Replayed GAA:A and it was pretty good. Its the funnest in the series to actually play and the new setting/characters are all fucking fantastic sholmes of course being the main highlight but I would say this game is on the weaker side of AA games since overall Alot of it feels like set up for Resolve and the first half of the game doesn't really have any full cases which are still good especially episode 2 but it just kinda doesn't amount to the quality of the series best. Naruhodo's character arc in this game is fucking awsome tho
I was skeptical of the transition to 3d at first, but the expressive character animations and new gameplay mechanics warmed up to me pretty quickly
The cases are all very good (except the second one) but what really makes this game for me are the amazing cast of characters and attention to detail
Very excited for the next one!
The cases are all very good (except the second one) but what really makes this game for me are the amazing cast of characters and attention to detail
Very excited for the next one!
Please don't take my stars personally. The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures is the first half of Ryunosuke Naruhodo's story and, for certain reasons, one of the most interesting games in the series. A few years ago, Shu Takumi left the numbered installments in favour of Ace Attorney: Investigations team to go their own way, while he was interested in telling a story about the past in a spin-off duology originally for Nintendo 3DS. I think the crossover with Professor Layton was a success in Shu Takumi's narrative vision, although he already showed his wonderful storytelling skills with Ghost Trick. YT user @bowloflentils made an essay video about it.
As I said, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures is the beginning of Ryunosuke Naruhodo's journey, but... In a different way than his great-grandson. He's the defendant in the first case, and he's not even the protagonist of this story, but things happen on a transatlantic ship to London, and Ryunosuke has to take the spotlight from his senior: Kazuma Asogi. With his assistant, Susato Mikotoba, Ryunosuke will have to face the modern British justice system in the face of the outdated and narrow-minded Japanese system. I think it's Japan, but I didn't see a hamburger stand, so...
The story follows Ryunosuke through the many problems he has to deal with on his arrival in London: a murder case on his first day, a bizarre fatal accident involving one of Japan's greatest writers, Natsume Soseki, on his second day, and a final case where everything comes together. It's not a grand story, but it's the most fitting to show the development of Ryunosuke's character as a lawyer. In that sense, I can't give the game a higher rating, because it's an unfinished story, but it's necessary for the sequel, and it's really well-written. I also appreciate the fact that the game leaves some mysteries unresolved and doesn't conclude the story with a typical 'anime cliffhanger".
In terms of gameplay, the cross-examination is more refined and the trials take on the mechanics of the crossover with Professor Layton. These additions enrich the overall dynamic, and the gestures and movements of the characters themselves are really fascinating. Some even have their own individual music themes. The game doesn't feel dull or overstretched.
P.D. I love the name change to Herlock Sholmes in the English version. It fits his character better.
As I said, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures is the beginning of Ryunosuke Naruhodo's journey, but... In a different way than his great-grandson. He's the defendant in the first case, and he's not even the protagonist of this story, but things happen on a transatlantic ship to London, and Ryunosuke has to take the spotlight from his senior: Kazuma Asogi. With his assistant, Susato Mikotoba, Ryunosuke will have to face the modern British justice system in the face of the outdated and narrow-minded Japanese system. I think it's Japan, but I didn't see a hamburger stand, so...
The story follows Ryunosuke through the many problems he has to deal with on his arrival in London: a murder case on his first day, a bizarre fatal accident involving one of Japan's greatest writers, Natsume Soseki, on his second day, and a final case where everything comes together. It's not a grand story, but it's the most fitting to show the development of Ryunosuke's character as a lawyer. In that sense, I can't give the game a higher rating, because it's an unfinished story, but it's necessary for the sequel, and it's really well-written. I also appreciate the fact that the game leaves some mysteries unresolved and doesn't conclude the story with a typical 'anime cliffhanger".
In terms of gameplay, the cross-examination is more refined and the trials take on the mechanics of the crossover with Professor Layton. These additions enrich the overall dynamic, and the gestures and movements of the characters themselves are really fascinating. Some even have their own individual music themes. The game doesn't feel dull or overstretched.
P.D. I love the name change to Herlock Sholmes in the English version. It fits his character better.
There was a lot of yaoi that I had no idea existed that I discovered because of this game, I think that makes it peak
Not a huge fan of the cases, but the overarching narrative is great
Fantastic presentation marred by glacially slow pacing, no text speed options and some of the least interesting cases in the franchise.
This seems more interested in setting up a bunch of larger mysteries to be solved in the sequel, which will hopefully pay off well when I finally get around to beating GAA2, but it unfortunately makes for a very underwhelming game by its own merits.
Also, despite the mind-numbingly slow nature of the gameplay and the amount of time since release, the updated Switch version of GAA1 is littered with spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. It paradoxically feels horribly drawn out and oddly rushed at the same time.
It took me 1.5 years to actually beat this after pausing it at the end of Chapter 4 back in April 2021. The fatigue of this game put me off continuing into the final chapter for months, and having finally played it - that was a wise choice. The final chapter alone contains 3-4 hours of investigation and 5-6 hours of trial. It's a party guest that overstays its welcome, not knowing well enough when to leave, far beyond when the fun was over.
This seems more interested in setting up a bunch of larger mysteries to be solved in the sequel, which will hopefully pay off well when I finally get around to beating GAA2, but it unfortunately makes for a very underwhelming game by its own merits.
Also, despite the mind-numbingly slow nature of the gameplay and the amount of time since release, the updated Switch version of GAA1 is littered with spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. It paradoxically feels horribly drawn out and oddly rushed at the same time.
It took me 1.5 years to actually beat this after pausing it at the end of Chapter 4 back in April 2021. The fatigue of this game put me off continuing into the final chapter for months, and having finally played it - that was a wise choice. The final chapter alone contains 3-4 hours of investigation and 5-6 hours of trial. It's a party guest that overstays its welcome, not knowing well enough when to leave, far beyond when the fun was over.
Improves on the AA formula with new gimmicks and systems and a very charming main cast. Presentation is top notch and the music is fire. My biggest issue is that most of the time is spent setting up the next game.
Case ranked: 5>3>4>1>>2
Case ranked: 5>3>4>1>>2
pacing is kinda slow at the start cause it takes its time introducing every new mechanic, but I love the new characters and the writing is so good
I don't know how to currently feel about this game it had a really rocky start with the first 2 cases however the 3 case come along and easily becomes the best case in the game and then case 4 is just a solid case and case 5 left me kinda confused as it seems like it was setting up for things for the second game. I personally feel like I will like this game more when I beat the second one however since I haven't yet my review is as it is.
Case Ranking from best to worse
3>5>4>1>2
Case Ranking from best to worse
3>5>4>1>2
The game has loads of charm anf improves on the ace attorney formula with innovaitive new gimmicks and systems. This just feels like a way more refined version of previous ace attorney games. The story and cases are sometimes a bit lacking though and the investigations can feel a bit stretched but in general a great game.
This game had all the makings to be my favourite Ace Attorney game. No psychic shenanigans. The music being the best the series has ever produced (in the four games I've played thus far). Some absolute bangers are finding them straight into a spotify playlist ASAP. This game also has my favourite supporting character in an Ace Attorney game, a Mr. Herlock Sholmes. He is fucking hilarious and grew on me far more than I initially expected. By the end of the third case I was convinced that this would top Trials and Tribulations as my favourite game in the series. However it loses a lot of enjoyment in one place in particular; very slow pacing.
Thankfully once each case gets going my grievances tend to fade away, but there are some parts in the investigation periods particularly where I just wanted things to hurry along. Also during trials some of the solutions would be glaringly obvious but you had to spend 3 minutes to let the in game characters to come to very obvious conclusions. However when this game gets good, the case is in its final stretches, the music is blaring, objections reigning out from each side, the game really scratches that Ace Attorney itch.
Gameplay wise this game also felt a lot more engaging, being able to interact and spin around pieces of evidence to discover clues that actively would be used to turn trials around, most notably an ENTIRE FUCKIN' BUS being evidence in which you can explore. My only real grievance with the mechanic would be that you don't get an indicator to show you've examined a particular area when dealing with evidence. This means that at times during trials I would miss a clue thinking I'd already pressed on that particular prompt. There is also the deductions of Herlock Sholmes which conceptually interested me but often went on longer than I wanted them too. The jury system also was a surprising addition but one that added to the gameplay. Summation soundtrack SLAPPING also helped.
Overall I really liked the game. The music is really freaking good. If you can tolerate some pacing issues here and this game is well worth playing.
Thankfully once each case gets going my grievances tend to fade away, but there are some parts in the investigation periods particularly where I just wanted things to hurry along. Also during trials some of the solutions would be glaringly obvious but you had to spend 3 minutes to let the in game characters to come to very obvious conclusions. However when this game gets good, the case is in its final stretches, the music is blaring, objections reigning out from each side, the game really scratches that Ace Attorney itch.
Gameplay wise this game also felt a lot more engaging, being able to interact and spin around pieces of evidence to discover clues that actively would be used to turn trials around, most notably an ENTIRE FUCKIN' BUS being evidence in which you can explore. My only real grievance with the mechanic would be that you don't get an indicator to show you've examined a particular area when dealing with evidence. This means that at times during trials I would miss a clue thinking I'd already pressed on that particular prompt. There is also the deductions of Herlock Sholmes which conceptually interested me but often went on longer than I wanted them too. The jury system also was a surprising addition but one that added to the gameplay. Summation soundtrack SLAPPING also helped.
Overall I really liked the game. The music is really freaking good. If you can tolerate some pacing issues here and this game is well worth playing.
Nunca pensei que um dia eu me apaixonaria tanto por visual novels, ou jogos totalmente focados em história, sempre fui mais cativado pela gameplay, mas não tem jeito, quando algo emana tanto carisma, tanto charme, tem personagens tão carinhosamente bem feitos, eu me invisto e fico complemente imerso no jogo, e por isso eu amei o conceito de Ace Attorney e vou continuar a saga na medida do possível, foi uma experiência incrível.
Música favorita: The Great Cross Examination: Allegro
Personagem favorito: Susato Mikotoba
Música favorita: The Great Cross Examination: Allegro
Personagem favorito: Susato Mikotoba
the best ace attorney game by far hands down. the only thing that can come close is aa3 or aai2. best mc with an amazing story, soundtrack, and a feel to the game that makes me so happy
Played: July - August 2023
Ace Attorney is my most reliable game series. Even during Case 2-3 Turnabout Big Top -- perhaps the franchise nadir -- I'm still pixel hunting for clues, and I'm still trying to convince a goofy detective to share investigation details, and I'm still snatching victory in court from the jaws of defeat. I'm still playing Phoenix Wright. Apollo, Athena, Edgeworth, Phoenix himself, and now Ryunosuke Naruhodo. We're all Phoenix Wright, baby.
In its pacing and intrigue, the highs and lows of Great Ace Attorney: Adventures rank right next to the highs and lows of the rest. What really sets it apart, however, is its comfort with the unease. As a prequel, the narrative takes place at the end of the 19th century with Japan broadening its legal horizons to the West. Thanks to surprisingly tragic circumstances, you find yourself as the first young lawyer from the East stranded by choice in Great Britain. Ready to learn and take home all that the allegedly greatest legal system of the world has to offer. In a series first move, not only is the concept of race recognized, but racism is pointedly overt and inevitable. You are talked down to at every turn. Treated as a curiosity. And even the more spineless of the Japanese characters are shown to internalize insecurities and worship whiteness. The reality of orientalism looms from the word go.
That said, the game never forgets to be funny. Because this is also Ace Attorney's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, reimagined as Herlock Sholmes. "Emotionally intelligent, but logically stupid" is a class-A take on the character, and it's downright hilarious at times.
Beyond contending with race, I loved how much the story mucks up everyone's scruples. You are placed in gray areas that remain so til the end. There are accidents, not just calculated murder. The "infallibility" of Great Britain's court system is immediately challenged and always seems to be in air quotes. There's an ever-present air of compromise not just around high society, or even the police, but the justice system itself. And even our new equally-clever-and-hapless protagonist Ryunosuke comes to have his morals unintentionally jeopardized. Since Adventures is just a part one, I don't know yet where the ambiguity will take us.
There are some relative lowlights. Turning Sherlock Holme's Watson equivalent into a genius ten year old girl inventor is just not for me. I hate thinking in tropes, but she comes off to me as an anime prerequisite. A couple witnesses threaten to outstay their welcome. I also have to admit that the occasional downside of eschewing easy answers is that some of the big moments can come off unsatisfying. Still, I would not trade what this game is ultimately doing to avoid a minor blemish here or there. Susato is an all-timer assistant. For maybe the first time ever, I only got frustrated enough to consult a walkthrough once. The creatives behind AA have gotten very good at predicting the player's intuition, or at least mine. The Jury system is refreshing. The first time I realized what the Dance of Deduction was, I was straight up giddy.
Having now played the 2nd one and aware of how the story both improves and declines, Adventures remains a worthwhile first half.
Ace Attorney is my most reliable game series. Even during Case 2-3 Turnabout Big Top -- perhaps the franchise nadir -- I'm still pixel hunting for clues, and I'm still trying to convince a goofy detective to share investigation details, and I'm still snatching victory in court from the jaws of defeat. I'm still playing Phoenix Wright. Apollo, Athena, Edgeworth, Phoenix himself, and now Ryunosuke Naruhodo. We're all Phoenix Wright, baby.
In its pacing and intrigue, the highs and lows of Great Ace Attorney: Adventures rank right next to the highs and lows of the rest. What really sets it apart, however, is its comfort with the unease. As a prequel, the narrative takes place at the end of the 19th century with Japan broadening its legal horizons to the West. Thanks to surprisingly tragic circumstances, you find yourself as the first young lawyer from the East stranded by choice in Great Britain. Ready to learn and take home all that the allegedly greatest legal system of the world has to offer. In a series first move, not only is the concept of race recognized, but racism is pointedly overt and inevitable. You are talked down to at every turn. Treated as a curiosity. And even the more spineless of the Japanese characters are shown to internalize insecurities and worship whiteness. The reality of orientalism looms from the word go.
That said, the game never forgets to be funny. Because this is also Ace Attorney's adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, reimagined as Herlock Sholmes. "Emotionally intelligent, but logically stupid" is a class-A take on the character, and it's downright hilarious at times.
Beyond contending with race, I loved how much the story mucks up everyone's scruples. You are placed in gray areas that remain so til the end. There are accidents, not just calculated murder. The "infallibility" of Great Britain's court system is immediately challenged and always seems to be in air quotes. There's an ever-present air of compromise not just around high society, or even the police, but the justice system itself. And even our new equally-clever-and-hapless protagonist Ryunosuke comes to have his morals unintentionally jeopardized. Since Adventures is just a part one, I don't know yet where the ambiguity will take us.
There are some relative lowlights. Turning Sherlock Holme's Watson equivalent into a genius ten year old girl inventor is just not for me. I hate thinking in tropes, but she comes off to me as an anime prerequisite. A couple witnesses threaten to outstay their welcome. I also have to admit that the occasional downside of eschewing easy answers is that some of the big moments can come off unsatisfying. Still, I would not trade what this game is ultimately doing to avoid a minor blemish here or there. Susato is an all-timer assistant. For maybe the first time ever, I only got frustrated enough to consult a walkthrough once. The creatives behind AA have gotten very good at predicting the player's intuition, or at least mine. The Jury system is refreshing. The first time I realized what the Dance of Deduction was, I was straight up giddy.
Having now played the 2nd one and aware of how the story both improves and declines, Adventures remains a worthwhile first half.
naruhodo and sholmes and the case of the unfortunately born british
Finally, an Ace Attorney game localized into English that takes place in Japan, for all of one case.
this was really hard to get through... honestly really disappointing because i was excited to get through this.
every case other than the last one was like... baby easy to get through honestly.
i have other nitpicks about some specific aspects but it boils down to my preference of what i want out of ace attorney...
also the jury gameplay mechanic kinda sucked too tbh. the last case was REALLY good but i just wish the rest of the game actually carried the momentum to get you to the final case... the 4th case literally felt like something that couldve worked as a 2nd case if you get the idea.
also the total lack of investigation segments and its just mostly trial and no balance... ugh idk it felt lazy to me. i really liked having that investigation and trial balance in the phoenix wright trilogy.
ive heard the 2nd game is where all the exciting stuff happens so im excited to get to it but im definitely going to need a break in between. its not like my expectations for tgaa2 are set up in any capacity at this rate. but that might be me influenced by the fact twitteroids cant stop putting spoilers on my timeline for it
every case other than the last one was like... baby easy to get through honestly.
i have other nitpicks about some specific aspects but it boils down to my preference of what i want out of ace attorney...
also the jury gameplay mechanic kinda sucked too tbh. the last case was REALLY good but i just wish the rest of the game actually carried the momentum to get you to the final case... the 4th case literally felt like something that couldve worked as a 2nd case if you get the idea.
also the total lack of investigation segments and its just mostly trial and no balance... ugh idk it felt lazy to me. i really liked having that investigation and trial balance in the phoenix wright trilogy.
ive heard the 2nd game is where all the exciting stuff happens so im excited to get to it but im definitely going to need a break in between. its not like my expectations for tgaa2 are set up in any capacity at this rate. but that might be me influenced by the fact twitteroids cant stop putting spoilers on my timeline for it
Quite possibly one of the best visual novels ever made
i cried
Went through this with some friends and honestly this game is one of the best Ace Attorney games in the series. The writing is insane, love the main cast and the side characters and how well everyone bounces off of each other over the course of the game. Also I love the fact that group testimonies from PL vs AA make a return here along with a jury system in court and deduction sections in investigation gameplay to spice things up. Not sure what happens in the second game but I am super excited for it, especially after going through this.
Good story ruined by slow pacing. one of my main issues is the investigations. it's extremely boring and slow, and most of the stuff don't even feel important. i'm not joking that you'll feel more thrilled reading what's happening off a wiki or watching it on youtube on 2X, especially around the start of episode 5. i can't shake the feeling that even in the original trilogy the buildup was more enjoyable althought I truly enjoy every aspect of the trial and every little thing they added, especially trying to pit the jury and find contradictions, best AA game gameplay wise.
I don't really like sholmes character, he's annoying and childish and correcting him is just a hustle. other than that the game has an amazing soundtrack with stunning art. it felt like it was more of a build up to the next game rather then a game on its one which I don't really appreciate, I might be wrong. but I'll find out after I finish the second game. I put a lot of faith into it and probably will like this game after the second one.
even after all of my issues with the game, I still think it has epic moments. So, My learned niponese friends, for the conclusion, sadly i can't recommend it to anyone.
I don't really like sholmes character, he's annoying and childish and correcting him is just a hustle. other than that the game has an amazing soundtrack with stunning art. it felt like it was more of a build up to the next game rather then a game on its one which I don't really appreciate, I might be wrong. but I'll find out after I finish the second game. I put a lot of faith into it and probably will like this game after the second one.
even after all of my issues with the game, I still think it has epic moments. So, My learned niponese friends, for the conclusion, sadly i can't recommend it to anyone.
Verdadero Yaoi
don't trust irish people
I love you Herlock Sholmes
It owned
idk i really didn't vibe with this one after all the hyping it got for years when it was unreleased/fan-translated. the pacing is awful, the cases aren't interesting 80% of the time, and the characterization and arcs throughout are confusing.
some plotlines are just dropped randomly to (presumably) be picked up game 2. i just wish this game was better. like it was better than aa5 and aa6 but what a depressingly low bar
some plotlines are just dropped randomly to (presumably) be picked up game 2. i just wish this game was better. like it was better than aa5 and aa6 but what a depressingly low bar
Ace Attorney es sobre unos casos criminales que casualmente incluyen al mismo abogado. The Great Ace Attorney, al contrario, es la historia de crecimiento personal de Ryunosuke Naruhodo, en la que se ve involucrado en una serie de crímenes durante el proceso de convertirse en un abogado defensor. Este enfoque renovado en esta saga se siente mucho, todos los arcos argumentales principales se resuelven de forma satisfactoria y todo lo que ocurre le afecta directamente al protagonista y los infinitamente carismáticos personajes principales Susato Mikotoba, Herlock Sholmes y Iris Wilson, entre varios otros de sus aliados. La trama y los personajes son manejados de forma magistral y uno constantemente no se imagina lo que se viene ya que este juego rompe varias tradiciones de los anteriores.
Al tomar lugar en el Imperio Británico en los últimos años del siglo XIX y primeros del XX, los protagonistas japoneses son frecuentemente discriminados por venir del "lejano oriente", y me gusta muchísimo la inclusión de temas más maduros como el racismo, las tensiones políticas, las diferencias culturales y las novedades tecnológicas aún sin perder el característico humor absurdo de esta entretenida franquicia.
En esta novela visual ejemplar se tiene un cuidado extremo en cada escenario tridimensional, en cada diseño de personaje, en cada uno de sus movimientos y animaciones tan vívidas y coloridas, y todo esto sumado a la magnífica, pegadiza y simplemente excelente banda sonora (por lejos la mejor de la saga) es imposible no disfrutar del contenido audiovisual que te ofrece Adventures. Se añaden además un par de mecánicas nuevas que son muy bienvenidas y hacen más llevaderas tanto las secciones de investigación como las de los juicios en tribunales.
En resumen, así es como se hace una novela visual en todo sentido. Hace mucho que un juego no me tenía diciendo "puta la wea buena".
Al tomar lugar en el Imperio Británico en los últimos años del siglo XIX y primeros del XX, los protagonistas japoneses son frecuentemente discriminados por venir del "lejano oriente", y me gusta muchísimo la inclusión de temas más maduros como el racismo, las tensiones políticas, las diferencias culturales y las novedades tecnológicas aún sin perder el característico humor absurdo de esta entretenida franquicia.
En esta novela visual ejemplar se tiene un cuidado extremo en cada escenario tridimensional, en cada diseño de personaje, en cada uno de sus movimientos y animaciones tan vívidas y coloridas, y todo esto sumado a la magnífica, pegadiza y simplemente excelente banda sonora (por lejos la mejor de la saga) es imposible no disfrutar del contenido audiovisual que te ofrece Adventures. Se añaden además un par de mecánicas nuevas que son muy bienvenidas y hacen más llevaderas tanto las secciones de investigación como las de los juicios en tribunales.
En resumen, así es como se hace una novela visual en todo sentido. Hace mucho que un juego no me tenía diciendo "puta la wea buena".
The first Great Ace Attorney is an entertaining and interesting shakeup to the Ace Attorney series with charming characters and an excellent new setting. It’s an endearing adventure that takes a rather unique look at the historical period of the late 1800s for both Britain and Japan.
Each episode’s writing quality is generally pretty good, even if they can get a little slow at times. Episode 3 is definitely this game’s highlight, which is funny because the third Episode in an Ace Attorney game is typically the weak “filler” episode. However, this game’s third episode manages to be one of the most suspenseful and captivating ones in the series. It is then followed by Episode 4, which is this game’s low point, but still wasn’t necessarily terrible. I greatly enjoyed all of the characters in this one too, especially their extensive character animations. These animations are really well done, and do a great job of establishing the unique quirks and personalities of each character. Herlock Sholmes is by far the best example of this. His eccentricity is infectious, and you can tell that they had an immense amount of fun animating him.
Despite the overall writing quality of this game, it does feel like a large amount of it was written as a build up to its sequel. There’s a number of plot points that aren’t addressed, and while the game does end on a really good note, there’s a hefty amount of plot elements that are left unresolved, especially after the final trial. Assuming that everything left unanswered will end up being addressed in the sequel, I think I’m glad this game didn’t come overseas for so long, as I feel like playing this game without playing the sequel soon after might’ve left me with some overall harsher negative feelings.
The new additions to the trials and investigations are neat. Having a jury as well as cross-examining multiple witnesses on the witness stand offers the opportunity to feature even more of the colorful characters the Ace Attorney series is known for, and I quite enjoyed the summation examinations as well for the same reason. I also enjoyed the new Dance of Deduction sequences, but I do think that sitting through them twice, much like how you listen to a witnesses’ statement twice during a cross-examination, gets a tad tiresome. The cinematics of Herlock Sholmes confidently missing the point with his deductions are quite fun, but I think they’d be paced better if Naruhodo interjected the first time Sholmes gets something wrong as opposed to letting the whole cinematic play out before Naruhodo makes his corrections.
The game is a comfy and enjoyable time. It definitely does feel a little lacking without playing the sequel, but if the sequel lives up to the promise this game has, then I think it’ll be worth it in the end. Adventures doesn’t quite hit the ground running, but by the end, it definitely starts to pick up steam, and I’m very excited to play the sequel.
Each episode’s writing quality is generally pretty good, even if they can get a little slow at times. Episode 3 is definitely this game’s highlight, which is funny because the third Episode in an Ace Attorney game is typically the weak “filler” episode. However, this game’s third episode manages to be one of the most suspenseful and captivating ones in the series. It is then followed by Episode 4, which is this game’s low point, but still wasn’t necessarily terrible. I greatly enjoyed all of the characters in this one too, especially their extensive character animations. These animations are really well done, and do a great job of establishing the unique quirks and personalities of each character. Herlock Sholmes is by far the best example of this. His eccentricity is infectious, and you can tell that they had an immense amount of fun animating him.
Despite the overall writing quality of this game, it does feel like a large amount of it was written as a build up to its sequel. There’s a number of plot points that aren’t addressed, and while the game does end on a really good note, there’s a hefty amount of plot elements that are left unresolved, especially after the final trial. Assuming that everything left unanswered will end up being addressed in the sequel, I think I’m glad this game didn’t come overseas for so long, as I feel like playing this game without playing the sequel soon after might’ve left me with some overall harsher negative feelings.
The new additions to the trials and investigations are neat. Having a jury as well as cross-examining multiple witnesses on the witness stand offers the opportunity to feature even more of the colorful characters the Ace Attorney series is known for, and I quite enjoyed the summation examinations as well for the same reason. I also enjoyed the new Dance of Deduction sequences, but I do think that sitting through them twice, much like how you listen to a witnesses’ statement twice during a cross-examination, gets a tad tiresome. The cinematics of Herlock Sholmes confidently missing the point with his deductions are quite fun, but I think they’d be paced better if Naruhodo interjected the first time Sholmes gets something wrong as opposed to letting the whole cinematic play out before Naruhodo makes his corrections.
The game is a comfy and enjoyable time. It definitely does feel a little lacking without playing the sequel, but if the sequel lives up to the promise this game has, then I think it’ll be worth it in the end. Adventures doesn’t quite hit the ground running, but by the end, it definitely starts to pick up steam, and I’m very excited to play the sequel.
if herlock sholmes has 100 fans i’m one of them. if herlock sholmes has 1 fan it’s me. if herlock sholmes has no fans then i no longer exist