Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
In this text-heavy adventure game for the DS, you play the role of Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney, as he fights against time, the odds, and the rather unsettlingly powerful prosecution bench to save his wrongfully accused clients and prove them innocent of murder.
The gameplay is broken into two segments-usually first you will have the investigation, where Phoenix laughs in the face of realistic legal proceedings and plays detective. These sections run like a point and click adventure game as you talk to people, interview your client, gather evidence and examine the crime scenes for clues. Then it's time for the court segment. As the prosecution calls up witnesses, it's up to you to go through their testimony line by line and dissect it for lies or contradictions, then present the right evidence to make them sweat. But if you object at the wrong time or present the wrong evidence, the judge will slowly lose patience with you until he eventually gets pissed enough to declare your client guilty on the spot. The cases have twists and turns a'plenty and will keep you guessing all the way up to the end.
This game is among the most hilarious I've ever played-if the dead serious manner in which they handle the flamboyant legal proceedings (for example, the very overdramatic OBJECTION sequences) doesn't bring a smile to your face, the localization is fantastic and there are enough pop culture references to make even VH1 nauseous. The characters are also wonderful and extremely well-defined, from the sarcastic, eternal underdog Phoenix to his mysterious rival Edgeworth, from dorky detective Gumshoe to plucky Maya, even the most minor character has an appearance and a personality all their own.
As far as flaws go, sometimes your progress forward is impeded by how linear the game is. Especially in the investigation phrases, if you can't figure out what it wants you to do next you might be wandering around for a while. Often it wants a very specific piece of evidence that may not even seem to make sense. Other times, you'll have spotted a problem in a testimony long before the game wants you to have figured it out, and you're stuck helplessly chucking out evidence and not seeing the order that the game wants you to find the contradictions in.
It also needs to be mentioned that this game has the most ridiculously messed up legal system the world has ever seen. I've seen witch trials and baptisms by sword that go more fairly than these courtroom proceedings-so if you're studying up for a law degree, prepare to be utterly horrified. On the bright side, though, the overwhelming odds against him make you feel even better when Phoenix finally wins.
If you like fun games with great characters and a compelling storyline, play Phoenix Wright. If you don't, well then I just don't know what to do with you. Go play some Grand Theft Auto or watch wrestling or something.
