Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy Review

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy for PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch is a collection of visual novel games from Street Fighter and Resident Evil creator Capcom. It contains the first three games in the series — Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. Originally released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan only, and later worldwide on the Nintendo DS, 3DS, and iOS, the franchise's now available on Sony's and Microsoft's consoles in addition to Steam for the first time. Capcom has been going through a purple patch with Devil May Cry 5 and Resident Evil 2, how does Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy fare? Let's find out in our Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy review.

This trilogy follows the escapades of lawyer Phoenix Wright as he tries to defend his clients in court. From representing a magician accused of murder to discovering the real killer of a popular TV show villain, each episode is a treat to play through.

Despite it being nearly fifteen years since the release of the first Phoenix Wright game outside of Japan, the trilogy is as relevant as it were the first time around. The stories and dialogue of all three games hold up well thanks to over-the-top colourful characters, pun-laden writing, and cultural references that are still current.

Playing through the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy has you visiting the scene of the crime, gathering clues, speaking to witnesses, and presenting evidence in court.There's a hint of the supernatural with the second and third games' Psyche-Lock, a mechanic that shows a witness is consciously or subconsciously hiding crucial information, with the number of locks indicating how deep the secret is.

You can break these by offering select pieces of evidence that prove something is amiss. When all locks are broken, new details are accessible. Much like its writing, the gameplay, too, still feels solid.

While the essential elements of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy are in place, it's lacking in other areas. For one, unlike other visual novels, there's no conversation log. Which means is if you miss a sliver of dialogue or an important detail, you'll find yourself at a disadvantage in the courtroom while defending your clients. It's disappointing that this feature is missing, more so when games in the series following the original trilogy had it.

Furthermore, we wish there was more it visually. The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy looks clean and sharp on the PS4 on a big screen and scales well even on the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode. If you played these games when they released, they'll be exactly as you remembered them. Although this will be enough for many, one has to wonder how much better it could be if it had some graphical flourishes that took take advantage of the added processing power of the new-age consoles.

Finally, there's nothing in the way of extras either. Unlike the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection from Capcom, there are no concept art or design documents to feast your eyes upon. This makes Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy a threadbare re-release of some of the more quirkier, interesting games ever made.

If you have never played the Phoenix Wright games, the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a decent enough place to start. However the lack of any extras or improvements make it tough to recommend if you've played the Phoenix Wright games before.

Pros

• Great writing
• Solid gameplay

Cons

• No conversation log
• Barebones with no extra content

Rating (out of 10): 7

Gadgets 360 played a review copy Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. It's available now on PS4 for Rs. 2,497, Xbox One for Rs. 2,750, and PC for Rs. 2,499 ($30 in the US). On the Nintendo Switch, it's $30 via the Nintendo eShop (around Rs. 2,100).

If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.