Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

 DS
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 48
  3. Negative: 0 out of 48
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  1. GameSpot
    70
    Fans of the previous Ace Attorney games will appreciate the new touch-screen mechanics and improved presentation, but these changes don't do much to spice up the series' often slow and tedious pacing.
  2. AceGamez
    70
    As much fun as Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is, it's just not the big leap forward that the series should have taken, as a number of little niggles conspire to lower the score slightly.
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  3. games(TM)
    70
    Had Capcom pout a little more effort into overhauling the gameplay and graphics, while also preserving the magic of the original cast, Apollo Justice would have been more than just another sequel. [May 2008, p.116]
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  5. NTSC-uk
    70
    Despite these small problems, however, this is still essential playing for long-time fans, and for new entrants: buy this game, play it, and then get the others.
  6. Adventure Gamers
    70
    Despite the mounting criticism, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is a decent enough game in its own right, and fans of the series can expect much of what they enjoyed in previous offerings.
  7. PALGN
    70
    Another solid entry, but the series probably needed more then solid. Weaker characters are offset by new novelties, but it will still be worth a go for fans of the idea.
  8. My Gamer
    66
    Apollo Justice, while staying true to an original, winning formula, has some pitfalls that prevents me from recommending it to people not familiar with the series.
  9. Kombo
    65
    Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is not a typical DS game. However, those gamers who also enjoying burning away the hours with a good book will find plenty to like in this courtroom drama.
  10. Edge Magazine
    60
    Yes, Justice’s new shriek adds a new trick to his repertoire, but besides this and a few new touchscreen forensic gizmos, this there is little change from the GBA ports. [Apr 2008, p.95]
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  11. Pocket Gamer UK
    60
    Melodrama isn't enough to carry Apollo Justice, a game that feels considerably more weighed down by dialogue and little actual gameplay to speak of than its predecessors.
  12. Game Revolution
    58
    Phoenix Wright: You still have a lot to learn, kid. If you’re going to make it in this world, you have to pave your own path.
  13. Play Magazine
    55
    Plead nolo contendere, Apollo. [Mar 2008, p.65]
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best DS Game of 2008
10
#10 Most Discussed DS Game of 2008
96
#96 Most Shared DS Game of 2008

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 116 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 116
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 116
  3. Negative: 10 out of 116
  1. MrSonicFan
    Oct 27, 2013
    7
    It's a perfectly fine game. But it does not compare to the original trilogy, it has a good story, great graphics and music, and memorableIt's a perfectly fine game. But it does not compare to the original trilogy, it has a good story, great graphics and music, and memorable characters like the original trilogy, but personaly the original trilogy just does it a lot better.… Full Review »
  2. Cosmozerk
    Aug 21, 2016
    8
    To anyone who says Apollo justice is a bad game i say this to you:

    OBJECTION! This is a fantastic game, it may not be as good as the main    To anyone who says Apollo justice is a bad game i say this to you:

    OBJECTION! This is a fantastic game, it may not be as good as the main Phoenix Wright trilogy, but this game is far from being the worst of the Ace Attorney series (Looking at you Layton).

    STORY: In this game you take control of Phoe-...Oh wait that's Wright! (Sorry for that pun) In this game Phoenix actually lost his attorney's badge after a trial 7 year ago after Trials and Tribulations, now he's known as Phoenix Wright: Ace Piano Player even though he sucks at playing piano, but he's pretty good in poker tho...moving on! With Phoenix out of the picture as the main attorney what did Capcom do to have a new- Ok you know what just can just look at the name and cover of the game and you'll see what the did, now we're in control of Apollo Justice, Rookie attorney that is just beginning his career and he'll need to plough through 4 cases to make a name for himself.

    A lot of people feel the need to remind us how AWFUL! it is to play an Ace Attorney game without Phoenix, because clearly he's all that matters when it comes to quality and if he's not there then the game is not good. Personally i feel that's just stupid, Apollo may not be the bad*** that Phoenix is, but he still is a pretty likable character that does his job very well. Same goes for new character, Trucy Wright, she's a magician and a very cute and charming one at that. New rival prosecutor, Klavier, is also an awesome character and he remind me a lot of Edgeworth, since he just wants to discover the truth, plus he's a rockstar and that's always nice. And also, the villain of this game is gotta be one of the best and most creative in the series, people who have finished the game can attest to that. Finally from the main cast we have returning Ema Skye, who basically confirms that the fifth case of the first game is cannon which is a huge **** up because that means that Edgeworth didn't leave after Turnabout Memories, which means that the plotpoint in Justice for All was total bull****, but I digress, Ema is just as likable as before and now she's actually a detective, replacing Gumshoe. Some people don't really like the characters of each case, but aside from Spark Brushel and Wesley Stickler the rest are pretty fun to interact with, yes even Wocky Kitaki, i just don't see why people say he's such an annoying character, I really didn't see the problem.

    PRESENTATION: One of the first things you'll notice right of the bat is the graphics. The original trilogy was originally built for the GBA and then ported to the DS, but this game is built specifically for the DS from the ground up and it definitely shows, more fluid animations, more detailed characters and backgrounds and better sound quality. At first the color pallet for the courtroom wasn't eye catching for me, but eventually i grew to enjoy it. The character designs are on-spot like usual and the game is overall very pretty. But of course an Ace Attorney game is not an Ace Attorney game without AMAZING music and this is certainly no exception, the new pursuit theme, Overtaken, has become my second favorite pursuit theme of any Ace Attorney game (second to Cornered of course), the Objection theme does a great job of keeping the tension and both the instrument and style variety is through the roof. If there's one thing that everyone agrees on is that this game looks and sound fantastic.

    GAMEPLAY: If you want a detailed explanation of how the game works overall then go read my previus Ace Attorney reviews and get that knowledge there because I don't want to repeat myself...ok, you did? perfect, now let's continue to see the new stuff. From Justice for All onward Phoenix always had his magatama item to know if someone is hiding a secret, and while you do use the magatama in a certain place in the game, this time around we get Apollo's bracelet, this thing is very weird, but awesome at the same time, you can only use it in the courtroom segments in very specific parts which does hinder its usefulness, but when you do use it the world becomes psychedelic and Apollo will perceive the witness testimony, focus and zoom in on the person who is testifying, what do you do next? To detect if someone is lying you have to search his "twitch", basically when someone is lying they have unconscious reactions and that reaction is what you ar looking for. You can try time and time again until you get it right so it's not annoying to do, but it's tricky to find. Aside from that every case has a specific gimmick to them, i won't explain them all since they're not a main part of the overall game, but they're pretty fun to mess around with.

    Overall Apollo Justice is a very underrated game in my eyes. Sure it has some plot holes here and there, but if that didn't destroy Justice for All of Trials and tribulations then why Apollo gets that treatment?

    I'll give an 8/10.    … Full Review »
  3. BROstoise
    Aug 17, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. My expectations for this game weren't too high. I expected it to feel like any other Ace Attorney gane, and be a decent entry. I also have seen the scores on metacritic before playing, and now, after playing it, i'm shocked that the scores of AA1, JFA, and T&T are so much higher than Apollo. In short, this is my absolute favorite Ace Attorney game.

    I'll begin with the characters. I like Apollo Justice more than I djd Phoenix. He was more relatable: a quirky, nervous guy who goes through crap in the first few chapters. During his very first trial, he had to put his boss in jail, then was unemployed. After his first trail, he found out that Phoenix, his only chance at employment, made him present forged evidence.
    Trucy, on the other hand feels like Maya or young Ema Skye did, with one key difference:she's naive and says things without thinking to often dangerous people. When this happens, Apollo feels embarrassed by her, which also reflected how I felt when Trucy did said things.
    Speaking of Ema, she's back, as the detective. i really liked her in Rise from the Ashes, and do here, as long as she's not acting salty, as in this game, she's often a grump when you first talk to her.
    Phoenix still retained his hunger to bring justice like in the original trilogy, but this time, he is much more calm and collected. So much so that he almost feels like a different person. Thankfully, He regains his loud mouth and erect finger (no, not that finger) in dual destinies.
    Kristoph Gavin is extremely surpising. Before playing, I thought he was a goodhearted leader who killed someone without knowing. The opposite happened.
    Klavier Gavin is the first prosecutor who seeks the truth in their debut, not just victory. Personally, I was not a fan of this. The antagonist didn't feel like an enemy.

    Now, onward to the cases.
    Turnabout Trump is the ultimate first case. The witness is NOT the killer for once, and this case most likely took everyone by surprise. It was an amazing way to kick off the game.
    Turnabout Corner is a solid case. It felt like any other. It did a goid job of forming the characters
    Turnabout Serenade had some good twists, and was slightly better than solid.
    Turnabout Succession is amazing. It's courtoom action isn't all that great, but the investigations are, because all the plot twists are found out there, as well as the aftermath. You also play as Phoenix during his last trial, but the GBA bacgrounds conflicting with the DS graphics Klavier sort of bugged me. After this case, I found a few plot holes in Turnabout Trump that were never filled, but they were minor.
    I loved how almost all cases were connected. Corner wasn't, but it's more realistic. Too many coincidences turn my suspension of belief off. This game also has a moral delima, like JFA. The delima regards a broken justice system, and using unconventional methods to prove the truth.
    The ending is extremely satisfying. You find out that Phoenix set up the jurist system and knew from the beginning that Kristoph was the killer, and this was the only way to bring justice. Lamoir, a blind singer who suffers from amnesia, is revealed to be Trucy's mother, who "died" in accident. She also was with another man before Zak, who was Apollo's dad. This means he and Trucy are half-sibilings. A good plot twist is one that is impossible to guess, in my opinion.

    Finally, the gameplay. They removed the ability to present profiles. Oh well, no big deal. When you investigate as phoenix, you get to break the magical psyche locks again, and still a good amount kf times for one part. Ema's forensics and other things gave you little gimmicks to play with, but they're all case specific, which is fine, because it'd probably get annoying if you did them in every case. You can also examine evidence as 3D models, just like in Rise from the Ashes.
    And now, the main gimmick of this game: Apollo's bracelet. I really enjoyed it. Thankfully, you could only use it when you had to. Some nervous habits were easy to find, some difficult, and some awesome, like Kristoph's scar becoming a skull. I'd also like to say this game's music and graphics trump the previous titles'.

    In summary, I'm giving this game a 10/10 for improved graphics and sound, likeable and interesting characters, great new gameplay features that aren't oversused, and an excellent story with plot twists that are sure to shock you.    … Full Review »
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