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The reviews are in for The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, but is the collection among the best games the franchise has to offer?
The newly-released The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles compiles two spin-off prequels that were previously only available in Japan: The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. For Western fans, it has been five years since they’ve been picking through evidence and making objections, but does this pair of prequels pack the same punch?
Phoenix Wright may date back to 2001 with the first Ace Attorney game on the Game Boy Advance, but the man of justice’s lineage in law dates back much further. In The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, players get the opportunity to travel back in time to Victorian England and take on the cases of the slyly-named Herlock Sholmes. Despite the drastic change of scenery, it appears that Chronicles lives up to the franchise’s name. Here’s what the critics are saying about the game.
Rachel Watts, PC Gamer: “I love the melodramatic theatre of the Ace Attorney series, and choosing to focus on the conflict between London’s orderly reputation and the grim reality of this city, full of secrets and criminals underneath its floorboards, is a welcome addition to the series. But I really play these games for the mystery. There have been some cases in previous games where I’ve felt completely involved, making sure all the clues are meticulously analyzed and putting all the pieces together for a final, satisfying revelation. I didn’t get those revelations in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. With all the new systems and scandalous story twists and turns, I think it loses that important feeling. There’s lots more to do and the game’s presentation is gorgeous, but the core mystery of finding out ‘whodunnit’ can get a little lost amidst all the dramatics.”
Malindy Hetfeld, Eurogamer: “The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a lovely bundle which, like many a spinoff, suffers from not being quite as great as the original you immediately compare it to. Regardless, there is so much to love here: it tries some new things setting- and gameplay-wise, it makes enjoyable references and I just consistently enjoy Shu Takumi’s writing no matter what he puts out. The historical setting could prove to be a bit of niche interest to many, but rather than contort myself and tell you that this is just like the Ace Attorney you know and love, or call it a prequel, or a great way to start with the series, which it isn’t, I’d rather give it to you straight and say — do you love a good period drama? Have at it.”
Kate Gray, Nintendo Life: “It’s sometimes hard to follow along with all of the Japanese cultural references and in-jokes; the cast feels a little small; the game is frustratingly coy about its secrets; the need to rely on historical accuracy means that a lot of the staples of modern justice are absent. But what’s new? Many of these things have been part of the Ace Attorney series for a long time, albeit in smaller doses; it’s hard to imagine anyone really holding it against this beautiful, thoughtful expansion to the story for giving us more of the same. And that’s exactly what fans want: more of the same, but better. This content-stuffed bumper pack of gorgeously remastered stories is exactly what we were hoping for, and more.”
Stephen Tailby, Push Square: “The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is, well, great Ace Attorney. The typical gameplay is embellished with some interesting new wrinkles, but it’s the cast of characters and compelling narrative that make this a worthy spin-off. The story told across the pair of games is intriguing, you’ll grow to love most of the characters, and there are some cracking, memorable cases to solve. This duo of games isn’t doing much to push the franchise forward, but it’s a very worthwhile adventure nonetheless. A great place to start for newcomers and a fascinating alternate story for fans, should you give this a shot? The answer is elementary.”
Katharine Castle, RockPaperShotgun: “If you’ve only ever played the original Ace Attorney Trilogy, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is still a massive step up from those early games, both in terms of production values and the complexity of its cases. It might not match some of Spirit Of Justice‘s late-game twists, but this is definitely one of the better Phoenix Wright games in recent memory, and certainly since the original trilogy. As a prequel, it’s also a great place to start for Ace Attorney newbies, offering a great introduction to Shu Takumi’s visual novel detective series without all the daft baggage it’s accumulated in games four to six. If I were a judge presiding over video games court, the strength of the evidence is clear. Far from a villain in the Ace Attorney series, Chronicles is grade-A goodness. With the full weight of the fiery jury behind me, I hereby declare this to be a most excellent video game.”
Amelia Fruzzetti, Nintendo Wire: “The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will likely be as remembered for the journey it took to even be officially released in English as the journey of Ryunosuke Naruhodo himself — and both are worth it. The sheer grandiosity, excellent writing, and overall package make it one for the ages — in spite of some lasting nitpicks. While it wouldn’t necessarily be my recommendation for a starting point in the series, there’s nothing stopping you from doing so if you want to see Ace Attorney at perhaps its most Ace Attorney self. Great indeed.”
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