Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
Way back in 2001 the first Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) game was released in Japan on the game boy advance (GBA). The GBA version never made it to American shores but in 2005 the game was ported to American Nintendo DS systems with added content to utilize the features of the DS. And so a new gaming franchise was born. 9 Years later and the fifth game in the series has been released for American audiences. Does the franchise still maintain it's charm after all these years or is it time for Capcom to retire this lawyer sim.
Whereas the four previous games took place mostly in the courtroom with some interludes to gather evidence, this installment is mostly outside of it. Another difference comes from the player playing as the prosecutor from the first installment, Miles Edgeworth, rather than the defense attorneys we've been used to. However even with this change of sides the game doesn't change too much. It still boils down to finding the truth by finding evidence and piecing them together.
The two new aspects of this game are that the developer has added a free roaming aspect on the top screen ala the Longest Journey. The player can control Edgeworth via the d-pad as he explores a crime scene. But this free roaming aspect isn't as engaging as you might think. The game keeps you in certain areas until you find all the clues at which time it allows you to move on. The sense of freedom the game tries to give the player is completely false. There is no real freedom, the game guides you at every turn. The other new gimmick is Edgeworth's "logic." When you find things Edgeworth can connect different inconsistencies. Basically this is supposed to be his thought process and it's interesting but still gimmicky.
If you've played any of the previous incarnations of the game you will feel right at home. The basic tenets haven't changed much. The player scrolls through lines of dialogue and when a witness' testimony has an inconsistency Edgeworth must present evidence that proves the contradiction. The game is basically an interactive novel like it has always been. It provides hours of enjoyment if that's the kind of thing you like. If you don't like reading in your games this game franchise isn't for you and never has been.
The games graphics are nothing to talk about. It is a slight upgrade from it's first DS port in 2005. There are still characters who are very expressive, colorful, and unique but the characters are basically static save for the facial expressions. In this day and age the graphics could use an overhaul. The game has a few cut scenes with their own style but they still consist of very little movement.
The high point of the game is the writing and localization. Each case is expertly written and will keep the player engaged. The hallmark of this franchise has always been the expert writing and localization and it's good to see that hasn't changed. It would truly be a sin if this mainly text based game didn't have good writing. There is always some humor to be found even when the case you're trying to solve involves the gruesome murder of a person. The cases all fit together very well. This can be a plus or a minus depending on how you look at it. On one hand the lack of plot holes demonstrates the good writing. But then again the cases solve so perfectly they can feel too much like they were contrived and take away the sense of being in the game.
That being said the game has changed a bit but the changes aren't anything revolutionary. They feel like a new coat of paint being put on an old structure. But then again if the game isn't broken why tweak it too much. It was still an interesting game that kept me playing for hours to find out what happens next. If you like a good mystery/crime novel this game might just be your cup of tea. If the game's writing stays consistent, which it has through 5 incarnations I wouldn't mind another game with the same old mechanics. But I don't think this game so be called a game per se. It is more of a novel on a video gaming console. Just for the fact that it isn't really a game I'm going to give it a 7/10. Please don't get me wrong it is fun and entertaining but there is really nothing new here besides the story. And a good story can only carry a "game" so far.
Whereas the four previous games took place mostly in the courtroom with some interludes to gather evidence, this installment is mostly outside of it. Another difference comes from the player playing as the prosecutor from the first installment, Miles Edgeworth, rather than the defense attorneys we've been used to. However even with this change of sides the game doesn't change too much. It still boils down to finding the truth by finding evidence and piecing them together.
The two new aspects of this game are that the developer has added a free roaming aspect on the top screen ala the Longest Journey. The player can control Edgeworth via the d-pad as he explores a crime scene. But this free roaming aspect isn't as engaging as you might think. The game keeps you in certain areas until you find all the clues at which time it allows you to move on. The sense of freedom the game tries to give the player is completely false. There is no real freedom, the game guides you at every turn. The other new gimmick is Edgeworth's "logic." When you find things Edgeworth can connect different inconsistencies. Basically this is supposed to be his thought process and it's interesting but still gimmicky.
If you've played any of the previous incarnations of the game you will feel right at home. The basic tenets haven't changed much. The player scrolls through lines of dialogue and when a witness' testimony has an inconsistency Edgeworth must present evidence that proves the contradiction. The game is basically an interactive novel like it has always been. It provides hours of enjoyment if that's the kind of thing you like. If you don't like reading in your games this game franchise isn't for you and never has been.
The games graphics are nothing to talk about. It is a slight upgrade from it's first DS port in 2005. There are still characters who are very expressive, colorful, and unique but the characters are basically static save for the facial expressions. In this day and age the graphics could use an overhaul. The game has a few cut scenes with their own style but they still consist of very little movement.
The high point of the game is the writing and localization. Each case is expertly written and will keep the player engaged. The hallmark of this franchise has always been the expert writing and localization and it's good to see that hasn't changed. It would truly be a sin if this mainly text based game didn't have good writing. There is always some humor to be found even when the case you're trying to solve involves the gruesome murder of a person. The cases all fit together very well. This can be a plus or a minus depending on how you look at it. On one hand the lack of plot holes demonstrates the good writing. But then again the cases solve so perfectly they can feel too much like they were contrived and take away the sense of being in the game.
That being said the game has changed a bit but the changes aren't anything revolutionary. They feel like a new coat of paint being put on an old structure. But then again if the game isn't broken why tweak it too much. It was still an interesting game that kept me playing for hours to find out what happens next. If you like a good mystery/crime novel this game might just be your cup of tea. If the game's writing stays consistent, which it has through 5 incarnations I wouldn't mind another game with the same old mechanics. But I don't think this game so be called a game per se. It is more of a novel on a video gaming console. Just for the fact that it isn't really a game I'm going to give it a 7/10. Please don't get me wrong it is fun and entertaining but there is really nothing new here besides the story. And a good story can only carry a "game" so far.
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