Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Review

Ace Attorney has had quite the following, a beloved franchise with lovable characters enshrined into meme statuses. Many got to rediscover the games with the release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and, more recently, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy as remasters of some of the original games. To tie things off, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection offers the fans a final treat and a jumping-off point for newcomers.

A remastered collection of the original Ace Attorney Investigations games, the first of which came out to Nintendo 3DS international in 2010. The second game never saw an international release, and thus, many fans overlooked it. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection offers an official localization for the second game, general quality-of-life improvements, and the usual HD treatment. The games offer a unique approach to the franchise, with the main character, Miles Edgeworth, stepping out of the courtroom and into the scene of a Criminal Investigation.

Throughout the game, you play as Edgeworth, offering a change of pace as you play as the prosecutor. The games follow the usual 5-case format, with the second one's cases being some of the best in the series. The gameplay combines a side-scrolling adventure game and a visual novel with third-person and first-person segments. In the third-person investigation segment, you look for clues and hunt evidence while moving around the game area.

Once these are interacted with or gathered, they are saved in Edgeworth's Thoughts for momentary revisitation. You use a myriad of different mechanics to advance your case. Connecting clues, pointing out contradictions, or creating reproductions of the crime scene will unlock more information that eventually completes an investigation. This moves you onto the first-person rebuttal phase.

The rebuttal phase sees you vocally spar with rivals and witnesses as you compare your findings with what they say. You can press them for details or provide information that might contradict their words. By doing this, you can eventually confront your primary suspect and solve your case. Throughout this, making mistakes starts to shorten a gauge called the 'Truth Gauge. 'Once it is fully empty, the game ends.

Doing everything [or almost everything] right ensures the Truth Gauge doesn't go empty and you complete the case. Upon completing the case, the next one is made available. Completing a case fully replenishes the gauge, while completing an investigation phase partially does so.

The cases can get somewhat repetitive in terms of gameplay as you virtually have to do similar tasks, but the puzzles themselves provide a correct balance of complexity and fun, although, sometimes, especially in the 'Logic Chess' segments, it can get especially obvious and simple. However, this does not mean they are boring, as Edgeworth's monologue, other dialogue, and all the previously mentioned mechanics keep your mind engaged.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection offers a game to be played through a different lens, where you are out to prove guilt instead of defending clients. This is complimented by Edgeworth's character and personality. The first game isn't extremely noteworthy and is much more generic than other games in the franchise, often poorly paced and with flat jokes.

The second one does much to make up for it; it makes an already good character great, weaving together much of Edgeworth's past and, thus, the previous games. Exploring Edgeworth's inner thoughts lets us unravel and understand his insecurities and friendships. We also get to see more of his father and how the cases affect him.

His dynamic with the accompanying cast also adds to his character, providing a full arc. Overall, the second game has some of the strongest story points, with the stakes feeling very real as Edgeworth's reputation and position are in danger. The game also manages to deliver incredibly witty dialogue, funny scenes, and deep subtext.

Among other additions, the game also contains changes reminiscent of its preceding remasters. The aforementioned HD treatment sells itself here, making things much more enjoyable to look at. Additionally, the new sprites will add flair to the newer game while adding much-needed character and depth to the various cast of characters.

Speaking of the characters in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, all of them have varying levels of charm. Kay is a nice stand-in for Maya and generally serves the same purpose. She starts off as being too much like Maya, almost feeling like the same characters, but later grows into her own.

Gumshoe, still being treated as the idiot, plays off of Edgeworth a lot as the game progresses, and you start seeing a closer bond. Even the rivals have their own depth levels, feeling like rivals instead of the classic 'baddies'.

The locations you end up in are absurd and varying, benefiting from the HD retouch as they feel very lived. Additionally, you get to see the world of Ace Attorney and explore its people [mostly by interrogating them]. The retouch also adds to the investigation phases as the clues you look at make you think.

In Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, the art style can also be ascribed as somewhat simple, and it can really detract from the dramatic nature of the story. Additionally, the audio design does its job, but the orchestra music feels a little out of place, as at many points, you'd think you're in a dramatic movie instead of a serious case. You can also switch to a pixelated 'retro' art style for the characters, for those who want the 3DS experience, so to speak.

You also get the usual accessibility additions, such as a gallery and the ability to choose chapters after you complete them. You can also remove the puzzles from the game and enjoy the story fully instead. Or, you can simplify them and make them far easier. This is especially useful for those looking to read and see the stories unfold.

Overall, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection offers very visible and useful upgrades that make the game incredibly accessible while also offering the second game to Western audiences. The two games have their nooks and crannies that make them, [particularly the first one] suffer from many issues, and the game, while very much repayable now, is still very repetitive in its gameplay.

Despite this, it offers stunning visuals, accessibility, and an incredibly strong story in the second game. It remains a must-play, regardless of whether you are looking for a neat investigation and mystery game or you're an Ace Attorney veteran looking to finally play an official localization for the second game.