Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Review

If you were a proud owner of a Nintendo DS back in the early 2000s, chances are you’ve heard of the Ace Attorney series of games. Ace Attorney (or Gyakuten Saiban in Japan) is a series of visual novel games where you take part in exhilarating courtroom drama, defending the wrongfully accused and bringing true culprits to justice through careful examination of evidence, critical thinking, and a healthy dose of objection.

Apollo Justice is one of the protagonists in this trilogy, and in case you’re looking at testing out the waters and getting your feet wet with the series, this particular compilation might just be the ideal entry ticket for newcomers and a welcome return for fans itching for more courtroom action.

Here’s our review of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy!

Objection!

For the uninitiated, the Ace Attorney series is well-known for its wild cast of characters. The lead Protagonist, Phoenix Wright, is loveable with a strong sense of justice, believing in his client’s innocence to the very end. He’s joined by other interesting personalities such as fan favorite Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, longtime friend and spirit medium Maya Fey, and much more.

The games went through some major localization changes that make the settings and characters just as memorable, making use of puns that match certain people’s characters. Ryuichi Naruhodo is Phoenix’s name in Japan, which is a play on the Japanese word “naruhodo” meaning “I see.” And his name became Wright because he’s often…well, right.

There are other characters like Ahlbi Ur’gaid, a guide, and Frank Sahwit, the witness in the first case of the first Ace Attorney game. He’s a witness to the crime because he “saw it,” get it?

The games are visual novels divided into multiple chapters. Such chapters will often begin with a crime where Wright will eventually have to prove the innocence of a client through various means. Usual tasks will consist of visiting places, especially crime scenes, where you can examine, find, and gather vital evidence.

All these tasks will culminate in attending the court session where the accused stands trial and your abilities as an attorney will be tested. You will be listening to witness testimonies, undergo cross-examinations, point out statement inconsistencies through gathered evidence, and finally claim the innocence of your client.

In a nutshell, the Ace Attorney games are really fun because they challenge a player’s analytical skills based on facts and information, all the while presenting an exhilarating courtroom drama. There’s nothing like the sense of satisfaction in correctly finding the inconsistencies in a witness’s testimony and rubbing it in their faces, especially when said witnesses are so sure your client is guilty (when they aren’t).

Justice is Coming!

The first game in this trilogy introduces a new character, Apollo Justice, who fills in for Wright who was stripped of his attorney’s badge, and fulfills more of a mentor role for the young lawyer. It also introduces Apollo’s ability to “Perceive,” where players must carefully observe a witness’s nervous habits during testimonies to expose their lies.

The second game, Dual Destinies, is a milestone for being the next mainline title after a series of spinoffs. A new character named Athena Cykes is also introduced, who brings something new for players in the form of her Mood Matrix. Players can observe a witness’s emotions as they narrate their testimonies and you need to find the inconsistency between what they’re saying and feeling to expose a possible lie.

Finally, Spirit of Justice sees the return of Phoenix Wright, who is once again an attorney and shares the spotlight with Apollo Justice as a dual protagonist. Along with returning mechanics like Athena’s Mood Matrix, Divination Séance is introduced where players can witness the last moments of a victim and compare what they’re experiencing to the Insights of the accuser, also once again looking for inconsistencies to prove a client’s innocence.

The Apollo Justice trilogy is a great collection of games from the series as you can clearly see how each title improves upon the previous one. It’s amazing to experience Apollo Justice in his 2D glory and then suddenly see all the characters move and be more expressive in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice.

Back in the Apollo Justice trilogy are the various puzzles that are the heart and soul of the series. From simple guesswork to more complicated examinations that will require creative thinking, these are ever present and give the games a challenge that Ace Attorney players welcome with open arms.

The flow of logic is always satisfying to draw out, and when you reach that oh so sweet NOT GUILTY verdict, there’s a sense of fulfillment from all the investigating and piecing together of facts. The satisfaction of proving a character innocent despite the overwhelming opposition, and seeing the true criminals break down and brought to justice is a hallmark of the series and is back in full force in the Apollo Justice Trilogy.

Take That!

More than the 3 full Ace Attorney games, the Apollo Justice trilogy adds some welcome features like a Museum Mode, which is a definite treat for both longtime fans and even newcomers. Here, you can view artwork, listen to music from the series soundtracks, and even recreate scenes using models and settings from the game.

Fans will surely appreciate this more, but newcomers can dive deeper into their favorite characters as they play through the trio of titles, bringing them closer to the personalities they’ve come to know.

The quality-of-life improvements are also a welcome feature, like being able to start from any chapter. Should you miss a vital piece of information, there’s a History button that lets you read past texts.

There’s also a “Story Mode” in the Apollo Justice trilogy, where players can sit back and simply watch the proceedings as they play out automatically, turning the games into one whole “movie” that you can simply watch and enjoy. This will defeat the purpose of playing and the thrill of actually solving the problems faced, but for some players that enjoy the story, arguably one of the most important factors in a visual novel title, then this is a welcome addition.

What We Liked:

• Games are faithfully recreated for modern platforms
• Museum Mode provides a lot of content for fans and newcomers
• Quality of Life features are most welcome

What We Didn’t Like:

• Story Mode defeats the purpose of playing the game

Verdict: Buy It!

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a fine collection of games that surely merits a purchase for any gamer who wants to be challenged in terms of their analytical skills and enjoy some exciting courtroom drama, which the Ace Attorney series offers in spades. For that, we have no objections!

Fans who may have already played this before may remember the twists and turns, but the trip through memory lane that this collection provides is very much welcome. Newcomers will get a handful from the various personalities, and the extras found in Museum Mode will provide that extra kick of value to make the Apollo Justice Trilogy a must-play.

Newcomers don’t need to worry too much about starting their attorney journey with Apollo Justice, as the collection is strong enough to be an ideal entry point for a new protagonist in the series. You won’t need to know Phoenix Wright’s long history as an attorney, as the games present just enough information to let you know who he is, and it could serve as a reason to revisit the past titles, which are also available in compilations.

*Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy was reviewed on a PS4/PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.