Board 8 > The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Review Zone

(+) Yeah! (+)

Leonhart4 posted...

This is definitely true. I imagine this one gets a lot of credit for not being "more of the same," which is probably what dragged down many of the sequels.

I think this is 100% correct, and it's not even something I strictly blame reviewers for - they have to play shitloads of games, so the stuff that is going to stand out to them is stuff that they haven't seen before, even if "the same thing again" is exactly what I want. This is always a mismatch between critic and consumer values that you need to account for when reading a review, although a good reviewer will take this into account of course. But I think the fact that this game is really well-produced and different, in a time where the Ace Attorney series is now regarded as an all-time great rather than a mere curiosity, creates a perfect storm for good reviews.

Is there a way to make the text scroll faster, or am I just crazy?

---

it's one of the settings in the options

---

Paratroopa1 posted...

I think this is 100% correct, and it's not even something I strictly blame reviewers for - they have to play shitloads of games, so the stuff that is going to stand out to them is stuff that they haven't seen before, even if "the same thing again" is exactly what I want. This is always a mismatch between critic and consumer values that you need to account for when reading a review, although a good reviewer will take this into account of course. But I think the fact that this game is really well-produced and different, in a time where the Ace Attorney series is now regarded as an all-time great rather than a mere curiosity, creates a perfect storm for good reviews.

I think this is true but looking at the metacritic page, the sequels aren't really getting dragged down for more of the same! Most of the games are at 81 (which is uncanny but also very good!). The three under 80 are 2, AJ, and AAI, and even those are all 76+. The biggest thing here is that the original trilogy games have user reviews a full point higher than the critic score. Interestingly, that gap is way smaller for the collected version, suggesting less people cared to review the rerelease or that the cult fanbase cooled off. But overall the critics have been super fair to the series.

So in addition to the fresh direction and higher production, I also have to wonder if the reviewers include more dedicated fans this time around. Some of the reviews read that way, and I have to wonder too if the scores are higher because they're psyched to finally get these games after such a long drought and want to encourage Capcom to do more.

---

GTM posted...

it's one of the settings in the options

Oh derp, I thought text skip meant something else. I'm dumb.

---

HeroDelTiempo17 posted...

I think this is true but looking at the metacritic page, the sequels aren't really getting dragged down for more of the same! Most of the games are at 81 (which is uncanny but also very good!). The three under 80 are 2, AJ, and AAI, and even those are all 76+. The biggest thing here is that the original trilogy games have user reviews a full point higher than the critic score. Interestingly, that gap is way smaller for the collected version, suggesting less people cared to review the rerelease or that the cult fanbase cooled off. But overall the critics have been super fair to the series.

So in addition to the fresh direction and higher production, I also have to wonder if the reviewers include more dedicated fans this time around. Some of the reviews read that way, and I have to wonder too if the scores are higher because they're psyched to finally get these games after such a long drought and want to encourage Capcom to do more.

That's an interesting point. You might be right.

Well, if the good reviews help the series survive, I'm all for it.

Also I think it's a pretty good decision for them to release this bundle after AA6, since it was the end of the second trilogy. As a plate cleanser, so to speak. Looking forward to where they'll be taking AA7 though. Maybe with good reception for the games that don't star Phoenix, they'll be more confident having Apollo/Athena/a new character as the lead. I love Phoenix but he's sort of done his share of character development and I feel he's more suitable for a mentor role nowadays.

---

What game do they kill him off

---

My secret hope for AA7 is that they go back in time and make it about Mia between 3-1 and 1-1. The woman's supposed to be a legendary defense attorney -- well, let's see it!

---

I also want to want to see Mia take on another case. Possibly let us play her last case just before 1-1 and have a bunch of characters from the original trilogy/AAI games return knowing what they end up doing later in the series for some world building, kinda what they did in E2-3 with Manfred, Badd and Gregory.

ninkendo posted...

What game do they kill him off

I doubt they would ever "kill off" Wright, but I could see them writing him off so Athena can finally gets the spotlight in future games similar to how they wrote off Apollo in SOJ (I'm sure he will still appear occasionally in filler cases). I would like to see them return to the British court setting with Wright and see how things have changed since Great Ace Attorney.

(Also, I kinda want them to do a "12 Angry Men" thing with the jurists where all but one juror is adamant to end the trial as soon as it starts since they all believe the defendant is guilty, but the one juror votes Not Guilty to give the defense a chance to speak and ends up being helpful in solving the case.)

---

Is it accurate to the Japanese version to not have 'turnabout' in the episode titles?

---

Yes it is. All of the titles are the same.
---

Phoenix has been dead since T&T, we have been playing as Furio Tigre since then without realising it.

---

ninkendo posted...

What game do they kill him off

Apollo Justice

Then they brought him back

Anagram posted...

Is it accurate to the Japanese version to not have 'turnabout' in the episode titles?

The episode titles in DGS in Japanese were meant to reference Sherlock Holmes stories (which almost always start with "The Adventure of..."), but they had to alter the titles for GAA to avoid copyright infringement.

---

The only Holmes stuff they changed were Holmes himself and the Watsons. There's multiple other characters who have names directly lifted from Holmes stories who kept their names in the English version.
---

Mewtwo59 posted...

The only Holmes stuff they changed were Holmes himself and the Watsons. There's multiple other characters who have names directly lifted from Holmes stories who kept their names in the English version.

Right, but they did the episode titles. Like case 2 in the first game in Japanese is The Adventure of the Speckled Band, which is the title of a Holmes story I'm assuming they can't actually use here.

---

They didn't. The titles are exactly the same as they were in English in the Japanese version. Heck, G1-5's logo outright says "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
---

Heres the thing: the vast majority of Sherlock Holmes stories are in the public domain, the exception is six stories from the last book, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, to be exact The Adventure of the Three Gables, The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier, The Adventure of the Lions Mane and The Adventure of the Retired Colourman which expire on Jan 1 2022, and The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger and The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place which expire on Jan 1 2023. You can use Holmes and any of the other stories. However, any elements from the copyrighted stories cannot be used and the Doyle estate argue that this extends as far as Holmes being emotional, saying that this started there. I also heard that elements from at least one of these stories (I think Lions Mane but am not sure) are in the game. So thats why you might change the main character names but not the titles of the books and so on. This would be US only, everywhere else they are all already in the public domain I think.

---

Beat the first two episodes. Am I crazy for thinking that these are longer than the main games', or am I just forgetting how long they always were?

---

Episode 1 is definitely the longest Episode 1 by far, but 2 actually felt kind of short for episode 2 standards

---

Mewtwo59 posted...

They didn't. The titles are exactly the same as they were in English in the Japanese version. Heck, G1-5's logo outright says "The Hound of the Baskervilles".

Huh, I guess the titles they used in their preview videos aren't the titles they use in the game then.

Also Ace Attorney has consistently gotten longer and longer for the last decade

---

Isn't the last case of SoJ almost as long as all of PW1?

---

KamikazePotato posted...

Isn't the last case of SoJ almost as long as all of PW1?

It's as long as the original PW1 if you exclude 1-5, yes.

---

What's funny is that PW1 is the only one with three-day cases, isn't it?

Anyway, starting episode 3 now.

---

Anagram posted...

What's funny is that PW1 is the only one with three-day cases, isn't it?

Anyway, starting episode 3 now.

This is correct.

You can complete 1-3 Day 3 (investigation and trial) in about an hour even at a leisurely pace.

---

Unrelated: I really enjoy how all of the Japanese characters have black hair while the Europeans have colorful hair, because the game needs to emphasize the difference, but previous games had Japanese characters with all kinds of wacky anime hair.

---

They're well integrated Japanifornians thank you very much

---

Episode 3 spoilers

PHOENIX WRIGHT OMNIBUS

What a subtle reference.

---

Oh, I was wondering what they were going to do about that.

---

Anagram posted...

What's funny is that PW1 is the only one with three-day cases, isn't it?

It makes sense, the pacing was definitely off in PW1 because of that.

Then they forgot all about pacing in SOJ anyway so they might as well have just done 3-day cases there!

---

Anagram posted...

Episode 3 spoilers

PHOENIX WRIGHT OMNIBUS

What a subtle reference.

Literally what it is in the Japanese version, too!

---

So, I'm halfway through the third case (I assume), and briefly, I forgot how much more consistent this series is than Danganronpa and Zero Escape. AA always delivers a really consistent tone and has solid writing that doesn't waver too much in quality, even if it has some weak cases. Very clear why this is the gold standard of mystery game series.

Second case spoilers
Going an entire case without a trial threw me for a loop. I kept wondering 'how long until we get to the trial part?'

---

Case 3 beated, spoilers incoming

I'm glad to see the tradition of confetti being dropped on not guilty verdicts originated in Britain, and America just ported it over later.

It's interesting. Gameplay-wise, this of course is just another AA game. But narratively, it's been completely different from the other games in the series, so I'm still enjoying it a lot.

I remember Leonhart claiming Susato was a high tier teenage girl assistant, though. So far, she's been nothing special at all. Her only big moments have been tossing you around in the ship and fangirling over Herlock Sholmes. She'd better pick it up in the last two cases.

Did not expect a pink-haired little girl inventor at the end. I think there's been one little boy in this series, and how many little girls? Definitely over five.

---

technically, there's 7 cases left because you still have all of GAA2...!

Defining kids as 10 years or younger...

Boys: Cody, Marsh, Ahlbi
Girls: OT Pearl, E-4 Kay

---

Susato is pretty middle of the road.

I like GAA1-3
---

Susato is amazing because she's super competent (which is exactly what Naruhodo needs) while also having fun moments. They talked about how originally Mia and Maya were supposed to be one character, and I think they brought that to fruition in Susato. Her best stuff is still to come though.

---

Mac Arrowny posted...

I like GAA1-3

Yes.

I want to say more, but since someone has at least mentioned it here, I will at least say this is also how I feel, though much more subdued than my opinion of it.

---

SSBM_Guy posted...

technically, there's 7 cases left because you still have all of GAA2...!

Defining kids as 10 years or younger...

Boys: Cody, Marsh, Ahlbi
Girls: OT Pearl, E-4 Kay

Godammit, I totally forgot Marsh and Ahlbi. Though, I was also counting Armie for the girls. I could swear theres another, though.

---

I guess you could also count E1-4 Franziska if you want to start at age 12.

---

yeah, there's quite a lot more girls once you bump the age up

if we're counting up to aged up to 16, girls significantly outnumber boys

---

Isn't the whole thing behind Marsh that he's in middle school? He's a lot older than 10.

---

Wiki says he's 13.
---

Yeah, Marsh's shtick of drinking milk is because he's small for his age.

---

If Stronghart doesn't turn out to be Gant's ancestor, I'm going to riot.

---

I'm ashamed of myself for not expecting Watson to be turned into a ten year-old girl.

---

I finished the first game tonight. If you care more about a b8er's opinion on the game than seeing a bunch of scores from reviewers you know nothing about, I'll post my very general opinion in spoiler tags that you can avoid if you'd prefer not to see anything.

It was decent. It's probably the funniest Ace Attorney game, mostly because of Sholmes, but the actual cases (aside from one) are pretty underwhelming. It's probably closest to JFA in quality, but definitely better.

Placing it into my personal game rankings:
T&T > AAI2 > SoJ > DD > PW1 > GAA1 > JFA > AJ > AAI

T&T through SoJ are 10/10, DD and PW1 a 9/10, GAA1 an 8/10, JFA a 7/10, and AJ and AAI 1 6/10.

---

What're your case rankings like? I can't remember mine exactly, but 3 was my favorite, followed by 5.
---

G1-3 > G1-5 > G1-4 > G1-2 > G1-1

Case 1 was an average old Case 1. Nothing to it, really, but Naruhodo's animations were slick.
Case 2 was atrocious, but primarily saved by Sholmes making me laugh every single time he showed up. Otherwise, bottom 5 case all-time.
Case 3 was fantastic, probably in my overall top 5 cases in the series, probably only below 2-4, 3-5, and 6-5.
Case 4 was just..... there. I liked the major twists and most of the characters involved, though.
Case 5 was a lot of buildup where none of it really paid off. Definitely not good for a finale, but still a decent case.

---

Case 2 is largely a giant homage to the original Speckled Band short story. Reading that story makes the AA case a lot better IMO, though I don't know if it'll boost your ranking very much.
---

yeah it helps to be familiar with the source material because you do get a lot of the references being made (watching the original LP motivated me to read all the Sherlock Holmes stories) but they're really more like the Easter Eggs of memes you find in the main series more than anything else

they'll go over your head if you haven't read the stories but you won't have missed anything pertinent to GAA's story

---