After the conclusion to Phoenix Wright’s story that Trials and Tribulations gave Ace Attorney fans, Shu Takumi believed the third game would be a good stopping point for the series. And, to his credit, he had a point; Phoenix’s story was done with the ending of Trials and Tribulations. Phoenix had grown from a bumbling, unconfident rookie into an extremely competent lawyer who was able to take down some extremely corrupt and, to be blunt, horrible people while solving many issues that plagued him and his friends’ pasts. So, where would Phoenix go next?
This question would be answered in the fourth game, Apollo Justice, showing how Phoenix’s life took a drastic turn and how the world of Ace Attorney shifted after a seven year time gap.
The tonal shift Apollo Justice gives to its characters and the world is one of my favorite things to come out of this series. To stop beating around the obvious without spoiling things too heavily, Phoenix is unable to practice law in this game and is no longer the main character. The famous lawyer who’d grown so much the past three games has been shifted into a morally gray, suspicious man who you can never get a real read on ever during the game. And, there’s so much theming around how the world changes over tike through its other characters, too.
Some of my favorites were Apollo himself, while he doesn’t really have a backstory in this game, he makes up for it by just being really funny and being really cool. I just like Apollo a lot. He doesn’t actually have much of a backstory but he’s so enjoyable that I don’t care. Trucy is one of my favorite characters to come out of this game too. She’s a magician and Phoenix Wright’s daughter, and I love how the game handles her. At first glance, she seems just like most other ace attorney assistants, but this is merely the surface level of her character. I love how she’s actually really smart and very clever!! There’s multiple times she figures out things in cases way before Apollo gets close, and unlike someone like Maya Fey, who was interesting because she was so inexperienced with the world outside of her village, Trucy is interesting due to how she understands Apollo so well and can use her magician persona to literally manipulate Apollo at times. It’s so cool, and all of this is hidden under layers of caution towards how emotionally vulnerable she can be to the point where she literally keeps a strong face at times purely fir herself and I love it so much. This character is incredible and she deserved so much better after AJ. I love this game and it’s characters a whole lot.
The cases are a mixed bag for many people. But personally, I love most of them. Everyone who plays this game knows Turnabout Trump is really good. It’s a thrilling twist on first cases that no other game does and I love the mystery. I also really loved Turnabout Succession - even more than Turnabout Trump, but I’d rather not talk about it. It’s one of my favorite Ace Attorney cases ever and there’s so much I can’t say without spoiling the game lol.
“But what about Turnabout Corner and Turnabout Serenade?” They’re both good. I just don’t think they’re super great, unfortunately. I love Apollo Justice, don’t get me wrong, but 4-2 and 4-3 aren’t as great as I really wish they were. Still good, just could’ve been better. Still perfectly enjoyable cases though. I had fun with every case in this game.
And yes. You read that right. I don’t think Turnabout Serenade is the worst thing ever, kicked me in shins and/or spat in my food. Yes, I know it’s extremely hated. But I liked it!
Apollo Justice is a mixed bag of a game to many. Some see it as an irredeemable misstep that took the series in a direction that fans didn’t want, while some love it to death and hold it as a great game in a series of constant hits. I’m proud to say that Apollo Justice mattered a lot to me, and that for as long as Ace Attorney exists, I will never forget how happy this game makes me.
This question would be answered in the fourth game, Apollo Justice, showing how Phoenix’s life took a drastic turn and how the world of Ace Attorney shifted after a seven year time gap.
The tonal shift Apollo Justice gives to its characters and the world is one of my favorite things to come out of this series. To stop beating around the obvious without spoiling things too heavily, Phoenix is unable to practice law in this game and is no longer the main character. The famous lawyer who’d grown so much the past three games has been shifted into a morally gray, suspicious man who you can never get a real read on ever during the game. And, there’s so much theming around how the world changes over tike through its other characters, too.
Some of my favorites were Apollo himself, while he doesn’t really have a backstory in this game, he makes up for it by just being really funny and being really cool. I just like Apollo a lot. He doesn’t actually have much of a backstory but he’s so enjoyable that I don’t care. Trucy is one of my favorite characters to come out of this game too. She’s a magician and Phoenix Wright’s daughter, and I love how the game handles her. At first glance, she seems just like most other ace attorney assistants, but this is merely the surface level of her character. I love how she’s actually really smart and very clever!! There’s multiple times she figures out things in cases way before Apollo gets close, and unlike someone like Maya Fey, who was interesting because she was so inexperienced with the world outside of her village, Trucy is interesting due to how she understands Apollo so well and can use her magician persona to literally manipulate Apollo at times. It’s so cool, and all of this is hidden under layers of caution towards how emotionally vulnerable she can be to the point where she literally keeps a strong face at times purely fir herself and I love it so much. This character is incredible and she deserved so much better after AJ. I love this game and it’s characters a whole lot.
The cases are a mixed bag for many people. But personally, I love most of them. Everyone who plays this game knows Turnabout Trump is really good. It’s a thrilling twist on first cases that no other game does and I love the mystery. I also really loved Turnabout Succession - even more than Turnabout Trump, but I’d rather not talk about it. It’s one of my favorite Ace Attorney cases ever and there’s so much I can’t say without spoiling the game lol.
“But what about Turnabout Corner and Turnabout Serenade?” They’re both good. I just don’t think they’re super great, unfortunately. I love Apollo Justice, don’t get me wrong, but 4-2 and 4-3 aren’t as great as I really wish they were. Still good, just could’ve been better. Still perfectly enjoyable cases though. I had fun with every case in this game.
And yes. You read that right. I don’t think Turnabout Serenade is the worst thing ever, kicked me in shins and/or spat in my food. Yes, I know it’s extremely hated. But I liked it!
Apollo Justice is a mixed bag of a game to many. Some see it as an irredeemable misstep that took the series in a direction that fans didn’t want, while some love it to death and hold it as a great game in a series of constant hits. I’m proud to say that Apollo Justice mattered a lot to me, and that for as long as Ace Attorney exists, I will never forget how happy this game makes me.