while the first ace attorney game was fantastic, it was just that; the first game. there were some rather obvious issues that needed to be ironed out; most notably, the poor pacing in the latter trials, and the lack of any mechanical diversity outside of trials. they’re relatively easy problems to fix going into a new game, as long as you keep them in mind as development continues. and, luckily for us, director shu takumi did!

unluckily for us, he also started getting really, really wasted while writing the cases for this game. yeah, that’s a real fact, and yeah, you can tell. there’s still some fantastic, emotionally touching moments here, and a good 2 of the 4 cases are still quite solid, but there are more obvious writing flaws here than in the first game. like… MUCH more obvious.

let’s start with the revamped investigations. well, “revamped” is a bit strong, but there’s new stuff here. much of the investigating is similar to the game prior: running around to various locations, clicking on evidence, and talking to the cast of characters involved in the case.

new to justice for all, though, are psyche-locks: physical representations of someone’s lies. as someone tells a fib, the background goes black and these intricately designed, blindingly red locks come crashing down onto the screen; it’s truly a sight to behold, especially the first time around.

they’re quite fun mechanically as well! they’re similar in concept to breaking down witness testimony, as you still present evidence to undo their lies, but during investigations, it often feels more personal. you’re not usually breaking down someone’s entire argument, it’s often just a simple detail they don’t want to share; it’s a more personal breakdown, which makes each individual character feel more fleshed out.

the trials remain roughly the same; witnesses come up, and you pick through their testimony for contradictions. if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

there is a new prosecutor at the helm, though; one franziska von karma. her interactions with phoenix and maya feel a lot harsher than those of edgeworth. their general attitude is similar, with franziska being like edgeworth’s first case against phoenix, but her actions are much meaner. whipping, verbal beratement, and general poor treatment of others makes her seem much crueler than edgeworth.

this change becomes more obvious because edgeworth is completely gone. phoenix and maya’s interactions remain relatively bubbly, though phoenix is quite distraught over the aforementioned disappearance, and refuses to fill maya in on what happened to him. it’s a really interesting dynamic, as their still positive relationship is often strained to the point of uncomfortability for the player.

there’s also another fey introduced here: pearl! she’s all of 8 years old, and is an adorably naive little girl. her role as maya’s pseudo little sister is really cute, and they often tag-team to make fun of phoenix (though she sometimes doesn’t know that). she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders, as her mother insists on her continued spirit medium training, and sometimes that pressure shows in her lack of confidence. either way, she’s an excellent addition to the phoenix’s little bunch.

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for some reason, ace attorney needs to shove a tutorial case in every single game, including sequels. it ends up leading to cases like this game’s first: phoenix gets amnesia, and defends a cop. that’s it. the culprit is dumb, and mistakes a baseball glove for some bananas. fucking. bananas.

right after, you get a flashback just before maya came back from kurain; a channeling client is murdered, and maya’s blamed. again. you meet the lovely pearl, and… then her mother is arrested for being an accomplice. maya makes sure pearl is okay first, despite just being cleared of murder.

remember when i mentioned that takumi was shitfaced writing these cases? yeah, turnabout big top is a fever dream, in the worst way. the gang takes a trip to the circus, and there’s… a love triangle with a 15-year old, gravity-defying murders with dubious motives, and the single worst cross-examination in the series! wonderful! it also holds very little bearing to the overall story through the game, outside of giving franziska some more screen time. it is atrocious, and possibly the worst case in the series.

and after that, we get a masterpiece. farewell my turnabout is the first case phoenix defends on blackmail. he’s defending a guilty client, only because maya’s held hostage. he’s badgering witnesses for more time, harassing them about their mentor’s suicide, all to stall for time. edgeworth’s return sees him more matured, and it takes a complete reevaluation of his lawyerly mindset for phoenix to find the truth. his client is guilty, and he can get maya back. franziska turns, despite her hostility, into an essential piece of the investigation. everyone comes together to help each other out, despite their differences. it feels like it should be preachy, but it isn’t. it feels rewarding.

and… the post-credits. miles meets franziska in the airport. her perfect record, her perfect lifestyle is broken… and she breaks. reworking your entire world view is hard, especially on someone so young. at just 17, her entire life is starting over. so she cries. she allows herself to break, likely for the first time in years. it’s absolutely gutting… but also extremely gratifying, to see her actively want to move towards a future where she’s a better lawyer, and a better person.

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there are positives here, for sure. the final case is wondrous, there are extremely personal character moments throughout each case… yet it feels inconsistent. turnabout big top is just too bad, and kills the engaging feeling brought by the second case. for every perfect emotional beat, there’s a poorly executed one. the highs are high, and the lows are low.

to me, there’s still more good than bad here. the overall character development is still fantastic, and there’s still 2 really great cases here. the gameplay is vastly improved as well, and the music and visuals are also excellent. it’s just not up to par with the first game in the mystery-writing department; not even close.