Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom, THQ (Australia)
Platform: Nintendo DS

Yay my first game review! :D

With 4 games already released in the entire series, fans are probrably bored with Capcom dishing out the same formula every single time. Well this time Capcom are reviving the series with Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.

From Support to Main

Gone is our seasoned protagonist Phoenix Wright (and Apollo Justice, but he only appeared in 1 game), and Miles Edgeworth takes center stage. Paired with Dick Gumshoe (there's also other partners during the course of the game, but Dick's the most notable), Edgeworth is now tasked with investigating crime scenes of murders that has been happening around him and catch the culprit. There are now a host of returning characters from previous games (not gonna spoil it here!) to provide some comedy and new characters such as Kay Faraday, a Master Theif and an Interpol Agent, Shi-Long Lang, who can be seen as Edgeworth's rival as compared to previous installments' Phoenix-Edgeworth rivalry.

Use Some Logic!

Apart from the characters, the gameplay has received some significant changes. The first-person view in the previous game is now replaced with a third-person view similar to a point-and-click adventure. You can now move Edgeworth around the crime scene and interact with people and objects which are jotted down in an "Organizer". There is also a "Crime Reproduction Gadget" that allows you to reconstruct the crime scene as it happened.

Logic is one of the new gameplay mechanics in the game. Information from the crime scene would be recorded in Edgeworth's "Logic". With this, the player must connect 2 pieces of logic together to make evidence in order to advence in the game. Failure to match the correct logic would result in Edgeworth's life-bar depleting. If the bar reaches zero it's GAME OVER for you.

Cross-examination Returns!

As in the previous games, cross-examinations make a welcome return, but this time under the name "Rebuttal". Rebuttals are confrontations between characters that consist of discussing the results of an investigation. These confrontations may lead to new information being revealed, or even a confession from the murderer. Like cross-examinations, the player can press the witness for more information or present evidence that contradicts their logic. Mistakes made when presenting evidence causes damage to your life-bar.

If you're a die-hard fan of the Ace Attorney series, or just someone who wants to play something cool and exciting, I fully recommend getting this game. With so much new content, this game can be in the running to be the best Ace Attorney game ever.


The Verdict

Graphics : 8/10
Sound : 9/10
Gameplay : 9/10
Innovation : 8/10

90%