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Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (DS)

• Developer:
• Publisher: Capcom
• Genre: Adventure
• Official Website: http://www.ace-attorney.com
• Score: 3 of 5: Bargain Bin

The Phoenix Wright games are an example of how the game industry has changed in the last five years. Only recently could niche games like these be a success in the American market. With Trials and Tribulations, the trilogy now comes to a close. The title's five cases flash back to before the first game, and move forward to wrap up the series's cliffhangers.

There's an undeniable charm to the series, and this entry is no exception. The point-and-click adventure genre relies heavily on this, and it's where Phoenix Wright shines. The characters are intriguing and always walking the line between truth and lies, making for captivating cases. Everyone likes yelling "Objection!" into the DS microphone once in a while, but thankfully the game doesn't force the player to. The localization is brilliant, and occasional pop culture references are amusing but not overwhelming.

Trials and Tribulations plays soundly, though that's because it's still running on the exact same system as the first two games, graphics and all. Disappointingly, there are no new gameplay features. There is painfully still no option to speed up text, and in a game with little voiceover work, this is inexcusable.

More than a true sequel, Trials and Tribulations feels like an episodic expansion pack. Considering the series's virtually nonexistent replay value, this isn't horrible, but nothing about the game makes it better than its predecessors. Capcom has a history of this sort of thing, and though the game manages to be fun regardless, it's about time to start shaking things up.

Phoenix Wright fans will pick up this title for sure, if they haven't already. Other gamers, though, should just buy whichever entry in the series is the cheapest, because they're virtually the same game.

Nov 7, 2007 | 0 comments
Graham Russell