It’s tough to believe now that the Ace Attorney series had a real chance of dying out in North America. With the initial run of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney being relatively small, the first title became uncommon quite quickly after its release. However, as word of mouth about the game grew, so did its demand until Capcom saw fit to run additional shipments. The series has since seen its backlog of sequels localized and brought to North American shores, where it has seen healthy sales — many to a dedicated fanbase.

Phoenix’s friendly(ish) rival, Miles Edgeworth, has proven a popular character with many fans — some in a slightly-to-very disturbing manner. It is no surprise, then, that when creators chose to mix up the playstyle of the series a bit, they gave players a chance to don the wine-colored suit of the pompously proper prosecutor. The result is a game that greatly improves certain aspects of the series while at times failing to live up to aspects of others.

The crux of the Ace Attorney series is to solve sets of crimes by gathering evidence at scenes and finding the flaws and contradictions in people’s testimonies in court. However, whereas the first four games (we’re including Apollo Justice, here) stuck largely to strictly separate investigation and courtroom phases, Ace Attorney Investigations ditches the standard courtroom procedure and blends the interrogations of characters into the fieldwork.

Some field work reveals a dead body. Not liking where that blood is coming from...

Investigating scenes is made extraordinarily more fun and accessible thanks to a change of environmental format. Whereas previous games had you tapping through what were basically static snapshots of rooms, overlooked objects at times keeping you from moving forward, scenes are now represented as small stages in which you can move a sprite of Edgeworth to approach pieces and other characters directly. There are still some static images to peruse, but the game subtly tells you when you’ve found all you’ve needed to. It feels much more natural — like you’re working with the world instead of fighting it to get back to the courtroom — and the sprites make for a charming, 16-bit Capcom-y impression.

Each main character in the series has a special talent that adds another level to the play and Edgeworth’s Logic Mode provides a rather simple yet satisfying new puzzle element. As you proceed, various facts and questions are stored in whatever part of Edgeworth’s brain is not filled with “Steel Samurai” fanboyisms (series inside joke). Eventually, you are required to link these elements together to unlock new lines of thought and move forward. It’s an effective way of keeping various questions in the back of your own mind without being heavy-handed about it.

Can I please see your badge, sir?

The series is known for its mix of memorable and quirkily-named characters, and the fact this installment is no different is both to its benefit and detriment. Each story allots you a partner to tag along that you can talk to at any time, although they are mostly there to provide dialog. For fans, series regulars Detective Gumshoe and Franziska von Karma return, each providing effective foils to Edgeworth’s straightman routine in their own special ways, and new character Kay Faraday is a spunky young thief-in-training who fills the Maya role well without actually being Maya. Other recurring characters appear, but they tend to either feel a bit contrived — as if the developers just wanted an excuse to see these characters as sprites — or have been so overworked in previous games that they’re turning a bit dull. Brief cameos are one thing, but making these characters significant parts of the plot is getting old. I won’t say who these characters are, but anyone who knows the series will instantly know the kinds of things they will say and do and it can takes away from the suspense of the story once the novelty wears off. Thankfully, there are still plenty of fresh characters to interact with.

The confrontations made with characters maintain the same format as the courtroom scenes in earlier games, but the change of environment has a tangible effect on the mood of these mental war games. Previous games’ courtroom scenes often attain a quick back-and-forth nature between the main character, witness and prosecutor, which proves tense and entertaining. With the battles more “out in the open” now, there’s a certain drop in the drama. They feel slower and more drawn out, with surrounding characters frequently butting in to speak their own minds. This beefs up the story, but is it worth the drop in the high-stakes “action”? Honestly, I was a bit disappointed in this regard.

Ah, some familiar territory for the series

The plot, however, which runs solidly through five separate cases, is very good and well worth diving into. The exposure of contradictions also seems to make sense much more consistently than it does in previous titles — I didn’t find myself hung up as often trying to figure out what the designers were trying to go for. The localization is once again excellent, filled with in-jokes and a real sense of differentiation between characters simply through their text. Unfortunately, like the other titles, there is the rare typo that detracts from the flow of the game. Please give me your scripts, Capcom. I’ll proofread them for free!

So what I’m trying to say is…
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth serves as more of a remix compared to previous titles rather than a stark departure. The revamped investigation system breathes new life into the series, but it’s still a shame that the confrontation scenes, while solidly constructed, don’t quite reach the frenzied crescendos of a great courtroom battle. A new game that combines Ace Attorney Investigations’ free range sleuthing with older titles’ courtroom tugs-of-war would be phenomenal. Fans of the series should still find this a worthy purchase and it’s not a bad spot for newcomers to pick up and see what the general scope of the series is about —although they will certainly understand more from playing the first three games.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is developed and published by Capcom and available for the Nintendo DS for $29.99 (USD). Review based on completion of all five cases in about 15-18 hours. Soiled cravats: one.