Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy collects the second mainline trilogy of the Ace Attorney series, and this new release follows the tradition of CAPCOM’s previous compilations with additional content packed in along with goodies for fans. As someone who only recently got into the series thanks to the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, I had a blast playing through this new collection.

Gameplay and Story

This trilogy features three mainline releases and a total of 16 episodes. This means you’re looking at around 50+ hours of the courtroom and investigation goodness. The first entry in this trilogy follows Apollo Justice, a rookie attorney, much like Phoenix himself at the start of the first game in the series.

There are many parallels between how the game introduces Apollo and how he reacts to the first trial of Phoenix. However, Apollo’s adventure feels a bit more fleshed out owing to being the fourth entry in the series, and there’s very little filler material here.

While Apollo is largely the lead character in the first entry, Phoenix regains his lead role in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice while Apollo and Athena serve as his understudies and actively take part in cases as well. The overall quality of writing is strong throughout, and while some episodes can drag on a little, I found that taking breaks between each episode only improved the experience. The story is always fun to follow, and it’s actually not a bad place for newcomers to hop in. I do think it’s still worth it to play the original titles though, and a lot of character moments rely on your familiarity to make an impact.

The gameplay is quite similar to previous titles for the most part and is split between trials and investigations. There are some neat mechanics for certain characters like Athena's "mood matrix" and Pheonix’s “psyche-lock” that add another layer to the trials, but overall it’s mostly down to carefully listening to testimonies and finding conflicting information using evidence gathered during the investigation phase. 

You can press witnesses, and the defendant, asking them to further elaborate on their testimonials, which goes to show just how deliberate each line feels. If you think there’s room for further questioning, chances are, the developers have already thought of that. I also like how the judge judges your performance as an attorney by routinely cutting in, and questioning your approach. For instance, if you keep presenting incorrect evidence, the judge will eventually lose confidence in you, leading to eventual failure.

While I love the trials part of these games, I do think the investigation sections can be a bit repetitive. You’re mostly just clicking random things in rooms, and it’s kind of the weaker aspect of the series for me. Either way, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience that continues to be a highlight of the genre, and there’s nothing quite like it. 

Graphics and Audio

Like the original trilogy, the first entry here is in 2D, and the redrawn character portraits are beautiful. There is a lot of detail, multiple models, frames, and poses for each character to bring them to life. I’m always impressed by how well the artists manage to shift between art styles and switch to the hand-drawn style from pixel art.

The other two entries make use of 3D models and look just as good in my opinion. It’s an effortless shift that doesn’t take long to get used to, and the consistently polished presentation is part of what makes these games special.

I had a great time scrolling through the different pieces of concept art, and the added gallery and Orchestra Hall are fantastic additions for fans. The music has always been a highlight, and that’s no different here. 

Feedback

I don’t have much feedback to give here. This is the ultimate way to enjoy the second trilogy, and there’s a lot of content to chew through. Though, while I understand that the original releases were locked at 30 FPS, I would’ve liked an option for a higher framerate. It doesn’t look bad or anything, but some animations in the 3D games can feel a bit choppy.

Verdict

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is another excellent collection from CAPCOM that collects some of the best episodes from the series with tons of goodies to go through. The memorable characters, strong writing, fantastic art, and score make it an essential collection for Ace Attorney and visual novel fans.