Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies

 3DS
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 262 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 201 out of 262
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 262
  3. Negative: 31 out of 262
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  1. Gamesftw
    Mar 22, 2014
    9
    My favorite AA game in the series, there are no cases poorly thought out with the writing being very consistent, other than Trials and Tribulations every other Ace Attorney has at least one or more poor cases, but Dual Destinies has no such thing, characters are memorable, music is solid, twists in this game are the best in the series and they will leave your heart pounding, especially atMy favorite AA game in the series, there are no cases poorly thought out with the writing being very consistent, other than Trials and Tribulations every other Ace Attorney has at least one or more poor cases, but Dual Destinies has no such thing, characters are memorable, music is solid, twists in this game are the best in the series and they will leave your heart pounding, especially at the end.

    Only gripe with the game is the difficulty being toned down a lot and the "Dark age of the law" setting could use a bit more evidence backed up to it, but the pros of this game outweigh these very minor cons.

    Overall Dual Destinies is a fantastic adventure/visual novel game that every fan of series and the genre must have.    … Expand
  2. Yoshiboo118
    Feb 21, 2014
    9
    I'm sad to say that this was my second game in the Phoenix Wright series, since I played this before Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations, which I don't recommend doing. A good amount of content references previous entries in the series and it isn't as fun if you don't get it. Regardless, there is a lot of amazing aspects to be seen. The upgrade to 3D models was aestheticallyI'm sad to say that this was my second game in the Phoenix Wright series, since I played this before Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations, which I don't recommend doing. A good amount of content references previous entries in the series and it isn't as fun if you don't get it. Regardless, there is a lot of amazing aspects to be seen. The upgrade to 3D models was aesthetically pleasing, although I like the original style just the same. The characters themselves are a lot of fun, as well as the cases themselves. I would certainly suggest getting the DLC case when you can as it is just as good as the other cases. My favorite thing above all is the music. Man, does the music make you feel like you can do anything as a defense attorney. Probably my only gripe with this game is some of the voice acting and some spelling errors in the text. But honestly; if you enjoyed any of the previous games in the series, this is a must buy. Just make sure you play the others first.… Expand
  3. Narigaur
    Aug 25, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Even after Shu Takumi didn't want any involvement with the Ace Attorney series, Dual Destinies is still a great game. But I am sad to report that the new voices and character models aren't very good. Phoenix sounds just like he lost his voice, Apollo sounds like his voice instantly got deeper, Edgeworth just sounds ridiculous. The models for Phoenix and Edgeworth just completely killed the characters. Phoenix has that extra hair, and Edgeworth has glasses. Not to mention none of the voices and models go together very well. The addition of Athena Cykes got me scratching my head at first, with me being all like "Hey, hey, you can't just go adding characters like that!" But when I kept going, she started to become a really lovable character. One thing I truly love is the addition of the FMV 3D anime cutscenes, although there are leftover bits from the Japanese version of the game. Unfortunately, with all this 3D going around, the game just lost it's buttery-smooth framerate, but I can't deduct points for that since nearly all Nintendo 3DS games suffer from the same problem.

    Even if the graphics and the sounds aren't very good, the gameplay is still the same, but they removed the ability to present profiles during a cross-examination. This ability only appears at certain moments in the game. The character abilities have also been slightly toned down. Apollo's bracelet appears only during investigations and during a trial only once for the whole game. Phoenix's magatama to break psyche-locks appear only a few times and even then there is no penalty for getting something wrong. Trials are untouched from the last games, except for the presenting profiles thing.

    It's a good game, but there are some quirks that may be a deal-breaker for you.    … Expand
  4. onereview
    Aug 10, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself, and your soul. this is no masterpiece of a game. it's also not a zero, i give it that because this having a higher score than Apollo Justice is ludicrous, even though it's also not great. ultimately, the largest contrivance i actually have is my vehement hatred of the lack of identity of the phantom. i could write an entire essay about how important the final reveal is, but suffice it to say, the fact that the largest, most important reveal in the whole game is literally noone, and the fact that that leads to no real reveal about the internal motive of the character, what caused this injustice, that for no reason caused a great period of injustice with the legal system that already existed without him for no specific reason, which was on its own slightly irritating, but now has compounded with the specified corruption of the system, which is insane to imagine, because Manfred von Karma, Damon Gant, and Sebastian Debeste were all corrupt higher-ups in the system before, implying that because only now the dark age of the law has begun apropos of some random guy with NO IDENTITY, that somehow previously there was nothing wrong with the system used that needed to be fixed. it's clearly some irritating copout because the system showcased in the first games was too accurate to Japanese courts in some specific way such that criticizing them would be wrong, except for that last part i'm talking out of my ass. This corporate legitimizing and illegitimate holding of the rights for the characters, taking their stories and sculpting canon to be so irritating, contradictory, and boring, this is the soul, this is capitalism, this is what this game deserves. exactly its emotional output, which is exactly that of the phantom, all of which to say the game is trash and you should throw it there… Expand
  5. ryuzaki57
    Oct 25, 2013
    8
    Five years. Five long years that Phoenix Wright hadn’t be in court for the hilarious trials of the Ace Attorney series. True, his best friend and rival Miles Edgeworth did come to our DS, but only once out of two, the second game sadly having never been localized. In this particular context, Ace Attorney 5 coming at us is rather crucial and we shouldn’t leave this gesture by CapcomFive years. Five long years that Phoenix Wright hadn’t be in court for the hilarious trials of the Ace Attorney series. True, his best friend and rival Miles Edgeworth did come to our DS, but only once out of two, the second game sadly having never been localized. In this particular context, Ace Attorney 5 coming at us is rather crucial and we shouldn’t leave this gesture by Capcom unanswered.

    First of all, this game is BEAUTIFUL. It looks as good as no game on 3DS ever and puts Nintendo’s games for its own system to shame. The characters are so well detailed and animated that it reminded me of Fire Emblem cut-scenes. All this including the legendary talent of the devs to offer us eccentric characters with extreme personalities, weird but extremely fun behavior. In short, AA5 is the best-looking I’ve seen on 3DS by leagues.

    Adding to its fantastic humor, the game is no less relevant in judiciary themes, as it has always been in the series. All scenarios (i.e. the cases at hand) revolves around something called «the dark age of Justice». A period plagued with fabricated evidence, false accusations and a growing defiance towards the judiciary system. Even though the chapters are different from each other, for most part they keep being linked to this topic, highlighted by a mysterious bombing inside the court. This particular narrative gives a great significance to the game in a whole. Like in a good TV thriller, the player feels deeply involved in the story.

    Storytelling has been thought with great care. The second case might seem a bit weak in this department, you will be stuck at on your 3DS for everything else. A example of the effort made by Capcom on this the beginning of the game is very different from the demo to ensure maximum pleasure of discovery. The scenario has some awesome twists, music is as classy as ever and the very end is near perfect.

    The gameplay doesn’t vary much from the past episodes, you still have to show the right evidence at the right time to win trials, and discuss with witnesses in investigation parts. The big thing in AA5 is Athena’s capacity to analyze the emotions of people those sequences are fairly numerous and offer diverse approach. It’s really a great add to series, much more interesting than the «Logic» in Ace Attorney Investigations. In theory, it’s about finding emotions that contradicts the current statement, but in practice it’s far richer. Past features like psy-locks and Apollo’s ring of truth are present too, but don’t occur very often. Investigation has lost any interest as you can investigate only 2 locations per case, and the game indicates everything.

    As for characters, AA5 makes a balance between the three main protagonists, each of them having his own trial to win. I really appreciate this willingness to get rid of the «sidekick» role and allowing less important characters take the spotlight, even if it means less Phoenix (and believe me, you never have enough Phoenix). Your opponent, Simon Blackquill, is a truly great character that will instantly wipe out Klavier, who I thought didn’t really fit to the job. Talking about this, Klavier and many other make a comeback, but it’s always very short and they doesn’t make much sense in the story. But yeah, it’s always nice to see them.

    The only thing I’m disappointed of is the level of difficulty. Like I said, investigation has been reduced to a check-list, so you no longer have to search for this little thingy in the flower pot but it does save time). The green life bar doesn’t have any more importance, because when you lose you get back exactly where you were with a full one. It really damages the thrill of the game during trials. Not only this, but as in Professor Layton vs Ace Attorney, the hints given here and there are far too direct and it skips the reasoning. Worse, when you do lose, the game has like a special help window for you to get closer to the solution (but you’re free to use it or not). I understand that nowadays publishers want to avoid that players feel frustrated, but it does hurt the challenge. Of course there still are many parts that will melt your brain, but it’s just not as great as before.

    Despite this, Ace Attorney 5 is a super great game, long (more than 30 hours) and hooking. You English-speaker won’t have any problem with language (us French sometimes do), but some may need to get over their fear of digital games. Indeed, AA5 will be available only on the 3DS e-shop. It is more than worth it, and will surely determine the future of Ace Attorney in the West.    … Expand
  6. MrSonicFan
    Jan 18, 2014
    9
    Ace Attorney Dual Destinies is the 5th game in the main Ace Attorney series. And the sequel to Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice. But this game blows Apollo Justice out of the water. It has a fantastic story with brilliant writing, and a fantastic cast of characters. And this title is just as funny as any other game in the series, with it's pop culture references and references to other gamesAce Attorney Dual Destinies is the 5th game in the main Ace Attorney series. And the sequel to Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice. But this game blows Apollo Justice out of the water. It has a fantastic story with brilliant writing, and a fantastic cast of characters. And this title is just as funny as any other game in the series, with it's pop culture references and references to other games in the series.

    The graphics are some other the best on the 3DS, The original 2D sprites look great with the 3D overhaul and I honestly believe it looks better that the sprites. The characters have just as much charm as the characters in the original trilogy on DS. And the anime cutscenes by BONES, are really well animated and look really nice.

    The orchestrated soundtrack is just as good as the other games in the series, it's catchy, memorable, and incredibly epic. And even though it is not my favorite soundtrack in the series, that would be Ace Attorney Investigations 2's, it still worthy of being an Ace Attorney soundtrack. The voice acting is typical CAPCOM voice acting, by that I mean it is hilariously cheesy. And it can occasionally be on par with Mega man X4 in terms of cheesiness.

    Overall, a fantastic game, and even though series creator Shu Takumi didn't work on this installment in the series. It still manages to capture the same charm that the original trilogy had. The only problem the game really has is it's many, many spelling errors, but it is not something that ruins the game. The game is worth it's £19.99 price tag on the 3DS Eshop.

    OVERALL -
    9/10    … Expand
  7. KushAstronaut
    Jul 24, 2015
    10
    It's a fantastic game and a title well deserving of being amongst the Ace Attorney saga. If you haven't played it, what are you waiting for? It's one of the best games out for 3ds!
  8. linkenski
    Nov 7, 2013
    7
    Right off the bat I have to put this simply: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Dual Destinies is a pretty great game.

    We're back at the Agency that got established by Phoenix and his new friends in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, almost a year after the events of said game to take on a few more trials. This time, Phoenix is back in the biz as a fully-fledged Attorney in his classic old blue    Right off the bat I have to put this simply: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Dual Destinies is a pretty great game.

    We're back at the Agency that got established by Phoenix and his new friends in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, almost a year after the events of said game to take on a few more trials. This time, Phoenix is back in the biz as a fully-fledged Attorney in his classic old blue suit, although he's a bit older now and looks not only bulkier but he got a tiny bit of makeover in this process as well. Fear not though, because he's as witty and comical as ever but aside from being back as a lawyer he's also the head of the Wright Anything Agency now, and has to watch over Apollo Justice and the newcomer of the firm, Athena Cykes who is also a defense attorney.

    The game revolves around a story split into 5 episodes. During the course of the game you'll have to play as each of the three attorneys as they uncover a new mystery. Unfortunately though, playing as the other characters does make the story seem turbulent at times and in the end I found myself not feeling attached to either of the three characters as I previously would in either Apollo Justice or Phoenix Wright 1-3, heck even in the Edgeworth Investigations game.

    Neither does it help that the story itself while initially interesting turns out to be a bit of a cop-out, and in the process it snatches ideas from previous cases from previous games, specifically the final cases of the first game and several from the others and uses those ideas to form mysteries or story bits in the story of Dual Destinies. At first this seemed like a homage to previous games, but in the end it was apparent so often that I found it to be cheap and predictable.

    The writing however, is sharp, witty and most importantly often funny, a remarkable step upwards after the shallow Ace Attorney Investigations, but it's still not quite on par with some of the excellent writing found in just about any game written by series creator Shu Takumi. The tone in this game is not quite there, the themes doesn't delve as deep as they could and worst of all, the emotional moments of this game end up feeling more sappy than poignant. It's not that Dual Destinies doesn't make you feel something, but for me personally, I just didn't feel very immersed because there are moments when things get hilariously melodramatic (series staple) and there when it got outright disturbing, but there wasn't that point where it was just in between. This is something the new writing team just doesn't do as well as Shu Takumi can. The tone is inconsistent and the dialogue sometimes tries too hard to the point where it becomes pretentious, trying to "be" like the other games but comes off as a pale imitation.

    The gameplay is your usual one. Episodes are usually split up into two days of investigation where you explore crimes scenes and talk to witnesses, and two days of Trial where you stand in court against a range of prosecutors, most notably the new rival staple of Dual Destinies, Simon Blackquill, who's yet another intimidating and manipulating "killer" of a prosecutor. He's actually one of the most memorable characters in the game. But things are mostly as you expect them to be. You go through a witness' testimony and present evidence to point out contradictions. A new feature added in however is the "Mood Matrix" which is captained by Athena Cykes, and is a means to explore the witnesses's emotions and find missing parts of their testimony. As a gameplay mechanic this falters as there is no way to lose when you use it, but it serves very well as a story-mechanic. So many of the game's twists and revelations are found through this mechanic and it truly makes for some of those "a-ha!" moments that we know and love about Ace Attorney. It's a fresh new thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if it got the kick in the next game since it's overall too simple.

    Last but not least is the presentation. It's just excellent. Take out your 3DS (if you have one) and get the demo immediately or buy the game if you're going to anyway, and just observe the visual qualities for 10 seconds. You will be sold guaranteed. It's probably the most significant transition from classic 2D to 3D sprites I have seen in any franchise, and I could never go back. This time around, there's also anime cutscenes with fully voiced characters. Unfortunately these often feel tacked on and the English voice-acting is cringe-worthy if occasionally smirk-inducing in the good way. The music is also excellent, but to be honest it mostly sat in the background for me, and there's a noticeable misuse of some tracks that just play far too often than others, making it monotone at worst.

    But overall, if you've played an Ace Attorney game before you SHOULD play Dual Destinies, even if you just "know" the franchise but haven't tried it yet. For the playability the game is the best of the bunch, and it's enjoyable, even when the story feels template-cut.    … Expand
  9. BountyCritic
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    It was four freaking years since Investigations!! And we didn't even get the sequel! Now finally a new Ace Attorney game, and it was completely worth the wait. It's the 2nd best, right next to the first game, Rise from the Ashes is still my favourite case, but A Turnabout for Tomorrow in this game comes close. I won't spoil anything but the twist is really surprising and intricate.
  10. ja52ng74
    Dec 10, 2013
    7
    Great story with surprising plot twists, catchy and memorable soundtrack, however, cut-scenes had poor voice acting and there is WAY too much dialogue. Compared to previous games in the series, this one has the most dialogue to read. Yes, there is a lot of humour in the game but most of the dialogue is irrelevant and slows down the pace of the game e.g. "Haaaaaaaaaaaagh". It took aboutGreat story with surprising plot twists, catchy and memorable soundtrack, however, cut-scenes had poor voice acting and there is WAY too much dialogue. Compared to previous games in the series, this one has the most dialogue to read. Yes, there is a lot of humour in the game but most of the dialogue is irrelevant and slows down the pace of the game e.g. "Haaaaaaaaaaaagh". It took about 15minutes until the first cross examination began, even though we are now given the ability to fast forward dialogue (in previous games, text could be skipped only after seeing it at least once) it still takes a while until the player can do something. It would be nice to have the option to skip dialogue completely, it wouldn't matter as I skimmed through more than half of the text, yet still understood the plot. Overall I felt that the experience made it a fine Ace Attorney game, but certainly not worth the $40 it cost to download it.… Expand
  11. birdman3
    Sep 30, 2014
    8
    I was able to get the game on sale, and I consider it to have been worth the price I paid for it ($17). I don't think it would have been worth $30 because of its limited replay value. With that said, I felt like this release is a solid entry in the series. The characters and writing are consistent with prior games. The only downside is that the cases themselves aren't as convoluted andI was able to get the game on sale, and I consider it to have been worth the price I paid for it ($17). I don't think it would have been worth $30 because of its limited replay value. With that said, I felt like this release is a solid entry in the series. The characters and writing are consistent with prior games. The only downside is that the cases themselves aren't as convoluted and complex as the previous series. This is both a good thing and a bad thing: the bad is that they're less shocking, but the good news is that instead of having 3 days of trials and investigations, the chapters are cut down to 2- this means that you spend more of your time in court, doing what you actually enjoy doing, instead of investigating (which I consider to be less interesting). Additionally, the game has removed a lot of the tedium involved in the games. The indicator shows you what parts of crime scenes are interesting and should be investigated, instead of you trying to guess where each clue could possibly be. Also, the game notifies you once you've found all relevant pieces of information. This keeps you from spending a lot of time backtracking to make sure you've found everything. People have been discussing the fact that when you fail in the case and present the wrong evidence, there really is no punishment. I see this as a positive because it keeps you from going back and retreading parts of the trial that you've already been through- why should we be punished so harshly for not knowing what the game wants from us?

    To me, the most significant downside in this version is the music. I love the original Phoenix Wright music, but having not played all the games in the series, I don't know whether the same themes are consistent throughout the series. I do know that the music (especially when you object or find key contradictions) just doesn't match up to what's present in previous games- I don't get that same thrill of energy that I used to. Overall though, the game is consistent with prior games- if you didn't like previous ones, you won't like this one. If you loved the previous games, then you already know what you're getting into.    … Expand
  12. hopesfall
    Oct 24, 2013
    10
    I have always loved the Phoenix Wright games, witty humor with dialogue that makes you think so you can unravel and defend your client. I even enjoyed Apollo Justice, and Miles Edgeworth that were included in this wonderful series. I must say though, this game takes Phoenix Wright and moves the game in a superb direction. Yes, I know you have to download the game and that their is noI have always loved the Phoenix Wright games, witty humor with dialogue that makes you think so you can unravel and defend your client. I even enjoyed Apollo Justice, and Miles Edgeworth that were included in this wonderful series. I must say though, this game takes Phoenix Wright and moves the game in a superb direction. Yes, I know you have to download the game and that their is no physical copies but trust me, if you like Phoenix Wright then your going to want to download this game. I have only played thirty minutes into the game(plus the demo before the game was released on the eshop), and I can honestly say I love this game, for its graphics and the story line that I'm so intrigued to learn more about to figure out what this story and its five cases(plus an extra one you can download) are all about!!!!!!… Expand
  13. Alexey970
    Sep 28, 2014
    5
    If there is a games, that I do not wanted ever to be released, it is Apollo justice and dual destinies. Why? Because the story is perfectly ended in the Trials and Tribulations, and Instead to finish it, developers decided to make a new once with new characters and features.
    First of all, I was very disappointed seeing a new technology in this game. It is not a type that needed a new    If there is a games, that I do not wanted ever to be released, it is Apollo justice and dual destinies. Why? Because the story is perfectly ended in the Trials and Tribulations, and Instead to finish it, developers decided to make a new once with new characters and features.
    First of all, I was very disappointed seeing a new technology in this game. It is not a type that needed a new graphics and anime cutscenes. But the most disappointing thing is a new characters. No matter how developers will try to shoehorn them, they are no match for the old ones. May be I am sceptical, but it is hurts to see that Phoenix treats his apprentices like Fey sisters.
    As you may guess, the gameplay has not changed a bit. It is still the same, with a little new features.
    Overall, I wish I could not ever know about this two series ever existed, because after the ending of the original trilogy, the turn of events in these games had disappointed me very much.    … Expand
  14. EPiiCx5587
    Mar 18, 2014
    6
    By far the worst game in the series. While the story is good, the gameplay had been butchered, and it's pathetically easy. There is no fun in pointing out problems in testimonies when it's **** obvious what the contradiction is. Plus they're pretty much scared to hand out penalties, even though it doesn't matter considering that 90% of the time a 3 year old could figure out what the answerBy far the worst game in the series. While the story is good, the gameplay had been butchered, and it's pathetically easy. There is no fun in pointing out problems in testimonies when it's **** obvious what the contradiction is. Plus they're pretty much scared to hand out penalties, even though it doesn't matter considering that 90% of the time a 3 year old could figure out what the answer was. Also the psyche lock and bracelet mechanics are so scripted that it makes Call of Duty jealous. I still enjoyed DD for the story, but unless you're a hardcore fan DD is not worth it.… Expand
  15. zeluszero
    Dec 11, 2013
    10
    This new installment in the Ace Attorney series not only lives up to our expectations of the series, but brings it up a notch, bringing in game mechanics such as Apollo's Perceive ability, but also bringing in new mechanics like Athena's Mood Matrix. Story and dialogue-wise, its as good as any of its predecessors, if not better, which slowly draws you into the game, making you engrossed inThis new installment in the Ace Attorney series not only lives up to our expectations of the series, but brings it up a notch, bringing in game mechanics such as Apollo's Perceive ability, but also bringing in new mechanics like Athena's Mood Matrix. Story and dialogue-wise, its as good as any of its predecessors, if not better, which slowly draws you into the game, making you engrossed in it so easily, you might not even want to put down the game just to see how the character you're playing as will wrap up the case.

    This game is definitely a good pick-up for any fans of the series, and for non-fans who are interested in things like puzzles or mysteries, they may want to try it out also. The game is also priced well below the price of a normal 3DS game so its well worth its cost.    … Expand
  16. Mjey
    Jun 25, 2014
    10
    Being one of my favorite gaming franchises I must say that this game was truly amazing. The cases were well designed diverse and very interesting and most of all had totally unexpected endings even if you think you have grown used to them. Containing at least 30 hours of quality game time phoenix wright is truly worth its money. Regarding the new 3ds graphics the game looked simplyBeing one of my favorite gaming franchises I must say that this game was truly amazing. The cases were well designed diverse and very interesting and most of all had totally unexpected endings even if you think you have grown used to them. Containing at least 30 hours of quality game time phoenix wright is truly worth its money. Regarding the new 3ds graphics the game looked simply stunning and the scenery looked very nice. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes the adventure game genre.… Expand
  17. vahn
    Apr 4, 2015
    10
    When I heard of a new PW game being developed after a long time of pause, and on a console that I still pretty much can't get my heads on it (I loved the original DS mind you, just not the 3DS), I was really scared of it being a huge failure: I'm a huge Phoenix Wright fan and I finished each game, including AJ and AAI, at least 4 or 5 times each so this game really scared me out, "if itWhen I heard of a new PW game being developed after a long time of pause, and on a console that I still pretty much can't get my heads on it (I loved the original DS mind you, just not the 3DS), I was really scared of it being a huge failure: I'm a huge Phoenix Wright fan and I finished each game, including AJ and AAI, at least 4 or 5 times each so this game really scared me out, "if it fails, the series is dead!" I thought.

    But gladly, this game turned out to be one the exact opposite of what I hoped...and my God, I'm almost sure this game is probably one of the best of the entire series, probably T&T levels of goodness on some points.

    Storywise, the game is set after the events of AJ (one year, if I'm correct), and the story is revolved around this dark age of law, where it's essentially a big mess when it comes to proper legislation. The game's main protagonist this time are actually three: Phoenix Wright (who, if you remember, lost his badge), Apollo Justice and a new girl called Athena Cykes, which is also the main gimmick of the game as well. Unlike previous games, this time you'll be using certain characters on certain cases, making the cases quite unique on their own and I really appreciate when they made those choices back in T&T.

    The game itself it's pretty much the same as the previous ones: you have an exploration section where you gain evidence and try to figure out anything wrong, and the courtroom section where you'll need to discover the truth, and it's still the main focus of the game. Alongside the cases there's a thin line that connects all of the 5 cases (the 6th dlc case is completely unlinked to the rest) and that's probably the best thing about the latest AA games did (especially AAI, with all 5 cases completely linked to each others).

    However, what changed in the game now is the new girl's gimmick, where she will occasionally have to use her robot called Widget and start analyzing the witnessess moods, trying to see the contradictions by the emotional level....and frankly I did not like this new mechanic: I just pressed randomly in hopes to find the right answer, because it wasn't always clear of what was the right choice.
    Maybe some might like it, but I really didn't.

    We will be able to use Apollo and Phoenix's mechanics as well, which is a great come back from the latest games: with Wright and his magatama, which is able to see the lies, and Apollo's bracelet, which is able to see the strage move-sets of the people, the game is very diverse unlike the predecessors and I truely enjoyed seeing all three together in a team-like game, without mentioning that I was happy to see Phoenix acting a "tiny" bit more mature than previous games. A tiny bit, mind you.

    Is the game flawless? I think it's actually quite flawed in some aspects that definitely required some more cure and detail. For instance, Apollo is almost completely bland in here and I really saw him going nowhere: sure you see him struggling at the beginning and becoming all "serious" for some reason that I won't spoil, but it wasn't enough to make me care, resulting in him being forgotten pretty quickly.
    Athena is good but she's also quite...generic and I really couldn't feel sorry for her when she was having issues later in the game, and the new prosecutor, Simon Blackquill, is very VERY annoying in my opinion due to his high honor and sense of Loyalty, but without actually being "interesting". I like an honorable opponent, but he's just too bland for me to care, especially at the end.

    Also you won't be using Apollo's bracelet in courtroom and you'll be forced to use it only in the exploration section of the game (because....Simon's bird would attack him. I have no clue here), and Wright's magatama isn't used very often unlike the previous games.

    And for last...I really enjoyed only the first and the last two cases (because they're essentially one case splitted into two), while the rest was pretty weak: the first two cases literally show you the real murderer, pretty much ruining the supence while the third case while being good, it felt a little too dragged out.
    However, the last two cases are probably the single best cases of the entire game and, I won't lie, my jaw dropped at the sudden plot twist I read at the end: only the few games made me feel that surprised so far, and this was one of those. Sure this is all personal and not everyone might feel the same, but I really felt surprised by the case's end.

    And frankly, that's more than enough for me to recommend this game: it has its flaws, even big ones, but the game has a lot of good points and the end really "takes" the cake for me; on top of that the game has 5 cases plus an additional dlc case that it's probably the best in terms of development, with lots of cutscenes and a price that it's very affordable.

    In other words this is what the fans were waiting for: a good PW game, and I'm glad to see that we might see more eventually. Long live Phoenix Wright!    … Expand
  18. Jcdbengals
    Nov 3, 2013
    9
    WARNING this game advertises as 5 cases, but in reality, case 4 and 5 are basically one long case, so it's a little misleading. Having said that, it's a as shame decisions like this, the download only decision, and the localizations we don't get are handled by the business side of Capcom, because because the actual develops do such an amazing job with these these games. InvestigationWARNING this game advertises as 5 cases, but in reality, case 4 and 5 are basically one long case, so it's a little misleading. Having said that, it's a as shame decisions like this, the download only decision, and the localizations we don't get are handled by the business side of Capcom, because because the actual develops do such an amazing job with these these games. Investigation sequences are actually very well done, with checkmark when examining, more direction about where to go, and Apollo's bracelet used outside the courtroom to enhance the game play. The trials are great, with an amazing new end sequence in each case (not case 4 because again, it's just a short intro to case 5) where you string together multiple answers to bust the bad guy. The music in this game clearly stands as my highlight, as it has remixed themes and amazing new ones as well. Athena's mood matrix is a great change of pace that adds another layer of fun. Characters are as crazy as ever, and watching their breakdowns is even more fun than ever in 3d. Truly an amazing accomplishment; any fan of the series will greatly enjoy this game.… Expand
  19. mangotaingo
    Oct 29, 2013
    10
    I absolutely loved this game! Up to the fourth turnabout currently, and can say that this game is a big step forward from the previous games (especially Apollo Justice). The script is well written, and contains countless numbers of witty jokes that lighten the mood when needed. The visuals are greatly enhanced, especially with the 3D slider on during cut-scenes and dramatic moments.I absolutely loved this game! Up to the fourth turnabout currently, and can say that this game is a big step forward from the previous games (especially Apollo Justice). The script is well written, and contains countless numbers of witty jokes that lighten the mood when needed. The visuals are greatly enhanced, especially with the 3D slider on during cut-scenes and dramatic moments. However, possibly the greatest thing about this game is the music. If you've played the older games, you'll notice how the themes have been slightly remixed and enhanced with more instruments due to 3DS being able to produce these unique sounds compared to the original DS. All in all, great game, and still looking forward to finishing it! (it also takes ages)… Expand
  20. mogsavvy
    Nov 8, 2013
    10
    Although the original trilogy were merely untouchable at this point; Dual Destinies still managed to blow me away with the amount of EXCELLENT story writing with each and every cast of characters that were introduced in this brand new game. What's genuinely surprising was that I actually grew to care for most of the new casts by the end of the game and really wouldn't mind about the factAlthough the original trilogy were merely untouchable at this point; Dual Destinies still managed to blow me away with the amount of EXCELLENT story writing with each and every cast of characters that were introduced in this brand new game. What's genuinely surprising was that I actually grew to care for most of the new casts by the end of the game and really wouldn't mind about the fact that some of its series' popular "alumni" didn't make their returns as long as the story's captivating, all an'all I'M FINE with this new production and I can't wait for more, Capcpom! (Wait.... Objection!)… Expand
  21. LucaxCubix
    Oct 25, 2014
    10
    THAT ENDING DOE, SERIOUSLY THIS GAME IS A MASTERPIECE I loved every freaking case :3
    EVERY. FREAKING. CASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    and Athena's cool too, plus Apillow (Apollo) Justice is more likable now, and phoenix is no longer a hobo, FANTASTIC :D
  22. AngealHewley
    Mar 13, 2014
    10
    WHAT A GAME! It exponentially rose towards the top of my favorite game franchises just after the first one!
    If at any point you get frustrated with the evidence or not being able to progress, dont use walkthroughs as it spoils the thrill just a little.
    It's story(s) are fantastic and hard to beat with such fulfilling plot twists and deep, DEEP characters. Phoenix Wright is truely a    WHAT A GAME! It exponentially rose towards the top of my favorite game franchises just after the first one!
    If at any point you get frustrated with the evidence or not being able to progress, dont use walkthroughs as it spoils the thrill just a little.

    It's story(s) are fantastic and hard to beat with such fulfilling plot twists and deep, DEEP characters.
    Phoenix Wright is truely a masterpiece.    … Expand
  23. Rupeestyle
    Oct 31, 2013
    10
    Every Phoenix Wright game has had some kind of amazing feature behind it. This game, being download only, made it cheaper on release and easy to get. Along with the free download to switch character clothing. You get to play as multiple lawyers in this one. Athena, Apollo, and Phoenix join up as a force and take on multiple cases. You also get a view at an incredible story line that begsEvery Phoenix Wright game has had some kind of amazing feature behind it. This game, being download only, made it cheaper on release and easy to get. Along with the free download to switch character clothing. You get to play as multiple lawyers in this one. Athena, Apollo, and Phoenix join up as a force and take on multiple cases. You also get a view at an incredible story line that begs you for wanting more.

    The only thing I can say about this game is that it was easier then the previous games. It also felt a bit longer though!    … Expand
  24. Warlord8
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    First game for me of the Phoenix Wright saga. And after many videos of the older games I've been finally able to play it. I like it, it's fun and can entertain you if you want to think and remember about what people did and said. It's just reading a Manga with some interaction in it.
  25. TheLurkingKing
    Jan 5, 2014
    10
    The game is superb. The writing is amazing as always, the 3D graphics are amazing and the overall's game plot is awesome. I see a lot of criticsm saying that the game recycled the plot style from the first game, but it isn't. It is just fan dumb. The game is very long, which is something also very nice, the previous game could be beat in 5 hours, but I beat this one under two days. CapcomThe game is superb. The writing is amazing as always, the 3D graphics are amazing and the overall's game plot is awesome. I see a lot of criticsm saying that the game recycled the plot style from the first game, but it isn't. It is just fan dumb. The game is very long, which is something also very nice, the previous game could be beat in 5 hours, but I beat this one under two days. Capcom knows how to create great games and this is a proof of it. Can't wait to see more of the spiky haired lawyer again!… Expand
  26. syscro
    Sep 17, 2017
    3
    Era fan de su serie en Nintendo DS
    Una aventura gráfica con pequeñas partes de RPG no Traducido al Idioma del jugar repercute directamente en el juego. Lo vendí a la semana.
  27. FSL
    Nov 18, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best ace attorney game comparing to the other western games in the series, the story aspect is stupendous, the graphic was an outlandish to the series but by the time I got accustomed to it, and one of the best things about the game is the prosecution, unlike the others in the series he isn’t helpful and also every time I face him I feel like this is the prosecution I was anticipated for a formidable antagonist, and the most shocking thing about the game is the culprit in the final case. THIS IS A MUST BE PLAYED GAME!… Expand
  28. Loxagon
    Feb 22, 2022
    0
    No EU 5 Text (3DS/PS4) = for me automatic 0 Points!

    In this Game you must understand ALL!
  29. Kenmei
    Oct 31, 2013
    8
    I have been a huge Phoenix Wright fan since the beginning of the franchise. The first game was one of the reasons I made my first DS purchase. This is the first game in the series to be based on a current gen console, the 3DS, and they've done a wonderful job of taking the sprites from the old games and giving them life in 3D. However, a few things set this game apart from its pastI have been a huge Phoenix Wright fan since the beginning of the franchise. The first game was one of the reasons I made my first DS purchase. This is the first game in the series to be based on a current gen console, the 3DS, and they've done a wonderful job of taking the sprites from the old games and giving them life in 3D. However, a few things set this game apart from its past incarnations in a negative way that keep it from being the best game in the series. Basically, this game was made for Phoenix Wright fans. If a newcomer to the series starts with this game, they will lose the meaning of most of the bantering amongst all the characters. My hope was that they would give Phoenix a starring role in this game after pushing him to the backburner in the last one. That sorta happened but not as much as I would have liked. I'm not a big fan of the last game in the franchise, Apollo Justice, and I was hoping they would move away from what most people call the worst game in the franchise and focus more on Phoenix again. Instead, they decided to focus alot on all of the defense lawyers in the game, giving them each a case they were the lead on. The biggest problem I have with the game is the lackluster final case. The final case in an Ace Attorney game is the big draw for me. They have been the best cases in the series usually and you play through some pretty lackluster ones because you know that last case will be great. This time around, the last case was very average and that's almost as bad as saying the case was barely playable. Plus the fact that the difficulty level was lightened this time around, it didnt feel like finding the truth in the last case was all that shocking. Anyway this is still a good game for Phoenix Wright fans to play. Newcomers to the series need to start with the first game for the DS and to anyone who might have been put off by AJ like I was, this game sorta redeems itself from that trainwreck. But a very average last case and annoying and forgettable main characters again make me feel like this game should have done alot better if they had just solely focused on Phoenix himself, and not try to shoehorn in these other forgettable characters that they make you play.… Expand
  30. Rolento
    Jun 25, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While I think very few people play the Ace Attorney series for the gameplay itself, it's undeniable that everything past Trials and Tribulations was very much loaded with handholding and fanservice, and Dual Destinies was no exception. That said, in those two regards it was WAY better than the two Edgeworth spinoffs, and it also made some daring choices that I guess many people would find just "a mess", such as getting Phoenix back in court after AJ happened and made it temporarily an enlightened, untouchable character of which we would have only had to remember the heroic feats. Overall, though, it tried to please the fans with Phoenix and Edgeworth back in court briefly but without eclipsing the "new" things, and they even managed to make Apollo, disliked by many, have some sort of character development and overall make him more likeable. That said, the messy nature remains: the scheme Phoenix-Apollo-Athena-Apollo-Phoenix made at least sense for the cases attorneys, but overall it resulted in using magatama once or twice, bracelet once or twice, the psycho analysis a bit more because it had to be pushed as the "new cool thing", assistants to the characters switched constantly (with a completely random and fanservice-y Pearl in the end becase Trucy wasn't there anymore... the only thing I'm gonna say it's "better" in the Edgeworth spinoff is that, at least in that case, they would have at least bothered showing the interactions between two assistants for the heck of it instead of one goes out one comes in) and while I didn't mind I can tell that generally these weren't good decisions and can make it difficult for people to care about characters and find consistency in the game.

    Also, the final plot twist was so arbitrary it hurt.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best 3DS Game of 2013
15
#15 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2013
20
#20 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
  1. SpazioGames
    Apr 13, 2014
    80
    Capcom has put together yet another fun and witty game, that makes us use the gray matter and will please children and adults. However, it should also be said that, several years from the first game and with only few changes added from time to time, the series may need something new very soon.
    Read full review
  2. Adventure Gamers
    Mar 12, 2014
    80
    One of the best of the games in the series, Dual Destinies takes a while to build back up from its explosive beginning, but it’s more of the same fun characters, stories, and gameplay fans have come to expect.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 13, 2014
    83
    Dual Destinies' main plot falters a little and the simplified puzzles are a shame. DD might not rise to the brilliance of the earlier Ace Attorney games, but it's still a worthy and welcome addition to the series. [Jan 2014]
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