Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All

Posted Jan 19, 2007 by TBO.com

Updated Mar 28, 2007 at 02:32 PM

System: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Capcom

Reviewer’s rating: B

ESRB rating: Teen

Game type: Adventure

Kind of like: “Trace Memory”

Best feature: You get to yell, “Objection!”

Worst feature: Pretty much the same as the last one.

The bottom line: “Phoenix Wright” reminds us that video games are really just another medium for telling stories. That you can participate and influence how the narrative plays out is what makes it so compelling.

In these stories, you take on the role of defense attorney Phoenix Wright. In four separate murder cases, your job is to prove your client is not guilty. Trial proceedings are mostly text-driven, as the details of the case unfold with witnesses’ testimony.

It’s surprisingly engaging. Sure, it’s text-heavy, but this is a long way from “Zork.” (“You are standing in an open field west of a white house …”)

When a witness says something that doesn’t jibe with the evidence in the court record, that’s when the action begins.

On cross-examination, you can press witnesses on key points or expose their lies by saying (we prefer to shout menacingly) “Objection!” into the DS’s microphone when you detect an inconsistency.

Most of the fun comes from trying to figure out the truth, and then trying to find a way to prove it. Often, a key piece of evidence seems at first to be only tenuously connected to the case. Your assistant and client might give you hints, but it’s up to you to figure out how everything fits together.

Build your defense wisely—the judge can be harsh, and you might find yourself starting over at the beginning.