Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies is lookin’ fine in 3D

I have no objections

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I’m a big fan of the Ace Attorney series but fell off the wagon somewhere between the Apollo Justice and Miles Edgeworth games, so it’s exciting to see that Phoenix is making a comeback in Dual Destinies. The game takes place a few years after he last practiced and this time he’s accompanied by his sidekick, Athena Cykes, who has the special ability to sense emotions on her mood matrix machine. Apollo Justice also makes an appearance, having just survived a bombing incident, and I also heard through the grapevine that Edgeworth will be back in some capacity.

The demo I played was very reminiscent of the original series with the same dialogue style and basic gameplay mechanics but with the extra oomph that the 3DS can offer – mainly, short 3D cutscenes and added graphic detail. Oh, and of course Phoenix’s hair is even more spiky in 3D. Players can still shout OBJECTION! into the mic and I imagine the investigation will also incorporate some 3DS features, however the demo did not get into the crime scene portion. 

The court scene was very much the same as it’s always been — lots of banter, pressing the witnesses, presenting evidence and of course all the courtroom drama that goes along with it. It was entertaining watching Phoenix stumble his way through his first investigation in years – it wouldn’t be an Ace Attorney game without embarrassing the main character!

The new gameplay mechanic, the “mood matrix,” allows Phoenix to sense how the witness is feeling during their testimony — happy, angry, sad, or surprised. Pinpointing an unexpected emotion allows for Phoenix to press the witness even further on their testimony, exposing new information. It didn’t seem very difficult but it was interesting being able to view the witness’ memories play out. I found this to be a unique addition and I’m curious how it will play out in the long run.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is being released in Japan on July 25th with western regions following suit in the fall for 3DS download only. Yes, it’s sad, but hey at least we’re getting it, and getting it soon!

 


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