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Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations (DS)
by Shocksuspect
I'm a huge fan of the Ace Attorney series and as soon as I completed Apollo Justice, I was eager for some more pressing and presenting goodness. I didn't have to wait long as now we have Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth to satisfy our glorified lives of lawyers. The 4th instalment is a lot different than previous ace attorney ... outings with new gameplay mechanics and an old and familiar character stepping in Phoenix Wright's shoes. Can Miles Edgeworth deliver like our favourite spiky-haired Defense Lawyer did before him?
Story
As you've probably already figured out, Phoenix Wright, nor Apollo Justice is the playable character here. Fans of the series will recognise old rival of Phoenix Wright Miles Edgeworth as the protagonist. I was debating whether Edgeworth has the staying power and charisma to have his own game. He was a likeable character, almost like a Father-figure, in previous instalments, where we saw him transition from brutal prosecutor hell-bent on getting a guilty verdict to a true friend of Phoenix Wright, pre-occupied with justice and seeking the truth. Now that transition and story has already been told, I was wondering how you could make him interesting. He lacks the quirkiness and silliness that made Phoenix Wright and even Apollo Justice so likeable in the 1st place. I played throughout the game and whilst he wasn't as interesting and likeable as Phoenix Wright, I was pleasantly surprised with his character. I believe this is thanks to the relationship Edgeworth shares with his Detective partner Dick Gumshoe, who is a bumbling and loveable idiot fans of the series will immediately recognise. I especially enjoyed how whenever Gumshoe fluffed something up, Edgeworth would ponder some witty response in his head. As far as new characters go, they are interesting, but not as much as the series' previous personalities. Fans of the series will greatly appreciate the numerous cameos that make an appearance too.
The story is the essential part of this game, so I won't delve too deep. What I will say though is that I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative and especially how it intertwined the game's separate cases with each other. The Ace Attorney series have a habit of always making their last cases more interesting than the other's and Miles Edgeworth is no exception. There are also 5 cases here instead of the usual 4, so this added to the games' quite limited staying power.
Gameplay
I was shocked to realise that the 4th Ace Attorney game is not set in a courtroom at all. As the name suggests, this game is all about the investigation aspect. Instead of moving a cursor around a screen from a fixed still position, you get to control Edgeworth from a 3rd person perspective by using either the d-pad or touch-screen to move around crime scenes. Whilst this doesn't change the core gameplay very much, it did make the experience feel much more involving. The cross-examinations found in the courtroom in previous games is still here, they just happen out in the field instead. I was glad they decided to keep this feature and I found it clever how well they implemented these instances within the story. Edgeworth doesn't have Wright's magatama or Justice's bracelet, but he does have his logic. This is a new feature where whenever a question is posed in the investigation or an odd piece of evidence is found, Edgeworth adds these thoughts to his memory bank. You then join these thoughts together whenever two pieces of information explain or contradict each other. This new feature isn't groundbreaking, but it is a welcome feature which I enjoyed using a lot.
The Ace Attorney series have been known not to be very challenging, due to being able to save whenever you want. This feature is essential sometimes though as there is some trial and error contained within this game. It didn't occur very often for me, but it did happen. The cases themselves aren't too challenging, but I was not put off by this. If it was more challenging, then there would be more trial and error. Overall, I loved the new and familiar features that Miles Edgeworth has brought. It's just not as ground-breaking as the original Phoenix Wright game.
Presentation
This is the best looking Ace Attorney game yet, and has been wonderfully presented on 2 screens. The characters and environments have been wonderfully designed with plenty of colour and detail. The cut-scenes are also more impressive than before and whilst the series' is still void of voice acting, that's probably a good thing. After all, Edgeworth shouting out 'Eureka!' doesn't quite have the same impact as Phoenix Wright's 'Objection!' The synth tunes and the wacky sound effects are all here and they really do help keep this game alive.
If you're an avid fan of the Ace Attorney series, it's likely you've either already picked up a copy of Miles Edgeworth, or are already planning on getting one. Due to there being no replay value, I would recommend renting this one, as one should do with any Ace Attorney game. Newcomers to the series would also appreciate this game, but the familiar cameos and features cater more to the series' fans. If you've never played an Ace Attorney game, I would recommend getting the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and make your way through the undeniably entertaining series. Miles Edgeworth is a welcome addition to the classic series and here's me hoping the series will continue to thrive for years to come. I give Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth for the Nintendo DS a 9 out of 10.
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Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations (DS)
by microserfs
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, although a spin off from the original Phoenix Wright series, is still a fun game, in it's own right. The ridiculous world of quirky oddball characters returns to continue giving that light bizarre humour as the game takes on a darker approach to the topic of murder.
When learning ... that Edgeworth would indeed get his own game, it was all very exciting. This game reflects not on our previous protagonist Phoenix Wright, who is barely even mentioned here, this is about our anti-hero, and it tells five stories over three days that span a whole seven years in flashbacks.
The most evident change is the change to the third person view and having the full control to move our character around using the D-pad or touch screen. Alongside Edgeworth is usually a tag-along character, maybe in this case it's Detective Gumshoe from previous games, or our new daft 17 year old dame Kay Faraday, along with others who may appear throughout.
There are still the old familiar characteristics of the games system though. Edgeworth has, like Phoenix had, an Organizer in which all his gathered evidence goes, and profiles of those he meets or knows.
The game has one distinct difference from its predecessors, the lack of a court room. Instead Miles Edgeworth will interrogate and demand testimonies from those he encounters around a crime scene, who are then cross-examined in the form of a rebuttal. The usual way of pressing for more information and presenting evidence on contradictions is still accounted for here. Another new method of building up information and figuring things out is the introduction of the Logic button, which in short means connecting thoughts that may fit together to create clues. It's an intriguing little system, and it makes it a little more different.
Characters will return in this title from the previous games, most of them known and loved, with some new interesting characters thrown in for good measure. I'll leave the surprises for you.
There's one frustrating thing about these Ace Attorney games. If you know something's right and you do it in the "wrong order" you still get punished for not presenting the right evidence at the right time and so on. One thing beneficial for everyone is saving, a lot. I tend to do it before a cross-examination. If I'm stuck I do tend to cheat and just click everything until I figure it out before resetting my DS and then going through with it with my new found information. Tch. Sometimes you just have to, come on.
All in all, it's a game that I think would appeal to Phoenix Wright fans and new fans alike. It's one of those games that you can just jump into, in my opinion, but perhaps it's more fun to play through some of the other games first, just for the feeling of nostalgia you get when you recognize a character. Without the presence of Phoenix Wright, Maya or Pearl, it does feel a little empty, but there's enough here to fill the hole up. The cast in general are without a doubt, fantastic and hilarious and it's a game you can just pick up and play wherever you are.
Highly recommended!
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Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations (DS)
by mattconnect
I have loved the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney gaming series for the DS, and here comes a spin-off for Miles Edgeworth, the prosecutor rival of Phoenix's. This game will allow us to see into the prosecutor's side of things, and along the way, introduce some new gaming features!
~~~BOX DESIGN~~~
The design of the box is ... consistent with the other games, which have windows and shows the main characters of the game. The only familiar face is detective gumshoe, and two new characters we have not met before, both look very interesting! We shall have to find out.
If you like collecting the games, this is definitely one to get!
~~~GAMEPLAY~~~
This game contains five new investigations for us to play:
-Turnabout Visitor
-Turnabout Airlines
-The Kidnapped Turnabout
-Turnabout Reminiscence
-Turnabout Ablaze
The first chapter is a simple tutorial for those who have not played the series before, showing them the ropes as they say, but quickly escalates into a full chapter and poses many challenges as well.
A major difference is that you now control an avatar that can walk around and investigate things, as well as incorporating examination techniques found in previous games. It is much more a "role playing game" now, although apart from this, there is not much change to long term fans of the series.
There are also new methods to investigate which includes "Logic", "Crime Reproduction Gadget" and "Rebuttal", which all add to the game play, making it more dynamic and interesting.
The game is in no way easy, and many a time you face difficulties and will become stuck. Hey, I was stuck early on in the first chapter!! But the fulfilment in passing these obstacles is amazing, and the way the game is made, there are many of these tricks and red herrings that you just have to take a risk!
One slight criticism is that sometimes the clues you present DOES make sense, but you get penalised for it only because there is a slightly BETTER place for you to present it. Nonetheless, it is a cleverly made game that is exciting and fun to play.
What I love about these games is that we will find out the truth, and when we do, it all makes sense. It is like the end of a CSI episode when all is revealed and you go "Ahhh, that's how it was!"... This game reveals it in a cunning a sharp way and ends each episode in a gripping way.
~~~GRAPHICS~~~
As with previous games, graphics are not extremely top notch, but it doesn't have to be. The manga style present thus far suffices and along with interesting and exciting animations, create a really immersive world with great attention to detail.
The colourful graphics and the cute and funny characters make this game really exciting to play, and touches your emotions...
~~~SOUND~~~
The sound is not bad, but not necessary either... It is considerably better than most games, but not one you need on.
~~~PRICE~~~
It can be purchased for £25 RRP at most online retailers and in stores.
~~~OVERALL ENJOYMENT~~~
For me, what got me into the whole series was the animations and humour, along with the perfect CSI-esque game play. Whilst working through the investigation, slowly the truth emerges, and everything fits into place. Everything makes sense, and you go WOW, how clever!
This game is no different, and maintains the style and prowess the other games brought to the gaming market, this time with a twist that you are the prosecutor. I'm sure many fans will like this as I have and I await to see a sequel to this game.
Personally, I much prefer Phoenix Wright and they really should've kept that series going, but I also like their development on the other side of the fence, and taking a go at prosecution is also quite fun. What they should've done was have a game released as both prosecution and defense, which would be quite interesting... but nonetheless, this is a solid game that fits into the Ace Attorney series exceptionally well in all aspects.
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