Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Hands-On Preview (PS5) – In recent years Capcom has been steadily and surely re-releasing their back-catalogue of Ace Attorney titles and this latest title finally brings us up to date on the franchise.
This trilogy brings together the latest three main titles in the Ace Attorney series back together for a cohesive story – being Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice.
While this collection is named after Apollo, make no mistake. This collection of games covers a twisted and engaging narrative that casts a wide net in terms of its themes and does a fantastic job in exploring them.
Capcom has retold this layered and intricate story through a lovingly crafted and curated collection that preserves every part of this trilogy to be enjoyed for generations to come and looks all the better for it.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Hands-On Preview (PS5) – Back Into The Courtroom
Old Friends
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy allows players to follow the story of the titular Apollo from the beginning of his law career to the very end of his story and throughout the so-called “dark age of the law”.
Players are also reunited with series mainstay Phoenix as he steps back into the legal scene himself. Each title is fully featured, but the overarching narrative is one that’s fascinating to see play out slowly over the course of all three games.
For those familiar with Ace Attorney from across the years, this collection maintains the standard investigation and trial gameplay that has defined the franchise since the very beginning.
And it’s a formula that has proven to work time and time again. While each game offers individual wrinkles to the contradiction hunting, the foundation has remained the same.
Across all three titles, each case offers a unique cast of characters in mind-bending scenarios that are each entertaining in their own way.
Ace Attorney titles are well-loved for their stories above all else and this trilogy of games tackles a far more sinister part of the law compared to its predecessors.
The result is a narrative that leaves you guessing as to where it will go next with each shout of “Objection!”. Given the nature of this preview, there are so many details that we can share, but rest assured that the game is strong in narrative.
Behind The Scenes
As well as including these three titles, this collection also includes a treasure trove of supplemental features that help to fill out the compilation into a well-rounded package.
These are found in museum mode; for all three games, there are extensive development materials that offer an intriguing insight into the making of these three titles.
As someone who was already a fan of these titles, I found myself eagerly flipping through page after page of illustrations to see what could have been for some of my favourite characters.
Characters have detailed sheets of illustrations that give insight into the processes behind designing them – accompanied by reference sheets and materials that have never been unearthed!
These illustrations provide a fantastic incentive for veteran fans to jump into this collection alongside the dedicated music player and animation studio that allow players to further immerse themselves in the world of these titles and really appreciate the intricate details that have been stuffed into these adventures.
A Characterful Return
Similar to previous Ace Attorney collections, this title polishes the visuals to a shine for larger screens. The pixel art of the original Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has been painstakingly recreated in high-quality illustrations that preserve the characterful animations that defined the original title.
While some will miss the detailed pixel-art of the original titles, this new style undoubtedly carries itself well, with only small sacrifices being made.
The same is true for the second two games in the collection, Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. These two titles move away from the 2D art of previous titles into fully animated 3D environments.
Because of this, much work has gone into making sure that these models and environments capture the same energy as the original titles.
Animations are expressive and Capcom has avoided a realistic style, with characters still having an impressive range of emotions across various members of the cast!
While I’ve yet to experience everything this collection has to offer, Capcom has taken extreme care in remastering and preserving these titles for a new audience to jump in and enjoy.
I’m looking forward to working my way through the remainder of this collection and reliving the twisting rollercoaster of Apollo Justice’s story and everybody else’s in the Wright Anything Agency!
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will be available on PS5 and PS4 on January 25, 2024.