#Phoenix wright dual destinies guide series#

The game begins on a high note, with an introductory case that makes the traditionally tedious tutorials far more entertaining by throwing a courtroom bombing into the mix. There’s no sense of character development for the returning characters and they’re all mere cameos that pander to fans by imitating their original incarnations. Pearl Fey, for instance, shows up for a few cases but she stills acts like an eight-year old, using the same cutesy mannerisms she had almost a decade ago. A handful of characters from previous Ace Attorney games make return appearances, but their presence is disappointing. Thankfully, not all of the other new characters are as insufferable as Blackquill, and there are plenty of fun witnesses who take the stand, albeit with far less screen time. Ultimately he just doesn’t feel as threatening as previous prosecutors like Miles Edgeworth or Franciscka von Karma. Though he does have some entertaining moments thanks to his hawk buddy, Taka (translator’s note: Taka means “hawk”), his gimmick as a criminal samurai is played out and he mostly uses odd phrases to spit out unfunny one-liners. He’s a convicted criminal who is a total loner and also he’s a wannabe samurai with an oh so tragic back-story. If Dual Destinies reads like someone’s Phoenix Wright fanfiction (and it often does), Blackquill would be their insufferable self-insert character. As a result, the three lead characters feel somewhat interchangeable.īut appearing interchangeable is still preferable to being a flat-out bad character, such as Dual Destinies’ new prosecutor, Simon Blackquill. The same applies to Phoenix and Apollo Justice their personalities are diminished when the player is filling their shoes or they are assigned to playing the role of comic relief sidekick. However, Athena is most interesting when she isn’t actually the playable character.

#Phoenix wright dual destinies guide series#

It’s wonderful to see the series introduce a well-developed female character who isn’t a disposable assistant or antagonist and Athena does a great job of injecting some humour into proceedings and driving the storyline in the latter half of the game. Athena Cykes, a fresh-faced, eighteen-year-old lawyer joining Phoenix Wright’s legal office is possibly the best of the new characters. The basic storylines don’t offer anything particularly innovative, but Dual Destinies does add a few new members to the core cast. Tasked with defending an innocent person charged with murder, your team of crazy-haired lawyers must put their heads together to investigate crime scenes and throw evidence around in ridiculous courtroom battles. However, the Ace Attorney games have always relied on strong writing rather than a flashy presentation, and this is where things start to fall apart.ĭual Destinies follows the same core structure as previous Ace Attorney games. The improved sound quality that comes with switching to more modern hardware makes even the arrangements of older pieces sound fresh. As per usual, the music for the dramatic courtroom battles eventually ramps up in intensity as your team of lawyers is closer to finding the truth, which is always satisfying. Once again, the soundtrack is provided by composer Noriyuki Iwadare who delivers a respectable repertoire of character themes. Similarly, the character designs are as strong as ever the quirky anime style won’t be for everyone, but they suit the ridiculous tone of the game. Characters emote using detailed, exaggerated animations that perfectly capture the personality of the entire cast. The characters and environments are now fully rendered in 3D, and it’s a noticeable improvement over the old spritework that fits well with the console’s stereoscopic 3D effect. The game’s presentation has been vastly improved since the DS days.