Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice

Capcom could just keep making these with different time periods in new regions and I’d keep playing them. As long as it employs a good writing crew and delivers satisfying scenarios, I’m in. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, you made this aspiring lawyer’s day.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice shines as few games do. It has beautiful stories, amazing characters, and twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re a fan of Ace Attorney, this is a game you must play.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is yet another fantastic game in the Ace Attorney series. The gameplay is better than ever, and the stakes have never been higher, all of which only helps to make one of the best stories in gaming even better. Play this game -- you won’t regret it.

Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice is a satisfying and appropriately crazy end to the second trilogy of Ace Attorney games. It retains a few of the persistent annoyances I have with the series, but the story is just as insane as ever and the cases are tough, lengthy and fittingly absurd turnabouts.

In the Wright

The latest episode in gaming’s most endearing soap opera has some minor script problems, but it’s still a joy to catch up with old friends and new enemies.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is a game aimed directly at people that have been following Phoenix Wright's misadventures from the start. Newcomers won't be able to appreciate the story or the many quirky characters that populate it, but fans will find it hard to put the game down. It's clear that the Ace Attorney series is going to need to make some serious strides when it comes to innovating its core gameplay formula soon, but for now, Spirit of Justice is another memorable adventure for Phoenix Wright and his misfit partners in law.

If, however, you’ve got the patience to click through lengthy conversations between cringeworthy characters, the heart of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice almost makes up for it. For any fan of the typical point-and-click adventure, the evidence-hunting sections will satiate a need that very few games meet in this day and age, and (in between raucous shouts from the crowd and embarrassingly corny actions of the witnesses, that is) the courtroom offers space for logical puzzles that are genuinely rewarding. Unfortunately, the narrative wears a little thin, and unless you’re heav...

There’s enough snappy dialogue and silliness in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice to satisfy long-term series fans, and the conventional courtroom sequences still feel rewarding when you get on a roll and a witness starts to unravel. But the heavy-handed mysticism of its bloated middle act and the general lack of innovation makes for a less than essential entry in the Phoenix Wright saga on the whole.

In the end, however, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is another airtight Phoenix Wright adventure, even if it isn't without its niggling issues. It features lush, "real" cutscenes, excellent localization, and plenty of reasons for players new and old to dive into. It wasn't my cup of tea, personally, when it came to the new characters and locale, but that might be different for other players. Mechanically the game is more than sound, it's awesome. Character-wise, however, you might want to make sure this isn't the Ace Attorney game you pick up first if you're looking to build ...

The overarching plot is strong, as are the individual cases. Some fans might take issue with the fourth case, as it doesn’t contribute to the larger story, but it is a lighthearted breather in a game where the stakes are otherwise quite high. Spirit of Justice builds on previous Ace Attorney games more than Dual Destinies did, which makes it a difficult entry point for newcomers, but it’s an exciting ride filled with surprising twists, good character development for its principal characters, and a satisfying narrative all around.