Miles Edgeworth would be able to solve this case, so Kay's kidnapping and inclusion was just a way to get him involved. Simon accounted for every eventuality, except one. Flying Kay to the top of the Grand Tower in a hot air balloon, he met the body double who now served as president of Zheng Fa, and the final member of the presidential assassination all those years ago. In an attempt to save his life, he crushed the body double with his balloon. This is perfect, every guilty party of the presidential assassination is now either behind bars or dead. But because that last murder was unaccounted for, he left a trail. A trail that led Miles Edgeworth all the way to him.

The strangest part in all of this is that Simon was kind of doing a good thing. His plan was to take down corrupted authoritative figures, and that's what he did, it's just his methods that got him caught in the end. This is why Edgeworth chose to save people as a prosecutor. Simon was a victim in his own way, being on the run for most of his life. He had nobody to turn to for help because it would all lead back to Blaise Debeste. Edgeworth wants to ensure that the law is something trustworthy, that people can turn to when they need help. Defense attorneys protect those in need, but it's the job of the prosecutor to first seek out the truth and put it all into action. Edgeworth had learned before that the only thing that matters in court is the truth, but how would that truth ever come to light if the prosecutor hadn't eliminated all other possibilities first? Edgeworth chose to fight the law itself, to fight the contradictions of the law, and ensure it can be something that anyone can rely on.

There are two more interesting parallels that Simon Keyes presents with other characters. The first is with Edgeworth, and how he shares similar traits of his father of saving himself while sacrificing others. Simon had an ingenious plan, but what he didn't plan on was getting arrested in the second case. He had to do everything he could to get himself out of that jam, which is why he let Knightley take the fall for his correspondence chess. Edgeworth is the complete opposite, especially in the fourth case, where he puts everything on the line to save Kay, including his own prosecutor's badge. This further plays into Edgeworth's dilemma of choosing to be either a defense attorney or prosecutor. The second parallel is with a smaller character, John Marsh. John was the son of the real president of Zheng Fa who was murdered by Sirhan Dogen, the assassin. When Dogen is present at the end of fifth case, John confronts him. Dogen is amused and gives the boy a knife, just to see what he'll do with it. John wanted to take revenge so badly against the man who killed his father, but now that the opportunity presented itself, he can't do it. He would feel great satisfaction from it, but he would hurt his friends and family by doing it. Simon's entire plan was motivated by revenge, and he had nobody to turn to for help. Knightley was his only friend, and he betrayed him at a young age. Simon didn't need to think about who he would hurt because he had no family or friends, he was alone, and he let that anger consume him until he took action.

Miles Edgeworth, Sebastian Debeste, and Simon Keyes and three of the best Ace Attorney characters to date. But there are other characters just as good that don't tie into the main theme of the game. Raymond Shields is one of the series' best. He fully supports Edgeworth's decision to stay on the prosecutor's path. He does lose a bit of relevancy after the third case, but that's only because the third case is quite possibly the best case in the series. You play as both Gregory Edgeworth from 18 years ago and Miles Edgeworth in the present to solve Gregory's final case. Raymond was there on both occasions, and attempted to get a retrial after Gregory's passing due to the defendant being found guilty. In the end, he wasn't strong enough to get that not guilty verdict, but with the new incident coming to light, he was finally able to see the case come to a close. He reports everything to Gregory. Seeing him take his hat off and bow as the music kicks in as he finally puts the case that haunted him for 18 years to rest is the most beautiful thing this series has done and ever will do.

Speaking of music, this is the best soundtrack in the series. The best objection theme, the best pursuit theme, along with investigation and character themes in the middle to round it all out. Sebastian stands out in particular, as he gets two character themes, one for before his development when he's a snotty brat, titled First-Class Reasoning, and one for after where he gains confidence in the path he chose, titled First-Class Farewell. The Man Who Masterminds the Game is easily the best villain theme, it fits perfectly for a twisted clown like Simon. Raymond Shields ~ Joking Motive is the best character theme in the series to date, nothing will ever top it. You could put his theme in any of the AA soundtracks and it would then turn into the best soundtrack, it's that good. This also stands true for Bonds ~ A Heart that Believes, which is perhaps the best song in the series in general. It plays at all the perfect moments, punching you in the gut each and every time with an emotion filled scene.

A lot of this review was probably just me rambling because it was hard to put into words what makes this game so great and why. Everything about this game is just perfect. Each of the five cases range from good to amazing, making this the best set of cases in the series to date. The characters that make these cases up are also a series best. There's not a single bad character, each one offering something of their own. Miles, Sebastian, Simon, and Raymond in particular are some of, if not, the best characters in the series. The gameplay is engaging; Logic Chess is always a thrill and is the best character ability to date. The sprite work and music make this experience both eye candy and ear candy. There's not a single bad thing I can say about this game. It's the best Ace Attorney game, and one of my favorite games of all time.