Phoenix Wright and his excellent hair are back for his second Nintendo DS adventure, “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All”. Based on the Japanese-only Gameboy Advance “Gyakuten Saiban” series, the first North American Phoenix Wright game was a surprise hit in 2005.
When our hero first graces our mini screens, he is suffering from a bout of amnesia. This makes his first court case a bit of an adventure, and introduces newbies to the gameplay without alienating those who have played the previous title in the series.
This game is long on narrative and short on action. Virtually the entire story (save for Phoenix’s catch phrases “Hold It!” and “Take That!”) are written out as text on the screen. Further, you are required to prompt the game after each line spoken. This is handy if you want to read over a key clue a few times in your head before moving onto the next line. Otherwise, hitting the touch screen or tapping the ‘A’ button gets a little tedious after a while. I’m surprised I haven’t worn a hole into the screen after playing this game. It’s a little disappointing that Capcom wasn’t able to add cut scenes into the story to break up the monotony of reading and tapping, as Eidos was able to do in the latest “Tomb Raider” game, for example.
The characters are likeable if a little two-dimensional. The detective (who somehow seems to work all four cases in this game) is a little sloppy, while the DA brandishes a whip(!) to keep her witnesses and the judge in line. Phoenix himself can evoke Perry Mason in one scene and Lionel Hutz the next. The cartoonish nature of the characters suits the fairly light-hearted storylines. This isn’t exactly Law & Order here.
For the most part, you’ll be able to put the clues together and solve each crime even if you’ve never been to law school. However, sometimes presenting the right clues at the right time can be tricky, and you’ll be left shaking your head as to what to do next. Each time you present the wrong clue in court, your health meter drains just a little bit. Too many false steps and your client goes straight to jail. If in doubt, use the save button liberally, or else you’ll be living the storyline over and over again.
The one new feature introduced in this game is the psyche-lock. At certain times during the game, Phoenix is able to see that a character is hiding something. It is up to Phoenix to present the wright, err, right, evidence in order to break the locks and get to the truth that is being hidden. It is a neat, if not exactly overwhelming twist.
Overall, Phoenix Wright: Justice For All will entertain you with engaging characters and interesting storylines. If you’re good at detective work, you’ll be hooked; if you’re not, you may be putting this game down sooner than later.
WHAM! Rating: |
7 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
T (Teen) |
Official Web Site: |
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