The 3rd installation of the popular courtroom drama doesn't add anything new but is still a satisfying experience.
The game has five cases. As this is basically a port of the Game Boy Advance game Gyakuten Saiban 3, there isn't any real new use of the stylus or three dimensional clues as in the bonus case of the first Phoenix Wright game. This is somewhat disappointing when you think about it and it was probably a low point from the second game as well, which suffered from the same distinction.
Of the five cases, you will play not as one attorney, but actually three. Two of them will have you play in the past and give you a lot of information of how Phoenix and Mia Fey first met. The story of all the cases all revolve around murder except one of them has theft before the murder.
It would have been great to have some varying types of cases but the game is still strong enough that at most, it's a minor blip if a blip at all. One thing the game is still strong on is the use of characters from past games. If this is the first Phoenix Wright game you played, it won't hamper your play with these returning characters but you have to wonder how unlucky some of these guys are since they keep coming back to you in court. Wherever you go, these guys bring so much bad luck it's odd.
Some of these characters are great. Mia and Maya fey liven up the game and Pearl definitely is a likeable character while the very poor, (fiscally) Dick Gumshoe just cries out pity but you can't help but wish better for the guy.
That's what makes the game so strong. It isn't the psyche-lock mechanic they introduced last game where you present evidence to break people's secrets or the ability to survey crime scenes for evidence. I believe the stories and the characters are so memorable and authentic, you can not help but root for them and you want them to succeed. You want to simply solve the crime to figure out if the bad guy gets what they should get and if the good people can finally put a mystery to rest.
The graphics are very colourful and it's clear what everything is. All the characters are lively and it's just great when they get frustrated when you're talking to them and when you're in court.
Sounds are still exactly the same but that is still awesome. From hearing objection to the music, it's hard to rival this game but the music is what makes this stand out. The first two games are great music and the third game passes the test as well. The music cues up with great suspension when it should and is light and happy when it must. Everything works well together.
In the end, this game doesn't do anything new. You could even look at it like it's an expansion pack with five new missions. No new mechanics. Nothing stellar that really uses the DS' features but still, it's a great game and I encourage anyone to pick it up.