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Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice For All (Nintendo DS)
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Brand New & Shrink Wrapped Posted 1st Class
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5/5 |
Guilty of being Great
(August 16, 2008) |
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This has been the first Phoenix Wright game I played, but I can guarantee it won't be the last. Even though 'Justice For All' is technically a sequel to the first Ace Attorney game, it still stands it's ground perfectly by itself.
The basic essence of this game is that is more of a "visual novel" than your typical gameboy title. As with all Phoenix Wright games, 'Justice for All' is no exception when it comes to being founded on a lot of text. However, dull as that may sound, the scripting is ingeniously done and woven in to often wacky, deep characters (something which has always been a rarity with games) and twisting, engrossing storylines.
In 'Justice For All', you'll play as Phoenix Wright, a defence lawyer who has a knack of bumping into innocent clients who've had the blame for a murder stuck onto them. Through court and investigation around the scenes of the crimes, it's your job to defend your client and save the day.
There are some nifty new features present in 'Justice For All', the main of which is the "Psyche-Lock". This adds a new dimension to questionning lying individuals while investigating, and provides a handy means to recharge lost health in between the first and second parts of the trial.
As with all great things, 'Justice For All' is not without its faults. Simple spelling mistakes like "were" being spelt "where" and "gleam" being put in the place of "glean". Also, there are frustrating times when you have no earthly idea of what piece of evidence to submit (I recommend having a pad of paper and pen at the ready so you can remember which evidence didn't work).
Overall however, a truly unique and fantastic game. Fully recommended to all, even if you don't aspire to yell out "Objection!" in public! If you don't finish this game hungering for more, then I suggest you book an appointment with your local doctor as soon as possible to find out what's wrong with you! |
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4/5 |
Good, if you like reading
(July 10, 2008) |
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Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All is the sequel to the courtroom Drama Ace Attorney.
First, lets look at gameplay: Talking Talking and talking. The whole structure of the game is built around it! Probably the only reason I like this game is beacause I LOVE reading. If your into games like Mario and Sonic and Poke'mon Pearl and Diamond, stop reading this review and look at something else.
There are two types of modes, Investigation and trial. In Investigation mode you can examine the crime scene for evidence, question witnesses and break Psche Locks. More about Psche locks in a minute.
Courtroom mode involves Cross-Examining witnesses, presenting evidence and solving the case. This involves my favourite part shouting "Objection!" "Hold it!" and "Take That!" in the mic. Don't forget about the constant talking though.
Phsche locks are secrets that the witnesses hold that you have to "break" to unlock. This new feature is fun but frustrating.
Next, Graphics All the illustrations are a japanese manga style, the backgrounds are accurate and the characters have detailed expressions. They can be insparational!
The stories themselves are intruiging, dramatic and moving. This may seem wierd but the characters have personalities that you can recognise through dialouge which you can learn to like and dislike. My favourite character Is Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth!
Overall this is a pretty good game and I would buy if you like dramatic stories. But be ready to read, read, read!
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3/5 |
Decent game almost buried by tedious dialogue.
(May 14, 2008) |
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A good game but it's buried underneath sooo many screens of tedious dialogue you have to keep skipping through.
And the dialogue isn't very good sadly.
You have to spend a lot of time repeatedly pressing the "NEXT" button, watching the next screen of dialouge appear letter by letter until the "NEXT" button is available again. And then again and again and again and again resisting the urge to scream "JUST GET ON WITH IT" at the DS.
If you can tolerate that, there's a pretty good game underneath it. |
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4/5 |
Slightly Disappointing
(April 28, 2008) |
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The first Phoenix Wright was a tour de force and one of the most entertaining games available not just on the DS but on any platform. Justice For All is the follow-up, which ultimately delivers more of the same but with a few changes. With a game as good as the original Phoenix, more of the same thing would usually be considered a great thing but ultimately Justice For All fails to progress the series in the areas needing improvement and makes some unwelcome changes in other areas.
The weakest aspect of the original game was in terms of gameplay. While a brilliant text adventure, the gameplay was hindered by the linear nature of the storyline and the often warped logic behind what piece of evidence needs to be presented at what time. The final bonus case of the original showcased some of the fun in store with the new DS features, which are absent here. Instead, to bolster the gameplay in the investigation phases of the game, Phoenix is given a Magatama with which he can break people's psyche-locks and uncover additional information. It's a welcome addition to the game but not the massive advancement you might have wanted or indeed might have needed.
Of course, the game really lives and dies on its storyline and that's where I ran into problems with the game. For much of the game Edgeworth is absent and replaced by the slightly annoying Franziska von Karma. The main storyline shifts gears, opting for a more thematic arc than the mystery of the original. While it ultimately pays off, the build up is awkward and contrived, with the Phoenix and Edgeworth relationship in a position at odds with the end of the first game.
The highlight is the final case, which showcases some genuinely interesting ideas. The second case is equally interesting but both are let down by being overburdened by returning characters and being a little too similar to cases from the first game. Most disappointing is the first case, which is short and forgettable. Compared to the first game with its bonus case, you can't help but feel short changed. So it's ultimately a disappointment but does it matter? It's still Phoenix and it's essential for the rest of the series. |
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4/5 |
Pretty good sequel
(January 31, 2008) |
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Not quite as brilliant as the first game to be honest, but still holds its charm. I actually bought this when i was near the end of the first one, as i wanted to be able to pick up Justice for All as soon as i had completed it. Upon first minutes of playing i was so glad that the game hadn't changed much from the first. Sometimes sequels can change so drastically from it's pre-decessor that they turn out to be utterly disappointing. This game, thank god, stayed true. And even some characters from the first game made appearances which was a lovely addition. I know it is generally bad if a sequel is just like the original, but for this game, it is really so fans of the series can play more scenarios and carry on the story of our beloved main characters.
Some things are different of course, the music changed slightly and i found that i preferred the music from the first game (though thankfully it did still retain some music and ALL the same voices). Then there's the introduction of the psyche-locks, which enables Phoenix Wright to see through a person's facade and see how many secrets they are holding from you. This is out of the courtroom by the way, this is while you are investigating so there's more to do. It is notably hard to squeeze the truth out of such characters, you have to have the right evidence to break them, but unlike in court, you never know if you have sufficient evidence to use against them. Sometimes you have more than one character with a psyche-lock at the same time, and you never know which one you have to break first before you can proceed (one will give you the evidence you need to break the other). This new feature is more challenging, but a lot of the time, i'm just itching to get to the courtroom and sometimes the psyche-lock system takes some of the fun out of finding out new truths in the courtroom.
Though i did enjoy this game very much, the scenarios weren't quite so gripping this time round. There are only four for starters, unlike the first that had five. The only one i found really gripping and dramatic was the last one, the three before that were rather dull (especially the first one). But this is just in comparison to the first, which i can't help doing, obviously because i've played it. As a game by itself though, if i hadn't have played the first beforehand, i reckon it is still a fantastic game and i would think better of it.
I guess what i'm most glad of is that not to much changed and it stayed true to the first game. It's addictive and fun, and well worth playing. |
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