Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All

The best video game sequels introduce new and exciting gameplay elements while still maintaining the feel of the original. Justice for All doesn't add much in the way of new features, but it does maintain the engaging investigation-and-defense gameplay that made the first game so fun. As players are already familiar with the game's main characters, Justice for All was really able to shine by skipping time-consuming introductions and diving straight into the development of characters' personalities, convictions, and relationships. The first Ace Attorney game made it clear that its unique characters are the heart of the franchise, and its sequel proves that many times over.

If you've played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, then you'll feel right at home in Justice for All. If you haven't, you should absolutely play that first. Playing the Ace Attorney series in order is necessary to properly enjoy it, as this title picks up where the previous title left off. In comparison to the first game, I'd say the story here is a little less cohesive, lacking an equivalent to the DL-6 arc; however, a combination of more interesting side characters and better-developed relationship dynamics made this a more enjoyable narrative overall. The ending is especially satisfying and is easily a valid reason for revisiting this title again in the future.

After a bit of reflection, Justice for All started to remind me of Terminator 2. It matches the formula of its original entry, and it effectively continues the story, but it somehow manages to do The Terminator better than The Terminator did. However, one could argue that you can watch the second movie without ever seeing the first and still really enjoy it. The same does not go for Justice for All. Without the first game, all of the character development that makes this entry so good would just be confusing. With that in mind, absolutely play this game, just don't start with it.

The game is available for Steam here (as of 3/5/21): https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/Phoenix_Wright_Ace_Attorney_Trilogy/
The game is available for 3DS here (as of 3/5/21): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy-3ds/
The game is available for Switch here (as of 3/5/21): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy-switch/
The game is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S here (as of 3/5/21): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy/c4r4rb3sb1nn
The game is available for PS4 and PS5 here (as of 3/5/21): https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0102-CUSA11513_00-AAT123FULLGAME00
The game is available for iOS here (as of 3/5/21): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ace-attorney-trilogy-hd/id365681816

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