Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

I'm a huge fan of Phoenix Wright, so up and replacing him with a totally new protagonist put me in a very cautious position for Apollo Justice. But I have to say - the first case impressed the hell out of me. Not only was it the most thrilling Case 1 yet (yes, more than that one), it had the same kind of tension that the previous games didn't get to until near the end.

Apollo Justice as a character is actually remarkably similar to Phoenix in his own titles, so the game has, more or less, stayed true to its roots while adding a new cast (and keeping some of the old, too). Seeing as the characters are arguably the best part of the series, this is definitely a good thing. This game's supporting characters are particularly interesting, in terms of both their personalities, and their questionable pasts.

It's easy to see that this is the first in the Ace Attorney series developed to really take advantage of the DS hardware - though the game plays out the same as before, the difference in presentation quality is drastic. Super-cool animated scenes at the start of the chapter. Three-dimensional pans through crime scenes. Bright and detailed character animations. Evidence and investigation tools like the ones introduced in the first game's bonus case. And though the soundtrack is from a new composer, it somehow retains the Ace Attorney "feel," and guides the mood of the game from curious mystery through intense courtroom drama.

After completing the first case, and starting the second (the manual says there are four), it's apparent that this game, somewhat like Trials and Tribulations, has a much larger story that it's begging to tell. And what Brad said about loose ends is spot on - I know that they're building up to something, and can't wait to figure out what.

Progress: Case 2, Trial part 1