{"id":107,"date":"2013-11-17T23:59:44","date_gmt":"2013-11-18T07:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/?p=107"},"modified":"2013-12-18T20:58:35","modified_gmt":"2013-12-19T04:58:35","slug":"phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-dual-destinies-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/2013\/11\/17\/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-dual-destinies-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a defense attorney, you must clear the name of your client while finding the truth behind a heinous murder plot. \u00a0That is the premise of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies; the first Ace Attorney game released on the Nintendo 3DS. \u00a0Though the series started on the Gameboy Advance, it was really the release of the Nintendo DS titles that brought these quirky and engaging stories to a wide audience.<\/p>\n

Court Cases<\/strong>
\nThe Ace Attorney titles have always been about delivering a great story. \u00a0A crime is introduced at the start of each case but the circumstances are revealed to you piece by piece through dialogue and careful investigation. \u00a0The traditional approach of starting off each case with a short snapshot of the murder occurring has been dropped for a few more character development scenes instead. \u00a0Though it might not have the same hook effect, I appreciate the fact that they took the time to breathe life into the new characters. \u00a0The stories still remain as gripping as ever. \u00a0This particular game features 5 separate cases in which you will explore wildly different environments and eccentric characters. \u00a0The settings include a legal academy, a superstitious village, a bombing at the district courthouse and more. \u00a0Each case involves a murder, and the gameplay is split between field investigations and arguing in court. \u00a0The story unfolds itself as you listen to testimonies and find evidence and has done a surprisingly good job of concealing the whole story until the very end.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tk2tlSLx5Ug<\/a><\/p>\n

To keep you on your toes, the game includes surprise witnesses, forged evidence, etc. \u00a0This is not your traditional court system, but it serves its purpose. \u00a0In particular, I didn’t feel like there were as many outright plot twists as the previous entries and they didn’t actively try to lead you down the wrong path either. \u00a0This may not sound like a good thing, but I think they did a much better job of keeping the mystery intact and leaving you with a good number of suspects. \u00a0As a result, you get a sense that you are trying to find as much evidence as possible to figure out a story, rather than finding one crucial piece that will give the working story an alternate ending. \u00a0This subtle change in storytelling really signals that they’ve got some talented writers behind the game.<\/p>\n

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The cases themselves are amusing. \u00a0They are often not limited to the murder itself. \u00a0In trying to find out the truth, you get a few pieces of high school romance, some philosophy about law and even the development of minor characters. \u00a0Are the cases realistic? \u00a0Hardly. \u00a0I’d sooner plead insanity than to try and pin the blame on a mythical creature (though that might lead to a more successful insanity plea down the line). \u00a0Characters are over the top and ridiculous, but the Ace Attorney series has always managed to do it in a tasteful way. \u00a0There a lot of jokes and bad puns and despite the horrible nature of the game, it is definitely a light and cheery approach.<\/p>\n

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The audio and visuals are still in the same style as before, but executed quite differently. \u00a0Phoenix Wright used to be drawn in a style between cartoon and anime, but this latest version has 3D sets and animated cut scenes instead. \u00a0They’ve kept it quite clean but shifted to a style closer to anime. \u00a0It doesn’t affect me much and has allowed the game to include a few new features and of course include some interesting video snippets to enjoy.<\/p>\n

Game Mechanics<\/strong>
\nIt’s probably obvious at this point, but the game is incredibly heavy on dialogue and linear by nature. \u00a0At best you can mix up the order in which you ask questions or pick the wrong answer on purpose to see what happens. \u00a0So in terms of mechanics, not a lot has changed from the Nintendo DS entries. \u00a0The game is split up into two different segments in which you are either in court or investigating the scene.<\/p>\n

In court, you are listening to testimonies, arguing the case and basically reading dialogue. \u00a0This portion of the game has remained identical, you still press the A button or the giant rectangle on the bottom screen to move on to the next statement. \u00a0In testimonies, you have the\u00a0option to press your witness for more information or issue an objection. \u00a0These are all controlled by buttons, touch screen, or the more fun and ridiculous method; the microphone. \u00a0You can shout out the key phrases such as “OBJECTION!” or “HOLD IT!” for the same effect.<\/p>\n

\"IMAG0727\"<\/p>\n

One of the new innovations from Dual Destinies is the Mood Matrix. \u00a0The main character, Athena Cykes, is able to pick up on subtle emotions from the witness during testimony. \u00a0Her necklace, named Widget, is able to show this on a screen and let you make decisions to question the witness about why she felt happy when she just witnessed a murder.<\/p>\n

\"IMAG0726\"<\/p>\n

The other portion of the game is an investigation mode. \u00a0You have a menu that lets you travel to different locations and in each location you may question a witness or investigate the scene. \u00a0This is where you are collecting clues. \u00a0Usually you can talk to one person about the events and hopefully learn something critical, then you are given the chance to look at scene and use the stylus to poke at evidence. \u00a0The environments are now in 3D, so instead of a static image, you can get several different views of the site to find pieces of evidence hidden under a table or behind a stage. \u00a0Phoenix Wright:\u00a0Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies has also included a number of subtle changes to make this process a little easier. \u00a0For example, evidence you have already investigated will have a check mark sign so you won’t repeat yourself. \u00a0There’s also a notes section that will clue you in to where you should go next should you be stuck. \u00a0The overall interface will be immediately familiar to anyone that has played the series before, and if not, takes about ten seconds to learn.<\/p>\n

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For the Fans<\/strong>
\nFor fans such as myself who have enjoyed earlier installments in the series, there are enough returning characters and inside references to give you a grin here and there. \u00a0Phoenix Wright makes some short appearances and Apollo Justice returns as a lead character. \u00a0The few jokes and references made are the only links between cases and games.<\/p>\n

\"IMAG0793\"<\/p>\n

I felt in the past that some Ace Attorney games have been too heavy on returning characters and have made it difficult for a newbie to truly appreciate the game. \u00a0Thankfully\u00a0Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies has learned from past lessons. \u00a0You need absolutely no knowledge from the previous games to succeed and the vast majority of the characters are new. \u00a0This is perhaps the most accessible Ace Attorney game to date asides from the original.<\/p>\n

DLC Incoming<\/strong>
\nOne of the major disappointments before the release date was Capcom’s decision to sell Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies exclusively on the Nintendo eShop. \u00a0This means that it is only available for digital download and you will not see copies of the game at your local game stores. \u00a0Even though this was a disappointment, Capcom surprised fans by selling the title for $29.99 instead of the usual 3DS retail price of $39.99. \u00a0This has obvious repercussions for different groups of fans, but I think it’s a reasonable trade-off to pass the savings down to us.<\/p>\n

Capcom has also decided to start selling downloadable content (DLC) with the game. \u00a0I was a little concerned to see a costume pack that was free during the launch window and crossed my fingers that\u00a0Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies wouldn’t betray fans by selling worthless trinkets or carved out pieces of the game for a few dollars here and there. \u00a0And I am truly impressed that\u00a0Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies will be getting one of the few DLC’s that\u00a0I genuinely approve of. \u00a0Additional cases will be made available on the eShop for download. \u00a0The first case will cost $5.99 and looks to be a great add-on. \u00a0There is a question as to whether there will be any future Ace Attorney games on the Nintendo 3DS or whether it will all be distributed through Dual Destinies in the future. \u00a0Regardless,\u00a0Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies already includes a sizable amount of content and, with reasonably priced DLC, looks to be great value.<\/p>\n

Final Verdict<\/strong>
\nIn the end, it’s not about the mechanics or the graphics. \u00a0It’s not even about the fan service. \u00a0It all comes down to the stories, and\u00a0Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies delivered big. \u00a0All five cases still have the appeal that made the series great. \u00a0They were very conservative when it came to changing the gameplay, with the only notable change being the Mood Matrix from Athena Cykes’ Widget. \u00a0But when it came to the storytelling, they took a few chances. \u00a0There’s obviously a new presentation style with 3D and animated cut scenes. \u00a0And they’re obviously not out of steam yet because their new cases, while flavored differently, still ooze the trademark quirkiness that made the series great.<\/p>\n

\"IMAG0729\"<\/p>\n

The game still remains what it is though. \u00a0It is heavily text driven and linear. \u00a0It is a story based game and minimal in terms of actual gameplay. \u00a0If you are not interested in a story, no matter how fascinating and engrossing, then look elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\"IMAG0794\"<\/p>\n

If you don’t fall in that category, then I can’t recommend\u00a0Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies enough. \u00a0They’ve made it easy for new players to enter and catch up. \u00a0The price is definitely aggressive and there’s nothing better than trying to figure out a crime from a series of clues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a defense attorney, you must clear the name of your client while finding the truth behind a heinous murder plot. \u00a0That is the premise of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies; the first Ace Attorney game released on the Nintendo 3DS. \u00a0Though the series started on the Gameboy …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,6],"tags":[50,49,51,52],"class_list":["post-107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","category-videogames","tag-nintendo-3ds","tag-nintendo-eshop","tag-phoenix-wright","tag-phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-dual-destinies","has-thumbnail"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Phoenix-wright-dual-destinies-big.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions\/118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsdatabase.org\/beta\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}