Violentvixen
(She/Her)
Thanks all! This is all great to hear.
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"The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles" will be released on Switch, PS4, and Steam on July 27 (in English)
- Thread starter Bongo
- Start date
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I'm still holding out for an iOS release, since I really want to be able to play these games anywhere I go and I don't tend to bring my Switch on my daily outings. AA5 and 6 made for wonderful phone games, and I know these have been released on phones in Japan already, so I've got my fingers crossed.
Phantoon
I cuss you bad
That's quite an achievement, there's been some incredible stuff in this series
For the record, I agree. I'm still partial to the original trilogy for many reasons, but I really loved these two games (but especially the second). Even the music is memorable, which is something I feel the most recent games have been lacking!
(disclaimer: I'm currently on the last case of GAA1)That's quite an achievement, there's been some incredible stuff in this series
For me, AA3 is the next contender, and GAA cleanly beats it. I think post-Apollo, the series becomes a bit diluted with the wide cast -- we've got three attorneys who all need their time in the spotlight, but let's not forget Blackquill and Edgeworth, who must appear in every game. The later games still hit some incredible highs (the final case of Spirit of Justice is wonderful, particularly Phoenix vs Apollo), but they do so in spite of their baggage.
Freed from all of that, and with a new setting that works very much to its advantage, GAA focuses on a tighter cast with a new structure. None of the cases feels like filler (the way, for example, SoJ's udon case very much does), and as Sholmes's deductions breathe life into the investigations, so do the jury interactions enliven the courtroom proceedings.
My only complaint with GAA is that Iris gives me some Wesley Crusher vibes, but every AA is mandated by international law to have at least one unbearable character. (It's not Iris, though. It's the defendant from case 4.)
I'll put in my case saying that GAA1, especially the final case, does good setup but aren't particularly great on their own merits. GAA2 spikes a lot of those setups and therefore feels like the better game, but really it just makes more sense to consider 1 and 2 as one game of its own... which is exactly what we got! Fantastic!
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Same. Brain space has been bad lately, but I really wanna get back into it. Also, this thread today makes my heart glow.
GAA pinnacle of the franchise, hope they give Shu more work.I can get behind this. I know people liked Phoenix and wanted him back, and 5 and 6 had some really good moments with him, but having to split MC duties with at least two other deserving characters was a detriment to all three. Apollo getting sidelined in 5, and then Athena in 6 just felt bad because I wanted both to be a bigger part of the games and there just wasn't enough real room for either. Also, the writer for 5 and 6 was the same as the guy who did the Investigations games. He's a decent stand-in for Shu Takumi, but never could manage to make the twists as clever or engaging as Shu did.
Isrieri
My father told me this would happen
I'm a die-hard fan of the Ace Attorney series, however I've never actually played any of the games myself. This is a travesty. So I decided to give myself a birthday gift and finished the first two cases last night. Best decision I've made in many months. It turns out that when you're the one pulling the strings and doing the legwork, its a lot harder than it looks.
The first case might be the best opener of all the games. Well-written, with oodles of intrigue and deception. Multiple times I thought that at last I had it all figured out, and it just kept pulling fast ones. It wouldn't stop! Kazuma & Ryunosuke were the dream team. Prosecutor Auchi actually had presence. It was incredible. I got like 3 game overs: A combination of jumping the gun while not having the right evidence at the right time, and one piece of evidence I had the complete wrong idea about. I'd like to detail that piece in particular below.
The second case was much easier. Like most investigative phases you really are just ballroom dancing on the train as you chug along the railroad. The closed fist was the only aspect that truly stumped me. The two other points I stumbled on were later revealed to be the things I thought they were. Meeting Holmes was a hell of an experience. I'm not familiar with any of the novels or short stories, but I did know enough to be able to say "Lay off the powdered sugar, Holmes." I'm somewhat proud I was able to figure out within 5 minutes of meeting him that he was just taking the piss out of Ryunosuke. There's a very subtle clue in his dialogue. Where the first case had left me honestly grasping, the deductive moments with Holmes left me with incredulity. I couldn't believe what I was reading, I can't believe anybody could miss the point that hard. One line of dialogue rendered me literally speechless. I was IRL ellipses-sing with the rest of the cast. I am so glad I am playing this personally.
The first case might be the best opener of all the games. Well-written, with oodles of intrigue and deception. Multiple times I thought that at last I had it all figured out, and it just kept pulling fast ones. It wouldn't stop! Kazuma & Ryunosuke were the dream team. Prosecutor Auchi actually had presence. It was incredible. I got like 3 game overs: A combination of jumping the gun while not having the right evidence at the right time, and one piece of evidence I had the complete wrong idea about. I'd like to detail that piece in particular below.
One of the very first pieces of evidence you get is the photo of the half-eaten steak. Your initial need is to prove that there was a second person at the table the victim sat with. I happened to notice that the steak not only had bites taken out of it by a victim who would not have been able to eat at the time, but also had a knife that had clearly cut into the steak while no juice or residue had gotten onto the fork. Clearly, I surmised, the steak was bought for someone else. Furthermore, the person for whom it was intended must have gotten rid of it for some reason. This, readers, is incorrect.
But I couldn't shake that knife out of my head, it had to have something to do with the case! "Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself, this is clearly how we're going to nail the killer! The steak must have been poisoned!" I thought. I kept whipping that out at times where it seemed to fit just right and kept being baffled when it didn't. I went so far as to say that the bottle had no poison in it. At last we get to the moment of truth - the killer's nationality and their penchant for tableware. "AT LAST! NOW'S THE TIME!!" and I felt so smart when at last the piece came to light. But then the started talking about... about bite marks. That had gone completely under my radar, so focused I was I hadn't even noticed! "W-Whuh...?" I went. I was utterly dumbfounded. Thunderstruck! Gobsmacked!! THE ENTIRE POINT WAS A RED HERRING!
Then I played the second case. And I realized this game was made for me.
But I couldn't shake that knife out of my head, it had to have something to do with the case! "Ah, I'm getting ahead of myself, this is clearly how we're going to nail the killer! The steak must have been poisoned!" I thought. I kept whipping that out at times where it seemed to fit just right and kept being baffled when it didn't. I went so far as to say that the bottle had no poison in it. At last we get to the moment of truth - the killer's nationality and their penchant for tableware. "AT LAST! NOW'S THE TIME!!" and I felt so smart when at last the piece came to light. But then the started talking about... about bite marks. That had gone completely under my radar, so focused I was I hadn't even noticed! "W-Whuh...?" I went. I was utterly dumbfounded. Thunderstruck! Gobsmacked!! THE ENTIRE POINT WAS A RED HERRING!
Then I played the second case. And I realized this game was made for me.
The second case was much easier. Like most investigative phases you really are just ballroom dancing on the train as you chug along the railroad. The closed fist was the only aspect that truly stumped me. The two other points I stumbled on were later revealed to be the things I thought they were. Meeting Holmes was a hell of an experience. I'm not familiar with any of the novels or short stories, but I did know enough to be able to say "Lay off the powdered sugar, Holmes." I'm somewhat proud I was able to figure out within 5 minutes of meeting him that he was just taking the piss out of Ryunosuke. There's a very subtle clue in his dialogue. Where the first case had left me honestly grasping, the deductive moments with Holmes left me with incredulity. I couldn't believe what I was reading, I can't believe anybody could miss the point that hard. One line of dialogue rendered me literally speechless. I was IRL ellipses-sing with the rest of the cast. I am so glad I am playing this personally.
fanboymaster
(He/Him)
As a longtime Sherlock Holmes fan, the version presented in GAA is one of my personal favorites and his sheer capacity to be obnoxious and weird and taken with anything that will keep him interested in a case feels like a very fitting interpretation of him.
Isrieri
My father told me this would happen
I finished the first game last night and I was a little disappointed. This is not in regard to the story, which I thought worked quite well, but that the story was favored a little more than the gameplay since there was a part I got stuck on for a good while due to literally missing a piece of the puzzle. However this is the only real mark against what is otherwise a solid bunch of cases: The previous two were so much fun and filled with intrigue. It just seems strange that the final chapter of the first game was less of a climax and satisfying wrap-up than it was an interquel that bridges the first half (TGAA1) with the second half of the complete story (TGAA2). Strange decision but it did its job of making me want to immediately dive into the next game.
I am expecting great things of Act 2 in Naruhodo's adventures. Also as much as I love Sherlock, Inspector Gregson is just the kind of underdog character I love to root for. Here's to getting him a happy ending and to uncover the <spoilers>!
I am expecting great things of Act 2 in Naruhodo's adventures. Also as much as I love Sherlock, Inspector Gregson is just the kind of underdog character I love to root for. Here's to getting him a happy ending and to uncover the <spoilers>!
The second game benefits strongly from actually wrapping up plot points; it was a weird choice to have the final case of the first game act more like a case 3 or 4 from the original trilogy, and it ends up making the first game feel anticlimactic to me. But yes, the second game is a ridiculously tense, climactic, and polished experience, excited for you to experience it!
Spoiler for the ending of game two haha holy shit happy ending for the Inspector huh yeah right
Spoiler for the ending of game two haha holy shit happy ending for the Inspector huh yeah right
Isrieri
My father told me this would happen
Game complete! That was a great Ace Attorney! I think the aforementioned comments regarding Chronicles as best in the series are much warranted. For me, they are definitely both at the top, now.
I can't talk about the game much because of the spoilers so I'll just make the following points:
I can't talk about the game much because of the spoilers so I'll just make the following points:
- I was truly, truly impressed by the writing & localization. It might be the best localization I've ever experienced. It feels very period-appropriate whist being immaculately witty whilst swinging back and forth from over-the-top comedy to grounded drama without missing a beat. Similarly, the music & animation were top tier in regard to how both were utilized across the game. The greatest moments of tension & laughter all came about via these things working together in harmony, and this game pulls it off consistently across all the cases.
- Kazuma & Susato's theme in particular were the veritable standouts.
- This is a marathon gauntlet of a game. If you play it, I recommend taking many breaks. No matter how badly you want to keep going.
- All the characters are vivacious and wonderful. Sherlock is hilarious. Ryunosuke is plucky & admirable, Susato is clearly the best character, and Gregson is still my favorite. All four of them however, are mere shadows cast by the gleaming moonbeams spilling from one Souseki Natsume. I wonder how many poses they made for his model.
- There were a few moments where I felt no shame in using the Story Mode feature to pick out the things that totally went under my nose. I recall using it about 4 times in total. Very happy that the feature is there to avoid having to go by process of elimination when I was genuinely stumped. One of the things I was explaining to a friend, when asked about why there are game overs at all, is that your penalty for screwing up is not lost progress, it's feeling like a damn idiot. No shame in admitting when you're outright stumped I think, rather than bashing your head against a puzzle.
- There were a few posers I wasn't happy with because I always felt alternate explanations were possible or warranted, and a great many that I couldn't see because of my own presuppositions. The latter happened pretty often, which is why Holmes' dance of deduction sequences are so delightfully fun even when they are by a wide margin the easiest parts of the game. Holmes' jocund ribbing never failed to make me smile.
- I liked the jury system because you could have fun with more characters than just the witnesses and it forces you to change up your logical reasoning a little. You're not solely hunting for contradictions but also searching for correlations. In that respect they could probably have gone a little further but what we have is perfectly fine.
- I kept thinking about the period that this game is set in around the turn of the century in 1900s London and I couldn't get the thought out of my head - the 1950s would be but a scant 50 years later and the revolutions in technology and cultural attitudes would leave this era unrecognizable. It struck me how incredibly recent all the 20th century's developments are. Then I thought about myself being born at the turn of the 21st century and something about it all gave me an odd sense of longing.
fanboymaster
(He/Him)
I appreciate how much that's the intended reaction but succeeding on a level they hadn't intended.
I just finished Case 4 of the first GAA game. I am not enjoying this nearly as much as any of the previous games in the series. I think partly is the multiple people giving testimony at once, which seems to make each of the characters less distinct. Also, that there seems to be one investigation phase and one trial phase, rather than alternating sections where you learn more about the case in the trial and then investigate things to get a fuller picture going into the next day.
I do feel like the second game just straight up is better than the first, and might not address that specific concern, but it comes together well.
Okay, I finally finished the last case of GAA 1. I really didn't like that I had my last meaningful interaction a full hour and half before the game ended. You win the case without solving the case, and most the explanation comes afterward. Maybe I'm misremembering older Ace Attorney games, but I feel like you go into the trials with one or two pieces of solid information, and those form the bedrock of unraveling everything until you show what really happened and by the time you've convinced the fact finder of what really happened, you have figured it all out yourself. Here, you show that it must have been the culprit, but you haven't really unraveled any of the other parts, so they have to explain it. And reading a bald explanation of everything is not that interesting.
Sometimes? Maybe even most of the time? But a big part of this franchise and why it's so good is that it continually finds ways to subvert expectations and flip normal conventions on their head. It's literally why the games are called what they're called in Japanese.
There's been several cases in games past where you go into the final day of court just completely boned, you've got nothing, and you don't know what happened or even who the real culprit is, and you're just flying completely by the seat of your pants and hoping on a prayer.
Don't blame you for having an adverse reaction to the final case in the 1st GAA game. That's a pretty normal reaction. But just trust that it all comes together in the 2nd one.
finished chapter 8 last night. after going through 5-7 a couple weekends ago and the intro making me think "ahhhhh...the 'wacky' case." i wasn't that excited about it so i took a (small this time) break. it's strange because i think the mechanics in this game that weren't in AJ (the last one i'd played before this), stuff like the jury examination and the multiple witness testimony, have great presentation, and are an interesting way to add more angles into the story-there are other aspects of the writing and design that make you feel like you're really seeing more of the story play out in front of you than in the old games-but it also feels a bit more drawn out and laborious as a result. i kind of don't know if i like any of the mechanics (except maybe the item manipulation) nearly as much as the basic stuff from the first game, haha...though the "deductions" are in a similar vein to those and have some of the funniest writing in the game to match. so those are probably my favorite part.
also, this is probably mostly down to the fact that it's harder to surprise people who've gotten used to being surprised, but it does feel like you tend to go into the trials (after chapter 3) knowing a lot more, except knowing that doesn't help you that much because so much of the courtroom in this duology is having to do what feels like gaming the supposed "rules" of court to win, which is appropriate to the theme and narrative but feels odd. though it's also probably more realistic to being a lawyer
in the end, this chapter was my favorite one so far.
also, this is probably mostly down to the fact that it's harder to surprise people who've gotten used to being surprised, but it does feel like you tend to go into the trials (after chapter 3) knowing a lot more, except knowing that doesn't help you that much because so much of the courtroom in this duology is having to do what feels like gaming the supposed "rules" of court to win, which is appropriate to the theme and narrative but feels odd. though it's also probably more realistic to being a lawyer
in the end, this chapter was my favorite one so far.
it's pretty funny how coy the first day investigation is with things. you find a few odd props and have to spend a bunch of time talking to zieks. harebrayne isn't that interesting at first and he doesn't tell you much that seems to be of any relevance (even though it eventually is). and then it pulls you away from all of that business again with the wax museum bit. mostly there was a bit in the back of my mind thinking "is this a work of fiction where this could be real?"
so then the first day of court kicks off with sholmes saying "not a chance, it's impossible" and that's just the start of everything going off the rails. the "antagonistic defendant" gimmick is a big part of why the end of the 2nd game might be my favorite case of the original trilogy, and this one uses a very different version that brings that feeling home by placing innocence and the truth at odds with harebrayne's own motivations and relationship with zieks. the villains are both great characters with cool designs and animations, and the killer in particular is a scarily calm and grounded person in comparison to so many of the others through the series. of course, at the end, zieks seems to imply that his initial stance was all part of a ploy to drive ryunosuke closer to the truth of everything...
and speaking of the truth of everything, sholmes knows it all, surely? or at least damn close. but he lacks any kind of authority to truly act on it, and is possibly antagonized by scotland yard because he knows too much about it? which would explain why his "spectacular deductions" are usually total buffoonery; he's leading ryunosuke to knowledge, because ryunosuke's a person who can do something with that knowledge if he learns it without being directly told by herlock sholmes. (that is to say, he cannot enter court and say "sholmes told me this." that process directly fails in chapter 5, even after it briefly salvages one of the jury examinations. he can enter court and say things he learned by working directly alongside sholmes as long as he has all of the evidence to show what he knows.)
though, no matter what his exact deal is, he's the best character. he's ridiculous, chaotic, blunt, and has incredible lines and perfectly exaggerated expressions. it is wild he's evidently he's in his like late 30s and still a total ikemen tho
so then the first day of court kicks off with sholmes saying "not a chance, it's impossible" and that's just the start of everything going off the rails. the "antagonistic defendant" gimmick is a big part of why the end of the 2nd game might be my favorite case of the original trilogy, and this one uses a very different version that brings that feeling home by placing innocence and the truth at odds with harebrayne's own motivations and relationship with zieks. the villains are both great characters with cool designs and animations, and the killer in particular is a scarily calm and grounded person in comparison to so many of the others through the series. of course, at the end, zieks seems to imply that his initial stance was all part of a ploy to drive ryunosuke closer to the truth of everything...
and speaking of the truth of everything, sholmes knows it all, surely? or at least damn close. but he lacks any kind of authority to truly act on it, and is possibly antagonized by scotland yard because he knows too much about it? which would explain why his "spectacular deductions" are usually total buffoonery; he's leading ryunosuke to knowledge, because ryunosuke's a person who can do something with that knowledge if he learns it without being directly told by herlock sholmes. (that is to say, he cannot enter court and say "sholmes told me this." that process directly fails in chapter 5, even after it briefly salvages one of the jury examinations. he can enter court and say things he learned by working directly alongside sholmes as long as he has all of the evidence to show what he knows.)
though, no matter what his exact deal is, he's the best character. he's ridiculous, chaotic, blunt, and has incredible lines and perfectly exaggerated expressions. it is wild he's evidently he's in his like late 30s and still a total ikemen tho
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finished all the main cases, haven't checked out whatever these side things are. fantastic ending, even if some aspects of the whole thing are recognizable for people who've played the games that came out on DS. and i mean...i've always basically hated the final "choice" in apollo justice, so this game's final trick, while obviously ridiculous, was way more enjoyable for me
though obviously the high point of the whole series is the final investigation and deduction scene. hoooooooly shit
i loved this duology. the music and presentation are exceptional and it's got basically none of the weird horny of the other games. i feel like the humor is a bit lower key at the same time, but considering how many pop culture references and the like were in the older games, that's probably appropriate. and even if characters like natsume didn't make me laugh as much as they were maybe supposed to, they were still really great
it's great. i'm gonna make demi read it. i was thinking i should get her to do the first game first, and that still wouldn't be a bad idea, but...i dunno if she's really in for all the puzzle stuff, lol
though obviously the high point of the whole series is the final investigation and deduction scene. hoooooooly shit
i loved this duology. the music and presentation are exceptional and it's got basically none of the weird horny of the other games. i feel like the humor is a bit lower key at the same time, but considering how many pop culture references and the like were in the older games, that's probably appropriate. and even if characters like natsume didn't make me laugh as much as they were maybe supposed to, they were still really great
i'd said that the games feel like they rely on weird technicalities and trying to stretch the rules, but that's a feeling that slowly diminishes through the story as ryunosuke becomes sharper and more confident, and also obviously due to the circumstances of the last trial. it's really well done. i also think that this story truly sells the series' concept of "searching for the truth", particularly in the last few chapters. these truths may exonerate the defendants, and give them another chance at their lives to truly reach their aspirations, freed from the morass of lies-but they can never be prepared to learn them
it's also interesting that stronghart's one of the only characters in the whole police apparatus who doesn't go talking about the main characters in an obviously racist way...until the last chapter. and honestly given his long series of offramps at the end it seems like the choice of attorneys is yet another contingency against any kind of damaging information getting out during the trial
i said sholmes was the best character but wilson's way up there. she's straightforward and often silly enough to sell being a child sidekick character while being brilliant and dangerous enough to match sholmes as his daughter. and of course the way everything about her has been carefully placed into the mystery with plenty of red herrings around sholmes' old partner is a brilliant part of the story
it's also interesting that stronghart's one of the only characters in the whole police apparatus who doesn't go talking about the main characters in an obviously racist way...until the last chapter. and honestly given his long series of offramps at the end it seems like the choice of attorneys is yet another contingency against any kind of damaging information getting out during the trial
i said sholmes was the best character but wilson's way up there. she's straightforward and often silly enough to sell being a child sidekick character while being brilliant and dangerous enough to match sholmes as his daughter. and of course the way everything about her has been carefully placed into the mystery with plenty of red herrings around sholmes' old partner is a brilliant part of the story
it's great. i'm gonna make demi read it. i was thinking i should get her to do the first game first, and that still wouldn't be a bad idea, but...i dunno if she's really in for all the puzzle stuff, lol
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I really need to get back to these. It'll be my next game I think, after I finish Zelda