Following three installments of the Ace Attorney series starring the franchise’s pioneer and leading man, Phoenix Wright, Capcom decided to try and keep the series fresh by introducing a new main character into the courtroom for the fourth game, Apollo Justice, while leaving the game mechanics essentially unchanged.  Fans of the series, while they didn’t necessarily reject the title, were mostly let down since they felt like they were merely receiving “more of the same,” fronted by a character that they had no attachment to.

Capcom is trying to change all of those things this time around by putting players in the shoes of fan-favorite character, the cool and collected, unflappable prosecuting attorney, Miles Edgeworth.  The series also moves both out of the courtroom, as well as the first-person perspective, this time allowing the player to control Miles from a third-person viewpoint and focusing the action on the crime scene instead of the courthouse.

Visually, the game seems like a clever revitalization of a franchise that, while certainly still enjoyable, has started to grow somewhat stale even for many dedicated fans.  But is this latest really all that different in execution? 

Title:  Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth

Developer:  Capcom

Publisher:  Capcom (NA), Capcom (JPN)

Release Date:  February 16, 2010 (NA), May 28, 2009 (JPN)

I feel that I need to begin by pointing out something that, provided a few moments of careful consideration, should be undeniably clear, however the game’s “drastic” changes in presentation manage to do a superb job of masking.

Investigating crime scenes is nothing new to the Ace Attorney series.

As a matter of fact, a good half of the adventure in the previous titles sent the player to scour for clues and converse with characters that managed to get themselves wrapped up in the associated trial and investigation.  As a result, in the case of Miles Edgeworth, Capcom has essentially just eliminated the courtroom.

The heat of interrogation has not been lost however, as it has merely been integrated into the crime scene.  The same flow of questioning, involving listening to the opposing characters’ “testimony,” prying for details in order to disclose ambiguities, and presenting evidence in support of Miles’ reasoning, plays out in an identical fashion as that of the previous titles.  Recognizing this, it may seem like this latest entry could in fact be losing something, fundamentally offering nothing new aside from a third-person interface to poke around in as opposed to the first-person perspective that literally forced the player to “poke” around via stylus.

This “loss” however, seems to manifest itself as an overall gain in the player’s engagement with the story and characters, providing what feels like a more organic experience within the game’s ecosystem.  Because the player is constantly engaging with both the crime scene and each case’s associated rabble, the act of finding clues, analyzing them, presenting them to other characters for input or as evidence, and then going hit-for-hit in true Ace Attorney interrogation style warfare, I am personally finding the game to at least feel as if it is progressing quicker due to the fact that I always have to be paying attention to and interacting with all elements of my surroundings.  The previous games were always at their best when you as the player felt like you were in the heat of the moment and each decision that you made was critical, however the progression occasionally slipped into dull segments (or at worst, entirely dull chapters).  This new presentation, while not doing much to change the actual gameplay itself, seems to have streamlined the experience, promoting a somewhat more interactive, “state of emergency” type of mentality, delivering what feels (so far) to be a more consistently satisfying experience.

Each entry in the series has tried to introduce some sort of new mechanic (or gimmick?) to aid in investigation (the “chain link” system in the second game, for example) and Miles is bringing his own skills to the latest adventure, as well.  For this game, the prosecutor uses his “logic,” basically gathering bits of information about the crime scene and tucking them away in the back of his memory, collecting and storing them until the player is presented with enough information where she can draw a connection between two bits of “logic,” resulting in a new development in the case.  In theory, it isn’t exactly all too new a concept, and rather similar to how many of the game’s other interactions are carried out, however in contrast to systems like the “chain” system in the second game mentioned above, this one feels much more, well . . . logical.  Steering clear of unworldly abilities and imagery that are in no way part of the present environment, the structure and execution of the “logic” system makes sense within the context of the game experience and is well integrated into the story development and interaction with other characters. 

I have no intention whatsoever of giving away any of the story elements (that’s the whole reason to play these games), but I will say that each chapter appears to be connected, not only in character relations, but in the form of having an overarching story to tie everything together.  I found this much more motivating upon completing a chapter, making want to keep on trucking instead of setting the game aside for a day when I would again be in the mood another dose of Ace Attorney.  Again, a “logical” change compared to some of the other titles, but so far, a good one.

Ace Attorney Investigation is a game that I loaded up with the intention of playing a chapter or two for the sake of being able to write up a preview and offer impressions.  Now, having the preview finished, I am thoroughly eager to keep trudging through crime scenes and deciphering the game’s mysteries.  (Hey, this airline homicide isn’t going to solve itself!)  While the game is by no means the reinvention that it appears to be on the surface, Miles Edgeworth could still potentially prove to be fresh enough for those that decided to take a break from the courtroom, and just as accessible to a more casual audience looking for an adventure to get themselves wrapped up in.