E3 '07: Phoenix Wright 3 Hands-On

To many the law seems cold, austere, and sometimes even cruel in its rigid impartiality. But to Phoenix Wright fans, the law means pure comedy and entertaining courtroom shenanigans. And they're in luck, because this September court will be in session for the third time with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations. Any objections? Didn't think so.

While Trials and Tribulations will rely on the exact same mechanics used in the previous two sessions, it will begin five years before the first game with the player in control of Mia--in her own body! In case you aren't familiar with the Phoenix Wright games, Mia is Phoenix's mentor, boss, and crush. Or at least she was until her untimely death at the hands of a deranged killer. But that didn't stop her from regularly appearing in the first two titles by spiritually taking over the bodies of her kid sister and a little girl named Pearl. Those transformations were really weird, a little creepy, and always good for a laugh, which nicely sums up the character of the Phoenix Wright series.

The nuts and bolts are those of investigative adventure. In the first games you would examine crime scenes, question witnesses, search for evidence, and then head to trial, where, with the help of your research, you'd punch holes in the testimonies of your witnesses, who were always lying, whether they knew it or not. Well, Trials and Tribulations will be no different in that regard. But it will feature five all-new cases and a whole host of crazy new characters, not to mention all the crazy old ones from the previous games.

At this point, though, we've seen only one new character, Godot--your archrival. He looks like a Cylon, has white hair (so you know he's bad), and will surely provide plenty of challenge and courtroom drama when the game ships in September. Until then, we'll all be eagerly waiting for Godot, and for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations.