It's sad to see that it's over, but with a conclusion as fitting as this, you wouldn't have it any other way.
On a purely gameplay level, absolutely nothing has changed. You still go around picking up clues, talking to witnesses and detectives to ready a solid case for your defendant. Psyche-locks -- mental locks that appear when a person has something to hide -- first introduced in Justice For All, haven't changed at all. The same can be said for the trial portions of the game. Other than the slight changes introduced in Justice For All, you still cross-examine witnesses, present evidence, and try to generally net a "Not Guilty" verdict. There's nothing new here, and the way the game flows borders on formulaic. The pattern of CSI detective work, psyche-lock breaking, and the courtroom proceedings with the "dramatic" "HOLD IT!" from a surprise witness become incredibly predictable. Nothing has evolved as far as gameplay goes. That's expected, but still disappointing nonetheless.
That's fine, though. This is an adventure game after all, and with all adventure games, we're here for the story and characters. And in that regard, Trials and Tribulations hones this aspect into a fine, dangerous point. The game shifts from past to present constantly, and by the end of it, it connects events from even the first Ace Attorney. This makes the third outing and the series as a whole much more cohesive. The cases in Trials are some of the best the series has to offer, as the game puts you in some unique situations and the new characters involved in each case prove to be very memorable. Ron DeLite's shy and feminine demeanor is strange, but appealing and Armstrong presents his sexual orientation in a way that's just straight up disturbing.
Past characters return with evolved personalities that make it all the more painful because we'll probably never see them again. Godot, the new prosecutor, is indisputably the best character in the series, and provides the funniest, most dramatic and emotional lines in the entire game. The writing holds this thing together once again, and just like a lot of things about Trials, the writing here is the best yet. The game has loads of funny and dramatic lines, with a happy balance between the two. And the not-so-subtle innuendo during the credits will let your imagination run wild.
What makes all of this even more entertaining is that the game is much more logical this time around. The leaps and sometimes total abandon of logic from Justice For All are noticeably and refreshingly absent here, and the game hints at contradictions much more. This results in better flow and pace, and nearly zero bouts of pure trial-and-error. And by the time you hit case 5... oh boy, you're in for the ride of your life.
If you're played the previous two games, that is. Trials has to bear the burden of getting new players up to speed all the while trying to tie up the entire series. The game lets Wright provide an aside for key characters from the first two games. While that does provide enough info for the newbie, it bogs down some cases, especially the second one when Wright constantly takes a breather to explain who that hippie-looking girl is. Fortunately, these flashblacks disappear by the time you hit case 3, which puts things in high gear until it tops off by the end of the game. Capcom's efforts to get newbies up to speed is a commendable effort, but maybe a quick questionnaire asking if you've played the previous installments would've let veterans skip these annoying bits of catch-up.
The music has also hit a high not seen since the first Ace Attorney. All the new tunes are sinfully catchy; these are shower humming-worthy tunes. As good as the new music is, there's not enough of it. The ratio of past tunes to new is unfortunately high, and many tracks are reused and placed in different situations. For example, the pre-court music from Justice For All makes its way into the actual courtroom proceedings in Trials. It just seems lazy. The only reused and slightly remixed piece that's exempt from criticism is placed at the near end of the last trial. It's a big surprise, and it only emphasizes how awesome case 5 is.
Visually, the new backgrounds are detailed and visually appealing, but most of the characters from the past games haven't changed their attire at all. Capcom used same sprites, same animations and same everything. It's not something that's not much of a bother, but new animations would've greatly added to these old standbys. The new characters on the other hand, are pretty creative and humorous to just look at. The senile old man's cherry nose, DeLite's springy hair and so on are funny. They all have a defining physical characteristic, which makes them hard to forget. While it's a shame the old visual content hasn't been touched up on, there's for more than enough new that it's still a vibrant and fun game to look to at.
With 5 cases, the game lasts around 15-20 hours, which is quite long by any standard. There's not much of an incentive to go back to them, other than wanting to play certain cases again. Trials and Tribulations provides a fitting conclusion to the trilogy, tying up loose ends, connecting past characters, events and memories. Capcom's known to spit out sequels at a furious rate, but with Phoenix Wright, their milking is justified. Wright's story needed three games to convey the scope of his adventures, and the payoff is huge. As the trilogy ends, you're left wanting for more, but you realize this is indeed the best way to the end -- at the zenith of the series. With a little too much old, but enough of the new (and the new is fantastic), Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations is one of the best DS games of the year.