The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles review: OBJECTION!

The reality is that everyone, whether they have played the saga or not, knows what Ace Attorney is. The most veterans will be eager to get back into the skin of, in this case, Ryunosuke Naruhodo (who happens to be the predecessor of our favorite lawyer Phoenix Wright) and get fully into the cases offered by this marvel of visual novel set in the nineteenth century. In addition, we will be able to enjoy it both on PC, Switch and PS4.

The great game

Even so, not only the most veterans of the saga will enjoy the return of Ace Attorney in Europe, but those who have not yet ventured to give it a chance will realize the quality that Ace Attorney offers us. Undoubtedly, we can say that the qualitative leap in relation to their other titles is incredible: adding not only much more fluid animations in the dialogues, but also more depth to the plot threads of the cases, raising them to another level. Needless to say, we will be in suspense throughout the trial until the resolution.

Our young and promising protagonist is a Japanese man who decides to move to the United Kingdom, with the intention of learning the European judicial system and helping his native country to continue developing its legal laws.

Our first case will be nothing more and nothing less... than our own case! And nothing could be further from the truth, we are accused of murder and -for reasons that we will not reveal- we will have to defend ourselves. But don't let this scare you, Capcom has it all planned and our first case will serve as a tutorial to learn the mechanics and operation of the game. Among the great variety of the same, we will find the highlighting in the most relevant details in orange or the explanation of how to press the witnesses effectively. In addition, it will slowly introduce us into the life of Ryunosuke Naruhodo and his environment

The good thing about all this, is that we start from 0 with our character, so for those who had not yet tried this saga, they can have a much more immersive experience

HOLD IT, MR SHOLMES!

In this way, we will have to collect clues for each case in the previous investigation, talk to different characters to gather information, in order to contrast and qualify the different data that they give us. We will have to investigate what is true and what is not, who is telling the truth, who is lying, put pressure on witnesses... in order to find out what has really happened. In short, we will have to put on our Sherlock Holmes hat, magnifying glass and pipe (or not really, since we are introduced to his double in the same game).

At the beginning of the adventure, we will be joined as main support, Herlock Holmes. Like the real Sherlock, he is gifted in the art of deduction although he is also a bit absent-minded and constantly makes mistakes that we will have to correct. Very sure of himself but with his head in a mess, based on his erroneous observations, we will be able to find the correct answers (although at first it may not seem so, little by little we will discover that it is a great support). And of course, if there is one thing we have never lacked in this saga is a sense of humor -although in this case it may also be due to copyrights beyond our knowledge-.

Observing and reasoning

Ace Attorney has always had brilliant and meticulously timed animations, but this time the advantages of a 3D engine look at their best as they have been exploited to the fullest

The act of pointing an accusing finger to emphasize an objection is made even more dramatic with a soundtrack that goes absolutely bonkers as the camera swivels smoothly to accompany it. Cinematic tricks such as slow glides or sudden zooms are cleverly implemented to heighten tension or for sudden impact. In addition, characters will swap outfits or brandish weapons (or even small dogs) for comic effect or as a vital clue to the case. It's definitely a big step up from previous installments.

Highlights

• Superb cinematics, detailed animations and art throughout.
• Autoplay during ongoing investigations, allowing you to enjoy the story to the fullest.
• The investigation absorbs from the first minute.
• Variety in gameplay: evidence can be inspected in greater detail (up to 360º) and Jury and Deduction Dance as innovations.

The Worst

• If you have never played it is difficult to get used to the dynamics of the game, even if the first case is a "tutorial" and explains the mechanics.
• Languages: English and Japanese. The English used is VERY advanced and full of technicalities.

We have made this analysis thanks to a download code provided by Koch Media.