Longtime fans of the franchise were already anticipating it after the two anthologies Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, but especially after the massive effort spent to translate and adapt The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, it was practically a given that Capcom would also turn its attention to the spin-off duology Ace Attorney Investigations. After all, if they put in the effort to create a Western version of a dark and complex double title like Chronicles, why wouldn’t they do the same for the two games dedicated to Miles Edgeworth, one of the most beloved characters, who had yet to receive a Western version of the second in the series? And thus, fans rejoice: the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection will be released on September 6 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, and Xbox One. We had the opportunity to try the first cases from the two games that make up the anthology – namely Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit – and here are our first impressions, awaiting the full review, which will arrive later.
Sherlock who?
For those unfamiliar with the original saga, it’s a series of investigative graphic adventures that culminate in spectacular courtroom trials filled with twists where, amidst absurdities of all kinds and various humorous testimonies, its creator Shu Takumi has excellently staged the drama and absurd comedy, bringing beloved characters to life.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a spin-off that forgoes courtroom drama to instead expand the investigative aspect. The protagonist is prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, a shrewd and incorruptible man of law with a troubled past who, after some courtroom encounters with rival Phoenix Wright, is more determined than ever to uncover every shred of truth in the cases presented to him… or those he unwittingly finds himself involved in. His own office, in fact, becomes the scene of a brutal yet inexplicable crime, and his deductive skills are itching to solve the case! Helping him are old and new acquaintances, as the mystery deepens and branches out in new directions. The stakes get even higher in the second title of the series, where Miles must come to terms with his past… and with what he wants his future to be.
At the crime scene
Essentially, Investigations is a game very similar to the main saga, with some fundamental differences that, however, do not “disconnect” it too much from the original. The concept is about investigating, finding clues, creating theories, dismantling false testimonies, and pinning down the culprits. Compared to titles featuring Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice, the approach is less “visual novel” and more “point-and-click graphic adventure,” resulting in a fluid alternation of phases with fewer interruptions: investigations are more seamlessly blended with dialogues and testimonies, without the intense atmosphere of the courtroom looming over them, but certain dynamics remain the same, albeit with different names and mechanics. For example, instead of cross-examinations in trials, we have phases of heated discussions with witnesses, but the outcomes and penalties are similar. There are also special mechanics, less “fantastical” than those used by his defense attorney colleagues, and more akin to mind games a la Sherlock: for instance, we can mention the “mind chess” technique present in the second game. The investigation is all-encompassing, with the character free to roam around the scene (not just our cursor, as is tradition) and to focus on various elements in different ways, examining objects, crime scenes, and various details, comparing them with items in the inventory and asking for the opinions of other characters. All of this utilizes the logical and deductive skills of our champion of justice, sometimes aided by his assistants. In this regard, the unusual presence of the young Faye and her gadget, the Little Thief, capable of reconstructing situations from crime scenes, proves crucial.
Speaking of improvements and updates in the new version, there are several things that struck us: numerous quality of life enhancements return (or expand) for the experience (which, let’s remember, dates back to the days of the Nintendo DS). In addition to the already appreciated features from previous collections, such as galleries of artwork, videos, and music, trophies, and new Western-exclusive tidbits, we have the ability to choose directly which episode and chapter to start playing from (although it would be – literally – a crime not to play in sequential order, at least the first time), and it is also possible to select Story Mode and enjoy the whole experience as if it were a sort of anime, should one not want to stretch their brain and merely enjoy the narrative part. Players can re-read the story logs, change the background music, and choose in which of the seven available languages to play, with new adaptations and new voice acting. Unfortunately, Italian is not among the various languages available.
One element that sets this anthology apart from the previous ones is the graphics: while the previous collections underwent an excellent remastering process in super HD, here we are faced with a true remake, with sprites redrawn in HD by the historic designer Tatsuro Iwamoto. The quality of the models is impressive in terms of definition and animations, although one must get used to the chibi style, used here with slightly exaggerated head proportions compared to the body. However, it is always possible to play with the “cleaned up” classic sprite version as well.
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