Review by Clark A.
Visual novels in the vein of Danganronpa and Steins;Gate
have garnered a broader, worldwide audience in recent years. It’s possible they
owe a touch of that heightened interest to a humble defence attorney, Phoenix
Wright, who first appeared in North America when the Nintendo DS was in its
infancy. Placing players in the shoes of Mr. Wright, his debut game struck a
chord with an underdog story. It was all about a relatable, bumbling lawyer who
pursued objective truth in the face of impossible odds by believing in his
clients. The plot could be equal parts goofy and harrowing while also offering just enough interactivity to convince
those on the fence about actually having to read.
An accurate depiction of courtroom drama or the legal system these games are not. Phoenix Wright has had to cross-examine a parrot, endure an onslaught of coffee-tossing and whip-cracking prosecutors, and then listen to a man ramble about his precognitive hemorrhoids. Even so, its use of character-driven storytelling and intricate relationships allows it to broach serious themes such as abuse of the legal system, blackmail, and the impact of the corrupt on youth. Each game shrewdly tells an arcing story throughout four or five court cases, making every episode feel worthwhile individually and as a piece of a grander whole.
A worthwhile sequel was born in the form of Justice for All,
which featured some fun characters before one case finally put Phoenix Wright’s
fallible moral code to the test. The third game in the series, Trials and
Tribulations, is widely considered the favourite as it revealed longstanding
mysteries, brought character development throughout the previous games full
circle, and went out with a poignant, emotional bang.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney started out in an unenviable
position by swapping its seasoned main character for a legal greenhorn, the
eponymous Apollo Justice. The way it reintroduced the well-established Phoenix
Wright character was also controversial. Following a lengthy time skip, this man
who had once overcome the legal system and bested undefeated prosecutors was seemingly
relegated to being a lousy pianist in a goofy hat.
Brush that animosity aside, though, and you’ll find Apollo
Justice follows the established formula of the older titles to a tee. Kicking off
with what might well be the greatest introductory court case in the franchise’s
history (for reasons I won’t spoil), Apollo finds himself unwittingly working
for Phoenix Wright. Assisted by Mr. Wright’s magician daughter, Trucy, he goes
on to defend clients from all walks of life. The structure is roughly reminiscent
of the original trilogy with Phoenix Wright becoming the mentor in Mia Fey’s
stead, Apollo Justice being the novice defense lawyer, and Trucy Wright
replacing Maya Fey as the lovably optimistic sidekick. Thankfully, there are distinctions
to keep the formula from being a carbon copy. Because we’re seeing established
characters with newfound maturity, they can be as fascinating as the new faces.
What’s less appealing is the overall stagnancy of the lead
character. I appreciate that Apollo eventually develops some nuance, but it probably
shouldn’t take until the adventure is drawing to a close. To use a manga
example, famed author Hirohiko Araki swapped out his first protagonist, a respectable
gentleman, for a stylish cheater who occasionally acts honourably despite
himself. The gulf between Wright and Justice didn’t need to be that pronounced, surely, but comparing
the introductions of both characters side by side should do the talking. The
story would have been served well by immediately establishing what makes
Justice his own man. I wanted to love Apollo, but had to settle for
"like" because he spends most of the game being Phoenix with a vest
and horns. Trucy Wright can behave like Maya Fey 2.0, but the fact that she’s a
magician rather than a spirit medium at least paves the way for fresh plot
points and character relationships centred on her defining hobby.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the original Phoenix
Wright benefits greatly from serving a support role rather than being the
center of attention yet again. His dishevelled appearance belies the wiser,
more composed man that is his evolved character. He still bears the goofiness
of his youth, but his actions reflect the journey players saw unfold throughout
three lengthy games. When he makes unpredictable decisions, it invites players
to speculate about what happened during the undisclosed seven years of his
life. After viewing the action from this man’s internal perspectives for so
long, it’s a shot in the arm for the series to see him from the outside and really
breathe him in.
As a whole, Apollo Justice features a triumphant comeuppance
story atop a passing the torch narrative of sorts. I do appreciate how the
latter is reflected thematically via some of the world’s side characters rather
than purely Justice’s circumstances. Wocky Kitaki, is the eventual successor of
a group of gangstes, but his life is teeming with complications. Mr. Eldoon, the
owner of a noodle stand, spent his life running away from his salt-obsessed
forefathers before accepting his heritage and destiny.
Even when it’s not a matter of giving a nod to the younger
generation, Apollo Justice is generally charming for how it reassigns roles of yesteryear
to fresh faces. For instance, the science-obsessed Ema Skye replaces Dick
Gumshoe, the lovable loser of a detective. Because Skye had time to shine in
the extended cut of the original Phoenix Wright game, it's pleasant to see how
she’s grown up and retained her idiosyncrasies. Prosecutor Klavier Gavin is a departure
from the bitter prosecutors who abused Phoenix Wright in court and hated his
guts, generally behaving in a more friendly way. While the dynamic between Gavin
and Justice lacks the same personal edge and tension, Gavin still brings just
enough pomposity to fit in with the rich prosecutor archetype that is integral
to the series’ commentary on real-world courts.
The cases here might not be as high-stakes or emotional as
the first or third Phoenix Wright games, but by all means they’re memorable. Crimes
are typically related to the main characters in some aspect, creating a sense
of drama that is more personal than solving random clients slice of life style.
Still, Justice encounters his fair share of inventive scenarios, specifically characters
with complications that have never previously arisen. One case tasks Justice
with defending a young gangster he’s never actually spoken to while another prominently
features a blind 14 year old foreigner. Later cases do require some real leaps
in logic and suspension of disbelief, but the sheer ingenuity and zany nature
of the series’ logic is such that I’m willing to overlook them.
While comedy is highly subjective, Apollo Justice may well
win the prize for the funniest game in the entire series. That’s no easy feat,
I hasten to add. The snide social commentary, wordplay, dark jokes, and character
quirks are here and execute with panache. Yet, there’s one moment in particular
that won me over. An early case involves the theft of panties, a concept I
suspected would be leveraged more for fan service than anything else. Against
all odds, the writers managed to throw down every innuendo imaginable whilst retaining
a simultaneously mocking and gleeful air of innocence. Without spouting
spoilers, the motivation behind said panty theft and the personality of the thief
in question are positively side-splitting. The localised script also put a grin
on my face with fun references such as the song Roxanne by The Police.
It probably sounds like I’ve spent this whole review
comparing the fourth entry in the series to the first three, but this is the sort
of visual novel that is best viewed through the contextual lens of its own
franchise. It invites such comparisons especially due to how the plot is
structured. This game tried to reinvent the wheel and if you’ve never touched Ace
Attorney before, the depth of its plot points just aren’t going to resonate the
same way. You’re better off picking the original trilogy as a starting point. The
series’ modus operandi in satirising the flaws of the legal system (which is so
heavily weighted towards prosecutors rather than defence attorneys, even
outside of Capcom’s native Japan) remains as effective as ever. The game actually
goes a step further in striving for reform.
The reliance on puzzle solving through logic is also a
staple of the Ace Attorney series and that’s on full display in Apollo Justice.
This series has always required players to pay more attention to each detail of
the unfolding murder plots, more so than your average visual novel. Court cases
are built around presenting the right piece of evidence at the right time or
suffering penalties for your incompetence. The typical criticisms about the Ace
Attorney series' structure apply. In this game’s case, though, needing to
manually examine items in order to trigger events rather than intuit their
meaning from context clues can prove to be a hiccup at times since the game
wants you to proceed in a rigid order.
Because this was the first Nintendo DS exclusive entry in
the series, the investigation portions of the game are a little more involved
than the original trilogy. You'll find yourself manipulating items on the touch
screen and blowing into the microphone for emphasis. Interactive court record
items like a mixing board from a famous band make might sound gimmicky, but
they instil a deeper sense of involvement in the proceedings that I appreciate.
With past entries, you could really just bust out a walkthrough and treat the
game as a visual novel devoid of player involvement whereas these segments
enhance the detective process without being too intrusive.
The other more “gameplay” oriented aspect introduced here revolves
around Apollo’s ability to sense lies spewed by witnesses. Apollo sports a magical
bracelet that’s a little like a fantastical version of the techniques used in
the TV series Lie to Me. He pinpoints falsities by examining the nervous ticks
and micro expressions of witnesses at the stand. As with the touch screen
interactions, I find the process to be a worthwhile one even if it requires
patience. Mysticism played a key role in prior entries with Wright using the magatama
to bust the locks on the cast’s minds. This system boasts a touch of realism
whilst retaining that air of mysterious spirituality.
The character designs and art direction remain delightful through
the use of techniques that require minimal animation. Watching a seemingly
innocent witness transform into a different person once they've been caught in
a lie never gets old. The series is well served by working within the visual
novel format, as the recent anime tried to illustrate the full extent of the
zaniness but lost something in translation. The updated game looks smoother
than ever on 3DS and expresses the series’ charisma wonderfully.
Besides being a re-release with polished visuals, sounds,
and minor script revisions, there’s not a whole lot to differentiate Apollo
Justice from its original DS outing. It’s also not a game that needed terribly drastic alterations,
however, so Capcom has realistically done all it could. Just having it
available on the eShop is a triumph worth celebrating.
Make no mistake – despite my criticisms, Apollo Justice is
an unforgettable entry in the Ace Attorney series. It serves to push the series’
overarching plot forward in meaningful ways while hammering home the value of truth
to a world that so desperately tries to avoid it. It even represents the peak
of comedy in a series that is renowned for it.
- Clark A.
Anime Editor
Anime Editor
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