The Ghost of Ace Attorney Present

Finally, after treading (re-treading) through the growing pains of new cast members in Apollo Justice and new three-dee technology in Dual Destinies, Spirit of Justice feels like a confident return to Ace Attorney's sweeping melodrama -- interspersed by investigative minigames and courtroom hijinks.

Kinda ironic that, back in 2017, I called out Spirit of Justice for its "safe" narrative focus and for doing "so little to build on the series' gameplay." In retrospect, maintaining a priority on Ace Attorney's storytelling strengths was definitely the right call.

Sure, these cases can be rightly accused of rejecting reasonable evidence -- several cross-examinations requiring you to "Present" a counter-intuitive item. And, following recent games' precedent, other courtroom mechanics like Apollo's Perceive - or even the new Divination Seance - don't get much use.

At least out-of-court investigations are more open to Examine-ation, and chock full of flavor text, compared to Dual Destinies.

... but my point is, what makes Spirit of Justice compelling and memorable - maybe more now, than on a tiny 3DS screen - is the same grandiose storytelling, tying up multiple cases and previous games in a wonderfully satisfying bow, that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles did so well.

It keeps its lead characters grounded and relatable, by taking us along with them through crazy, bewildering events. It delivers heavy plot moments, made impactful by our attachments to the main cast. And it keeps things interesting with a colorful menagerie of zany supporting players.

And of course, Spirit of Justice also recognizes the value of fan service, with a tension-breaking 4th case featuring Athena and Simon. (Plus that DLC episode reuniting the old gang of Nick, Maya, Miles, and Larry.)

Considering there isn't much Ace Attorney left for Capcom to re-release - Professor Layton Versus being a Level-5 collab, and Edgeworth's investigations being ... limited - I can't help but wonder what's next. Dare I dream for some news about Athena's law career, and Apollo's Khura'in office, in an Ace Attorney 7?

Dare I hope?

Better than: as a collection, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Not as good as: as a collection, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
I mean, I'll rag on it: but I'd still buy a remastered Ace Attorney Investigations collection, if they made it. 'Cause I'm a sucker.