Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
- September 5, 2024
- CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
- 29h median play time
In "Ace Attorney Investigations Collection," players take on the role of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth as he investigates crime scenes, gathers evidence, and solves intricate cases through logic and deduction. This collection includes both games in the series, offering hours of engaging, investigative gameplay. Pre-order bonus includes five arranged tracks that can be accessed in the game's options menu or gallery's music collection.
Reviews
- The collection features two engaging games with compelling stories and character development, particularly in Investigations 2, which is considered one of the best in the series.
- The remastered graphics and new HD sprites enhance the visual experience, while the option to switch to the original pixel art is a nice touch for nostalgic players.
- The gameplay mechanics, including the ability to explore crime scenes and the introduction of new elements like Mind Chess, provide a fresh take on the classic Ace Attorney formula.
- Investigations 1 is often seen as weaker compared to other entries in the series, with some cases feeling formulaic and predictable.
- There are occasional typos and grammatical errors in the localization of Investigations 2, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Some players have reported bugs and performance issues, particularly on certain systems, which can disrupt gameplay.
- story54 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the Ace Attorney Investigations series is generally praised for its engaging narrative and character development, particularly in the second installment, which is considered a high point for the series. While the first game has its flaws, including a convoluted plot and pacing issues, it still offers enjoyable cases and character interactions. Overall, fans appreciate the blend of humor, mystery, and emotional depth, making it a compelling experience for both newcomers and long-time players.
“The story puts Edgeworth into a number of situations that actually test his morals and require him to put very important things on the line in order to show that he is now more committed to truth rather than winning.”
“Investigations 2 knew what story it wanted to tell and what messages it wanted to deliver, and executed both (almost) flawlessly.”
“The story and all of the cases had me hooked and interested at almost all times, and I personally didn't think there were any bad cases at all.”
“On the other hand, aai2 is more consistently quality, but it stumbles at the conclusion with half-baked theming and a ludicrously contrived overarching plot that buckles under the pressure of completely interconnected cases.”
“The original trilogy is still quite fun, especially the first game, but for all the fun twists and funny moments, the further the games went, the more they decided to sacrifice fun adventure elements in favor of guessing correct inputs to move the plot forward, even if it’s not always logical.”
“And the plot itself went from over the top and silly, to completely absurd and obnoxiously overcomplicated.”
- music37 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many praising the remastered and rearranged soundtracks as some of the franchise's best. Players appreciate the emotional depth and quality of the compositions, often highlighting the nostalgic value of the original tracks while enjoying the new arrangements. However, some users expressed frustration over the pre-order exclusivity of certain soundtracks and noted that not all music changes were universally well-received.
“The visuals, the story, the soundtracks, dear god!”
“The music is remastered so well, and the visual upgrades are amazing.”
“The soundtrack and orchestral music sounds amazing.”
“For some reason, they made the AAI2 arranged OST locked behind a pre-order paywall, and since I was not able to pre-order the game, I am missing out on the arranged OST for the second game.”
“The arranged soundtrack is a bit of a mixed bag.”
“Every case felt like the same song and dance, a lot of the twists were very predictable, the discussion you need to have feels nonsensical and most frustrating of all are that I often felt like there were filler sections to make the game seem longer.”
- graphics33 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the new chibi art style and HD remastering for their detail and expressiveness, making the game feel fresh and visually appealing. However, some players expressed disappointment with the pixel graphics mode, criticizing the lack of original outlines and the overall aesthetic of the HD artwork, which they felt resembled amateur designs. Overall, the ability to toggle between the new and original art styles has been appreciated, allowing players to choose their preferred visual experience.
“The new chibi graphics are both exceptionally detailed and expressive.”
“The updated graphics look great.”
“The new graphics are brilliant and the option to switch the pixel art style from over a decade ago is an unexpected yet welcome feature.”
“My only complaint is with the pixel graphics mode, as the chibis do not have their original outlines preserved and instead have these ugly half-pixels and the pixel portraits are not present.”
“It looks like 2000's amateur Macromedia/Adobe Flash artwork.”
“You can toggle the original pixel artwork for the sprites in the walking around sections, but you're stuck with the horrible 'HD' artwork for everything else.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay in the Ace Attorney Investigations series is characterized by a seamless blend of crime scene investigation, witness questioning, and logical deduction, offering a refreshing change from traditional courtroom trials. While the first game has its flaws, such as pacing issues and the controversial "mind chess" mechanic, it still provides engaging investigative gameplay that fans appreciate. The second game improves upon its predecessor, delivering a more refined experience with exciting mechanics and a captivating story.
“The lack of a 'day' system and instead the use of 'beginning/middle/latter' without a difference between trials and proper investigation creates a seamless experience that manages to blend in every single gameplay element, whether it be the proper crime scene investigation, testimonies, or mind chess in the second game; there's nothing irrelevant in this game.”
“Overall, the gameplay is both familiar enough to be fun for any Ace Attorney fan, but different enough to stand out from the rest.”
“Instead of ditching the investigative part, the games focus a lot more on them, providing relatively simple, but genuinely engaging investigative gameplay where you examine the crime scenes, question the witnesses and suspects, and connect clues.”
“On the other hand, I’m not a fan of the ratio between adventuring and visual novel storytelling they ever had, very heavily leaning into walls of text and sacrificing gameplay logic over plot twists.”
“Apart from adding a horrendous new mechanic of 'mind chess', which might be the worst 'dialogue battle'-type mini-game I’ve ever experienced in my life, this title just starts with the clown makeup half-applied, and rapidly continues to become a farce by the end of the first case.”
“Game one is a bit slow and struggles with getting the new gameplay formula working well at times, such as where you'll figure something out and then someone shows up on the scene and requires you to explain the whole thing over to them when you just want to move on.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the latest installment of the series is noted to be less prominent compared to previous games, with the new protagonist, Miles Edgeworth, lacking the comedic depth of Phoenix Wright. While there are still funny moments and quirky character interactions, the overall focus on humor has diminished, leading some fans to miss the lighthearted adventure elements. However, the new translation retains much of the series' distinctive humor, and some players still find it to be the funniest entry, highlighting the absurd storylines and charming characters.
“The new translation was also very good and full of the distinctive humor the series is known for (although there were occasional typos that could stand to get fixed).”
“I played every Ace Attorney game, and this one is the funniest and the one I enjoy the most of them all; the pace, the humor, the characters, everything is really awesome.”
“The absurd, humorous storylines and quirky characters keep their signature charm.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a strong emotional impact in the game, with moments that evoke deep feelings, such as the poignant portrayal of a troubled character and the powerful music that resonates with players. While some critiques mention a desire for deeper emotional connections with certain antagonists, the overall experience is marked by a blend of humor and significant emotional weight, leading to genuine tears from players.
“Made me cry twice.”
“Best new characters, fantastic music, has 3 of the best cases in the entire series, great comedy while still packing severe emotional punches (and I mean severe).”
“The first time I opened the demo and heard the title screen music, I cried genuine tears.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in this collection is highly praised, particularly for Edgeworth, whose evolution in the second game solidifies his status as a standout character in the franchise. Reviewers note that the overall story and character arcs are significantly stronger in the second installment, making it a must-play for fans of the series. The character design and engaging puzzles further enhance the experience, contributing to the collection's appeal.
“The second character is Edgeworth; he was a fan favorite in the original trilogy, but the character development that he gets in this collection, especially in the second one, truly cements him as the best character this franchise, and Capcom, has to offer.”
“This collection is absolutely worth playing for Ace Attorney fans, both for more Ace Attorney content in general, but also the great character development we see in classic characters like Edgeworth and Gumshoe.”
“The second character is Edgeworth; he was a fan favorite in the original trilogy, but the character development he receives in this collection, especially in the second game, truly cements him as the best character this franchise, and Capcom, has to offer.”
“I definitely must say that, in my opinion at least, the second game of the collection is by far stronger in terms of both overall story and character development.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have criticized the game's optimization, particularly highlighting that the Denuvo anti-piracy software significantly impacts performance, leading to a subpar gaming experience.
“I knew Denuvo was a performance hog, but holy hell, this is low.”