The influence this game takes from Ace Attorney is as blatant as it could be, and at first I was surprised by how well this game stacks up to the legendary source material. The dialog is witty and the art is amazing, but the cracks start to show when you reach the end of the game. Ace Attorney games have a proven formula for solid endings, setting up an emotional through-line in each of its cases which build up to an emotional finish. Aviary Attorney goes a different way, sneaking in little mysteries about the past which set the stage for an explosive finale. It’s not a bad strategy, but Ace Attorney lets you get attached to its characters for fifteen hours before the emotional punch, Aviary only gives you three. You hardly have time to get invested or understand those clues before everything you know is being upended and twists cause the plot to fly off the rails. If a twist happens before players have a good grip on the setting or characters, it doesn’t create the exciting sense of shock it’s supposed to, just a sense of confusion. For all its clever dialog and amazing visuals, a story can’t be recommended if it’s the textbook definition of a letdown.