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. Nintendojo
    91
    Despite fears that a new stable of characters would prove less interesting than the established cast, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney manages to hold up to its predecessors in nearly every way.
  2. Cheat Code Central
    90
    A long game coupled with the fact that it's incredibly immersive and addicting; excellent storylines really keep you playing.
  3. Zentendo
    90
    With hilariously well-written dialog, brilliant court cases, DS-specific features, pulse-pounding drama, catchy and moody music, and four cases, you will not want to miss this game.
  5. Gamervision
    90
    To put it simply, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney takes everything that works about the Phoenix Wright series and then adds more. Longtime fans of the lawyer series will not be disappointed with the newest installment, but there’s so much fresh content that newcomers can jump right in and not feel overwhelmed by the game’s history.
  6. RPG Fan
    89
    All in all, if you've followed the series, there's no point in stopping now. Capcom has the formula down by this point, and they will only improve upon it as time passes.
  7. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    88
    As much as I adore the gameplay, the story is by far the best reason to take this case. [Apr 2008, p.81]
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  8. Pelit (Finland)
    86
    Quotation forthcoming. [June 2008]
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  9. 1UP
    85
    The localization team at Capcom should be commended for writing dialogue that is genuinely funny. Basically, if you're a fan of the earlier Phoenix Wright games, you will laugh...a lot. Couple the comedy with Justice's engrossing story and you have a case that would be criminal not to take.
  10. Gaming Target
    85
    Fans of Phoenix Wright can rest assured that Apollo Justice more the lives up to the role as an Ace Attorney.
  11. IGN AU
    85
    It's more of the same, then, but it's great.
  12. Gameplanet
    85
    Apollo Justice carries on the addictive game play of its predecessors. It is suited well to those who enjoy watching the many different crime and courtroom shows that are so popular on television these days, and also to those who enjoy a good story-based game that requires concentration and awareness.
  13. n-Revolution Magazine UK
    84
    Surprisingly ace. [Issue#21, p.80]
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  14. IGN
    83
    Apollo Justice surprised us. This may just be yet another of Capcom’s infamous rehashes, but it’s so much more enjoyable than most that it’s extremely hard to ignore.
  15. Gamer 2.0
    83
    Despite what may be setbacks with the lack of true blue changes to the graphics and sound, Apollo Justice looks to be everything the Phoenix Wright trilogy was and more.
  16. GameShark
    83
    A worthy successor to the Phoenix Wright series, even if the first outing seems a little too eager to hold on to the characters from its predecessor.
  17. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    82
    As great as it is, we can't believe we've waited two years for this. [June 2008, p.80]
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  18. GameTrailers
    82
    If it's engaging storytelling on a handheld scale you're after, Apollo Justice serves up another ace for Capcom’s line of courtroom sims.
  19. Nintendo Power
    80
    With that said, the latest Ace Attorney game is an excellent continuation of the series, featuring more compelling mysteries to unravel and lots of memorable characters. [Mar 2008, p.86]
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  20. GamesRadar+
    80
    Apollo Justice delivers the same winning formula we've come to expect, throws in some refreshing new twists, and leaves us satisfied yet still eager to see where the story will go.
  21. Game Informer
    80
    It’s funny, unique, and breaks up the text scrolling with more varied activities. Even so, Apollo still has room to grow, and I’m looking forward to seeing what case he takes next.
  22. Video Game Talk
    80
    Apollo Justice delivers an evolved version of the Phoenix Wright titles, but the overall experience has been shortened dramatically.
  23. GameSpy
    80
    The new DS-centric controls add a lot to the formula, though some other cool new features, such as forensic videos, are too sparsely used.
  24. GameDaily
    80
    The only severe flaw is that it ends too soon with only four cases and no option to download new ones. Still, it's a legal champion.
  25. GameTap
    80
    While it may seem like Capcom's diving back into the well of a successful franchise, Apollo Justice is the first Ace Attorney game built from the ground up for the DS, and it succeeds in delivering just enough legal shenanigans that are serious enough--and silly enough--to entice both fans and rookies alike.
  26. Eurogamer
    80
    It's filled to the brim with brilliant ideas, and then barely uses them.
  27. Modojo
    80
    Overall, though, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has enough refreshing content and "legal good times" to keep you happily satisfied, with its well-integrated storyline, characters and touch-screen tools.
  28. NintendoWorldReport
    80
    Since Apollo's adventure builds upon the Phoenix Wright trilogy and the original remains the best, playing the Ace Attorney series in order remains my recommendation.
  29. Gamestyle
    80
    Apollo Justice is a likeable guy (because he is just a carbon copy of Phoenix Wright, to be honest) and even four games into the series, this still remains fresh, thanks to the clever writing and plots.
  30. Worth Playing
    80
    A great entry point for novice attorneys, thanks to a new cast of vibrant characters.
  31. Nintendo Gamer
    80
    Not exactly the dazzling reinvention we hoped for, but Apollo Justice more than holds his own. [May 2008, p.55]
  32. Games Master UK
    80
    Not the leap in features we'd hoped for, but a fantastic debut for Justice nontheless. [May 2008, p.72]
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  33. Cubed3
    80
    However, the sharp writing skills shine through once more, with a script full of intrigue, humour and mystery.
  34. Level7.nu
    80
    Even though it still relies on a lot of the tried and true mechanics of the Phoenix Right-titles, Apollo Justice manages to add enough new DS-related features to keep this package feeling fresh while adding a great and engaging storyline to the mix. This is the best offering so far for newcomers, and fans of the Phoenix Wright titles are going to appreciate the improvements to the formula.
  35. Gamer.nl
    80
    Although the game has been made especially for the DS, not enough DS specific gameplay elements have been put into the game.
  36. GamePro
    75
    Phoenix Wright fans who loved the past games and want nothing more than another docket of crazy cases to tackle will no doubt love Apollo Justice. It's a solid distillation of the franchise formula and if you haven't yet had your fill, I wholly recommend the game, because you will no doubt enjoy it. But I personally couldn't get over how derivative the game felt.
  37. The A.V. Club
    75
    The latest chapter in the Ace Attorney series comes with fresh characters and an absorbing plot—as well as all the same old objections.

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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