Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Anime, Visual Novel, Detective, Crime, Story Rich

Almost 12 years after the release of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, Capcom is bringing together all the charm, humour, and drama the franchise is known for into one trilogy called Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which rounds out Capcom’s remastering of its flagship courtroom battle visual novels alongside new hero Apollo.

A satisfying gaming experience, the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy offers a meaty collection of stories with numerous quality-of-life adjustments designed for a modern audience. Long-time players will find more than enough extras and bonus features to satisfy their cravings, making this trilogy a no-brainer for fans of the series.

Court Entry

Consisting of three mainline titles: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice. The trilogy also includes DLC trials and outfits from the 3DS games, allowing players to sport Phoenix’s iconic suit in Dual Destinies or adorn Athena as a maid in Spirit of Justice.

The storytelling follows a similar style to previous games in the series, a visual novel experience that heavily relies on narrative and player deduction. Players are often required to engage in extensive reading to uncover evidence and skillfully cross-examine each case. As one progresses through the game, additional mechanics are introduced to make the legal battles more challenging. However, it takes quite some time to finish one episode.

Apollo Justice Trilogy does a solid job of welcoming new players to the franchise. It effectively allows them to gradually immerse in the story and gameplay mechanics without requiring any previous knowledge of the franchise. Most of these stories are self-contained, do not rely on previous entries for plot development, and provide plenty of exposition for players who are not aware of previous events. It is a good place to start if players want to jump right in.

A Winning Case

The cherry on top of this trilogy is definitely the quality-of-life improvements. I am impressed with the Auto Advance feature, which effortlessly progresses through the dialogue without constantly clicking the mouse. Additionally, the History button offers a convenient option to revisit any portion of dialogue that you may have overlooked. There’s also the Story Mode option, where the game automatically answers all questions and solves puzzles for you, so you can just relax and watch Apollo shout “Objection!” every five minutes.

Those who previously played the series and enjoyed revisiting their favourite scenes will be happy to know that they now have the flexibility to select the specific episodes they want to play in this trilogy. This new feature not only saves time and effort but also adds an element of excitement by allowing them to jump straight into the court and defend their preferred client or case. This will undoubtedly delight longtime fans who have been eagerly anticipating such an option.

Speaking of long-time fans, the Museum feature offers exciting options. This feature allows players to browse through concept art, listen to music and experience the Orchestra Hall, listening to their favourite Pursuit track alongside a collection of 149 smashing bangers that the trilogy compiled. Another fascinating aspect of the Museum is the opportunity to rewatch cutscenes, particularly those featuring animated scenes in the later games.

Delivering Justice

The updated graphics in this remastered trilogy are undeniably impressive, offering a high-definition visual experience. The character sprites have undergone significant improvements, looking sharper and of higher quality compared to the originals. This enhanced level of detail enhances the visual appeal of the game, making the characters stand out even more against the vibrant 2D backgrounds.

Shifting to 3D graphics in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies further enhances the visual appeal of the game. The 3D models of the characters and the environments now exhibit a higher level of realism, resulting in a more immersive and enjoyable gaming experience. The ability to adjust graphical settings allows you to customize the game according to your preferences, ensuring that you can enjoy the best graphic options without any technical limitations.

One of my least favourite aspects of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is the Animation Studio feature. It can be perceived as little more than a glorified scene builder, allowing players to freely create compositions using dialogue from the characters in the game and even change backgrounds, character poses, and various other elements. While this initially appears enticing, it does not have much of a purpose unless you’re creating content out of it.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a triumph that accomplishes everything it set out to do, presenting three outstanding games to modern consoles in their most accessible form yet. With an abundance of improvements and offerings for both veteran players and newcomers to enjoy, it’s never been easier or more enjoyable to experience Apollo Justice’s journey. When it comes to this case, I have no objections, Your Honour.

PROS

• Comprehensive tutorial for beginners
• Excellent quality-of-life improvements.
• A good amount of extras and bonus content.
• Vibrant graphics.

CONS

• Takes time to finish each episode.
• the Animation Studio feature doesn’t provide much entertainment.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is available right now  for PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Review code provided by Capcom.