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Outsiders to the Ace Attorney series may not be familiar with the name Apollo Justice, but fans know the character is a big deal. He’s second only to Phoenix Wright in playable appearances, and his new collection, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, brings all of those outings together in one convenient package. While there isn’t much new content, quality of life improvements and a visual overhaul do a lot to modernize the saga of Apollo’s court, making it a worthwhile journey for fans new and old.
The collection includes three games: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice. Although Apollo’s name only appears in one of these three titles, he is a crucial character in all three games, so the name is fitting. The pack also includes DLC trials and outfits from the 3DS games, so if you want to wear the classic Phoenix outfit in Dual Destinies or dress Athena as a maid in Spirit of Justice, you can. The DLC trials vary in quality (the second is great, the first isn’t), but they’re meaty pieces of content that I’m glad made it into the final collection.
Apollo Justice prepares for his first trial in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Besides the obvious convenience of being available on modern platforms, there are two main reasons to play Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy instead of the original games. The first is the improved graphics; the trilogy looks excellent. I’ll miss the pixel art of the DS days, but I quickly got used to the updated art style in Apollo Justice’s first outing. The animations translate exceptionally well – the series hasn’t lost an ounce of charm. The real improvement, however, comes in the last two games in the Trilogy, which were originally released on the 3DS. While the first game is a good translation of the old art style into a new form, the games look much better in 3D, and I often had to remind myself that they weren’t released on the Switch from the first moment It’s also great to watch their animated scenes on a full-size TV.
The other reason to play the Trilogy with older versions is its wonderful set of quality of life improvements. I especially love the AutoForward, which moves the dialog forward without forcing me to mash buttons, and the History button, which lets you scroll back through dialogs you may have accidentally skipped. This game also features a story setting, which automatically advances the game through quests and investigations if you don’t feel like solving any puzzles. While most of them are bringing back features from other modern Ace Attorney collections, the quality of life improvements are back for a reason: they make these games much easier to play, and I’m very grateful to have them here.
Athena Cykes in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy also features a Museum section that allows players to look at concept art, listen to music, re-watch cutscenes, and watch character animations from each game in the Trilogy. It’s a nice touch, and I had fun checking out some of the art and animations, but it’s more of a novelty than anything else.
Outside of the quality of life improvements, the games haven’t changed and are still worthwhile. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is a relatively faithful continuation of the original trilogy starring Apollo Justice, a bold new protagonist. Featuring 2D art and game direction from series creator Shu Takumi, it’s essentially an epilogue to the original Phoenix Wright games, giving players a glimpse into their world seven years after Ace Attorney 3. Today, his judgments stand as an exciting exploration of failures. of the judicial system and why it is important to let a new generation take the reins.
Where Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney honors the older games, Dual Destinies looks to forge a different path with a new game director, three protagonists, and a new 3D art style. It’s the weakest game in the series, especially at the beginning, but the last few tests tie everything together in a really satisfying conclusion. His ambitions don’t always pay off, but now that a decade has passed, I can appreciate those ambitions more, especially how they paved the way for the next game.
Phoenix Wright in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice
Spirit of Justice is the last game in the Trilogy and my favorite. It takes place primarily in the fictional country of Kura’in, where defense lawyers are condemned to the same fate as those they defend. To further complicate matters, the royal family may conduct sessions to reproduce the memories of the dead as evidence. The new location and increased stakes do a lot to make this entry feel different from the others. In fact, Spirit of Justice is the first game in the trilogy that doesn’t feel like it’s struggling to match the tone of the older games, setting itself apart entirely by putting its trials in a new context. It’s not just the best of this collection; it’s one of my favorites of the whole series.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy succeeds in everything it sets out to do, bringing three great games to modern consoles in their most accessible forms yet. I was fully immersed in its classic courtroom battles for the 80 or so hours it took me to get through all three titles. While not every trial is a winner, most are, and with a new set of quality-of-life improvements, it’s never been easier or more enjoyable to experience the journey of Apollo Justice.
Source: gameinformer.com