Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Even though it is the fourth game in the Ace Attorney series, Apollo Justice is the third game in the series that has been released here in Australia. Absence of predecessor aside, Apollo Justice follows the same formula as the previous games but has some very unique differences.

Apollo Justice is the first game in the Ace Attorney series to have been developed natively on the Nintendo DS. The three previous games in the series were originally GameBoy Advanced games released only in Japan and later getting enhanced DS ports which were released in multiple regions.

Overview

It is a new game in the series and we are introduced into a new protagonist. Replacing veteran Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright, is rookie attorney, Apollo Justice. Before the events of the game, Phoenix has his attorney badge taken away from him and not finds himself as Apollo's first client in a murder trial. As the game progresses, Apollo not only helps others escape jail but also learns of the characters around him.

Gameplay

I have to be honest. If one has played one Ace Attorney game, one has played them all. Over time, new features, characters and story elements are added but at its belly, Apollo Justice follows the same formula.

Like the previous games, Apollo Justice works in two modes: investigation and trial. Cases and the crime scenes are introduced in investigation mode, and players have the chance to uncover clues and learn about other characters. This gives players the chance to build their cases before the game goes into trial mode. During trials, the player has to use the clues and interactions with other characters to uncover lies in witness testimonies.

While boiler plate, Apollo Justice introduces two new features: one for each mode. Unlike previous Ace Attorney games, all clues the player finds can be examined in three dimensions. This can has significant implications. A humble watch can give a subtle hint the completely voids a witnesses' testimony. During trials, Apollo also has a bracelet that lets him carefully examine the body language of witnesses. For example, Apollo is able to see when a witness has a nervous twitch whenever he or she is lying. This ability comes in handy for instances when there is no direct evidence to discount a witness.

Graphics and Sound

Being designed for the DS first, there is a noticeable difference in the graphics. While still two dimensional, the colour depth has been enhanced, characters have more detail, and even character movements have improved animations.

While still containing sounds from all the previous games, the musical track is just as catching as ever. With the new graphics, an updated score is present. In the previous games, the music often added more impact to a situation and Apollo Justice is no exception. When a witness was presses and the truth came closer, the music became fast paced. This both adds to the atmosphere and gives a clear indication the player is on the right track.

Overview

While following toe-to-toe with the previous games, Apollo Justice is not completely boiler plate. Apollo Justice adds new features and makes use of the Nintendo DS hardware. In all, this is a game for both Ace Attorney veterans and new comers alike.