Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice Review

Phoenix Wright reunites with a familiar face as Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice takes justice to the kingdom of Khura’in.

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Platform: Nintendo 3DS (eShop only)

Release Date: September 8, 2016

This review will avoid spoiler-specific content regarding the nature of each episode. 

There has never been a lawyer in video games as lucky as Phoenix Wright. His ability to piece together a logical puzzle in order to defend his client often relies on good fortune as much as it does on finding the right piece of evidence to find a contradiction. The tables are always turned on him when the stakes are at their highest.

Such is the motif for Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, the sixth mainline game in the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney franchise of adventure titles. Just as important as this installment’s gameplay changes is the idea that Phoenix Wright is very much fighting for his own life, as well as his clients’ lives.

Phoenix Wright is drawn away from his homeland to the Eastern kingdom of Khura’in to celebrate old partner Maya Fey’s expected finish to spirit ritual training. Defense lawyers are considered evil in this deeply religious country, as their claims often counter divination seances, performed by the kingdom’s royal priestess, Rayfa. Any lawyers, under the kingdom’s Defense Culpability Act, are deemed as guilty as their clients under the guise of abetting a guilty spirit in trying to be found innocent. They, too, would have their souls sent to the next realm.

Meanwhile, back in America, two-year lawyer Apollo Justice is holding down the offices of Phoenix Wright alongside Athena Cykes. The two take on cases as they each try to prove their worth as young protectors of justice. Using the power of Apollo’s bracelet (that allows him to perceive lies) and Athena’s emotion-readying Widget necklace, Spirit of Justice highlights the contrast between the worlds of a secular and ecclesiastical rule.

The Phoenix Wright formula is tried and true. New to the series are ritualistic Insights: essentially, the last moments of a victim’s life are placed into a Pool of Souls, and can be played back like a video tape alongside statements. In cases that take place in Khura’in, this gives players an extra layer of gameplay, tipping the balance from an investigation-heavy perspective.

What makes these moments interesting is dealing with the senses. The bigger a word is on the screen, the more prominent it is to the victim. What a victim sees is as important as what they hear, smell and feel. By pushing the logical boundaries to their limit, Capcom asserts its right to explore the paranormal while still playing up to their comic sensibilities.

More from Reviews

• Sonic Dream Team review: A welcome surprise to Apple Arcade
• Nacon’s Revolution 5 Pro for Playstation: Is it worth it?
• Jusant review: An uplifting tale about lifting yourself up
• WarioWare: Move It review: A waggle in the right direction for the series
• Alan Wake 2 review: Am I high right now?

Yes, Phoenix Wright is as much a goofball as ever, and the interactions of this eccentric group sell the narrative of Spirit of Justice well. As wacky as they may seem, or as pointed as the pop culture references they make can be, the writers crafted an excellent group of well-rounded characters, each with their own identifiable aspirations, hopes, drive, and determination.

With few exceptions, never did anyone as prominent as Phoenix Wright or as lowly as “Bailiff” feel less than fully defined. Ace Attorney is defined by its ability to tell a story, with the gameplay of a lawyer picking out contradictions and serving their client as the vessel for that story. As compelling as the structure of these cases is, it all falls apart if the developers don’t captivate their audience with excellent characterization.

Regarding the game’s design structure, however, certain aspects of how each episode’s cases flowed presented problems. I understand the difficulty of selling Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice to a contemporary, younger 3DS audience, as the facts of each case are as important to the core gameplay experience as the storytelling can be. But the insistence on narrative flashback scenes, even to moments that took place less than five gameplay minutes ago, dragged the proceedings.

So often in previous games did it seem like you would get stuck hunting for a magic pixel…

It’s a minor problem, though, when you get to the core of the Phoenix Wright set of gameplay mechanics. Gathering evidence throughout crime scenes is a lot more streamlined in Spirit of Justice, with Notes guiding you to where you need to be. So often in previous games did it seem like you would get stuck hunting for a magic pixel to find the last piece of evidence before moving on. Now, there are fewer opportunities to stumble while building a case, which, in turn, builds a better understanding of the game’s mechanics for the player.

Dusting for fingerprints, examining blood samples, and observing objects in a 3D space for clues is just as fun as finding out the logical explanations to break open a protective mind’s Psyche-Locks. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice excels at finding a balance in presenting both styles of gameplay in a way that keeps players on their toes.

Just the name Spirit of Justice evokes the sensibilities of what Capcom is trying to showcase, and the different ways of creating justice (from both Eastern and Western perspectives) makes for an intriguing time. It’s about bridging the gap and coming together, using both fields of scientific evidence and religious insights to come to a conclusion in the name of an honorable victory.

Ultimately, though, the most memorable aspects of the Phoenix Wright series are the twists and turns of the courtroom drama, and Spirit of Justice carries the torch well. Enigmatic personalities breathe fresh life into each scenario, selling both the serious and whimsical nature of the absurdity at the same time. Prosecutor banter is at its best, with Phoenix and others finding themselves in the middle of a dialogue tennis match; lobbing volleys back and forth.

The easiest way to craft a thoughtful, densely-packed murder mystery is to plot the situation and work backward. That said, the way the audience is clued into story elements layered in the middle of red herrings is nothing short of divine. The “Aha” moments are measured to a T, built up to a thunderous crescendo of intellectual euphoria.

I had an immensely enjoyable time discovering the truth to each crime, and the only way this could be done was with Capcom trusting their audience. Outside of the aforementioned proclivity for flashbacks, they showed faith that their fans would understand the logical flow of where the evidence is leading them, letting the player help tell the story as much as Capcom lays it down for them.

Of course, there are times where the truth is staring you right in the face, yet you can’t figure it out. Luckily, the occasional “Consult” prompt provides a completely optional hint that will nudge you back on the path to victory. In Spirit of Justice, however, that circumstance as rare, as the writing team made sure the narrative follows a distinct logical path.

The game was begging me to cross-examine just one more witness, or playback that divination one more time.

Without going too much into the details of the overall story, Spirit of Justice takes Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, Maya Fey and the rest of the gang on a charming journey through a sinister underbelly. The locations throughout both the East and the West are as varied as they are colorful, painting each scene with a rich vibrancy.

Most importantly, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice is gripping. Even though I had five titles’ worth of experience with each of the tricks and tropes that make the series famous, the story kept stringing me along. The game was begging me to cross-examine just one more witness, or playback that divination one more time. I was hooked, and all I wanted to do was get closure on a case before putting the 3DS away, even if it meant staying up that extra half-hour before bed.

I can, however, understand if you are looking for something a bit more in Spirit of Justice than you would have seen in previous Phoenix Wright games. While it’s true there aren’t enough gameplay changes to really shake things up, I found that Capcom didn’t need to. There are plenty of spinoff titles and experimental titles in the franchise that explore different aspects of “justice.” Capcom has a winning formula, and building upwards upon it has been exceedingly successful so far.

A copy of this game was provided to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click here to learn more about our Review Policy.