It's been a while since we've had a thread designated to an all-new Ace Attorney title.  In keeping the tradition alive (Phoenix Wright, Justice For All, Trials & Tribulations, Apollo Justice, and Investigations), I thought it appropriate to create one for the upcoming Dual Destinies.

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Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies sees the return of courtroom hero Phoenix Wright. The much loved gameplay and features from previous titles in the Ace Attorney series are back -- but for the first time in stunning 3D graphics, bringing the courtroom and characters to life and putting players directly in the heart of the action.

* More courtroom drama as Apollo Justice and new Associate Attorney and psychoanalysis expert Athena Cykes join Phoenix at the Wright Anything Agency
* Psychoanalyze witnesses to reveal the truth with the brand new Mood Matrix feature
* "Hold it!" Present your evidence, challenge the witnesses and experience life as a real Attorney
* Stunning dynamic 3D graphics: Bring the characters and courtroom to life and investigate crime scenes from various angles to uncover hidden clues
* Brand new interface and game progression system for fans and newcomers alike

Release Date: NA & EU: October 24, 2013 (via Nintendo eShop)
Price: $29.99 / €24.99
Download Size: 4648 Blocks (580MB)
Official Site: http://www.ace-attorney.com/
DLC: Anyone purchasing Dual Destinies from October 24 to November 7 will be able to get a free costume pack featuring a brand new outfit for each of the three main characters – Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes. Following this promotional period the costume pack will be available to purchase for $0.99 / €0.99.  On November 21, the previously announced extra episode "Turnabout Reclaimed" which introduces Orla the whale and her pirate trainer Sasha Buckler will go on sale for $5.99 / €4.99.

Promotional Videos:
E3 2013 Trailer
Nintendo Direct Japanese Trailer

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A pity the game is going digital-only, but given Capcom's dismissive treatment of Gyakuten Kenji 2, I'm relieved we're getting this one at all.

And wow, has it really been six years since we last left Apollo's arc? There were a number of lingering plot threads yet to be explored in that particular story, so it'll be interesting to see if they choose to expand upon it here.

At any rate, I sure hope to see some of STC's fan series regulars weigh in on the game in the coming weeks; these engaging Ace Attorney threads have made for some of my personal favorite reads. (And re-reads!)

Okay, I WOULD be buying it, but Capcom also said that DuckTales was digital only and then a month later announced retail disc copies. I'm gonna wait a bit to see if they're going to fake us out again.  GRRR.  Still, looking forward to this one a lot eventually!

Wait, DuckTales is on disc? I thought the only thing in those cases was a pin and a voucher...

That was the initial thing.  Now they're releasing a disc version for all consoles.http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/18/ducktales-remastered-getting-retail-disc-version/

Wow... personally I think that's pretty cool. I think I'm going to pick that up...

I thought we'd see a 3DS port or something instead before that however.

Hugely looking forward to this. Not quite sure when I'll get to it but it's very high on my must-play list. I have been very impressed with the videos and how the 3D seems to have retained the charm of the 2D drawings (often I find charm gets lost in translation). And of course it's great to have Phoenix back. Kind of wishing I had replayed the first four recently, mainly because I have totally forgotten where they ended up, but if I got into that I would never make it to this.

Agreed.  Judging by the videos and the playable demo, I'd think it hard for anyone to argue against the new cel-shaded models.  Loving how AA-esque everything looks: the bright contrast, the extremely vibrant color palette, and especially the character animations.  Liquid-fluid they are; seeing Phoenix's remade court mannerisms, such as his shocked expression, or breaking out in a sweat, or the ever-satisfying desk slam is grin-inducing.   Athena's spirited animation set is even more fun to look at!

From what I can tell of the demo, the 3D effect also looks to have been implemented tastefully.  Superb depth of field on the characters, and thankfully, the framerate doesn't take a single hit when turned on.  (We'll see how things look during what I'm guessing will be the more graphic-intensive investigation phases.)

My first contact with this series was actually the Layton vs Ace Attorney game, which I played earlier this year.
I liked it so much that I went back to experience the entire AA series, and I'm currently about to wrap up the second case (which is loooooooooong) in the third game.

Really loving it, so I'll definitely be picking up this game as well once I'm up to speed.

I envy everyone who gets to enjoy Trials & Tribulations for the first time.  Enjoy all the awesomeness that's about to unfold, man.

From what I've noticed, fans seem to be divided on which game is the best in the series.
A lot of people say 1, but I've heard a lot of people say 3 as well.

So far, it's going to be hard to top the first game, as far as I'm concerned.
I really enjoyed the Edgeworth story arch in the first game and the final case (the one that was added for the DS version) was all kinds of awesome, and from what I've seen of 3 so far, it's not quite up to snuff (yet). Godot seems like an interesting antagonist though.

By the way, did I ever post this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFldBVWFgWo

I love this video so much.

Most people love T&T based on the last case (and somewhat the one that leads into it).

I'm listening to the rather pleasant OST for GS5 as I write this, but I have no plans to buy the game anytime soon. If it was a retail release, I'd pick it up at launch to support the risk Capcom was taking, but for a download that is locked to a specific 3DS, I won't buy it unless I'm ready to play it immediately or it gets cheap. Unfortunately, I'm still way behind on this series. I have all five U.S.-released games sitting on my shelf, by I'm still in AA2, so I have a long ways to go before I'll be ready to play this one.

So, here we go.
As I 'm writing this, there's roughly 10 hours to go before it drops onto the eShop, and unfortunately it'll have to wait for me until the evening because 12PM is around when I'm leaving for work and I won't be able to play it until afterward. But still, this series means a lot to me, and I owe them the benefit of the doubt, even as I have some misgivings about some of the choices Eshiro and new his scenario man have made (more on that much later, and in the short term at least, under spoiler cover). It'll also be interesting to see if anything comes of Capcom's sorta-kinda hint that we may yet see AAI2 if this sells. Mostly though, I can't deny that most of my favorite games of the last few years have been in the graphic adventure/mystery/puzzle style of game, and AA was largely responsible for getting me onto that path.
Anyway, the game. Or at this point, the demo.
Graphically, it's very handsome to look at, and little touches like Ted's disarming technique and Juniper's tiny coughs give me hope for the colorful personality the series is built on. Musically thus far, though, it's a bit of a wash. Even playing through the demo twice, only the objection theme and danger theme stand out in my mind, and that's only because both of those are carryovers from previous entries (I kind of wish they had made a new objection theme altogether; I've never really liked the one from T&T, which this one is based on). I have to hope that Iwadare has produced snappier tunes for the rest.
At this early point, I'm a bit torn about Phoenix. It was interesting to see the confidence he had in T&T's finale evolve into a confident cool in AJ, and here he seems to have lapsed a little too quickly back into his sweaty uncertain self. The DLC case allegedly will detail his first case upon returning to the bar, so maybe we'll see some what brought him back to this point. The single lock of hair now pointing forward is a nice touch.
I don't yet have any real affinity for the new girl, however. She comes across in the demo as being even more immature than Kay before her, and I wasn't exactly over the moon about her, either.
On the other hand, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of Apollo. Allegedly, he leapt to the top of the AA popularity polls in Japan as a result of this game, and I'm eager to see him finally get the development that was denied by a certain someone in the should-have-been climax of his eponymous game.
And thankfully, I won't have to wait much longer.

Ditto. My shift begins at 12 sharp here EST when the game becomes available.  Luckily, Friday's my day off, so I'm sure I'll be playing tonight well into tomorrow. In any case, LONGEST WORK DAY EVER confirmed.

I've got the Original Soundtrack sitting on my shelf, and it's taken every fiber of my being to avoid popping it in; I fully plan on listening to it on a track-by-track basis as I'm playing the game. I suspect I'll have a write-up on the courtroom suite of tunes once Case One is complete, but so far, I will say that the new Pursuit ~ Cornered is INCREDIBLE.

Not to worry. It's my understanding that the demo scenario plays off quite differently from the full retail release. They've deliberately gimped Nick's confidence and given him entirely new dialogue exclusive to the demo to ease both newcomers and vets alike back into the series.

That's because he was REVENGEANCE-FIED. ;) Well, we know how he got those bandages, though it'll be intriguing to see if there's any significance to that ballin' Captain Harlock-esque coat he's now sporting.

And.... welcome back, Sonic! Glad you could make it to the party. :)

I'm sure you have all heard this but just in case anyone hasn't, here is Smooth McGroove's Cornered acapella. It's awesome - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALhAXtFR1LM

Edit: I'm in the midst of Zelda Oracle of Seasons and I have a backlog of games I have missed so I should really hold off getting this. But I might not be able to resist...

I'd say hopefully it'll be on sale at some point....but yeah that's not too likely.

What really sucks is by putting it digitally this way, no one can win. Either it sells well which means "see? People will buy digital!" or it won't which means "See? No one actually wanted this!"

And Part 1 is done, largely without much trouble. Two mistakes total isn't a bad beginning. The case itself was pretty nice, but I'm curious about something near the end (spoiler-vision, ho!): Couldn't the villain just have claimed to have beaned the victim with the fake? It seemed a bit too far of a leap to say with certainty that the one in the photo was absolutely real while the one in the room was absolutely fake. Or maybe there's a mentioned detail that I missed. It was quite late in the morning when I finished.

As Angela mentioned, Phoenix's introduction was much better-handled in the game proper than in the demo. I noticed he seems to have picked up Edgeworth's distinctive finger-wave, too. I'm hoping they take time later in the game to explain why Athena is there (the conclusion of the first case seems to hint that it will be soon), because at this point, despite the numerous times it's mentioned what an asset she is, she still seems unremarkable to me. No points for guessing a key part of the plot will be the story behind her blotted trauma, but I hope it's more than just a familial-tragedy card, the franchise has been to that well too many times.

As far as the animated intro to Part 2 is concerned, what the heck am I looking at, and did they just spoil who the killer is in the opening moments for the second time in a row?

RULES OF TRIAL LAWWWW
Nah, probably not like that.

Honestly, I wasn't going to be much company if I had hung around before, but I think I'm back on track now. Glad to see you guys, too.

There is a spoiler tag.

CASE ONE complete!  First, a few words about the game's 3DS-specific upgrades. 

The new 3D cel-shaded modeling work really is stellar. Color and contrast simply pop off the screen; the blues on Phoenix's suit, the yellows on Athena's jacket, the reds on Apollo's vest.... As Jay says, the charm of the 2D art is retained completely, shining particularly strong through the animation. Athena really is a fun character to watch. Her shocked gaping expression, the profusive sweat wipe, activating the Mood Matrix, subconsciously tinkering with her earring, stroking her ponytail, not one but TWO variations of the desk slam..... I know she's one of the main characters, but I'm hoping the rest of the supporting cast boasts such varied sets of animation.

About the only strike I would level against the graphics are the "snap back" animations.  There are instances where animation frames aren't utilized to transition back into a character's stationary stance -- instead, it merely "resets" to the intended pose. This was fine in the older titles, but given how glitzy the new engine looks, it does stand out a bit.

Two slots for saves now, nice. And getting to play individual sections of a specific case (much like how they offer in the HD Trilogy on iOS) should be handy for replays. Also, I love how when the camera pulls back to show the jurors murmuring after some revelation was dropped, the defense and prosecution are standing in the same poses as when they showed them from the bench. Cool touch.

In the demo, they gave the player the option to speed-skip through the text right off the bat. I'm happy that in the retail version, they've made it like the old games where the dialogue will only skip to the next text box after the initial one finishes; most of us want the default text speed to accommodate the game's intended pacing and character reaction cues. (And twice I found myself accidentally pressing the "A" button too quickly in the demo just to have a piece of dialogue pop up straight away and disappear without my intent.) Even so, Capcom did see it fit to give players the option to speed-skip even before completing the game -- the button is specifically designated to the "B" button now. Catering to all folks.

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Right, let's get to some story spoilers:

Athena starting off the game was a nice turn, considering how so front and center they've been marketing Phoenix's return. Which only made it that much more glorious when the "Turnabout Terror" makes his entrance. (I am a bit disappointed they didn't keep that moniker from the demo -- though they make plenty of amusing references to Phoenix's bluffing and nitpicking tactics.  Much to his chagrin.) 

Heh, loved the JFA reference of Phoenix being assaulted in a court of law, and losing his memory.

I find it hilarious (and awesome) how they've been able to keep up the running gag of using "Payne" as the opening prosecutor for every game. Gaspen sounds younger and more aggressive than I would have imagined a sibling of the "Rookie Killer" to be -- not to mention FAAAAR more arrogant. (Widget: "JERK!")  Also, the name pun continuity is brilliant.

I suppose either the new spoiler tag or the color=white can be used. Though I have found that using color=white does still show the text ever so slightly against the beige color of the new quote boxes. Not enough for me, personally, to make out in any distinguishable way -- but I'll use the spoiler tags to be absolutely safe.

I guess it all hinges on the idea that.... the bomb in the Phony Phanty photo was established as being the real deal from the start. I'm a little hazy as to the circumstance in which the photo was submitted to the Court Record - and when the photo itself was taken.  Obviously, it had to be taken before it was detonated, but after he used it against Arme -- hence the cracked screen.

I'm almost certain that's the sort of angle they're going for, but who knows. My personal speculation? Maybe..... Blackquill will end up being a potential perpetrator. His persona being that of a ronin, the sword on the ground seemed to be a dead giveaway. In any case, that was one disturbing flashback. The creepy music box melody, the blood, the ink splotches etched on the faces of the court.... Chills.

Those were my exact same reactions, especially that second point. Case One fell a bit short for me just because they.... revealed who the killer was right from the start. What made Case Ones like AA3's, AA4's, and GK2's so good was that they withheld that revelation until you're well into the plot. Here's hoping there's going to be some amazing twist we won't see coming for this Case 2.

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Musically, I think the entirety of the courtroom suite is solid, though weaker by comparison to some of my personal favorite selections from series past.  Certainly a more orchestral quality to the proceedings, with strong brass and strings work in particular. It's nice to see Iwadare finally upping the sound quality; if some of these instruments aren't live, they're very convincing samples. While Cross Examination 2013 doesn't reach the melodic highs of AA3's, the Allegro version quickly grew on me with that driving AA1 Allegro-style backing and groovy slap bass plunks. Tell the Truth 2013 is as dramatically weighty as Kenji 2's, but the elegance of the strings makes it far more menacing. Where AA5 really stands out is the aforementioned Pursuit ~ Cornered, which stands toe to toe with AA1, AA3 and Kenji 2 as one of my all-time favorite Pursuits. And here's something that's cool: there's an actual Variation with enough variations to actually consider it a variation! (That is, more than just a new intro -- some killer new orchestral hits and more accentuation on the bell gongs.) And hey, after six consecutive DS games in the span of eight years (if we're counting the Investigation titles), we're finally getting a newly arranged version of Suspense!

And here's something else that's neat. The OST release appears to have actual outros to the tracks, instead of simply looping and fading -- an Iwadare trademark, but an Ace Attorney first. Nice.

Oh hey, look at that. That'll make things simpler, thanks.

Just passed the first day of trial in Case 2. Misgivings over the opening cutscene aside, this case is awesome. Hell YES community activism through pro wrestling; this is the kind of goofy nonsense the series thrives on. And that's before Apollo's repeatedly branded as a demon (the Firebrand reference was a nice touch), Athena flips a policeman like a tea table, a prosecutor from jail appears with an attack hawk that uses Udgey's head as a perch, and a grown man starts acting like a crow in the courtroom. This is what I came for.

The characters are very strong this time around, with one exception, but I'll start with the good. Jinxie is adorable, the mayor feels like a self-deprecating take on Lana Skye, Filch's animations are incredible, and even Athena has improved, seeming much more comfortable with Apollo than Phoenix. She's not 100% there yet, but I'm more confident in her character now than when she was introduced with a stereotypical enthusiastic-girl-who's-also-a-klutz skit in the intro. Maggey staked out that territory a long time ago, and carried it off better. An important distinction between her and (hissss) Kay is that she's not yet a legend in her own mind. Kay was a self-aggrandizing punk who acted like BGOC because of something that wasn't even hers. Athena, in contrast, has her tech and passions held in check by her apparent self-loathing, and it makes her (in my estimation anyway) more sympathetic than Eshiro's last attempt at a leading lady.

Whew, tangent. Anyway, that brings us to the two biggest additions in Case 2: Bobby Fulbright and Simon Blackquill. Simon I have no issue with; he's the first legitimately-intimidating rival in the series since Manfred, his foibles are nowhere nearly as grating as Godot's coffee shtick, and his theme - along with the theme of The Amazing NineTails - are the first new pieces of music I'd call great without qualification. Fulbright, on the other hand...God, what a pill. I'm no fan of the Hot-Blooded archetype, and he wore out his welcome in about two minutes. You sir, are no Gumshoe, no Skye, no Badd, and I would think long and hard about whether to put you above Meekins. As of right now, the worst thing about the game.

Gameplay-wise it seems a little odd to have investigations so limited and directed. It's kind of cruel to be in the Wright office and not be able to check up on Charley. And having the first Perceive point you right toward the tell without letting you try first is also frustrating. But off of the strength of personalities on display, I'm having a pretty good time anyway.

I'd say it's extremely likely. Capcom is very aggressive at managing its digital game portfolio and routinely puts its digital games on sale. Right now, many of the Resident Evil games are dirt cheap for Halloween. AA5 is brand new, so I'm not expecting a sale this year, but next year? Definitely.

Case 2, c'est fini. The back half wasn't quite as entertaining as the first, but it did a good job at the series' trademark plot twist, jerk 'n pulls. To answer my earlier question, i.e, did they reveal the killer in the opening cutscene, the answer is yes, sadly. That said, seeing the rest of the case's riddles unfurl was pretty entertaining. Still, once again, I'm not sure on one particular point...the final summary is a bit hazy on when exactly the key was swallowed. I suppose he might have been drugged while the key was available, put into the Chamber, brought back out again after the 'confession', and then woke up to swallow the key and get clocked with the statue. But for the end-case summary to gloss over these events seems a little sloppy. Also, was there anything probative in Jinxie's sleepwalking murmurs, or was that just a red herring? Maybe we'll see her again?

Anyway, fun case overall. I'm hoping the pattern of AA games with Iwadare peaking for me with the second case (The Stolen Turnabout in T&T, and Turnabout Airlines in AAI) doesn't hold with this one as well. At least the opening cutscene to the third case seems a little more ambiguous about its culprit...I think? Maybe? We'll see.

EDIT: Added a question that occured to me and modified some word choices. Also took out a section comparing the game to another, because I want to chew on it a bit longer first.

Just wrapped up CASE TWO's Day 1 Trial. I agree with most everything you said, Sonic, and I'll take a few of 'em in turn.  But first, a few miscellaneous thoughts of my own.

Above where I mentioned that I was hoping the rest of the supporting cast boasts as many varied sets of animation as Athena? Yep, Capcom's delivering the goods all right. More and more am I applauding their decision to go with this 3D cel-shaded engine; it opens up SO many possibilities in bringing these characters to life. In addition to having so many more frames of animation to work with than the sprite-based games ever did, they also change up the camera perspective on characters to free them out of their usual static visual novel positions. It's a neat trick that constantly make them look new and fresh.

And it's the little details that are amazing.  For example, how Widget changes the look of its mood expressions alongside Athena. Or the way Taka gets wide-eyed whenever Blackquill slams the desk whilst he's perched on his shoulder. Or that Blackquill's.... shackles stay removed throughout the trial after he breaks out of them.

The graphics as a whole continue to impress. The.... Nine-Tails Vale environments look drop-dead gorgeous, and viewing them with the 3D turned on is even more awe-inspiring. I'm hardly an advocate for 3D, but its effects on backgrounds, character modeling, and even the interface itself are so tremendous, that I can't help but sing it high praise. This might well be the first 3DS game I'll ever play where I'll have the slider up on max the entire time.

Having said that, no longer being able to actually INVESTIGATE these finely detailed places is a major turn-off. I get that they may have been trying to streamline the experience, but as a pixel-hunter, I find this to be a huge strike against the game; it takes away quite a bit from the immersion factor. I see about a dozen things at.... Yokai Lane I would have loved to examine.

While the localization and dialogue are excellent, it's clear that the script was in serious need of another proofread. I've spotted several errors from this half-a-case alone, and while it's certainly not game-breaking (most of the errors are comprised of missing articles and conjunctions), it is irksome.

My favorite of Athena's European spoken exclamations? ..... Supplanting the series trademark "Noooooooo!" for "Nooooooon!" :P

Maybe it was too much to hope for the reappearance of..... Mr. Hat. Trucy's "3...2...1... magic panties disappearing animation" just isn't as endearing.

I laughed out loud when..... one of the jurors in court remarked how Apollo's forehead looked so much sexier after he made that case-breaking turnabout.

Case Two is front loaded with terrific new music themes.  Athena, Fulbright, Nine-Tails, L'Belle, and Blackquill are all top-shelf Iwadare.  The ultra-peppy Athena Cykes ~ Let's Do This! contrasts heavily with that eerie flashback rendition from earlier, doesn't it? And man, few can do tango pieces like Iwadare. .....Florent L'Belle ~ Je suis L'Belle ranks right up there with Luke Atmey and GK2's Ichiryuu's Farewell. 

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Blackquill is indeed a formidable prosecutor. He knows the rules of engagement, and matches up pound for pound with the defense -- and just by dint of what he is makes him ridiculously cool doing it. I can't shake the feeling that he's deeply connected with..... Athena, given that prior flashback, and how she reacted when Fulbright told her who the prosecutor in charge of this case would be. That brief instant made it seem like she has some history with him at least. Plus, they both specialize in psychological warfare, so I have a feeling they're going to be facing off sooner or later.  As for.... Fulbright, I'm not minding him as much as others appear to be. He's got enthusiasm at least, something that AJ-era Ema (and to a lesser extent, Badd) lacked. And I do like that he's not so over-the-moon for the prosecution a la Gumshoe.  I get the sense that he may have some story defining role yet to come, and whatever personality defects he has that folks are objecting to now could be forgiven when all is said and done. We'll see.

Before I even highlighted this, I knew exactly what you were talking about. I thought the same when I was there. :)

That piece is nice, too. The choral hits remind me of Metroid for some reason. But he makes it a little hard to enjoy his theme with those damned cellphone epaulets.

Escaped the first day of trial in Case 3. This is, of course, Athena's day in the sun, and the case itself is very well-regarded amongst those who've played the Japanese release, but it's also, you know, Case 3. Athena getting her spotlight at this time is, historically speaking, a bit like vacationing the coast just as a hurricane hits. It's where the most irritating characters, the most tedious semantics, and the blandest motives usually roost. Having gone a healthy chunk of the way into Case 3, has the hex doomed her maiden voyage before leaving the hangar? Well...

I'll have to see where it ends to be positive, but at this point, I'd say...probably not. Make no mistake, there are some very annoying characters at this point, but it's mitigated by both the appearance of an old fave - Klavier! - and the redemption of some of the offending parties at trial. There's also at least one joke reference to a certain character that I'm certain Angela is sure to appreciate. Sss, sss, sss. The person in question is also the most amusing character in this chapter so far.

The premise is also pretty ingenuous, too, and the 'double mockery' re-enactment gave me - probably STC's most vocal AJAA proponent - cause for joy, even as it was super-short and Klavier's new VA didn't even try for his musical Objection inflection. Also, no Ema, and that makes me sad. Stormy or sunny, she's still my favorite AA lady. On another note, it wasn't until Athena's dialogue crack about Apollo's scissor-like hair betraying his preference in Rock-Paper-Scissors games that I understood the extra punny layer to his former adversary being a rock star. Man, I feel dumb sometimes.

Incidentally, that costume. That's Lamiroir's, isn't it?

EDIT: On a non-spoilery note, the game seems to be doing well for itself on the eShop, currently sitting at #1 despite the recent release of a new Pokemon game. If this means AAI2 gets to come over, I'll be happy.

CASE TWO complete!

You know, it wasn't until the second time that Blackquill broke free of his shackles did I realize they actually used a different, less dense sounding clinking noise whenever he moved. (Specifically when he taps his head twice in succession.) I didn't catch that the first time since I was without my headphones.  Cool attention to detail.

Also, Blackquill comes up with some pretty catchy nicknames. Your Baldness, Fool Bright, Little Scamp, Tricksy Tanuki.... my favorite by far is Deviant Dandy. I also liked how they acknowledged what suddenly began to feel like phrases becoming a little too well-worn for their own good -- such as Blackquill's use of the word "jabbering," and Apollo throwing it right back in his face by saying, "No, it's time you stopped YOUR jabbering." Or Apollo's trademark "I'm fine!" turning into "I'm.... not fine, am I?" toward the final, harrowing stretch of the trial.

I liked that they skirted around the issue of.... Damian's possessed state being genuine or not. He played his schizophrenic condition so well, I was beginning to wonder if he really was taken over by a demonic entity! And vaguely concluding that Tenma Taro finally left him thanks to Jinxie's ward charm was ambiguously perfect.

You mean her.... 'Taro' speak? While it flies in the face of Athena's more reasonable explanation of fear and insomnia, I sort of like the idea that, much like her father, she was indeed being possessed by an evil entity. (Yeah, I'm definitely TEAM MYTHOLOGICAL. Hey, why not? We're actually talking about a series that's dealt with spirits and spirit mediums before in no uncertain terms.)

Anyway, very good case. Some excellent twists 'n turnabouts toward the home stretch, and despite my earlier grumblings about not being able to investigate (most) environments anymore, the overall experience still felt substantial and satisfying. Bring on Case 3!

CASE THREE, DAY 1 TRIAL done.

Before we get to the nitty-gritties of this particular case, I gotta ask: have you, in some form or another, experienced Gyakuten Kenji 2 yet? I'd say those cons inherent to most Case Threes ring true, but GK2's blows a hole clean through your argument. The scope, intrigue, and integral place in AA canon (at least where Edgeworth is concerned) is on a whole other level of amazing. All I kept thinking was, "How can a Case Three possibly feel as epic as a Case Five??"

So, Case Three AA5:

And here's Blackquill again with more great nicknames. Golden Boy, and -- I think we have a new fave contender alongside Deviant Dandy -- Carton Cretin. I love that the dude puts down EVERYONE with these nicks, yet they do all live up to their namesakes.

Speaking of Myriam, I couldn't have been the only one that was holding out for an eventual reveal of what she looked like underneath that box. They didn't disappoint, even if it was just the briefest of glimpses.

Also, that gender-swap bomb of Robin's. For a while there, I was thinking that maybe the new "M" rating for the game was contributed to a potential transgender theme that was about to arise. (But then again, we already got Jean Armstrong in AA3.) It's actually hilarious how so femininely over-the-top they made her after the reveal. (Seriously, I could watch that faint of hers all day.) And thank god she got rid of those annoying braces.

It's not often we get three different witnesses for a cross-examination in a single trial day, is it?

So, any takers for fingering..... Means as the culprit? I mean, DAT SMILE.....<shiver>

And oh man, Athena's Objection! theme. It's so awash in late 90s/early 2000s Capcom-esque overtones (but so very distinctly high-energy Iwadare), that I'm grinning from ear to ear. Athena is certainly dominating the soundscape for this score; I'm counting this as her FIFTH theme variation so far.

Sad though it is to admit, I'm drawing a total blank. Clue me in, and I'm almost sure to be kicking myself afterwards.

Indeed it is. Which is why it's surprising that none of those involved in AA4 are making any sort of references to it. Incidentally, did you catch.... Apollo's ringtone in Case Two?

Nope, I haven't. Despite my occasional gripes about Capcom's decisions, I still stubbornly cling to the hope that they'll formally translate AAI2 and reward my patronage and patience. I'm really hoping they do because I know that game has all the characters I'm sorely missing from this one.

I'm up to the second day of trial in Case 4 now, and I'll sit on my hands for discussing it at the moment (but MANNNN, big things are afoot), and focus on the remainder of 3.

Another really nice tune came up - the one that first crops up when Juniper confesses to being a snitch. I'd put it alongside the Detention Center theme for T&T as Iwadare's best sad-theme contributions.

The second day of trial was pretty exhausting, and I made my usual series mistake of insisting on debating a witnesses every contention when I'm supposed to surrender to move the story forward. Almost got a game over because of that. Grr...

But there was some seriously funny business in this part. The unintentionally-funny kind (Hugh's Tarzan-like cry of anguish), the holy-crap-WHAT kind (Simon walking away from the trial when he got fed up with the bullshit), and the delayed payoff kind (Means going old-school with a chalkboard, which contributed to the funniest breakdown ever). Even Udgey just kind of threw up his hands after a while. But easily the strongest Case 3 I've seen, and a definite boon to Athena's character overall.

The intro to Case 4 plays its cards closest to the vest of any of them so far, but again, I'll save my comments until later. Well, except for one, relevant to the investigation period after the first day in court. I've got Ponco-itis, hard.

Speaking of Myriam, I couldn't have been the only one that was holding out for an eventual reveal of what she looked like underneath that box. They didn't disappoint, even if it was just the briefest of glimpses.

Easily my favorite character in the case. Absolutely tragic about those four years' worth of deleted photos, though.

Heh. A gold star for you. Honestly though, with all three of them confessing, it became pretty clear that none of them actually knew who did it. So that just left Zeus and Boxy at the time.

Upon realizing something is moving under a cardboard box, Apollo screams, 'Don't let it be a SNAAAAAKE!'

I guessed that it was something I was supposed to catch, but I couldn't place it at the time. I'm guessing now it was Lamiroir's ballad.

CASE THREE complete!

I tore up a bit during the..... Proof of Friendship cutscene variation. This case genuinely surprised me with its strong emotional current, not just from the resolution of..... the trio of friends, but also the evolution of Athena's character development. Those words of encouragement offered to her by everyone toward the end, even from Blackquill, was a nice highlight. Extra catharsis points for the trio bringing Myriam into the fold, as well as their vow to overcome and defy this looming "dark age of the law."

But yeah, Hugh's cry was pretty cringe-worthy. The voice acting for the cutscenes as a whole tends to straddle a fine line between endearing in a terrible anime-dubbed cheesiness sort of way, and just plain terrible.

Simon departing from the trial was indeed hilarious, but even moreso was him falling asleep during the playback of Means' speech.

I made the incorrect 'posing' choice when Athena was reenacting what the Phoenix statue was supposed to look like -- triggering the extra dialogue of Apollo attempting to rip out some of his boss's spiky hair. Seriously, hair jokes never get old in this series. 

However transparent it was that Means was the big bad, I was still wholly unprepared for his transformed state. GLORIOUS. And playing off on DAT SMILE for the breakdown? A gold star for Capcom.

Ahh, consider me kicked. And they really drove the point home when.... Athena quipped that she's "got this tactical espionage action stuff down to a science."

I'm ripping through this game as much as possible as my limited schedule will allow and I'm into...gee...let me estimate and say about 1/3 of the way through Case 5. By the way, how does one turn the spoiler tag on in here? ^_~

I still have to read through everyone else's posts, but the main thing I've noticed is that this has got to be the most typo-ridden AA game EVER. Overall I'm a bit meh about this one, although the revelations about the main characters are as equally fascinating as in previous games. I think I feel this way mainly because of cases 2 and 3 -- first they reveal who the killer is at the very beginning of #2, while in #3 I hit upon the real culprit so fast it wasn't funny, and after that it was just a tedious pain to get through all the investigation and trial.

My ability to turn the case upside down -- or to discern where the lawyers' thoughts are headed -- seems to have plummeted since the last time I played an AA game. I got penalties galore. The Mood Matrix stymied me sometimes too; good thing they don't penalize for choosing a wrong emotion, heh.

And then too I think the trailer spoiled one part of Case 5, so I'm just waiting for that part to come up. Darn trailers. And off on that tangent of trailers, I heard that the trailer for Layton: Azran Legacy has some major spoilers in it. >_<

Like so.  (Also.... hey, Schala! )

Agreed. I figured it would improve after Case 2 when I first started noticing them, but alas, it's only gotten worse well into Case 4. It's a good script, but it definitely could have done with another proofread.

As for what I think of the game so far, I'm already inclined to rank it as series upper-tier. Whatever shortcomings it may possess (the typos, lack of non-essential investigation scenes, the early reveals of certain culprits) is offset by the clever scenarios, a strong story balance between the three protagonists, an extremely colorful supporting cast, and a solid music score. Unless Cases 4 and 5 completely drop the ball, I'm confident AA5 will be in good company with AA1 and AA3 as my personal faves, and might even trump them depending how well that additional DLC case is pulled off.

Probably the most egregious one I've seen is in Case 3, when Athena inwardly boasts that going over something again is fine 'as long as I lose and you win!' Completely takes the kick out of the bravado

Anyway, some belated thoughts on finishing Case 4. (I meant to post this last night but got exhausted toward the end.)

Keeping in line with Eshiro's flowchart of how-to-be-like-T&T, Case 4 is less interesting for its own story than it is for how we can see the climax of Case 5 starting to form. Also, it gives us the context of what was going on when the courtroom went kablooey at the start, as the two halves of Case 4 bookend the first.

On the downside, we have two of the more irritating case-specific characters unless they aren't in Sol Starbuck and Yuri Cosmos. Even as Starbuck is remarkably well-animated, his Haaaaaaaaaaaangh self-pity shtick gets old fast. The old man and his segway aren't much better, but his failed 'escape' was amusing. Fortunately Ponco, Clonco and Aura - who looks like the lovechild of Ulala from Space Channel 5 and Juri from Super SF4 - left a much more amusing impression, and Aura's full identity raises some interesting questions, as does her 'highness' comment to Athena.

Simon remains an amusing character, and I was especially amused when he told Cosmos to 'sod off' with his miracle stories. I'm willing to bet that the yet-undisclosed details of the HAT-1 mission and whatever was in that asteroid capsule will weigh heavily in the final chapter, but I'm not yet clear on why this case apparently means something to him and not his sister.

Cosmos on the stand gave me all kinds of trouble because I knew the argument I was trying to make, but kept picking the wrong bit of evidence to make it. Eventually I made it past the first part of Day 2 at trial with one thin mistake separating me from a game over, but then the second part gave me no trouble whatsoever. Weird.

Case 4 also saw the return of Psyche-Locks, my eternal nemesis...is what I would say, but they've seemingly made them much easier and streamlined. After T&T's relentless hammering on the idea and AJ's three-headed beast of a time-jumping Psyche-Out, I'll take simple any day of the week.

As for the last-minute bombshell of Athena being accused as the killer, it's not much of a guess that the theme of trumped-up charges and fabricated evidence are about to come to a head

---

Those were my thoughts yesterday at the time. I'm actually a fair distance into Case 5 now, and after a somewhat slow and deliberate start, the pace suddenly picks up and bares its teeth. This is a big one, and I now have a better appreciation for why this got an M rating. There's one shot of -MEGAWATT SPOILER WITHIN- young Athena covered in blood, looking right at you with a hollow, cherubic grin that unnerved me all to hell, in part because of the pitch-dark theories being offered to the court alongside it. This is going to be one of the greats, I can feel it.

CASE FOUR complete -- with a few early CASE FIVE spoiler notes below, which I'll label accordingly.

Case Four was certainly one of those technical-driven episodes; the constant reliance of the.... Space Center map and where the key characters were brought back memories of the Dusky Bridge/Hazakura maps from AA3 Case 4/5. One of the clutches, I suppose, from having such a length-condensed case. It was however, refreshing to get both an Investigation and Trial day out of what is essentially, yes, a prelude episode toward Case Five.

I had little problems with Cosmos's cross-examination, but the Mood Matrix portion tripped me up plenty; the addition of having to choose which emotions they're SUPPOSED to be feeling when they're not are tricky beasts. Like Schala mentioned, at least they don't penalize you there.

And speaking of the penalty system, I approve of the instant continue option they put into place should you see a Game Over. It makes deliberately picking the wrong choices just to see the alternate dialogues play out that much easier to do. Folks may argue it takes all the tension out of the gameplay, but honestly, I suspect most people won't miss the old way of saving the game, messing up too many times, then having to do a soft reset just to bring you back to that specific save point.

Ponco is indeed a cutie. I wished that we got to cross-examine her in court, just so that we can match up to the absurd highs of dealing with a parrot. Maybe it'll still happen in Case Five, though something tells me there's going to be bigger fish to fry come court time later.

Ulala was also the first character I thought of when first meeting Aura. I see the Juri resemblance in the hair, but the glasses reminded me more of C. Viper with a dash of Bayonetta. Abusing those robots the way she does seems so very wrong, but it allows me to continue marveling at the insane animation in this game.

Oh, hello Katamari Damacy reference!

----

Early CASE FIVE spoilers:

I'm glad that Trucy's role is expanding a bit now. She's been a wasted character up to this point, simple background dressing for the Wright Anything Agency.

Pearly! I suspected early on that her inclusion would pretty much push Maya into the background, with but a simple acknowledgment of what the Master has been up to these past eight years. However, it's a shame they don't at least delve into what Pearl herself has been doing, seeing as how she's right there in the flesh. (Yes, they do explain this away in that this isn't her and Nick's first recent encounter with one another.) Still, six years real time since AA3 (nine for folks who first played the GBA original) is an awfully long wait that fans had to bear, only to have her reintroduced as someone who just "dropped by to help around the office." In any case, Pearl's inclusion may mean we get a little spirit medium action. Do I hear Mama Cykes a-knockin'?

The sting isn't nearly so bad with the return of Edgeworth, since we'd just gotten a healthy dose of him with the two Kenji titles. And they do sort of acknowledge many a fan-based inquiries as to why he wouldn't have bothered to help out Phoenix during his years of disbarment. (Make sure you present Phoenix's badge for this optional response.)

I am curious as to how the death penalty is handled throughout this series. With Simon's execution being called into play here, one wonders just how many of the convicted killers in games past have shuffled off this mortal coil. We know about Manfred and Dahlia..... hmm, who else?

Reminiscence ~ Tragic Memories makes this variation number six for Athena's theme. Nice music box callback to The Depths of the Depths of the Heart flashback, without the tingling eeriness.   

Meeting up with.... Edgeworth is where I last left off in the game. I likely won't post again until Case Five is fully complete, but the table looks set for a most epic finish. Seriously, we've got..... a seven year mystery regarding the HAT-1 sabotage, the circumstances behind Clay's death, the potential mastermind working behind the scenes, Athena's and Blackquill's pasts laid bare, rebellious robots, Trucy being held hostage, Apollo's enigmatic agenda, the defending of both Blackquill and Athena, a guaranteed court showdown between Wright and Edgey, and goodness knows what else they're about to throw at us.

Wait for me, guys! I have it now! Wait for me... oh...

Yep, only really just getting into but I'm loving it so far. The animations and character models are wonderful. They completely capture the feel of the classics while allowing it to work smoothly in 3D and it's great to have some of the camera movements in there. Nothing has been lost in the move from 2D to 3D and some of the animations are tons of fun.

The opening case seems classic Phoenix Wright but already the subject of the case feels somewhat dark. I guess given they were about murders they were probably always dark... that's probably more about my memory of the previous games. Loving Phoenix in this too, especially with his outfit making him feel like the veteran, the master.

Case 5: W. T. F. It is REALLY keeping me on my toes. That's all I have to say for now.

I'm looking forward to discussing the craziness of this case when I'm done. ^_~

Just wait until you complete it. The last few minutes are nuttier than a squirrel dinner party.

Case 5 is done here; finished it last night. I'll save final thoughts on the game until after the DLC case hits. I'm hoping it's as good as Rise From the Ashes. Anyway, woof, this case. Warning: Going to go a bit unfocused with my thoughts here covering the whole thing (as well as previous entries), don't expect chronological adherence.

Did it borrow liberally from Rise From the Ashes, Farewell My Turnabout, and Turnabout Goodbyes? Hell yes it did. Is that a bad thing? No. It at least beats the snot out of AJ's two-hour block of Psyche-Locks followed by the easiest day in court ever.

It was nice to see Phoenix own up to the detrimental effects having messed up with the evidence in the Gramarye trial, even if he glossed over the time he himself deliberately manufactured evidence. He was treated so much like a rock star in Case 3 that I was afraid they weren't even going to touch on it.

Trucy and Pearl seemed kind of pointless in the end, with the former acting more as a plot device and the latter as a bit of plot exposition. But at least Trucy got to make the best referential joke in the game early into Case 5.

Edgey's VA wasn't a very good fit, alas. He sounded more like Professor Layton with a cold. Simon's VA might have been a better choice, his Objection call is pretty close to the old Edgey. It was nice that they expressly pointed out Edgey greased the wheels for Phoenix's reinstatement, as well.

The moment you figure out who the big bad is was easily the best moment in the whole game. I actually started cackling openly; I'd wanted to throw that guy around for pretty much the entire time. Maybe we can get a brighter Detective Skye back in the next game? Please?
On the other hand, it was kind of surprising to see Simon be so restrained in the final stretch aside from the psych trap and those two slashes, defensive and offensive. I expected him to be more proactive in taking down the web of lies, like Edgeworth was in 1-5 and 2-4. It's a contributing factor as to why those are the two best cases in the series for me (though having the two best adversaries in the series didn't hurt, either). Also, two demerits for carving up Ponco. Still a great character, though.

Unfortunately the showdown with the big bad was a bit of a letdown itself. His attempts at deflection were largely half-hearted, but I suppose it's better than pointlessly hanging on as long as Quercus Alba did. I liked his escape attempt animation though. What exactly was he attaching that hook to, though, without a roof?
On another note, the ultimate breakdown kind of hinted that the phantom was working for someone higher up, didn't it? I wonder if they're ever going to formally take on the Cadaverinis in this series. Maybe in the form of a turf war between them and the Kitakis? Said breakdown also would've benefitted from cross-layered voice acting, I think, just for the mindtwisting effect.

Saw that triple objection shot coming a mile away when Athena moved in beside Apollo. Also figured out the significance of the earring and bomb components well before they came up. Still felt nice, as did Udgey specifically standing up for the defendant.

Like I said before, that shot of a bloodsoaked young Athena smiling as she planned to dismember her mother for repairs was super-creepy. I'm not sure I'd want the series to go this dark too often, but it was a good jolt in this case.

Sweetest part of the ending? "I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine..." Saddest part? Clonco's abandonment issues.

The way I've interpreted it that murder = life in prison, multiple murders and/or felony murder = death penalty, and all other crimes = a few months/years. So, I would say that Damon Gant and Kristoph Gavin are probably slated for death, while most others are still around. But I would guess Matt Engarde and Furio Tigre are dead and gone as well, seeing as they pissed off the wrong people.

Hopefully they'll post the extra case this Thursday, when the free costume promotion ends. I can't resist a premise like that.