Nintendo DS

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Apollo and his "focus" powers certainly fill Phoenix Wright's shoes while the former protagonist takes on a badass new role as a behind-the-scenes player.

Obwohl Apollo Justice ein absoluter Neuling ist, steht er dem grossen Phoenix Wright in nichts nach. Seine Fälle sind sogar noch einen Tick spannender und vermögen einen stets bis zum Schluss vor den Handheld zu fesseln. Das auch, obwohl die oft sehr interessanten Zeugenbefragungen nach wie vor sehr textlastig sind und es so gut wie keine Sprachausgabe gibt. Dafür dürft ihr euch neben einer erstklassigen Musikuntermalung auch auf ein paar neue Ermittlungswerkzeuge und gut gemachte Videosequenzen freuen. Fans sollten sich den neuesten Ableger der Serie also keinesfalls entgehen lassen. Doch auch Neueinsteiger können sich den Titel, nicht zuletzt aufgrund der gelungenen Einführung, ruhigen Gewissens zulegen.

It's not often than a fresh IP about something as obtuse as legal practice takes off and becomes a successful game series. Apollo Justice doesn't fool too much with the formula – which, while disappointing to people looking for a deeper courtroom experience – is a safe play for everyone else. It's more of the same, then, but it's great. The defence rests.

Still, I highly recommend playing through each game before taking on Justice. Do you have to? Nah, but you will appreciate the story a helluva lot more. Especially considering the Phoenix Wright games are by far the best-written titles you'll find on the DS, and Justice is no different. The localization team at Capcom should be commended for writing dialogue that is genuinely funny. Basically, if you're a fan of the earlier Phoenix Wright games, you will laugh...a lot. Couple the comedy with Justice's engrossing story and you have a case that would be criminal not to take.

That being said, unless you absolutely hate games that have a lot of reading, it's extremely hard to not recommend Apollo Justice—especially if you're a hardcore Ace Attorney fan. If you're new to the series, you're best advised to start with the first game, so you can have more of a grasp of what to really expect and understand every inside joke. This story-driven title has a lot to offer, including the specifics on how Phoenix Wright lost his attorney badge—oh, darn. One of the story elements has been leaked, and now you're pretty much forced to pick this up. TAKE THAT!

Apollo Justice surprised us. This may just be yet another of Capcom’s infamous rehashes, but it’s so much more enjoyable than most that it’s extremely hard to ignore. Going into playing this game expecting nothing but the same old-same old shtick, I was extremely excited when I realized that old and new could be melded so nicely. Capcom appeared to pay attention to their startling trend and tried to do something about it. The gameplay and static looks of Apollo Justice are just as we’ve seen them before, and the music will be both familiar and new, but Apollo Justice retains a lot of the charm Phoenix Wright held before it, and adds to the series' legacy. What's old is new again, and damn good, too.

The highlight of the Ace Attorney series, despite not doing much that the other games didn't and being a little short. Still, long-time fans and newcomers alike should love it.

DS-owners who've never worn a digital toga really have to try it. The Ace Attorney series is fascinating and quite special in gamesville and it still is, even in this newcomer called Apollo Justice. Old fans can expect what they're used to and more, because this part will be both recognizable and refreshing at the same time. The verdict? Buy, lend or rent that shit! If not, I'll take you to court!

Como de costume, a Capcom conseguiu uma fórmula de sucesso e lhe deu um mínimo ar de novidade para justificar um novo produto. O lado bom é que a idéia realmente é boa e continua fresca, funcionando de maneira eficiente no DS, com o controle através da caneta stylus. Os fãs da série só terão do reclamar da duração do jogo, com apenas quatro casos, enquanto os novatos mais pacientes ficarão instigados a procurar os capítulos anteriores.

Taking a considerably different direction from the previous Ace Attorney games was always going to be a huge risk for the team at Capcom, especially bringing in a new protagonist. However, the sharp writing skills shine through once more, with a script full of intrigue, humour and mystery. Throw in the tried-and-tested gameplay mechanic gamers have grown to love over the years, as well as the odd little tweak here and there and Apollo Justice proves to be a resounding success on all fronts.

And how does Justice compare to Wright? Not bad, considering he's playing to a crowd of Phoenix fans. Although he's a more naïve presence than Wright (his assistant Trucy is far savvier - a reversal of Wright and Maya), he brings a new 'perceive ability' to the court. Used to point out nervous 'tells' to better read the witnesses (ie to spot twitches and tell-tell signs of fibbing), it's a great replacement for the lie-detecting Magatama. And, of course, a new defence attorney must have a new foil. Just as Godot wows us in Trials And Tribulations, in struts Apollo's nemesis, Klavier Gavin - German prosecutor and part-time rock musician. His air guitar riffs and German spattered dialogue are the comic cherry on yet another laugh out loud law cake. But it is a cake we've eaten before.

Qui n'a jamais goûté aux joies d'un épisode de Ace Attorney passe à côté de quelque chose de grand. Si les fans attendaient plutôt la venue du troisième volet de la série, Trials and Tribulations, il faudra pourtant se faire à l'idée que ce titre risque fort de ne pas être distribué en Europe. C'est donc le quatrième opus qui succède à Justice For All dans notre pays, et il ne s'agit pas de la conversion d'un épisode GBA mais bien d'un épisode inédit conçu spécialement pour la DS. Le seul regret que l'on pourra avoir concerne peut-être le fait que le jeu se démarque très peu de ses aînés, là où l'on attendait quelque chose de plus audacieux. Apollo Justice n'en reste pas moins incontournable si vous suivez la série depuis ses débuts.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney picks up where Phoenix Wright left off. The game is a lot of fun and leaves the gamer playing the multiple roles of detective and scientist, as well as attorney. Some of the cases are extremely long, and when you think the proceedings are finally coming to a close, the game throws you for a loop. However you look at it, Apollo Justice will leave you hooked.

En conclusión, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney trae de regreso los juicios a la DS con algunas novedades jugables y con la misma escencia de los titulos anteriores, continua teniendo las mismas falencias en su forma de juego por su excesiva linealidad aunque esto a los seguidores de la saga poco les va a importar. Aun cuando pierda un poco de carisma al no estar presentes todos los personajes clásicos, el juego tiene su propio peso y sale adelante gracias a sus grandes cualidades. Es una muy buena opcion para continuar gritando ¡Protesto! contra la pantalla.

A sequel in every sense of the word, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is content to merely evolve its series' formula, so if you're a die-hard Ace Attorney fan, it's doubtful that you'll see anything new here. On the other hand, the game is a great entry point for novice attorneys, thanks to a new cast of vibrant characters. Either way, if you want to unravel some crimes and have a few laughs in the process, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is your best bet.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney upholds the series' distinction as being one of the most clever adventures on the DS. It's funny, unique and breaks up the text scrolling with more varied activities. Even so, Apollo still has room to grow and I'm looking forward to seeing what case he takes next.

See, I've been very clever. I've gone on and on about my issues with the game, without telling you anything of what actually happens. That's the joy of the Ace Attorney games - being told a story. That's the precious part, and that's the bit they get so very, very right. It's so tempting to regale you with moments, one-liners, asides, and running jokes that permeate throughout, but why ruin the moment for you? One more thing though - if Gyakuten Saiban 5 doesn't tell me about Maya, I'm going over to Capcom's house and smearing poo on the walls.

Whether you're an ardent fan of the Ace Attorney titles or a curious newcomer, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is another fine entry in the series. In some instances it will feel a tad recycled, but the drama of the courtroom will still hook many gamers. The new DS-centric controls add a lot to the formula, though some other cool new features, such as forensic videos, are too sparsely used. The cast of characters, as a whole, are rather appealing, and the cases are intriguing. If you haven't discovered the series yet, Apollo Justice is a good place to start.

Apollo Justice delivers an evolved version of the Phoenix Wright titles, but the overall experience has been shortened dramatically. There are only four cases to run through and each case doesn't take more than two to three hours at best. It's almost as if Capcom is using a shorter release window between titles to maximize their profit at the expense of the game length. Regardless of the duration, the immersive story and witty writing is definitely worth the entry fee. Those who are well versed in the Phoenix Wright saga will pick up on references to past games and shouldn't hesitate to launch into Apollo's opening act. It's certainly not necessary to have played the previous games, but helps understand some of the humor. For anyone hungry for a new DS title to test their deductive skills, Apollo Justice is a safe bet.

Olen kurkkuani myöten täynnä kaikkea, missä suomalainen alkoholisti, brittiläinen mummo tai saksalainen apina ratkoo kaavamaisesti kaavamaisia rikoksia, enkä toisaalta ole kovin moneen mangaankaan ihastunut. Tämä on selkeä kehu Apollo Justicea kohtaan. Peli on tehty niin halvalla ja yksinkertaisesti kuin ikinä mahdollista, mutta kun tarina kiinnostaa, niin silloinhan se kiinnostaa. Onnetonta dekkaria lukiessa voi yrittää arvata pari kolme asiaa etukäteen, mutta Apollo Justicea pelatessa hoksottimet saavat vähintäänkin raksuttaa kaiken aikaa, vaikka todelliset haasteet harvinaisia ovatkin. Apollo Justice on hieno kesäpeli - hienoa ajanhukkaa tilaisuuksissa, joissa aika menisi hukkaan joka tapauksessa.

Voor fans van de serie is het weer genieten van een heerlijke verhaal, mooi graphics en wat DS specifieke dingen. Jammer dat het allemaal wel wat minder is. Apollo Justice is geen Phoenix Wright en ook de bijpersonages zijn goed, maar wat minder interessant. De kick die ik in de eerdere delen van de muziek kreeg is helaas zo goed als verdwenen en de DS specifieke dingen hadden veel vaker gebruikt mogen worden. Nog steeds een goede adventure, maar het is allemaal wel een stuk minder dan de eerdere delen. Toch heb ik me er mee vermaakt en kijk uit naar een mogelijk volgend deel. Een kleine 7,5.

So langsam entwickelt sich die ’Ace Attorney’-Serie zu dem Äquivalent amerikanischer Serien wie ’C.S.I.’ oder ’Without a Trace’. Im Endeffekt laufen die Fälle alle sehr ähnlich ab und so manche Überraschung verpufft auf eine eher unspektakuläre Weise in einer schnöden Erklärung. Trotzdem ist die Motivation hinter den teilweise sehr gut geschriebenen Geschichten auch dank extrem freakiger Charaktere erneut eine Klasse für sich. Allerdings zeigt sich eine weitere Parallele zu den genannten Serien: Manche Folgen sind interessant (erster und letzter Fall), andere wirken von der Logik her künstlich konstruiert (Fall zwei und drei). Diese schwankende Qualitätskurve sorgt dafür, dass Apollo Justice gegenüber Phoenix Wright leicht das Nachsehen hat. Wer jedoch kein Problem mit überlangen Dialogen hat, lineares Spieldesign verträgt und einfache Adventure-Konzepte mag, der greift genau wie bei den Vorgängern zu.

Phoenix Wright fans who loved the past games and want nothing more than another docket of crazy cases to tackle will no doubt love Apollo Justice. It's a solid distillation of the franchise formula and if you haven't yet had your fill, I wholly recommend the game, because you will no doubt enjoy it. But I personally couldn't get over how derivative the game felt. There were moments when I enjoyed myself but for me, the magic of the series has slowly worn off and I truly hope Capcom takes the franchise in a bold new direction. Otherwise, I might have to consider turning in my badge and leaving the courtroom for good.

Apollo Justice may just be a re-named Phoenix Wright but considering the old games were not broken and enjoyed much success, we can't blame the developers for not changing it. So it really comes down to whether you liked the older games or not. If not you won't find much new, if you did, then Apollo Justice will be right up your alley and is a moderately interesting addition to the series. However next time they will really need to change it up or Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice risk turning into yet another franchise which has gone on too long.

At a crunch point though, while this game doesn't push the text-based adventure forward, what it does do is offer an entertaining and engrossing story, which is exactly what we all want in a good adventure. If you're up for putting up with the game's fickle logic at times, then you'll find a very rich world here, with some memorable characters. Having been the first time I was introduced to the world of Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice, I enjoyed the experience: it certainly makes for a change from the piles of shovelware currently doing the rounds on the DS.

Those who have never played a game in the series to this point will find that this is still a well written adventure filled with quirky humour, offbeat scenarios and ever-twisting plots. The same is true for series veterans, of course, but having seen what previous iterations were capable of at their best, the latest Ace Attorney ends up feeling mostly like more of the same but not as good.

Du bien tout d'abord, puisque l'on profite enfin d'un jeu entièrement développé pour la DS permettant dès le second chapitre de se la jouer police scientifique en soufflant sur le micro ou en tartinant du ciment avec le doigt sur l'écran tactile. Du bien toujours lorsque l'on découvre une galerie de personnages totalement inédits, nouvelle génération oblige. Mais du mal aussi, la faute à un complot visant à complètement délester le joueur de ses responsabilités, n'en faisant qu'un pantin désarticulé victimes de nombreux retournements de situations pas toujours très crédibles. L'aventure reste excellente et fort passionnante sur le moment, mais laisse un petit goût amer une fois le dernier chapitre achevé avec succès. A ne pas tenter si vous avez déjà commencé à vous lasser de la répétitivité des précédents. Si par contre vous êtes un fan du "gyakutenverse", les retrouvailles avec Phoenix Wright justifient à elles seules l'achat du titre.

Beyond that, there’s not really all that’s really new in this installment of the series. The four episodes are introduced with short movies that are a nice upgrade to the production value of the series.9 You’ll do all the examining, moving, talking, and presenting like you did before, and although the faces and the names change, the soul is still right there. It’s more of the same for the franchise, and while innovation drives our industry, it’s nice to enjoy a good book story-driven game once in a while.

Phoenix Wright: You still have a lot to learn, kid. If you’re going to make it in this world, you have to pave your own path. Still, copying me is not a bad start... though your hair is hardly as spiky as mine. Ha ha ha ha ha…

No deja de ser sintomático que lo mejor de este cartucho, y me disculparán el spoiler, sean los veinte minutos de auténtica gloria, de catarsis absoluta, que tiene el grandísimo Phoenix Wright, exudando veteranía y habilidad. Y es que, cuando lo bueno funciona, ¿qué sentido tiene intentar cambiarlo?

"Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney" is an extremely tired and jaded release from Capcom. The series has been going for years, but has seen basically no new innovations. The 3D evidence is a mixed addition at best. If you are a big fan of the series, then you'll probably buy the game anyway, but if you wanted to try this kind of game out, you'd be much better off with the original game- it's pretty similar, has a storyline that requires no previous knowledge of the series, and will be much cheaper!