3/5 ★ – Oodlemeister's review of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy.

Anime is very popular. Courtroom dramas are also very popular. These are the facts of the case and they are undisputed. Back in 2001, Capcom had the brilliant idea of mashing these two forms of entertainment together to create an adventure game. The result was Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. It was a hit that spawned multiple spin-offs and sequels and is so popular that new entries to the series are still being made to this day. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a remastered collection of the first three games in the series: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations. Unsurprisingly you take the role of rookie defence attorney, Phoenix Wright, as he tackles fourteen cases spread over the three games of the trilogy. While each case is fully self-contained, you will see multiple characters return in various roles throughout your playthrough of the game. The game is presented in a visual novel style that is unashamedly anime. This allows its litany of wacky characters to shine through with their simple yet flamboyant animations. Phoenix himself is always the courtroom underdog, his emotions running the spectrum from complete despair to supreme confidence. He is joined by a questionably clueless judge, various antagonistic prosecutors (including a fiery young woman who carries a bullwhip that she isn’t afraid to use on anyone who displeases her), several sidekicks, and other recurring acquaintances. You will interact with these goofball characters during PW: AA Trilogy’s two primary gameplay hooks: investigations and courtroom battles. Never mind the fact that real lawyers don’t do any investigating, in this world Phoenix has no trouble doing most of the police’s work for them. During investigations, you will visit various locations – presented as colourful static images – and click on parts of the scene to gather clues that will be added to your court record. This plays out very much like the old point-and-click adventures of the early PC era. Some of the aforementioned NPCs will show up at these locations and their responses to your predetermined questions will also be used as further evidence later on in court. Once you have exhausted all possible investigative leads, you will progress to the courtroom. Here the prosecution will call witnesses to the stand and it’s up to you to poke holes in their testimony. You do this by “pressing” them for further information or presenting evidence from your court record that catches them in a lie or contradiction. Be warned though, presenting the incorrect evidence will result in a penalty from the judge and a reduction on your “health” bar. Lose all of your health and your client will be found guilty. Then it’s game over. A single case may alternate between investigations and courtroom battles multiple times. Once you’ve successfully cast doubt on a witness’s testimony the judge will order further investigation. Rinse and repeat until you clear your client’s name. Unfortunately this can make cases feel like they go on for far longer than necessary. While investigations can be interesting at times, they can quickly become tedious, especially during those longer cases. Many times I found myself stuck after having visited every location, searched all possible areas and talked to every NPC. Normally this means you have not presented a particular piece of evidence to the right person. And if you aren’t sure which object needs to be presented to whom, it becomes a mindless brute force task of presenting EVERY piece of evidence to every NPC. The flip side to all this is the courtroom gameplay. It is here that Ace Attorney shines brightest. There is nothing more satisfying than prompting Phoenix to yell his iconic “Objection!” line and proceed to tear the witness’s testimony apart. It’s a thrill to have your suspicions rewarded by the witness squirming and sweating as the game’s catchy soundtrack increases its tempo. Landing blow after blow of successful objections is the game’s most satisfying hook. Unfortunately these high points are also brought down by maddeningly frustrating lows. Sometimes it just isn’t clear where the contradictions lie or which evidence needs to be presented. Once again I found myself simply brute forcing evidence onto the witness, only this time it was doubly frustrating because my health was depleting. It became an exercise of constantly reloading my save to get to the right answer. One particular case required such a ridiculously obtuse leap of logic that it made me quit the game for a week in exasperation. Other situations might involve you knowing the answer, but you’re too far ahead of the game’s logic. If you present the correct evidence too early or after the wrong sentence in a testimony, you are punished for it. It really is disappointing that the margin for error is so small and when these issues are encountered, it sucks the fun out of the game. PW:AA Trilogy’s audio is also a mixed bag. The music is a standout feature of the game. It’s upbeat soundtrack has become an icon of the series over the years and is used very effectively to punctuate various scenes, giving them an added intensity. There is almost no voice acting, with the exception of Phoenix’s and the prosecution’s “Objection!” lines. Full voiceover for the major characters would have been a welcome addition in this remaster and the lack thereof in a modern game seems like a misstep from Capcom. The game is also beset by annoying sound effects that are supposed to add punch to character dialogue, but instead just end up being annoying due to their constant overuse. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is at its best when you’re in the courtroom tearing witnesses apart with perfectly-timed presentations of evidence and making the prosecution regret the day they ever met you. Unfortunately the opposite happens just as often, and it turns what should be a fun adventure into a monotonous exercise in frustration.