A thrilling rollercoaster of a game that isn't fit to be called anything but 'genius'. (True score: 9.8)
Where to begin? No single game has hooked me this solidly since...well...Phoenix Wright: Justice for All, back in January. Before that, this title went to Final Fantasy IX, and before that...Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. There is something unique and indescribable about this brilliant series of games, and this, while being its greatest strength, makes it a very difficult game series to review.
But before I begin describing the game to those who have no idea who or what Phoenix Wright is exactly, let me briefly address those who may have played one of these games before or at least has a good idea of what to expect, yet may not know whether or not this game can live up to the first game (as the second one, while good, certainly did not). Cast all fears aside: this game is the real deal. It neatly wraps up every conceivable story-arch from the past two games, delves further into the past of Phoenix and several other characters, and essentially performs the same purpose as Halo 3 did to its series by totally wrapping everything up. The difference here, however, is that, while many still view Halo 3 as inferior to Halo 1 despite its plot revelations, Phoenix Wright 3 is superior in just about every way: on average, the individual cases are better, Godot is a very interesting character who really spices up the courtroom scenes, and the tediousness of the investigation sequences is nearly nonexistent.
Now for you newbies: Phoenix Wright is less a game, and more a game/movie/book hybrid. There are distinct elements of each of these three mediums to be found here. So, essentially, don't go into the game expecting a ton of solid gameplay, because you won't get it. The gameplay in this game is mostly founded upon statements characters give you, and evidence you find or are given. Essentially, you are being placed smack in the middle of an Agatha Christie mystery, and you need to defend your client. If you don't like to read, I wouldn't recommend this game, either, as it is possibly the most heavily text-driven game I've ever played. However, the writing is incredibly good and absolutely the best localization of a game I have ever seen. While still getting the point across, the translation team has managed to fit in numerous pop culture references as well as slang that helps maintain the illusion that these characters are almost like real people despite their comical dress or some such thing.
There are two areas of basic gameplay in this game: trials, and investigations. Trials are nonstop fun, and can build up suspense quickly, and stump you with contradictions. Investigations are slightly more stagnant, but are vastly improved in this game what with the decline in 'examined evidence' and an increase of psyche-locks (read the GS review for info on those). If you are wondering whether or not to buy this game and forego the others, I would highly recommend getting and beating the other two games in the series first. Playing this game first is akin to watching Return of the Jedi or Return of the King first: it expects a great deal of prior knowledge from you, and the only real way to obtain that knowledge is to experience the first two games. Constant references are made, and certain story elements of cases within this game will not be as important to you without this knowledge. Plus, the other two are great games on their own merit.
The primary reason for Gamespot's low scoring as I can see it is that it didn't really 'change' anything from the last game. This is accurate, but changing the fundamental gameplay mechanics of a game that has already proven to entertain using its current mechanics is (to me) a bad idea in the first place, so I can't hold this against the game. The main point of the game, I say again, isn't gameplay, so adding something new to that would just overcomplicate things. Second, they criticized the linearity to the game. This is once again true, however, the game was meant to be a mystery game, and as such I don't really see how they could do a lot to de-linearize it. The fact that the game is linear does drastically decrease its replay value, however, and this fact, coupled with some lingering tedium in the investigation stages, is the only thing holding me back from granting Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations a perfect 10.0 on the Mamba219 rating scale.
This is the last game in the Phoenix Wright saga, and it was great while it lasted. Despite the lack of replay value, this game is an amazing way to spend 16 or so hours of your life. I can't wait to see what the new guy, Apollo Justice, has in store for us.