Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All

 DS
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Jan 16, 2007
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 192 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 157 out of 192
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 192
  3. Negative: 3 out of 192
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. theshonen8899
    May 11, 2011
    7
    Not my favorite from the series but the mere fact that you need to play the cases to understand Trials and Tribulations (one of my favorite games of all time) makes this easily worth the playthrough. If you're having a hard time getting through this one then take comfort in the fact that Trials and Tribulations will be amazing.
  2. BROstoise
    Jun 3, 2014
    7
    My least favorite in the trilogy. However, it still is a truly brilliant game. The only outstanding trial was Farewell, my Turnabout. The Lost and Turnabout Big Top were rather weak. Franziska von Karma is the only prosecutor of the 3 original games that doesn't change at the end. However, the courtroom battles are still amazing, and this game introduced the psych-locks, which added aMy least favorite in the trilogy. However, it still is a truly brilliant game. The only outstanding trial was Farewell, my Turnabout. The Lost and Turnabout Big Top were rather weak. Franziska von Karma is the only prosecutor of the 3 original games that doesn't change at the end. However, the courtroom battles are still amazing, and this game introduced the psych-locks, which added a great gameplay mechanic to the series.… Expand
  3. toysjoe
    Nov 30, 2010
    6
    First of all, I loved the first Phoenix Wright, however, I cannot bring myself to like this game. The first game was based entirely on logic and finding contradictions. This game prevents you doing that by way of making contradictions MUCH less obvious. When you DO find a contradiction, the game wouldn't let you succeed because it wants you to play the game ITS way. For example, oneFirst of all, I loved the first Phoenix Wright, however, I cannot bring myself to like this game. The first game was based entirely on logic and finding contradictions. This game prevents you doing that by way of making contradictions MUCH less obvious. When you DO find a contradiction, the game wouldn't let you succeed because it wants you to play the game ITS way. For example, one witness testified she heard one gunshot, but if you present the gun with the description "two shots were fired" the game fails to recognize the contradiction. This, among other failings in presenting evidence, boils this game to a trial-and-error system which is really disappointing because somehow the first game avoided this problem. I've played the first game entirely and was only stumped once or twice. On this game, I'm not halfway through the second case and am already extremely frustrated with the game. Clearly, something is wrong here.… Expand
  4. pinball123
    Apr 3, 2016
    7
    aha aha aha aha aha aha aha ..............................aha aha aha aha aha aha aha ....................aha aha aha aha aha aha aha ........................aha aha aha aha aha
  5. vahn
    Dec 31, 2012
    7
    Definitely not the best of the series, due to the biggest difficulty leap from the very beginning and, sometimes, the hard logic behind the clues. However, it's still a great adventure game at its finest, with still solid and remarkable characters and a good length. Only small addition is the psychic locks, which you'll literally see through the heart of people, in order to discover ifDefinitely not the best of the series, due to the biggest difficulty leap from the very beginning and, sometimes, the hard logic behind the clues. However, it's still a great adventure game at its finest, with still solid and remarkable characters and a good length. Only small addition is the psychic locks, which you'll literally see through the heart of people, in order to discover if they are or not the criminal...which can spoiler a bit, but still works great and, in the end, you'll still have to do the hard work: find out HOW the murder was done. But again, it's the difficulty that makes this game very hard for beginners (this was my first game of the series so...), but probably less harder for "veterans" of the first game. Also the game has only 4 cases, with the first one functioning as both a tutorial (which is still hard for beginners) and as a proper case. Afterall that, it's still a good game to buy and also pretty vital in order to understand the events of the sequel (and the previous too. At least a few details). Worth a buy if you're wanting to follow the series, or else you might be discouraged to even continue.… Expand
  6. hippiej
    Sep 18, 2011
    6
    A bit disappointed after basking in the brilliance of the first in the series. The biggest issue i have with the game is how it changed the way you present evidence, hiding the particular moment when you can present evidence (the only one at that) behind convoluted and frustrating, illogical hurdles... not nearly as fun as the previous entry, don't get me started with the "only one chance"A bit disappointed after basking in the brilliance of the first in the series. The biggest issue i have with the game is how it changed the way you present evidence, hiding the particular moment when you can present evidence (the only one at that) behind convoluted and frustrating, illogical hurdles... not nearly as fun as the previous entry, don't get me started with the "only one chance" moments that if you get wrong (and you will) make you go back and repeat the last hour or so of the story with NO WAY TO SKIP, NOT EVEN THE DIALOGUES, especially egregious when the characters "talk" slowly or too much, for the sake of inflating play time... Again these were things that weren't there in the first game cause it was so well written and paced. The "Psyche" Locks: *sigh*...… Expand
  7. VidyaBum
    Apr 16, 2014
    7
    AA:JFA is widely considered inferior to the other AAs because of one element, the gameplay.

    This game is without a doubt fun, memorable, still a great adventure series, still has enjoyable characters and plot elements, still is all around great. Buuut it has more plot devices that don't work than the others. It's been less polished. The number of times a plot device or clue either    AA:JFA is widely considered inferior to the other AAs because of one element, the gameplay.

    This game is without a doubt fun, memorable, still a great adventure series, still has enjoyable characters and plot elements, still is all around great.

    Buuut it has more plot devices that don't work than the others. It's been less polished. The number of times a plot device or clue either can't be used or doesn't make sense is much higher than in other AA games.

    Much worse than that already pretty bad part, Ace Attorney always had two way to make people talk: you get an item out and go all OBJECTION on your witnesses, or you press them to make them talk. Not in JFA.

    In JFA, for some ridiculous reason, they decided to go with a gamplay that requires you to constantly press before you're even allowed to object. That means that whenever a character talks, he has 5-8 textboxes. In other games, you find the one textbox where something is wrong, you get your item out and Object, or you can choose to press if you want more precisions. With each press on one textbox usually came also between 5-8 more textboxes.

    But here, many times, the majority of it actually, the original textbox doesn't indicate at all anything wrong. So instead of finding the one wrong textbox and pressing to get more info, or finding the wrong textbox and immediately taking your clue out, you HAVE to press every single last textbox of the statements! That means that you have to make every statement go from 5-8 to 25-64 textboxes, and more often around 64 than around 25! That drags every single last statement to an incredible degree and it just grows so annoying.
    It's especially annoying because this game, again, was less well constructed in its plot and less proofread than its peers, so very often you will KNOW the false statement, you will KNOW what you need to say and what item to give, but the game won't let you use that until that one magical textbox that allows you to use that item!
    You'll spend dozens of minutes going over details, pressing every textbox and checking tiny, insignificant details, when you have an obvious, glaring logical fallacy and the means to prove it right in your hands!

    It gets terribly frustrating and long to constantly press and press and press for no reason. Around the end of the game, you even have to press a guy for all its statements, and then press them all AGAIN before the one magical textbox you need appears! It gets really, really frustrating.

    The characters and story threads are pretty good but Maya starts being used as a damsel in distress in that game and I just...well call me heartless, but I just don't care much for her, she's a fun comic relief but I don't love her and I'm not even sure Phoenix does for sure.

    I liked case 3 the most( the one in a circus), because it's disconnected from the other ones. They focused on making that one case good and not interweave it with the other cases or personal stories from people Phoenix knows, and it feels more fresh, fun and better designed than other cases thanks to it.

    Despite these severe gameplay problems and minor story issues, the game is still fun and definitely worth playing if you're into adventure games.

    A somewhat poor, drawn-out AA, but still an AA in its own right, with its dosage of fun, enjoyable set pieces, characters, research, thinking, and a drama that in my eyes is a bit off, but still acceptable.    … Expand
  8. Steeldude
    Apr 8, 2015
    7
    I am sad to say that after the first game, this game was quite a disappointment for me. The new prosecutor did not amuse me, the cases were not as interesting as in the first game (only the final one is good), the game is shorter overall and has only 4 cases this time and there is not case like in the first game that would actually make use of additional features of Nintendo DS.I am sad to say that after the first game, this game was quite a disappointment for me. The new prosecutor did not amuse me, the cases were not as interesting as in the first game (only the final one is good), the game is shorter overall and has only 4 cases this time and there is not case like in the first game that would actually make use of additional features of Nintendo DS.

    However, even though I find the game not as amusing as its predecessor, so as not to hate, this game actually offers some new game play elements as well, you will be able to present character profiles, Phoenix gets a magatama power that allows him to uncover hidden secrets of various people (my favorite Ace Attorney mechanic thus far) and the penalty system is refined (instead of a set number of penalties, each individual choice during the trial may have a different impact on the penalty received, meaning that more important choices are more punished if the right evidence is not chosen or a wrong decision is made).

    Don't misunderstand, this is still a great game and a must play because of the fact that it continues the story, however, as an Ace Attorney game, it is simply not that good.    … Expand
  9. aditya1101
    Sep 4, 2018
    6
    This is my least favorite ace attorney game. It still gets 6/10 because the fundamentals of the game are still there and are still good, but this has one of my least favorite cases (circus) and not many good cases to make up for it. This is a C tier ace attorney game.
  10. sebastianali
    Jan 4, 2020
    7
    No aprovecha las capacidades de la DS, ademas de carecer de contenido y ser el mas corto de la trilogía. Pero eso no es algo malo del todo! La historia sigue estando muy bien, al igual que los personajes presentados y la música! No te saltes al siguiente juego solo por la nota. Lo recomiendo si fuiste fan del anterior.
  11. Jacklg
    May 19, 2020
    7
    Interesting and fun, but retains the flaws on the original, except somehow they seem amplified. Still enjoyable, but could be massively improved
  12. eefeef
    Aug 31, 2023
    6
    Phoenix Wright 2 is definitely inferior to the first in every way. It does its job as a bridge between the series, but as a game, the quality of the episodes is disappointing.
  13. Jofe
    May 16, 2022
    7
    Turnabout Circus is horrible. Turnabout Circus is awful. Turnabout Circus is an error. But the final case is a masterpiece.
  14. MacArron23
    May 15, 2023
    7
    Same as original, it gets a little repetitive
    ..................................
  15. rafaela27
    Feb 2, 2023
    7
    The “meh” game to the ace attorney franchise, if it wasn’t for Miss Von Karma and the last case it would be a waste of time.

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best DS Game of 2007
7
#7 Most Discussed DS Game of 2007
78
#78 Most Shared DS Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 51
  3. Negative: 0 out of 51
  1. GameDaily
    80
    The few tweaks to the mechanics provide a better experience, complete with the tricky puzzles and amusing dialog that make the original so notable. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  2. GameBrink
    90
    More of the same courtroom drama so fans shouldn’t be disappointed. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  3. Eurogamer
    80
    This is the most joyfully daft fun imaginable, bursting with in-jokes and hilarious set-pieces. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »