Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney And Justice for All

When the first Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game was released on the Nintendo DS, it captured the attention of many a gamer and it was, surprisingly enough, one of the most original and enjoyable portable games released last year. While the idea of playing a lawyer in a video game sounds as fun as a rug burn, Ace Attorney mixed courtroom drama with interesting characters and an interactive storytelling formula that made for a great game. So it’s a joy to hear that Capcom has given us a new reason to step back into the courtroom in Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All - a sequel that’s just more of the same.

Oh, don’t get me wrong … I loved Ace Attorney and jumping back into the role of the loveable Phoenix is a very good thing indeed. Still, for a sequel, Justice for All doesn’t offer anything completely new nor does the game really stray from its gameplay style. You don’t even have to play (but I recommend you buy) the first game since Justice for All begins with likeable Phoenix Wright receiving a blow to the head. You see, Phoenix is a defense attorney (who in the first game was a just a rookie) but thanks to this temporary amnesia, you tackle the first episode’s case as if it were your, well, first case. Joining you again as your assistant is psychic medium Maya Fey but the game introduces Maya’s little cousin Pearly as well as a new rival named Franziska von Karma.

The first case you take on plays as a sort of tutorial that gives you an insight on the basic gameplay mechanics. It also introduces the first new feature, which is the fact that you can now use character profiles as evidence. Your first case involves a female police officer accused of killing a fellow officer who the prosecution also paints as her lover. The evidence is presented and the prosecution also invites a “witness” to the crime itself. As the defense, it’s your job to weigh the entire evidence and witness testimonial as well as argue your client’s supposed innocence. This being your first case the game is incredibly lenient on you and you can spot the plot twist a mile away. Yet somehow you’ll be pleasantly entertained either way.

Nothing has really changed as far as the gameplay is concerned so every mistake you make during the trial means you’ll be penalized. Each time you present false evidence during key moments, the life gauge will lower and if it runs out you lose the case. Like the first game, Justice for All mixes witness testimonial with questioning to look for inconsistencies in the witness’ testimony. By yelling into the Nintendo DS you can call up an objection and present evidence you have stored in your evidence list. While you’ll spend most of the time in court going up against the new prosecutor von Karma, you will also get to so a little sleuthing such as the time you travel to Maya’s village to gather some facts concerning a case where 14 patients die in the hospital.

Making its debut is the Psyche-Lock feature that allows you to dig deeply into hidden secrets and testimony a witness might be reluctant to reveal in court. The image of the witness will appear on the screen with a series of chains wrapped around a locked chest and it’s your job to unlock each one by presenting evidence for each individual topic. While not an amazing feature, taking care of each topic in this fashion if like playing an intense game of poker with a skilled champion. When you do manage to break these chains you’ll be cheering and patting yourself on the back. Combined with returning favorite characters as well as some new ones and some interesting cases, the game doesn’t let you down in terms of providing some challenging cases that lead up to a very memorable final case.

The game’s graphics also remain the same and that’s alright seeing as the colorful characters look like they’d be comfortable in a good Japanese anime. While the animations aren’t plentiful, they do bring to life the comic book-styled panels. The game’s music is also wonderfully dramatic and plays on cue during some key moments during a case and thus adding to the drama. Yes there’s no voice acting except for some key phrases such as “Objection!” There are sound effects and they help setup the story and each situation that arises throughout the game.

While the original is still far more creative and unforgettable, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All is another fun chapter that doesn’t really change its format but then again that’s not so bad. There are a few changes here that add more to the interactive storytelling but aside from the Psyche-Lock feature the game is essentially more of the same. Still, if you’re new to this Nintendo DS series or loved the first game, you can’t go wrong with Justice for All.

Gameplay: 8.0
Yes, the thought of slipping into the expensive loafers of a defense attorney might not seem like it would lead to some fun times but strangely enough the game makes courtroom drama very entertaining. You’ll also get to do some sleuthing to collect evidence. In short, being a lawyer never seemed so much fun.

Graphics: 7.5
The game might not be visually stunning but at least its nicely colorful and the comic book-styled panels that come to life throughout the game give the game its own personality. Even the cutscenes are handled pretty good as well.

Sound: 7.0
The game’s sound effects are very minimal and there’s no voice acting found in this game unless you count “Objection!” or “Hold it!” What works beautifully is the game’s music that wonderfully gets dramatic in all the right places.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
You’ll work up a sweat early in the game and will be well challenged in the final case as you try to counter ever objection the prosecution throws at you. Even the somewhat incompetent prosecutor, Paine, is able to put up quite a fight in court.

Concept: 8.0
There’s nothing really new here in terms of the way you perform as a defense attorney but Psych-Lock makes for a neat little mini-game that adds more depth to the already deeply challenging cases. The characters are still a highlight.

Overall: 8.0
For fans of the original Phoenix Wright Nintendo DS game, Justice for All is more of the same but believe me when I say that this is not a bad thing at all. If anything, if it wasn’t for the small changes and the new Psyche-Lock feature the game would be identical to the first. Still, with fresh new cases to tackle this is another fun chapter fans will enjoy.