With added 3-D elements, and great story, the next game in the Ace Attorney series succeeds and fails the same.
It is obvious by the title, that a new lead is taking over to the defense in the from of Apollo Justice. At the beginning, he resembles Phoenix Wright when he first started out in the first game. As the game continues he gains more and more confidence and finally you see his character shine through. Though Apollo is a very likable character, he doesn't have very much back story nor motive as to why he wants to be an attorney and is one example of a character that will probably less endearing then characters from the previous games.
You'll meet almost an entirely new batch of characters but some of them from the old series do make their return even if it's for the briefest of moments. If you have played some of the original games, then some of the game may seem more relevant to you but if you haven't played one before, that will in no way stymie your ability to enjoy the story and have fun in the very engaging plot.
Throughout the game, you will have have to investigate and defend clients from the strangest and most bizarre cases that could ever be thought up. Through these four cases, you'll constantly be defending those that are seemingly entirely guilty but if you investigate correctly and insert a few objections here and there, you'll be able to get down to the truth.
In the previous games, most trials had you going back forth between investigation mode, where you interview witnesses and collect evidence, and defense mode, where you are in court cross examining witnesses and trying to get your client a "not guilty" verdict. It is the exact same in this game except for a few things. Trials are much shorter than in previous games. For some people, one major complaint was the investigation side of the game because it could be slow and cumbersome to walk around from area to area trying to show one piece of evidence that would allow you to access the next part of the game. At times, the linear story, though written very well, doesn't allow any deviation. As a result, sometimes when you think you have the right witness or the right evidence, you don't only because the game's logic hasn't caught up to yours. This could also affect the game play because at times, you might get stuck. If you didn't investigate one piece of evidence correctly or didn't show something to a character, then your progress will halt.
By making less investigation times, that also means less witnesses and also less evidence to toy around with. This also cuts down on the court time and in totality, the shortness of the game can become apparent. In less than fifteen hours, you'll be able to run through the game and have little to go back because of the lack of replay value and the linear story. The other games at times, was very long and drawn out but it added to the experience. This game feels like they added a little less meat, but it still tastes great all the same.
Another difference in this game from the previous three installments is the ability to see the evidence in full 3-D just like in the last case of the original Phoenix Wright. This is a really neat feature because you can rotate the items and zoom in on them and focus on what you want instead of seeing a flat picture. There are also areas of the game where you can dust for fingerprints by tapping the touch screen and blowing into the mic and other little neat tools like playing with mixing boards and scanners and these little new features don't change the game play but it does make it seem like a more engaging experience.
One new mechanic that the game does display is Apollo's ability to perceive. During certain times in people's testimony, they will slightly tense up. This can be a wandering eye, or a twitching finger. By tapping your bracelet, you will be able to go into "perceive" mode and call the witness on it forcing them to reveal more information. It doesn't really change the game but sometimes, the twitch is so hardly noticeable, you'll be going over the same testimony over and over again to find the "slight" tension the witness has.
Visually, the game does do a slightly better job than the previous games. If you compare the characters and the backgrounds to games prior, you will realize there are a lot less jagged edges to both and also they spiced up many of animations by adding more frames. Also, for some parts of the game, you will get full 3-D video. Now, that isn't going to say that the videos are going to blow your mind graphically, but it was definitely a nice addition.
As for the sound department, the game doesn't do much new. There are still the "objections," and "hold it" phrases from the previous games (that you can still yell into your mic to activate) but what really shines again is the music. Although the music in this game is very strong, in my opinion, it's not as strong as previous installments but is still worth noting. When the tide turns in court, the music adapts perfectly to set the mood and tone and when bewilderment is there, so is the accompanying music. Capcom has done a superb job in this are and this game is no different.
Since the game is portable, it's nice that you can save anywhere at any time and just load. It only takes a few seconds to save or load. Penalties that can arise in court draining your life bar can be avoided by saving and loading. It can affect the difficulty of the game that way so keep that in mind.
The strength of the game, which can not be highly touted enough, is the story and the characters. As in the previous three games, there is little to no replay value, and the linear story doesn't allow for basically any deviation and yet these games are great games in their own right. Each character has a unique personality and the baffling cases force you to want more to get some light on each case.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is no different. It forces you to think and contemplate how things could have happened and only through that, do you have a chance in solving the crimes. Unfortunately, if you played the previous games and found the pacing too slow or there was too much reading or there just wasn't any reason to go back, all those problems still exist. But, if you found the story too provocative to put down and you wanted to find more evidence and interview more witnesses to find the truth, all of those elements are still in this game, with the addition of some new 3-D elements and so you should find this an enjoyable romp.