Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations

Trials and Tribulations is easily the best game in the original Ace Attorney trilogy. In addition to restructuring the formula established in the first two titles, this game brought back the overarching plot that Justice for All was sorely lacking. Trials and Tribulations managed not only to have its own fantastic, self-contained story but also to unify all three games with a concluding chapter that completely blew me away. It was because of that story that I got sucked into this game, and sucked in quickly.

Now you likely aren't, and shouldn't be, playing this before you have played its two predecessors, so you should be pretty familiar with the mechanics the moment you pick it up. Nothing new has been added since Justice for All, and the investigating, court battling, and psych-lock breaking feels the same as it always did. It's the story where Trials and Tribulations really shakes things up. Where the previous games were chronologically linear, this one actually bounces around a little bit, letting you witness firsthand a few major events that permanently altered the futures of some important characters. It was obviously fun just to play as a few different attorneys across these periods, but the real magic was how well the story was developed around the shifting time periods and how seamlessly what story tied in with the plot of the whole trilogy. I was surprised and impressed at how it managed to tie up loose ends from the plot of Justice for All while also closing up a mystery established early in the first game. This all made for an amazing story that I was not expecting but was absolutely overjoyed with.

With these games essentially being glorified visual novels, the story is the main focus, and with it being so darn good here, I didn't at all mind the stagnant mechanics. While the previous two games were a lot of fun, I wasn't left feeling as satisfied after playing them as I was with Trials and Tribulations, making this a worthy swan song for the original Ace Attorney trilogy in my eyes. I'm pretty excited to explore more of the series, but having concluded the original trilogy, I can safely say that they still hold up today. If you like good stories, these are definitely worth your time.
The game is available for Steam here (as of 9/6/21): https://store.steampowered.com/app/787480/Phoenix_Wright_Ace_Attorney_Trilogy/
The game is available for 3DS here (as of 9/6/21): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy-3ds/
The game is available for Switch here (as of 9/6/21): 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 9/6/21): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-trilogy/c4r4rb3sb1nn
The game is available for PS4 and PS5 here (as of 9/6/21): https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0102-CUSA11513_00-AAT123FULLGAME00
The game is available for iOS here (as of 9/6/21): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ace-attorney-trilogy-hd/id365681816

Popular posts from this blog

Meow Tower: Nonogram Pictogram

Image
I seem to have a thing for mobile games about cats, and I am a huge fan of Nintendo 's Picross series. Normally those two interests don't overlap, but Meow Tower changed that. Combining the fun of befriending cute cartoon cats and solving intricate number puzzles hooked me immediately. While it's technically not a Picross game, seeing as that is a Nintendo trademark, the nonogram puzzles are still the same, and I loved being able to play them on my phone. Granted, there have been plenty of options to play these kinds of puzzles on the phone for years, but Meow Tower  sets itself apart from the rabble thanks to its stellar aesthetic. The developers behind this game are true artists. While it's a solid, straightforward nonogram game at its core, Meow Tower just looks so much better to play than any of the numerous generic options that crowd the app stores. The bubbly sticker-book style used for the art and menus gives Meow Tower a lot of charm and personality from t
Read more

Space Lich Omega

Image
Inspired by the ever popular Candy Box and Candy Box 2 , Space Lich Omega is an browser-based RPG adventure with an almost entirely ASCII display. However, it chose to step away from the established fantasy style of it's inspiration for a more science-fantasy theme. I ended up having a fun time with this game, despite its need for a little polish, thanks to the unique story and hilarious pop-culture Easter eggs that can be discovered throughout the different explorable locations. Despite the crude-ish interface, I never had any trouble navigating throughout the game. I actually ended up beating it in a relatively short time, especially when I had my gunk production going all out, allowing me to jump my health up enormously. Although I did need to do a little grinding every now and then for an item that I missed, that didn't interfere with my enjoyment too much. Ultimately, this is no Candy Box , but it still has its merits and is worth playing if you ever find yourself in
Read more

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Image
Reusing game engines has proven to be pretty popular in the Zelda series. It offers developers a chance to craft more experimental and risky games, as the initial investment on the engine was covered by the previous, more traditional release. As a huge fan of A Link Between Worlds , I was ecstatic to learn it was getting a pseudo-follow-up. My excitement only grew when Nintendo sent me an early-access demo, and I somehow had no concerns that this was another multiplayer-focused game, despite my preference for solo play. Since the previous multiplayer Zelda games had pretty functional single-player modes, I anticipated that I could expect the same here. Unfortunately, that wasn't an entirely accurate assumption. Like its predecessors , Tri Force Heroes is level-based in order to accommodate its multiplayer focus. All of the stages are designed like dungeons, so they hold up really well for puzzle-solving challenges, but they lack a lot of the same charm you can find in Four Swor
Read more