Originally published on DualShockers on April 9, 2019. I have republished the introduction of the review here for myself. If you would like to see the original post, check it out here.
I remember the first time I played a Phoenix Wright game. It was back during a time where my local mall had both a GameStop and an EB Games. My pal Alex had been recommending this game where you play as a lawyer for quite some time. My parents had just reneged on letting me buy the Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection for my PS2, so I decided to take my cash and buy this lawyer game instead.
I ended up getting the second game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, for some reason. Despite being the second game, it worked out quite well in my favor. The first trial, which is more or less a tutorial for the grander experience, involves everyone’s favorite spiky-haired defense attorney getting bonked on the head and suffering short term amnesia. As I played the game, I fell in love with the cast, writing, and core mechanic of catching people in a lie. I immediately followed up and bought the first game and then the third.
Cut to eight years later and that core trilogy of games (along with Apollo Justice) still strikes a chord with me now, just as much as it did back then. Capcom has remastered the trilogy for the umpteenth time with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Bringing the visuals to the modern era with streamlined controls helps reaffirms that the courtroom drama is still relevant today and should not be missed by fans, both new and old.