Preview: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection

The Ace Attorney series has not seen a new title since The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve back in 2016. Even then, its release on the 3DS only saw the light of day in Japan. Since then, Capcom have seen it fit to release all the Ace Attorney main series games on modern systems. With the upcoming release of Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, we will now be able to play all 10 Ace Attorney games on the Nintendo Switch, and judging by this collection, that is a good thing.

Even better, this is the first opportunity we have of playing Ace Attorney Investigations 2 in complete English without a fan translation. Ace Attorney games have always been incredibly well-written, and from my time playing the sequel so far, there seems to be just as much care taken in making sure the story flows as originally intended. Of course, there was a fan translation of the second title released that many fans of Ace Attorney are likely attached to. I can report that pretty much every character name from that fan translation has not made the cut, but what Capcom have in place works just as well, if not even better.

The translation for the first title has also had some attention, and while it does not have any huge improvements, there does seem to be a bump in quality that makes the overall script read better. That being said, the Ace Attorney series is well-known for its incredible translations, so you can rest assured that the Investigations games will be just as entertaining.

The games themselves, for those unfamiliar, play significantly differently to the titles starring Phoenix Wright. Instead of prosecuting in the courtroom, you play as Miles as he investigates crime scenes. A lot of the gameplay is dedicated to piecing together information and speaking to witnesses. The chapters conclude when successfully confronting a suspect with enough information. Making the wrong conclusion or matching together the wrong two pieces of evidence takes a hit from your Truth Gauge, upping the intensity of investigating and forcing the player to slow down and think everything through first. It is definitely unique, and it shows how Miles works on his side of the law.

Other aspects of the collection that are included are high quality HD visuals that closely match the artwork seen in the series’ own key art. There is also the ability to switch back to the pixelated mode to match the look of the Nintendo DS version for those looking for a nostalgia kick, though it does look rather janky, particularly when played on a television screen.

There are also the usual additions of looking through a gallery of artworks from the development of the original DS titles, as well as high-definition art of every character in the game. There is also voiced lines and all the music from the game to sit back and listen to as well. Overall, a very welcome inclusion for a collection such as this.

Though I am only through the first couple of cases so far in each game, things look rather promising so far for Miles Edgeworth’s duology. I have every confidence that the rest of the collection will have just as much care taken, and this is definitely a title I suspect many fans of Ace Attorney have been clamouring for. I look forward to writing more about the game in our full review due in a few weeks’ time.

Ace Attorney: Investigations Collection is out on Friday, September 6th, 2024. We’ll have a review before launch. We’re keeping track of bargains before launch in our bargain roundup.