A slight step in the wrong direction from the first in the series, but still a valued glimpse at the defense.

User Rating: 7.5 | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All DS
By SnarfShady2001 | Review Date:
While not mandatory, it is highly recommended that the original Ace Attorney is completed prior to starting Justice for All. Justice finds the return of our investigative hero Phoenix Wright to the courtroom. While still a good game in it's own right, it feels to almost be a minor step backwards. The cases are still just as good and intriguing as the original Ace Attorney, unfortunately, that is where the similarities to the first game end. Justice does introduce a few new characters, including Maya's cousin Pearl and Pearl's mother Morgan, who are introduced in a case in which Maya is accused of murder while trying to channel a spirit, and Franziska von Karma, daughter of legendary prosecutor Manfred von Karma who (spoiler alert ... I told you to play the original Ace Attorney first ...) unsuccessfully attempted to frame Miles Edgeworth for a murder in a case linked to the DL-6 Incident, only to have the truth come out that Manfred was the real murderer in that case. Franziska, a 14-year old prodigy of an attorney in Germany, has made her way to the courtroom with the sole purpose of embarrassing Wright in court. The game also features the return of a character who has a bit of a surprise in store for Wright in the courtroom, but what fun would it be if I ruined it for you?

As mentioned, I felt this game to be a bit of a step backwards While the gameplay delivers the same intensity of the cases of the original, the DS-specific functions testing for blood and fingerprints previously introduced have not returned. After the bit of bad-mouthing, one positive that can be said is the introduction of a new feature called the "Psyche Lock." During the investigation phase, some witnesses have secrets in their hearts that are protected by Psyche Locks that can be seen using the Magatama, a gift given to you by your assistant Mya Fey. In order to break the Psyche Locks and get the fell truth, pieces of evidence must be presented to the individual to contradict the lies they come up with to protect their secret. While the sound and music is of the same quality, the graphics, while still pretty to look at, simply feel recycled and the value of the game is undermined by the fact that only the four cases were included. While this might still be a nice package, it feels short-changed because Ace Attorney had an additional case. While still wanting to review the game in it's own right, I felt that the comparison's made in this review were necessary because the game felt shortchanged in more ways than one. Overall, this is still a welcome addition to the Phoenix Wright series and an absolute can't-miss if you enjoyed the first one.

Overall: 7.7
Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 7
Sound: 8
Value: 7
Tilt: 8

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