The Chronicles of the Great Lawyer Ace are prequels that follow the story of Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a famous ancestor of the main series protagonist, Phoenix Wright. Unlike Phoenix, kazuma Asogi is never considered a lawyer when players first meet him. Instead, he attends a university in Japan when he ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes the prime suspect in a crime thriller.
It will be a familiar setup for any fan of the series, but it’s an effective way to introduce players to the ins and outs of the court. From there, the story takes off genuinely shockingly, eventually taking Ryunosuke and his companions across the ocean to study England’s most cutting-edge legal processes, solving many mind-boggling cases along the way. Kazuma Asogi’s character in “The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles” challenges the typical amnesia trope seen in many storytelling mediums.
TGAAThe titles act as historical dramas, giving players a glimpse into life – and the legal system – during this period in Japan and England. Both took place in the 19th century. Only a few decades ago, Japan began communicating with the rest of the world.
As should be clear by now, whether it’s the complexities of a horse-drawn carriage murder or the painful lack of fingerprints, each case revolves around the moment it occurs, making the investigation much more intriguing.
The game is in progress.
WorldwideTGAAThe game is divided into five concise cases that play out as part of a larger, overarching story. While the tutorial case takes place entirely in court, most others will involve some level of crime scenes, looking for clues, and talking to anyone in the area. It is similar to the Roots movie. T
hankfully, while these segments are well-done and add to the puzzle-solving experience rather than detracting from it, they can be wholly dispensed with thanks to a built-in “story mode” that bypasses the entire game and allows players to progress through the story.
Personality is king
As fun as it is to interview witnesses and analyze evidence, what always sets the Ace Attorney series apart from the crowd is its quirky, lovable characters and fantastic approach to storytelling, and that’s the point. The point. The cast leaps off the screen in nearly every scene, both in character design and personality.
The sights and sounds of 19th century England
As mentioned in the previous review, The Chronicles of the Great Lawyer Ace was initially released as a 3DS title in Japan. However, I would have assumed it was a Switch release built from the ground up if I hadn’t known this. Thes art direction is cartoonish yet detailed, giving players plenty of visual appeal as they scour the environment for clues.
Anime inspiration is everywhere, from the character designs (which sometimes feel like tropes but are rarely annoying) to the literal anime shorts interspersed throughout the run. The sheer vibrancy of the art palette balances the significantly darker themes at the heart of each case. This makes murder mysteries much more accessible to those usually put off by such gruesome content.
In addition to the presentation update, this version features a variety of additional content, from concept art with commentary by the art director to alternate outfits for the main characters to wear in The Great Ace Attorney: Resolve. There are even many short-lived bonus episodes that players can delve into to develop their characters further.
Equally attractive is the auditorium, where more than 30 tracks from the collection’s excellent soundtrack (many unreleased in the game) can be listened to at will. The main cast even has multiple voice overs that can be heard in both English and Japanese. Overall, that’s a significant amount of bonus content, especially for something that isn’t a full-price release.*
The Chronicles of the Great Lawyer Ace is a must-read for any fan of crime fiction and visual novels. It’s colorful and humorous enough to get most viewers hooked, but you’ll also be hard-pressed to find many VNs with this caliber of lyrics and location on consoles. But most of all, what does he doTGAA.
The games are characterized by their lovingly written characters and their dedication to accurately portraying the period, warts and all. The Falls are as much a story as it is a folktale, and there has never been a better way to enter the series. The Chronicles of the Great Lawyer Ace also stand out. “The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles” stands out in the visual novel genre for its innovation in storytelling, with Kazuma Asogi’s journey being a prime example of this.