Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

 DS
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
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  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 memorable characters like the original trilogy, but personaly the original trilogy just does it a lot better.
  2. Alex
    Jul 6, 2008
    9
    This game is a solid sequel for the GS saga and makes a good game-experience. This games were like drugs for me. STORY:Cool story, with the fourth case which outstand most of the episodes in the entire saga. It's incredibly good (even if the final process is the easiest process ever, poor Kristoph.). However, the game fails in connection between the past games: What appened to Maya, This game is a solid sequel for the GS saga and makes a good game-experience. This games were like drugs for me. STORY:Cool story, with the fourth case which outstand most of the episodes in the entire saga. It's incredibly good (even if the final process is the easiest process ever, poor Kristoph.). However, the game fails in connection between the past games: What appened to Maya, Pearls, Gumshoe, Edgey and most of the old cast?!? Do we have to wait for the Edgeworth's Spin-off or an AA:2 to discover more? 9-/10 Graphics: Pretty good improvements in the pg's animations and in the various opening videos: it makes fun also to, ehm, reinvestigate with the OLD graphics with PW, lolz. Liked that "Mason System", even if it was a bit "strange". 9/10 Sound: nothing of great and nothing of bad. I liked the PW1 musics in the PW investigation part, I really liked the Cross-Objection tune. :o 8/10 Gameplay: ..Some say it's slow, some say it's boring.. Seriously, Who f*cking cares. One of the most addicting and thrilling adventures EVER. People should play these types of games more, really really addicting. 10/10 Average: 9/10… Expand
  3. ShoniL
    Oct 26, 2009
    10
    Brilliant game. Would make a great purchase even if you haven't played the phoenix wright series.
  4. Ady
    Mar 12, 2008
    10
    Great game, Great storyline what more is there to say? GET IT!
  5. Wocky
    Feb 26, 2008
    9
    I don't know what people are talking about! This game was really good! GRAPHICS: The graphics have had a little bit of improvement/ change through the previous series such as "real" 3D animations or miniclips. The graphics are an outstanding work of art. Overall: 10/10 AUDIO: Sweet heaven! The audio could really make your ears bleed, (especially Gavin's theme). The theme songs I don't know what people are talking about! This game was really good! GRAPHICS: The graphics have had a little bit of improvement/ change through the previous series such as "real" 3D animations or miniclips. The graphics are an outstanding work of art. Overall: 10/10 AUDIO: Sweet heaven! The audio could really make your ears bleed, (especially Gavin's theme). The theme songs become repetitive and make your ears bleed near the end of the game. Overall: 7/10 STORY: The story has gone from ridiculous to....ludicrous! Whoever thought that a doctor would be dragging a noodle stand down a park while a "gangster" comes up and pumps him full of lead? However, these cases can be solved, you don't need to compulsively save (as P W states it). Just use your brain! Overall: 9/10 GAMEPLAY: I see Capcom has brought back the old functions that were lost in PW1. Such as the fingerprint system and the luminol system. They also added more functions such as having the ability to reenact a crime scene and having the perceive system or the jurist system at the last chapter. However, the Psycho-Locks from PW2 and PW3 have been removed but who cares? You also can't present people profiles as evidence anymore. Overall: 10/10 The score I give for the game overall is 9/10… Expand
  6. vahn
    Dec 31, 2012
    9
    I've heard rumors that this is one of the most hated of the series, mostly because it obviously lack the main character: Phoenix Wright. However, as a fan of the series, I pressed forward and I was honestly surprise to see an actual good "sequel" of the main series, with still its good character roster and still good cases to play (I heard the last case is full of plotholes, but seemed okI've heard rumors that this is one of the most hated of the series, mostly because it obviously lack the main character: Phoenix Wright. However, as a fan of the series, I pressed forward and I was honestly surprise to see an actual good "sequel" of the main series, with still its good character roster and still good cases to play (I heard the last case is full of plotholes, but seemed ok for me and I personally liked it as much as the others), although they don't reach the quality of either T&T or AT. The graphics in this game have been slightly improved also, animations have been made anew and, surprinsingly, still feels timeless and I hardly noticed the changes (in a good way). The game adds instead of the psychic locks the innate ability to see their reactions through a zooming sight, in which you'll attempt to discover what's wrong with them after certain statements. Except that, nothing really goes wrong...well at a certain point. Even if I liked it, some points of the story aren't totally explained, like where are most of the old characters? What happened to them? Phoenix seems like he's been abandoned, and they were all good friends! Phoenix alone is a great character in the game (finally not a clumsy man like the previous games, although excusable in the first game), and both Apollo and Trucy are a great pair in this game, while I didn't really enjoy your new rival Klavier. It's not on par with other games of the series but it is still a good adventure game, although seemed a bit shorter because of only having 4 cases. Nothing really goes bad in here, but fans will ask questions that probably won't be answered until a "new" Apollo game will be released, and non-fans will surely like the game despite the small flaws and everything. It's worth a good buy in my opinion, so give it a good try: you might find it more enjoyable than you'd think.… Expand
  7. LadyAlerie
    Sep 20, 2012
    10
    At first, I missed playing with Phoenix. But I changed my mind, because the game is as enjoyable as the Phoenix Wright's ones. More memorable characters, the OST is perfect, the story is great too. I enjoyed this game a lot. Sometimes I play the entire saga again, and never get bored of it.
  8. BROstoise
    Aug 17, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand 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.    … Expand
  9. 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 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    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.    … Expand
  10. Disappointed
    Feb 10, 2009
    5
    This game truly disappointed me. I can't explain completely why so as not to spoil the game for others. Let's just say that the last case did so many things wrong I decided to sell the game and never tough this franchise again. There was ridiculous relationships made up, stupid unnecessary explanations, a completely gimped phoenix in the flashback sequence, a very unstaisfactory This game truly disappointed me. I can't explain completely why so as not to spoil the game for others. Let's just say that the last case did so many things wrong I decided to sell the game and never tough this franchise again. There was ridiculous relationships made up, stupid unnecessary explanations, a completely gimped phoenix in the flashback sequence, a very unstaisfactory ending where it felt like all you did was for naught, not to mention a time paradox. If you love the franchise and don't mind careless writing like this it's still a good game and you can add 2 or 3 points to my score, just beware.… Expand
  11. PW
    Feb 23, 2008
    2
    This game is literally more of the same. There is literally one new feature: one of the most obnoxious minigames ever to disgrace gaming. The concept is that you have to discover some hidden animation. The segment is timed, of course, something that's inexcusable for a game of this genre. Other than that, if you've played the original DS Phoenix Wright, you've played this This game is literally more of the same. There is literally one new feature: one of the most obnoxious minigames ever to disgrace gaming. The concept is that you have to discover some hidden animation. The segment is timed, of course, something that's inexcusable for a game of this genre. Other than that, if you've played the original DS Phoenix Wright, you've played this game. There's nothing new. Sadly, this means that the pointless and worthless penalty system is back, meaning that you get to re-page through 15 minutes of text if you fail to guess what the writers were thinking. You can work around that by compulsively saving, but you shouldn't have to - there should be no penalty system in the first place.… Expand
  12. ChristopherP
    Jun 8, 2009
    8
    Apollo is a surprisingly likable replacement for Phoenix's retirement. The gameplay's essentially more of the same (which isn't really a bad thing), but it's still consistently interesting. My primary gripe comes from the plot holes that seem to be worse than any other Ace Attorney game; Once it's all over, you'll likely be asking "But...What the hell was Apollo is a surprisingly likable replacement for Phoenix's retirement. The gameplay's essentially more of the same (which isn't really a bad thing), but it's still consistently interesting. My primary gripe comes from the plot holes that seem to be worse than any other Ace Attorney game; Once it's all over, you'll likely be asking "But...What the hell was [that] about, then?" Still, a good addition to the franchise. I look forward to more of Apollo.… Expand
  13. Gerkuman
    Feb 26, 2008
    8
    Personally, I don't think P W (the commenter before me) really understands the main point of the AA series, which is that it's mostly story based, so it doesn't NEED to change much. That, and I personally don't see how the penalty system gives the game a two, but meh. On with the mini-review! Firstly, the new system in the game actually adds a bit to the story. Personally, I don't think P W (the commenter before me) really understands the main point of the AA series, which is that it's mostly story based, so it doesn't NEED to change much. That, and I personally don't see how the penalty system gives the game a two, but meh. On with the mini-review! Firstly, the new system in the game actually adds a bit to the story. It's sort of like the Magatama, but mixed with spot the difference. Personally, I think it's quite good, although a tiny bit infuriating; but in the end, some challenge is good. On the story front, it's pretty good as well, although it does have some plotholes, and some people won't like how a character or two has changed. As for what P W said about the penalty system, the whole point of AA is to catch peoples contradictions. And, for the most part they're not too hard to spot as long as you think about it. Of course, you could start objecting to random statements, but that won't help you much and the penalty system is to stop that. So, my opinons of the game. It's a worthy sucessor to the series, and is one of the best out of them. But of course, it all depends on your P.O.V.… Expand
  14. spi280
    Aug 31, 2015
    4
    A sequel that absolutely did not need to exist. The series ended perfectly with trials and tribulations but Then this completely unnecessary, half assed sequel happened. the writing makes this game feel like a poorly made fanfic and is riddled with potholes. The protagonist Apollo has no personality and all the other characters are extremely unlikable. The only good thing about this gameA sequel that absolutely did not need to exist. The series ended perfectly with trials and tribulations but Then this completely unnecessary, half assed sequel happened. the writing makes this game feel like a poorly made fanfic and is riddled with potholes. The protagonist Apollo has no personality and all the other characters are extremely unlikable. The only good thing about this game is the soundtrack which continues the AA tradition of being super catchy and the expressive sprite art.… Expand
  15. Viperr101
    May 25, 2013
    9
    I have played through nearly every other Ace Attorney game, but Apollo Justice was special. It's true, you do not play as Phoenix Wright, but that does that not mean he isn't a factor in the game. The story is nothing short of masterfully crafted, and all of the characters are memorable and influential on your journey. My only problem with the game is the way saving works and the lack ofI have played through nearly every other Ace Attorney game, but Apollo Justice was special. It's true, you do not play as Phoenix Wright, but that does that not mean he isn't a factor in the game. The story is nothing short of masterfully crafted, and all of the characters are memorable and influential on your journey. My only problem with the game is the way saving works and the lack of text skipping. I hope to see a sequel to this great game some time in the future.… Expand
  16. abraham_b
    May 4, 2015
    9
    Now I can reasonably understand why people prefer the initial trilogy to this game and I am one of those people. However, this does not stop Apollo Justice from being a very good game. Sure the 2nd and 3rd case drag on a bit; however, the final case is one of my favourite cases in the entire series. I still recommend this game for any Ace Attorney fan, don't skip it.
  17. VidyaBum
    May 18, 2015
    7
    Apollo Justice...is hard to criticize properly.

    Let me say first off that it's still the same grandly successful type of story, characters, and gameplay that makes this series great. Its writing, thinking demand and general quality as a game is still very high up and it's still quite an enjoyable game in the series. Gameplay first: every AA game tries to have its own little gimmicky    Apollo Justice...is hard to criticize properly.

    Let me say first off that it's still the same grandly successful type of story, characters, and gameplay that makes this series great. Its writing, thinking demand and general quality as a game is still very high up and it's still quite an enjoyable game in the series.

    Gameplay first: every AA game tries to have its own little gimmicky feature, like the Magatama for JFA onwards, Miles Edgeworth Investigations has the Logic feature, and so on.

    Apollo's gimmick is his bracelet that makes you zoom in on witnesses and see...something.
    I'll admit right ahead that I'm bad at noticing visual things, so maybe it's unfair criticism, but this gameplay style is just sh*tty. The zoom is so awfully close to people that it's painful to see anything, you can only see a tiny part of them, so you have to recheck again and again and again and again until you've found the one detail...which I usually never found! I always had to ask the internet for it. And sometimes the details are just about ridiculous, for example you're supposed to find a guy having armpit sweat during one part of his statement! Yes, just during that one part, it disappears after, so you have to know to look at the armpit and only the armpit since the zoom is so close-up, find that one magical moment where the sweat appears and point to it...

    The gimmick is just awful and nowhere near as good as the Magatama or any other such gimmicks from the series. Rest of the gameplay is just not as fun as the rest too. Nothing hideous, but just not as fun. The thinking and critical skills required are still good too, though.

    As for the cases:

    Case 1: Boring. Never got my interest due to a very twisted logic which required a lot of thinking it over again and again to understand and accept it. I guess it's my bad for being stupid, but if I have to re-read the whole case twice to understand what was going on, considering that I never needed to re-read anything in any AA game ever before, it may not just be me. This case is confusing and fails to grab my interest.

    Case 2: the defendant may be a complete moron, but the majority of the case is ok. This is the first case where Trucy Wright is introduced in depth and I find her to be possibly the best sidekick the series has provided yet. AJ's prosecutor is also introduced here and he rocks, in every sense of the term. While no Godot or Edgeworth, he's not that far off from a Franziska von Karma, and he manages to be a suitable character besides his prosecutor role later on in the game. So I mainly like this case for being clear and introducing these two.

    Except for that, while it has nice elements, it's overall not very fun.

    Case 3: Eeeeeergh. Easily one of the worst cases ever. The very logic in it is so ridiculously convoluted and stupid(and obvious) that you just want to leave the game there. The defendant(s) suck, the villain sucks, the logic sucks, everything sucks. I'm supposed to get emotionally attached to Lamiroir, well if this game wasn't technically limited by the DS maybe this could've happened, but it was limited and I'm not attached. In its entirety the case is sleep-inducing and the whole concert + death poetry gimmick feels like a design nightmare. At least finding out what really happened is fun, so the gameplay holds up very well, but while playing and the plot twists are fine, everything else fails in this case.

    Case 4: A joyous mess I suppose, but extremely little value in this case is given to the villain. It honestly falls short at every turn when it comes to building up the Big Bad Guy. When the final reveal feels like another paper has been completed and the credits roll with you sighing "finally, it's done with", well, I can't really call that in any way successful. While it has a very interesting concept with time travel and exploring past and present to put the clues together, and it gives a massive backstory on the characters, it feels anticlimactic and can't build up the villain at all. Its gameplay is good, that's the saving grace, but it falls very short when compared with Edgeworth/Von Karma, the Matt Engarde reveal, or the absolutely amazing Bridge to the Turnabout from the previous trilogy.

    With the cases done, I'll just quickly say this: except for Trucy having more potential than Maya and Ema Skye vs a very overdone Gumshoe, every character in this game feels inferior to its former equivalent.
    Apollo VS Phoenix(who keeps overshadowing him in this game), Gavin VS Godot, here defendants VS previous defendants, here villains VS previous villains, it's all less fun, less tragic, less crazy, less everything.

    With that said, the OST is particularly good, and that's saying a ton considering that every AA game has a good soundtrack(except maybe Investigations is a tiny bit less good).

    It won't save this game from being the worst Ace Attoreny, but it helps making it acceptable. I'd still highly recommend any AA over this one.    … Expand
  18. ssb4
    Jun 2, 2014
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I honestly have to say this is the worst ace attorney game I have ever played in my life, possibly THE worst game I have ever played in my whole life.

    While the sprites, music, locations, and characters are all interesting and wacky (as to be expected from the Ace Attorney series), the plot and cases of the game were confusing and, quite quickly settled, in my opinion. The new mechanics were thrown into your face, then never used again next case. Did I mention this game also has the strangest ending ever? Not only do all these relationships get thrown around, but Apollo randomly gets evidence after that whole "MASON System" thing. You'd think they'd make a better transition for that, but nope. It's just there.

    It usually takes me a bit to beat Ace Attorney games (For example, Justice for All took me 21 hours), but Apollo Justice was under 15 hours of play time.

    Apollo Justice just feels like a strange fanfiction that was somehow made into a game, and it's not very impressive.    … Expand
  19. Twirkkhu
    Jun 11, 2014
    9
    This game made me a bit mad at first, when Phoenix Wright wasn't the main character, but in the end, Apollo is just as good as good old Phoenix, and this game is definitely a great addition to the series. As a guy who has played every single bit of Ace Attorney available, this game isn't as strong as the other ones. I still recommend it, because it adds a bunch of new GREAT mechanics,This game made me a bit mad at first, when Phoenix Wright wasn't the main character, but in the end, Apollo is just as good as good old Phoenix, and this game is definitely a great addition to the series. As a guy who has played every single bit of Ace Attorney available, this game isn't as strong as the other ones. I still recommend it, because it adds a bunch of new GREAT mechanics, funny dialogue, and adorable characters.… Expand
  20. DayDreams
    Jul 21, 2014
    10
    I love this game! At first glance, I thought, "how can this possibly beat Pheonix Wright?", but it certainly is possible! Apollo Justice is one of the best games I've played in a long time. It has an amazing and clever plot with lots of twists and turns. And in the end, you decide how the game ends. I love how this was an open ending game. It leaves you with curiosity of what happens next.I love this game! At first glance, I thought, "how can this possibly beat Pheonix Wright?", but it certainly is possible! Apollo Justice is one of the best games I've played in a long time. It has an amazing and clever plot with lots of twists and turns. And in the end, you decide how the game ends. I love how this was an open ending game. It leaves you with curiosity of what happens next. It's a shame there wasn't a second one, since a lot of questions were unanswered. From the unique characters, astonishingly good plot, and the clever game play, this game is one of the best games I've played. I hope people don't cross this off their list because it's too long (which is true). Please take the time and play this game. You will be swept off your feet, I promise :)… Expand
  21. Steeldude
    Apr 8, 2015
    7
    After the fabulous Trials and Tribulations, this game feels really underwhelming. The new cast of characters is simply nowhere near the quality of the original ones, the cases are not very good (not even the final one), the music is also not as good as in AA or TT, the prosecutor is not bad as a character but is bad as a prosecutor, there are (once again) only 4 cases and while Phoenix isAfter the fabulous Trials and Tribulations, this game feels really underwhelming. The new cast of characters is simply nowhere near the quality of the original ones, the cases are not very good (not even the final one), the music is also not as good as in AA or TT, the prosecutor is not bad as a character but is bad as a prosecutor, there are (once again) only 4 cases and while Phoenix is not actually missing from this game and the game actually uses the DS capabilities as it was made for DS and was not a port, unfortunately the overall mediocrity in almost all aspects makes this my least favorite Ace Attorney game.
    It is still worth playing once, but I highly doubt you'll find it to be as memorable as the original trilogy.    … Expand
  22. Vataro
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    Wieder so ein Spiel , dass meinen Tag beeinflussen konnte ... Die neuen Charaktere waren mal wieder grandios , und ich freute mich auch , dass Ema Skye wieder dabei war ^-^ Damon Gant aber wird wohl nie wieder kommen *Seufz* Die Story konnte einen wie ich fand , noch mehr fesseln , als die der zwei Teile davor , da einfach viele neue Personen hinzukamen und alles wie neu vorkam ! CapcomWieder so ein Spiel , dass meinen Tag beeinflussen konnte ... Die neuen Charaktere waren mal wieder grandios , und ich freute mich auch , dass Ema Skye wieder dabei war ^-^ Damon Gant aber wird wohl nie wieder kommen *Seufz* Die Story konnte einen wie ich fand , noch mehr fesseln , als die der zwei Teile davor , da einfach viele neue Personen hinzukamen und alles wie neu vorkam ! Capcom hats halt drauf ! ;)… Expand
  23. Kingbode
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    The best ace attorney game.The soundtrack is probably the best alongside Trials and Tribulations,the plot of the cases is very good,and especially,you are not going to stay hours thinking like in the original trilogy(Yeah it's a bit easier,but it makes it better,except the first case that is hard as the impossible),and the characters are memorable,the only thing that isn't good are theThe best ace attorney game.The soundtrack is probably the best alongside Trials and Tribulations,the plot of the cases is very good,and especially,you are not going to stay hours thinking like in the original trilogy(Yeah it's a bit easier,but it makes it better,except the first case that is hard as the impossible),and the characters are memorable,the only thing that isn't good are the mini games of one certain character… Expand
  24. OnlyLegends
    Mar 2, 2017
    10
    Best soundtrack out of the series, amazing characters and storyline, and it's awesome how they tie Phoenix into the story, along with his adopted daughter, Trucy, a magician. The Ace Attorney series is one of the best and I feel is one of the most memorable experiences in gaming history.
  25. Diegochocho
    Jul 3, 2018
    8
    Le sentó muy bien el cambio de protagonismo a esta serie, considerando que ya no se podía exprimir mas a Phoenix Wright, aunque ahora se hizo mas aburrido la parte de investigación, en los juicios todavía tiene la misma esencia de la saga.
  26. aditya1101
    Sep 4, 2018
    7
    I like all the ace attorney games but this was one of my least favorite. I really didn't like pheonix's character during this game (and overall I just wasn't crazy about most of the characters in this game). This is a C+ tier Ace attorney game.
  27. sebastianali
    Jan 4, 2020
    7
    Lo mismo de siempre: Poco aprovechamiento de la pantalla táctil y el micrófono, historia muy buena pero lenta, ensayo y error, etc... Ademas también critico enormemente la actitud de Phoenix Wright en este juego. Parece la verdad un vago que no quiere hacer nada... Lo puedo recomendar? Claro. Pero no te esperes que sea una obra maestra como los anteriores, ya que la trama no cobra fuerzaLo mismo de siempre: Poco aprovechamiento de la pantalla táctil y el micrófono, historia muy buena pero lenta, ensayo y error, etc... Ademas también critico enormemente la actitud de Phoenix Wright en este juego. Parece la verdad un vago que no quiere hacer nada... Lo puedo recomendar? Claro. Pero no te esperes que sea una obra maestra como los anteriores, ya que la trama no cobra fuerza hasta el ultimo caso.… Expand
  28. giannis2001
    Nov 12, 2020
    8
    As expected, another amazing entry in the series with amazing characters, cases, humor, dialogue, story. It wasn't as good as the main trilogy but definitely worth.
  29. DarkFireUmad
    Nov 16, 2020
    9
    En comparación con la primera trilogía creo que sus personajes son algo menos carismáticos, pero como juego gracias a mecánicas únicas y nuevas en cada caso y una historia brutal, mejora mucho los anteriores. Me encanta.
  30. pcschmidt00
    Dec 18, 2020
    8
    This was a strange one to me. The cases were ok in my opinion (final cases were a rollercoaster though) but the characters and music were really good. Overall if you enjoy AA or visual novels in general, you’ll enjoy yourself here
  31. rafaela27
    Feb 2, 2023
    10
    What a game. What a experience. It changed people’s lifes, and the way I see the ace attorney franchise, it only proofed that Phoenix Wright is a living legend and the universe the game is set in will always carry his name. Not only the game explained the need of a new protagonist, but totally made sure he was the key to uncover what happened seven years ago. Brilliant writing and fun mechanics.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. 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]
  2. 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.
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  3. 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.
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