I met up with another good friend recently and they lent me The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, a collection of two Ace Attorney games that used to be exclusive to Japan until somewhat recently. Today, I'll be talking about the first of the two. BACKGROUND:
My experience with the Ace Attorney series is limited, as the only one I've actually finished is Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright (the wonderful crossover title on the 3DS). I have seen some of the original game, however, so I'm decently familiar with the gameplay, drama, and goofiness of the franchise. I know what I'm getting into in those respects, but I think the setting for this one is beyond me. PLOT: Unlike the other Ace Attorney games I've seen or heard about, The Great Ace Attorney isn't set in modern day. Rather, this game is set in 19th century Japan, after the end of the country's strict isolationist policy. With travel regulations easing up, the influence of the West has slowly made its way into the land of the rising sun, and there's plenty of talk of a recently forged alliance between the Empire of Japan and the British Empire. Instead of the iconic Phoenix Wright, we are following his ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo, who at the beginning is just a university student. After a whirlwind of events that, of course, involve being in a courtroom, Naruhodo finds himself on a journey to become a great lawyer. This journey sees him go to Great Britain in pursuit of his newfound goal, and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. The game is split into five chapters, each focusing on a distinct case that Naruhodo is working on. Most of the cases don't have anything to do with each other, and the connective thread between them is largely Naruhodo finding his footing as a defense lawyer. That said, elements from previous chapters end up coming into play later on in various ways, with the most notable example being a massive loose end in the third chapter being a vital part of the final case. Overall, each case had its notable moments, though there are definitely points where the pace slows down significantly or characters beat around the bush for way too long. Naruhodo's journey is enjoyable to watch, as he starts out as reluctant and not at all confident in his chosen path. Despite this, his natural skill is clear, and over the course of the five chapters, he becomes more composed in the courtroom and his self-confidence in defending his clients grows. That confidence is tested at certain points, but with a little bit of help, he overcomes even the toughest of challenges. Our main character's supporting cast is equally excellent, like Naruhodo's best friend Kazuma Asogi (a gifted lawyer and an even better friend), Susato Mikotoba (a well-read, highly intellgent young woman who becomes Naruhodo's judicial assistant), and the hilariously named jackass known as Herlock Sholmes. Yes, that really is his name, and yes, he's a detective (albeit a bizarre one who's only ever half-right). Their unwavering support is instrumental in Naruhodo's growth as a character, and they all have something to their characters that made them equally compelling or entertaining to watch (like Susato's own character arc as a judicial assistant, or Sholmes' constant buffoonery). Even the less prominent characters are memorable thanks to their over-the-top personalities and quirks. Whether it's their ridiculous dialogue, absurd gestures when talking, or even their silly names, nearly every NPC stuck in my memory in some way. I am a little bothered by how many minor characters are reused in later chapters, though there is humor in that as well. All the cases are pretty much soap operas with the absurdity dialed up to 11, with so many intense twists and turns as Naruhodo pieces together the truth in court. Of course, the truth of each case is immediately obvious to practically anybody, but I still found the ups and downs of the game's many "shocking" reveals entertaining. I think that's largely to how exaggerated the characters' reactions are when such reveals take place; people are literally sent flying when someone drops a bombshell in court. This game is well aware of how ridiculous it is, and it isn't shy about embracing that fact. Whether it's Naruhodo's exasperated remarks at what's going on or the ridiculous shit the other characters say/do, there were plenty of genuine laughs to be had throughout my time. Even the random discussions characters have about unrelated topics are amusing in some fashion. I also just personally enjoy how completely detached from reality the courtroom protocols in this game are, because there is just so much shit in here that absolutely would not fly in real-life trials. Despite all the jokes and such, there's no shortage of serious or heartfelt moments. These range from the grim nature of the cases Naruhodo investigates, to the emotional journeys of various characters. The prime example of serious moments I want to highlight is how it's tackled head-on that the law of the time can be flawed, and the conflict that comes with knowing that not every verdict may be right one in the end. I also liked the focus on the fact that the legal system as we know it was still in its early stages during this time period, and the added caveat that a lot of those ideas have only just been introduced to the Japan of that era. There are a few loose ends by the end of the game, making it clear that The Great Ace Attorney is meant to be a series. I'm hoping that the second game will tie those threads up, so I'll save my thoughts on the whole mystery for when I write about it. All I can say is that the details are quite vague, so my curiosity is definitely piqued. I suppose the only thing that puts me off about the game's story is how blatantly racist some of the British characters are towards the Japanese characters. I don't mind its presence in the game (it's a soberingly real situation people still deal with today, which should not be ignored), but goddamn, some bits of dialogue felt like all they were missing was a more offensive slur. I felt like it was that on-the-nose, and stuff like that is not comfortable to read. That's probably the point, I guess. PRESENTATION: Unlike the early Ace Attorney games, this one is fully 3D, with a handful of detailed 19th century environments to investigate and character models for pretty much everyone. The latter is a standout not only for all the memorable, intricate character designs (of which there are too many to point out), but also for the over-the-top animations and expressions during their dialogue. A great example of this is Soseki Natsume, who poses Ginyu Force-style when expressing himself in alliteration. Every character's personality really shines thanks to these animations, making even the smallest interactions with them entertaining. I noticed how dynamic the camera was during certain moments, and I think those moments did very well to enhance the mood of specific sections of the game (especially Sholmes' big scenes). A recurring instance of this is when the camera follows Naruhodo's arm as he does the iconic "point at the prosecution" pose; I thought that gave the gesture more impact. I enjoyed the music's classical leanings as well and found the orchestral tracks quite enjoyable. As expected, the courtroom themes set the mood perfectly, and various characters get their own distinct themes as well. While I found myself missing some of the original themes, I still quite liked the unique renditions they had here for key moments (e.g. Pursuit, Cross-Examination, etc.). The voice acting is quite limited, as only the iconic voice lines like "Objection!" are voiced. I did find myself wishing the whole game was fully voiced given how most character models have moving lips, and I observed that minor characters either don't have their "Hold It!" lines voiced or are voiced by the same person. GAMEPLAY: The Great Ace Attorney is a visual novel like its predecessors, so most of the game is reading. There is a whole point to all that reading, however, as paying attention to everything that's said is vital to solving the game's five cases. As you may have guessed, all the main action takes place in the courtroom. Specifically, the way you push the story forward is succeeding in the witness cross-examinations. Here, witnesses have five or six statements, and the goal is to reveal a contradiction by presenting a piece of evidence that disproves one of the statements. Such revelations will progress the case, and you'll have to keep doing this until you get the desired "Not Guilty" verdict. It's the bread and butter of this game, and it's as satisfying as ever to get an "Objection!" after carefully thinking about each witness testimony carefully and considering all the evidence at your disposal. Of course, the game is rarely straightforward, as you have to work to expose contradictions. Usually, you'll have to press witnesses on certain statements, which will cause them to elaborate (and potentially reveal an inconsistency). Other times, you'll have to properly inspect your evidence for hidden clues that may be the key to unraveling a testimony. This part of the game doesn't involve much brainpower, as you can pretty much just exhaust every possibility by pressing every last statement or checking every square inch of a piece of evidence, though I suppose the trait to be admired here is due diligence. At various points, you'll be cross-examining multiple witnesses at once. Pressing statements here can cause the other witnesses to react strangely, at which point you can pursue them for further questioning (again, potentially revealing something relevant to the case). Though very likely a load of nonsense when it comes to how trials work in real life, I liked that this gimmick from Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright returned. I'm not sure if this is completely new to the series as a whole, but I was introduced to the summation examination segments in this game. Unlike previous games I've encountered, there's a jury here, and their collective verdict holds as much weight as the judge's. If they unanimously decide "Guilty," you have a chance to try and alter their verdict through this process. Here, each juror has a statement explaining why they have arrived at their verdict, and the aim is to use those very statements against them. You can do the usual stuff when talking to the jurors, like press them for answers or observe if other jurors react (and pursue them), but the main thing you can do is pit two contradictory/related juror statements against one another and cause the jurors to fight one another. Not only is the resulting screaming match entertaining, there's also often potential that their squabbles will cause them to change their verdict, expose a contradiction, or reveal more key information. Once you've swayed a majority of the jury to change their verdict, the trial continues. Should you make a mistake at any point during the trial (e.g. present the wrong piece of evidence, make an incorrect choice when asked a question), you will be given a strike. If you get five strikes, you get a game over, and you'll have to load from a previous save. You can save at pretty much any point, so this isn't really an issue, but it is funny to see how people shit on Naruhodo when you make baseless conjecture. In most chapters, you often have time before the trial to investigate key locations. This part of the game functions akin to old school point-and-click games, as you simply have to interact with key objects in the area to inspect them. Many of these interactions will yield nothing more than amusing dialogue, but there are some objects that are vital to the case, either adding new evidence to your Court Record or updating existing records. Most chapters have you move through multiple areas in an effort to get all the intel you need, so exhaustively checking each location can feel like a chore. There are also opportunities to talk to NPCs during these investigation segments, though there's not much here other than exhaust every dialogue option. It may not be as involved, but it is no less important, as you can gather key intel this way. A completely new gameplay segment involves the great Herlock Sholmes and his legendary deductions. In these segments, Sholmes presents quite the theory towards a suspect, but the problem is, some of the things he says or observes are completely wrong. As Naruhodo, it's your job to step in and correct the finer details of his argument, as Sholmes' suspicions are still accurate. The game will highlight the points that need correction, and during this point, you'll be able to move your cursor around a specific area to select a different object to replace Sholmes' original assertion. This part of the game isn't tricky at all, as you simply have to move the camera around and find something suspicious on the suspect's person or immediate environment. It is, however, a delight to play through, because the first part of it is Sholmes formulating a completely ridiculous theory, and you're basically just nudging his gut instinct in the right direction. The presentation here is wonderful, too, and makes liberal use of dramatic camera angles and lighting all throughout. Unlike what most people expect from visual novels/interactive adventures, your dialogue choices do not influence the outcome of the story. Either the choices presented lead to one outcome (making the line of questioning pointless), or there is a definitive answer (i.e. the other answers are wrong and end up giving you a strike). I have no strong feelings about this, but I found it imperative to point out anyway in case people assume that Ace Attorney's narrative is driven by the player. VERDICT: Despite some rather slow-moving points in the story, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures was a fun ride from start to finish. It had all the over-the-top drama and wacky bullshit I've come to expect from the series, and I was engaged as ever with the logical puzzles the courtroom segments presented. Apart from the expected, I also found the 19th century setting quite novel (between the lack of modern forensics and the simple glimpse into life during that era), I was delighted by the new additions (like Sholmes' deduction segments), and I was pleased by the visuals and the music. I already can't wait to get into the second game! I think it's probably best for newcomers to start with the original Ace Attorney trilogy since it keeps things simple gameplay-wise, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with jumping in here. Knowing any bit of story from the rest of the series isn't required at all, and this game has a lot of the core Ace Attorney experience with some new additions. If the notion of making believe as a lawyer picking apart witness testimonies sounds fun to you, Ace Attorney is the series for you. The story and often silly tone won't be for everyone, but whether or not that's an issue is for you to ascertain for yourself. The main caveat here is if you don't fancy a lot of reading; that is 98% of what you do in this game, and paying attention to what you're reading is actually important if you want to properly solve the cases. If it's any consolation, the game will make note of key elements with both highlighted text and audio cues (they almost beat you over the head with it), and if you really just want to see the story unfold, there's a Story Mode that just turns the game into a movie (i.e. it plays the game for you). I personally feel like such a mode takes away from what makes this series so fun (unraveling the truth with your own astute observations), so if you ask me, I'd recommend against getting this game if that's all you're going to do. You can play this game and its sequel via The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles on Steam (steampowered.com) - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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