I never really liked Phoenix Wright. The character, I mean. Sure he was great at pointing at stuff and yelling 'OBJECTION!!', but he always seemed a little too...inept. Bumbling, even. Now you know who I really thought had style? Miles Edgeworth. Yeah, he's the cat's pajamas. It'd be great if there was a game with just him in it. Wait, what?
So it turns out there is. Ace Attourney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth stars the eponymous prosecutor, as he solves crimes with his brand of cold, stern logic.
For those unfamiliar with the series, the Ace Attourney games play out as a sort of interactive murder mystery, wherein your character (in this case the permanently stoic Miles Edgeworth) seeks to gather evidence and testimonies in order to discover the truth. This guy doesn't mess around either, as most of the cases are solved even before they get to court! Therein lies one of the many differences between this and the other Ace Attourney games.
I felt that the Ace Attourney games where getting a little stale and formulaic, so these changes are a breath of fresh air. The first, most noticable difference is that you now conduct your investigations in third-person, moving Edgeworth around the enviroment with the d-pad, talking to witnesses and searching for clues. Also new is the 'Logic' tool, which asks you to connect two pieces of evidence or thoughts to form new conclusions.
Fans need not despair however, as this is still at heart the same fun game they have come to expect of the series. The amusing dialog, likable characters and convoluted plot twists all return, but bring with them the same flaws as the previous games: over-used character animations, some painfully obvious deductions and...spelling errors?! Really, in a game which consists almost entirely of text, would it have been too much to ask for a thorough proof-reading?
There's a lot to like here, but if you are a newcomer to the series I'd suggest picking up one of it's predecessors, not only to test the waters, but also to get to know the characters and their background. TAKE THAT!!
Lukao
CeX Rathbone Place, London
