Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (DS) Review
Posted by Chris McCarver on 12.12.2007
Vitals
Genre
Adventure
System
DS
Release Date
10/23/2007
Eat your heart out, James Woods.
Platform: DS (exclusive)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
ESRB Rating: T (mild blood, mild violence)
Release Date (U.S.): Oct. 23, 2007
Review by CHRIS McCARVER
The Gyakuten Saiban series of videogame litigation drama (wow, never thought I'd put that phrase together in my lifetime) has been something of a cult-classic here in the U.S. under its more familiar American franchise moniker, Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney. A series that mixes anime-style hijinks with Law & Order-style courtroom drama with a dash of excellent DS control, the Phoenix Wright games stand as proof positive that Capcom understands the mechanics of a truly good game for Nintendo's high-grade handheld. So let us now roll the opening credits on the third (and reportedly final) chapter of the saga, Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. (Though to be honest, I think I may deduct a couple score points for the hopelessly cheesy subtitle.)
"Um, like, as God my, like, witness, I'll never go hungry or some junk? Fer shure?"
Graphics
This is one area you're either going to love or hate depending on how much a fan of this franchise and game style you are. Trials and Tribulations continues the art style of the previous titles, mainly a series of minimal-animation manga-style characters speaking through scrolling text bubbles. The series was never one for which the graphics were the main draw, and some may deride this entry in the series for not making any form of strides, but the retro anime art style works in my humble opinion (even though admittedly the character-pic-and-text-bubble approach is something I've rallied against in past reviews). You're basically playing an interactive courtroom anime, and what's wrong with that?
No bathroom breaks EVER.
Also of note is the on-screen menu system, which is nothing if not very pick-up-and-play. All of the touch-pad keys are well-illustrated and easy to understand, which is good considering you'll be making use of the interface a lot (see below).
Gameplay
This wrap-up to the Phoenix Wright series plays much like the previous titles, so the gameplay will seem very familiar to fans of the franchise. You play the part of crusading barrister Phoenix Wright, who must defend a number of wrongly accused defendants from being sent up the river. The core of the gameplay involves listening to the testimony of your clients and any witnesses and poking holes in their stories, which is done by calling them on their lies and presenting contradictory evidence.
The game prevents you from simply trial-and-erroring the process with a sort of “health meter” that gets chopped for every wrong supposition, but you can regain part of your “health” by breaking “Psyche Locks” (bits of the witness' mind that you have to unlock to uncover the truth), a game mechanic introduced in the previous title, Justice for All. The interface is a very easy-to-learn point-and-click design that aids in engrossing players in the story.
"I said no anchovies and I #&$@ing meant it!"
What makes Trials and Tribulations different from the previous titles is that you get to play as other attorney characters familiar to the series, including frequent rival litigator Miles Edgeworth and (in a flashback case involving Phoenix's college days) Phoenix's mentor Mia Fey, who died in the first game and has been something of a spectral presence ever since. This continues what at its core has made Phoenix Wright such an enduring game series, namely its sense of continuity and sweeping self-referential level of storytelling. Previous happenings in the other games are referred to, but newcomers for whom this is their first Phoenix Wright game won't feel left out by the nods of nostalgia.
Sound
The music score, though hampered by the processing limitations of the DS, evokes a tense atmosphere worthy of some of the best legal dramas on film and television. Unfortunately, while I haven't much bad to say about the voice acting in and of itself, the developers have yet to give us a Phoenix Wright game that you don't hear “HOLD IT!” or, worse, “OBJECTION!!” ad nauseam. I know it's a trademark and that the DS can't handle that much VA, but it gets old really fast.
Lasting Appeal
Trials and Tribulations is packed with five cases to play through, each meatier in terms of gameplay and content than a trip through a Golden Corral buffet line on “nothing-but piles-of-beef” night. Not every aspect and nuance of a case has to be uncovered in order to progress, so playing through the game a second time is worth it to kind stuff you may have missed during the first go-around.
The whole game will take less than a day to complete though, so if you are sufficiently sharp-eyed to pick out every last detail of the game, get ready to stick this one back on the shelf fairly quickly. This five-case framework sunk another crime-mystery game I recently reviewed, CSI: Hard Evidence, although to a much lower degree.
That's the face of a man ready for his executive sponge-bath. Shudder when ready, dear readers.
Fun Factor
Calling an interactive litigation drama fun may seem like a stretch, but yes, this game is a bit of a hoot. Gone is any serious semblance of true courtroom decorum; in its place, a distinctly Japanese symphony of garish characters and puzzling puzzles. Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations calls for players not to keep their thinking cap half on and half off, in order to both enjoy the silliness and really pour their brains into solving each mystery. While the game's a bit on the short side, it's definitely going to be 12-18 hours well spent.
The 411
I absolutely loved this game. It's deep without being impenetrable, silly without being stupid, and the gameplay mechanics are simple without being condescending. This being my first go-around with the Phoenix Wright franchise, Trials and Tribulations makes me want to track down the previous installments and play a bit of catch-up. An exceptional DS title and a must-own.
Graphics
7.5
Nicely designed anime-style character design, control interface easy to comprehend, may seem dated to more seasoned gamers
Gameplay
9.0
Easy point-and-click interface, engaging and fun mysteries to solve
Sound
6.5
Music score adds the correct ambience, voice clips are very repetitive
Lasting Appeal
7.0
Cases can be played through again to uncover things missed in initial playthroughs, still only five cases and the whole game can be completed in a day
Fun Factor
8.5
Nice balance of whimsy and challenge, worth the time of casual and hardcore gamers alike
