Games bring historical plot without completely losing the franchise’s humor.
Originally released for Nintendo 3DS only in Japan, The Great Ace Attorney (2015) and the sequel, The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve (2017), are finally arriving in other countries and in other languages. The two titles have become one, T he Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for Nintendo Switch.
The game continues the Ace Attorney franchise in a way quite different from others in the series by abandoning the present and taking players to an early 20th century Japan. The plot is full of political and historical twists, without losing the humor and exaggeration that captivated fans.
The traditional introductory case, which also doubles as a tutorial, has a different feel beyond the time it takes place. The willingness to address political issues and xenophobia is evident in the first few minutes, when protagonist Ryunosuke Naruhodo must defend himself against a murder charge that could call into question a treaty between Japan and Great Britain.
“This is me — you must be wondering how I got here…”
An interesting detail is that, precisely for establishing the importance of geography in the plot, the names were not adapted, as in the case of Ryuichi Naruhodo, who became Phoenix Wright for the worldwide release. In addition to Ryunosuke, who is an ancestor of Phoenix, we also meet Kazuma Asogi and Susato Mikotoba , who also had their original Japanese names kept.
a new old acquaintance
A new figure that appears in games is Herlock Sholmes , a very relaxed version of the classic character written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes fans will certainly love the characters and references to the books, which are not few. Full of useful trinkets and (almost) endless excitement, the Sholmes character also brings a new mechanic that proves to be quite fun and interesting.
Elementary my dear Naruhodo
Called Great Deduction, or Great Deduction in free translation into Portuguese, the new mechanic shows the detective using the body language of other characters to deduce what they are thinking — or hiding. Extremely creative, Sholmes doesn’t always find the truth firsthand, and that’s where our protagonist Ryunosuke comes in to complement and correct any inconsistencies the detective missed.
The animation of this particular type of investigation is like a dynamic camera game that alternately focuses on Sholmes, Ryunosuke and the poor bastard who is having to follow this dance while watching his secrets being exposed by the pair. The sequences are very fun and break a little of the solemnity present in the rest of the setting.
Previously seen in Phoenix Wright vs. Professor Layton , the mechanics of interrogating multiple witnesses at once is back. During court trials, witnesses give their statements in pairs or groups, which means that even the most cautious and with the most rehearsed speech can be unmasked if one of the colleagues who is testifying together has any reaction to what they are saying .
Another new feature of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is the presence of a jury during the courtroom sequences. Rather than relying only on evidence and witnesses, as in other games in the franchise, the player is also required to convince the members of the jury that their client is innocent, which can be challenging but often ends up helping to explore possibilities. .
Court hours and hours
Be ready to see this gentleman for a long time
To be able to put these two great news in the game, the cases are longer and more complex when compared to previous games. Perhaps due to the greater emotional charge combined with the heavier climate and the many, many hours needed to unravel each case, the entire experience can be a little tiring.
As with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy , the game’s visuals and sounds have been improved over what was previously seen on the 3DS. The fluid animations and grandiose settings help give Chronicles the epic tone it deserves and needs to make the proposed narrative successful.
It was a pleasure to be able to play again in a universe full of Objections! , plot twists and courts. Without completely abandoning sense of humor, puns and exaggeration, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles delivers a plot carved out of the history of two nations with some amazing characters and many hours of investigation.
