I came into this review without any prior experience with the Phoenix Wright series. I had heard of the games and the addiction they led to, and I admit that my curiosity was piqued. I acquired Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations and promptly jammed it into my Nintendo DS. After a few hours of play time, I started to question my motive for investigating this title any further.

The Phoenix Wright phenomenon is based around a specific fan base of adventure-story lovers who allow themselves to become completely engrossed in the storyline. The Adventure genre is selective and secluded throughout the gaming community, but somehow the Ace Attorney managed to crack his way into many American hearts. After I decided to open my mind to this form of game play unfamiliar to myself, I quickly dove headfirst into Phoenix Wright’s law abiding life.

The story involves a lawyer, Phoenix Wright, who must defend multiple clients by investigating crimes, gathering information and evidence, and presenting the case to an all powerful judge. No jury is involved, for whatever reason, just Phoenix Wright, the prosecution lawyer, and the judge. You as the player are required to piece together evidence in such a way that your client is found Not Guilty. As an added feature, Phoenix Wright is given a special ability that allows him to see when certain people are hiding a secret. This feature is called the “Psyche Lock.”

First and foremost, I noticed just how much dialogue is involved within the game. Every action you perform is followed by lines and lines of character interaction via words scrolling across the top screen of your DS. I found myself getting impatient quite frequently, as evidenced by my random tapping on the touchpad with the stylus. The initial trial placed me in the role of Mia Fey, with the story unfolding years before Phoenix Wright ever becomes an attorney. The game was good about guiding me through the ropes of being a lawyer, but if I made a mistake or missed a piece of evidence, Trials and Tribulations would rewind back and force me to replay a small portion in order to get the storyline correct. This feature apparently continued throughout the game, and became quite annoying when paired with lengthy dialogue by overzealous witnesses.

I would’ve initially been turned off by the constant stream of reading required of the player, but the storyline did a great job of keeping me involved and attuned to what was happening. The events that unfold during each trial are truly the highlights of the game, with twists and turns thrown at you throughout. I felt as though I were reading a suspenseful, silly book at times, unable to put the game down as I approached important revelations during different portions of the trials. The storyline is easily the best portion of the game.

But, in order to carry a great storyline, you must provide great actors and actresses. The characters involved during each of Phoenix’s investigations provide a stellar performance and adds immensely to the overall feel of the game. Each person is accompanied with slight, but grand, animations that really express their feelings at that exact moment. Picture a silly anime film and you will, in essence, know what the animations entail.

Graphically, Trials and Tribulations does nothing special, with stationary environments to examine, slightly animated characters to question, and the occasional massive “Objection!” flashing on the screen. Character conceptions and appearances are wonderful to look at, but only for a short while. I found myself wanting more to occur on screen than anything that ever did. Even when depicting what happened during a crime, the screen would simply play like a slideshow, with little movement within the actual scene.

As for actual interaction, the player is very limited. Most of the time, you have the option to examine the scene at hand, talk to the present witness, present a piece of evidence in order to obtain more information from said witness, or move to another location. You also have constant access to the Court Record, which contains profiles on all characters involved with the case, and all evidence obtained thus far. If desired, the player can also hold down the “Y” button and say specific words during specific moments instead of pushing the button pertaining to the word. This feature is trivial at best, and I never found myself even wanting to use it.

Listening to the music and the occasional “Hold It!” or “Objection!” emit from the DS speakers will form smiles at the beginning of the game, but once you get used to it, the game can easily be played without any volume at all. Sometimes during cases, a specific tone is desired, and this is evidenced through a change in music. This will add to the feel of Trials and Tribulations, but you probably would not notice if it wasn’t there.

The concept has remained the same throughout the entire series, and this fact remains true for Trials and Tribulations. The game is very easy to play, very simple and slow paced, and required very little from the gamer. You literally use none of the face buttons for anything. Some find this concept comfortable and welcoming in a day and age where faster is better. I, for one, did not really get into the game because of the lack of involvement. If it was not for the engrossing storyline, I would find myself significantly more disappointed than I would up being.

Basically, if you enjoyed the previous two installments of the Phoenix Wright series, you will love Trials and Tribulations just as much, as the game adds closure to the three-part saga. The same characters appear to be involved, and the game changed very little overall when compared. If you like up beat, fast-paced action, then you might want to skip on this title, at least until your blood pressure boils down.

Gameplay: 6.0
What gameplay? Oh right, the stylus tapping and menu selection. Gameplay is simplistic, basic, and perfect for the style of game you will be involved in. If you want a casual experience, then the controls are right for you.  

Graphics: 6.5
Character models are pristine and perfect for each role they play, but the backdrops fall short in many ways. Examining environments can only be rewarding because of the evidence involved. You won’t find yourself examining different locales simply because they are beautiful.

Sound: 7.5
Musically inclined for an adventure game, the mood is always set nicely thanks to the score incorporated. Occasional hollers and yells from your attorney or the defense is lovely and different at first, but will slowly lose its muster.

Difficulty: Easy
Some of the actual investigations presented challenging thought processes and really made you work your brain to figure out, but the fact that everything is trial and error, allowing you to restart the text until you figure out what you are missing, detracts from the engaging brain activity. Besides the storyline, everything about running Trials and Tribulations is as simply as possible.  

Concept: 8.0
Conceptually, I like Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations. The storyline is the true Ace of the game, with engaging, in depth investigations that ensue throughout. The only thing that detracted from the concept was the amount of reading involved.

Overall: 6.5
The fact that I have not played any previous Phoenix titles may or may not have hindered my judgment, but I feel that even if I was playing the first game in the series, I’d still find myself struggling to get into it. Many things look promising for the franchise, but wind up falling short in my eyes. Even when I became involved with the story, I’d eventually get tired of text tapping the screen, and quit playing altogether. Fans should pick up this title immediately. Newcomers should be wary of the genre, not the game itself.