Hands on with The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles - Preview
In a turnabout of the decade, The Great Ace Attorney games have been localised and are due for release on July 27th. We’ve been lucky enough to get some time with this remastered collection through hands-on access by Capcom. So how is it coming along?
Having spent so many hours with the Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney series I am still very happy we even get to experience these two games. While Phoenix Wright games continue to be released over the years these two have been out of reach for several years now, unless you happen to understand Japanese.
We’re introduced to Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a student who gets caught up in the world of law and lawyering. Proceedings kick off in 19th century Japan where it is still early days of a period of friendship between Britain and Japan. Japan’s judicial system is considered outdated and as a result, Ryunosuke’s friend and law student Kazuma Asogi is about to leave for Britain to learn more about modern courts in Victorian times. For the sake of the preview, I don’t want to reveal too much, even the first case will keep you busy for a bit. And what a start to the game, veterans of the series will pick up the premise quickly, although it is a fun ride learning about this new setting for the series. The game opens up with Ryunosuke on trial for a murder he didn’t commit because the victim was from Britain, Japan is eager to solve the matter swiftly. Immediately on the back foot, you fortunately have the counsel of Kazuma to introduce you to the world of high stakes lawyering. Because of the delicate situation, there are some surprising moments where the game plays on the divide between Japanese and English all the while the court rushes towards solving the matter. It gets proceedings off to an explosive start, which is fitting given how over the top the Ace Attorney games get.
If you’re new to the series, you can still jump right in, there are references you might not get, but the initial case is still the tutorial one. After so many years with the cast of the Phoenix Wright (and Apollo Justice) games, it was a nice change of pace getting to see new characters and settings within a familiar framework. There are still investigation and court phases as cases can take course over several days as you uncover the truth.
If you’re a fan of the series then there is plenty to look forward to. The first case sets the scene well, with a big focus on the relations between Japan and Britain. While at the same time drawing attention to the differences between the judiciary processes and why it’s so important they learn about how it’s done elsewhere. Once the game moves to Britain it really begins to go places. The Phoenix Wright games (including Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright) introduced some new mechanics along the way, only for them to often be left behind. Ace Attorney Chronicles comes back to some of those including a jury system that made a brief appearance in Apollo Justice as well as cross-examining multiple witnesses from Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright.
They might not be new games, but they might as well be for English audiences. So far it’s looking like a breath of fresh air for the long-running series. Come back for the review later in July to hear much more about this adventure.
