going back to the very first ace attorney (well, the ds post/remake - which is the one i'll be reviewing here) was a really enjoyable time. i debated which version of the game i'd like to play, but considering the japanese text as i understand it is every bit as wordplay heavy as the english localization, and my japanese is a lot more literal at this stage of my education, i decided to stick with the familiar localized script this time around.

the localization, i'll admit, is kind of a mixed bag. i'll have to go back and play this in japanese eventually but overall the writing felt very... kiddish? ace attorney sort of feels like an 80s shounen jump gag manga at times, where yes, you do want to see phoenix succeed, but the plot's reliance on gags and "WOAH SO CRAZY" ass-pulls makes most victories feel a little unsatisfying? i mean you could really argue that a good half of the cases here aren't really won by phoenix attaining any skills as a lawyer - he doesn't really have an arc, as some have said - and it feels like his sudden bouts of competence come out of nowhere. that is, when mcguffins don't override the character-driven narrative.

still, the cast is largely pretty likable. i find edgeworth and von karma especially enjoyable, if largely shallow characters. i don't think ace attorney is saying anything particularly powerful in this entry, nor do i think the writing is entirely up to snuff yet, but it definitely knows characters. the animations, the comedic timing, it's all good stuff. again, might be the localization talking, but i kinda wish this game hadn't pushed so hard to be quirky and all-ages goofy at times, given the subject matter, though?

the gameplay loop of ace attorney is decent. that is to say: there's the largely redundant investigation sequences - which border on archaically boring and non-atmospheric at their worst, but offer some pretty good interactions at their best. but it's the TRIALS where ace attorney shines. i assume this is where the series will really build and flourish in the future, because i love this style of interrogation and cross-examination present here. some of the solutions are a little bullshit or hyper-specific - having to use the same piece of evidence multiple times in a row sometimes feels like obtuse writing - but largely those "aha" moments make the experience satisfying.

pacing is an issue, but i think that's far more a fault of the ds remake. i actually enjoyed the turnabout samurai case a decent amount, and while it is "filler" by some definition i think at the very least it doesn't overstay its welcome. where you run into problems is adding a clearly patched-on epilogue that's longer than the entire game that comes before it. rise from the ashes - again, considering my notes about lack of emotional attachment to the story thanks to its inconsistent tone and grip on its own identity and focus - while one of the better cases here comes off largely unnecessary - potentially even acting as a "filler" arc for a story that's already concluded. despite focusing on characters, one in particular, in retrospect, it never actually feels grounded in what arc the original ace attorney sets up. i mean, if it was hard to stay attached to these characters or invested in the overarching plot already... this doesn't help. i know ema's an important character down the line, but i almost wish this extra case had been like a dsi download title or something, because it kind of has no place narratively within the structure of this first game itself.

still, in spite of these issues, i really enjoyed my time with ace attorney - certainly enough to want to get to later entries and purchase the great ace attorney duology mid-playthrough. i imagine my issues with localization will really cool down as the series progresses, and i think when the overarching plot of ace attorney as a whole kicks in, maybe this first arc will appear a lot more worthwhile and relevant than it does as a self-contained narrative. definitely a damn solid entry-level adv game, but with a lot of visual novels under my belt in my time, upon return i am left expecting a deal more.