Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney - Justice for All
© Capcom

Mania Grade: B
Platform: DS
ESRB: T
Genre: Adventure
Players: 1
Online: No
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Suggested Retail: $29.99
Graphics: B-
Sound: B-
Gameplay: A-
Replay: B
Fun Factor: B+

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"Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice for All"

Pheonix Wright makes his triumphant return to the videogame market, again on the Nintendo DS. As a defence attorney, not only must he prove that each of his clients are not guilty, but do so within three days. In this court system, it seems that each of the defendants is guilty until proven innocent. At the beginning of the game, when he is just about to go into trial for a police officer framed for a murder, he is hit in the head by a fire extinguisher. This causes him a case of amnesia that robs him not only of his information on the case, but also his memory. Even at the end of the trial, when part of the information comes back to him, he is still in the dark for recent events. 

True to the series Pheonix Wright: Justice For All has plenty of oddball cases to sift through, and you will not be limited to a single gameplay type, but several. When you are in court, you must sift through your evidence to present your case, trying to clear your client’s name. Like the previous game while cross-examining a witness you can press them for more information, or you can also present evidence. An addition to the game now allows you to present character profiles as well, which increases the depth of the game. The goal of the game is to try and weed or the truth from people’s lies. This does not mean that everyone is intentionally lying on the stand, but rather they may simple remember the events that transpired incorrectly. 

While outside of the courtroom, there is plenty of sleuthing around for the detective like attorney. You will constantly be called to visit crime scenes to try and find additional information, or evidence that may have been overlooked. Each piece that you find, storyline or otherwise, comes together to clear your client’s name, if you put the pieces together properly. This is where the game can become a little too by the book, which can be unfortunate at times, considering sometimes it feels like the AI is a little inept. Each piece of evidence must be shown at the right time, or you may be on the way of losing your case.  

In the situation where you have presented the wrong piece of evidence, even though you may believe it to be the right action, will cause a portion of your life bar to be removed. This life bar is an improvement over the last game, which only used exclamation marks, since in the previous game you could only make a certain amount of mistakes. In this one, each mistake will affect your life bar depending on how incorrect the choice was. Beyond the first chapter, you will learn the ability to pick Psyche-Locks, which not only moves the case forward, but also refills a portion of your life bar. These psyche-locks break open witnesses so that they can be putty in your hand. 

Graphically the game is quite identical to the original. You have a somewhat animated background, though most of the action takes place on static screens. Going through the cases, you will find that you will see the same character actions over and over again. They do retain their hilarity, though I would have liked to see a little more. Each of the characters is presented as an illustration, which is styled by Japanese anime. The sound of the game takes a unique twist, since you can say catch phrases to activate events when holding down buttons to initiate pressing on witnesses, or presenting evidence. Blurting out “Hold it” has never been more fun, and while you could just use the stylus to activate it, you are missing out on some of the fun. I do recommend saying the phrases only in the comfort of your own home, unless you do not mind the attention of others as you yell things at your DS. 

In the end, the game is quite fun to play, and is on the same level as the original. The original and this game could be viewed as an interactive novel, and if you are into that idea, this game will be perfect for you. There are plenty of words to read, which can make sifting down the subtleties a little difficult unless you have a keen eye. The game is extremely linear, and so long as you do not mind keeping on the yellow brick road, you will enjoy all that Oz has to offer. Like the original, I recommend those that love murder mysteries, or amusing games. Also you do not need to have played the original to play this one as well, though some elements of the previous story will be revealed. Wrapping up, Captain Gordon gives this game a B. 

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? CaptainGordonEdward@Gmail.com