Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS) Review
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a text-based crime-solving adventure, a genre that works very well on the DS. Its a remake of the Japanese game Gyakuten Saiban, released for the GBA in 2001, and adds touch screen and microphone support as well as a whole new case. The game is displayed in a cartoon/anime style that works really well, and its musical score is nothing short of fantastic. The music and sound effects add a lot to the game, build up the suspense and really get you into it, especially in the courtroom.
In Phoenix Wright there are five murder cases to solve, which all start with a short cinematic in which you usually see the murderer. The first case serves as a kind of tutorial, with your boss Mia Fey giving you helpful hints, and it also lets you get to grips with some of the characters, who all have very unique personalities and will be cropping up all through the game. In each case, someone (your client) is wrongly accused of the murder, and its your job to prove them innocent. The storyline is very involving, and youll feel driven to find a way to get that Not Guilty verdict.
After the first one, every case is harder and longer then the last, with the last few cases taking hours to complete and spanning several days within the game. In the courtroom the Prosecution calls witnesses, who each give their testimony. You have to pay attention to detail and point out contradictions in order to expose their lies.
You can control everything with the touch screen, and when you want to press a witness on a statement, you can simply click on Press, or you can hold X and shout Hold It! into the mic. Also, when you have evidence that outright disproves a witness claim and you need to object, you can shout Objection! which is very satisfying. Sometimes, for reasons like new evidence coming to light, the Judge will postpone the case until the next day, giving you time to do a bit of detective work. Youll be investigating different areas, examining things, talking to people and looking for clues.
The fifth and final case, the one made specifically for the DS, is much harder and longer than maybe even all the other cases put together. Thats not a bad thing though, because its also more fun. It incorporates new DS features like dusting for fingerprints and looking for blood using a spray, and also lets you examine anything in your inventory in 3D from every angle.
The game can be very challenging at times, and there are moments when youll think its simply impossible.
It’ll take you a while to finish, though once you do you probably wont go back to it very much. One thing that can get annoying is the legal side of the game; some things in the courtroom dont happen the way they would in real life. The witnesses repeatedly lie in their testimonies, and when you contradict them they just change them a bit, saying something like “oh… Youre right. I got confused, that didnt actually happen”. Sometimes you have to suspend disbelief, because its not always that realistic. That doesnt really matter though; it doesnt harm your enjoyment of the game, and if it was completely realistic itd be boring as hell.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is an excellent game that really suits the DS, with a brilliant musical score and a storyline thats suspense-filled, but will also make you laugh. Its one of the best DS games so far, and if you like this kind of game then go and buy it now. You wont regret it.
