Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

97%
Game Brain Score Based on 781 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Game Cover
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy’s graphical upgrades and museum content is a delight for longtime fans looking to experience these well-written stories and memorable cast once more.
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"Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy" is a collection of three games featuring rookie attorney Apollo Justice and his mentor Phoenix Wright. It includes 16 episodes full of courtroom drama, as well as bonus content like music, art, and animation studios. The game supports multiple languages and is a must-play for Ace Attorney fans.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 781 reviews
story52 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The remastered graphics and soundtracks enhance the experience, making the games visually appealing and immersive.
  • The trilogy features engaging storytelling with memorable characters, maintaining the charm of the Ace Attorney series.
  • Quality of life improvements, such as chapter selection and autosave, make the gameplay smoother and more accessible.
  • The games are often criticized for being uneven in quality, with some cases feeling rushed or lacking depth.
  • The transition to 3D models in Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice has been met with mixed reactions, with some fans preferring the original 2D art style.
  • Some players feel that the narrative lacks the cohesive storytelling found in the original trilogy, making it feel disjointed at times.
  • story178 mentions

    The story across the "Apollo Justice" trilogy is characterized by its engaging character development and intricate plotlines, with many praising the emotional depth and unexpected twists. While some entries, particularly "Spirit of Justice," are noted for their compelling narratives and strong conclusions, others like "Dual Destinies" face criticism for pacing issues and a lack of cohesion with previous story arcs. Overall, the trilogy offers a mix of enjoyable storytelling and memorable characters, though it sometimes struggles with plot consistency and character focus.

    • “Loved the character story developments in each series, and they put in deliberate consideration into the character designs as usual.”
    • “A stunning and thrilling continuation of the Ace Attorney story - three games in one package - great writing.”
    • “The cast of characters were memorable, and the plot lines that played out had many of us on the edge of our seats.”
    • “Moreover, the narrative focus on establishing Shion's backstory has overshadowed the unresolved plot threads from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney 4, leaving it feeling incomplete.”
    • “It doesn't feel like the story is written by humans but by guidelines on how to create a 'good' trial, as a result there are almost no surprises and it feels like you already know exactly how to build the puzzle but have to wait for the game to ask you to place the puzzle piece it wants you to play.”
    • “While the other two collections deliver a more singular overarching narrative, this trilogy largely opts for standalone narratives with three major plotlines that carry through each game, which makes it feel disjointed and less engaging.”
  • music68 mentions

    The music in the Ace Attorney series is consistently praised for its quality and emotional impact, with many reviewers highlighting it as a standout feature that enhances the storytelling and gameplay experience. While some fans express disappointment over changes in specific titles, the overall sentiment is that the soundtracks are memorable and effectively complement the game's dramatic moments. The remastered collections also receive acclaim for including extensive music bonuses, allowing players to enjoy the soundtracks in various ways.

    • “If you enjoy a good story with a good soundtrack while pretending you are a lawyer, this game is indeed for you.”
    • “The soundtrack deserves equal praise, with compositions that perfectly complement the highs and lows of the narrative, enhancing every moment of triumph, tension, and heartache.”
    • “Great stories, twists, and characters accompanied by a god-tier soundtrack.”
    • “Don't get me started on the music starting in DD, it's so flat and lacks the oomph all the other games had.”
    • “Random audio crackling for no reason, happens with sound effects but not music; switching from full screen to windowed somehow fixes it, as well as saving and loading but only temporarily.”
    • “While it was frozen, the music would continue normally while any animations were frozen, i.e., Apollo wouldn't blink as well as any text that was in the process of typing itself out on the screen would stop dead in its tracks until it finished and continued.”
  • gameplay54 mentions

    The gameplay in the reviewed titles is a mix of classic Ace Attorney mechanics and innovative new features, such as character-specific abilities and engaging mini-games, which enhance the investigative and trial experiences. While some players appreciate the fresh mechanics and complex scenarios, others find certain elements frustrating or lacking in difficulty. Overall, the gameplay is generally well-received for its engaging puzzles and satisfying conclusions, despite some minor flaws.

    • “Apollo does amazing in the main role, and the new mechanics introduced were fun to learn as well.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are a refined blend of the series' classic formula and innovative new features that elevate the experience.”
    • “Separately, I also really enjoyed the expanded gameplay offerings; most evidence can be thoroughly examined in three dimensions, the forensic minigames offer a nice change of pace during the investigation segments, and Apollo’s perceive mechanic, which allows you to zoom in and identify nervous habits of the witnesses, leads to some varied progression in the trial segments.”
    • “Unfortunately, the lack of difficulty and mechanics for these cases made them an unenjoyable experience.”
    • “My biggest issue with this game is the new mechanics they added that were along the lines of the psyche locks.”
    • “I legitimately couldn't bring myself to finish the third game; it was just too painful to play through, despite the new gameplay elements that were added.”
  • humor35 mentions

    The humor in the "Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy" is widely praised for its clever writing, memorable characters, and a perfect blend of wit and thoughtfulness. Players enjoy the quirky interactions, funny puns, and the ability of the game to balance comedic moments with deeper themes, making it an engaging and entertaining experience. The series continues to deliver its signature humor, enhanced in this installment, with a cast that ranges from hilariously eccentric to deeply tragic.

    • “Lovely, too many humorous lines to screenshot.”
    • “Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy has a compelling mix of characters in each investigation that use humor and suspense to encourage you to dive deeper.”
    • “The real star of this game is Simon Blackquill, a snarky emo samurai who adds a ton of humor, especially when he banters with Athena and the judge.”
  • graphics29 mentions

    The graphics of the game collection have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant character designs and polished visuals, particularly in the remastered versions. However, some players miss the charm of the original sprite work and express concerns about the hardware requirements for optimal performance. Overall, while the transition to 3D has been well-received by some, others feel that the 2D art style was more fitting for the genre.

    • “The graphics are clean, gameplay is fun, characters are lovable (and hateable in the best way), etc.”
    • “Graphically, the trilogy is a standout, with vibrant character designs and beautifully rendered environments that breathe life into the world of Apollo Justice.”
    • “The remastered graphics and soundtracks enhance the experience, with the orchestra hall and art library serving as delightful bonuses for fans.”
    • “The graphics minimum is not readily available to view on the Steam page, and I had to email support just for them to tell me that my laptop doesn't meet their graphics minimum.”
    • “As for graphics, some of the sprites are obviously dated and pretty bad looking.”
    • “Since 2 out of 3 games are ports from the Nintendo 3DS, this collection is a tiny bit more hardware hungry and needs better graphic cards than the first one.”
  • emotional19 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the Ace Attorney series is highly praised, with players frequently expressing deep emotional responses, including tears and heartfelt connections to the characters and stories. While some installments, like "Dual Destinies," received mixed reviews for their writing quality, others, such as "Spirit of Justice," are celebrated for their impactful narratives and character development. Overall, the series is recognized for its ability to blend humor with poignant moments, creating a rich emotional experience that resonates with players.

    • “I'd say of the three games, Spirit of Justice probably is my favorite: the overarching story, for me, remains a treat even on revisits and has some of the most emotional high points of the series.”
    • “Love, regret, reconciliation – the whole emotional buffet 🥺❤️”
    • “It's a testament to the power of video games as a medium for conveying complex narratives and evoking deep emotional responses.”
  • character development11 mentions

    Character development in the series is a mixed bag, with some characters receiving thoughtful growth while others, like Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright, experience inconsistencies or regressions in their arcs. New characters, such as prosecutor Nahyuta, lack depth until late in the game, and while some lore is added, the overall character development is seen as weaker compared to previous installments. The vibrant character designs are praised, but the dialogue and cases sometimes feel immature, detracting from the overall narrative experience.

    • “Loved the character story developments in each series, and they put in deliberate consideration into the character designs as usual.”
    • “As stated earlier, this is definitely the weakest set of Ace Attorney games; however, they do add a lot of important lore and character development for both old and new characters.”
    • “Graphically, the trilogy is a standout, with vibrant character designs and beautifully rendered environments that breathe life into the world of Apollo Justice.”
    • “Additionally, the character development of Miles Edgeworth in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney feels inconsistent with his portrayal in previous games, leading to a sense of character deterioration.”
    • “My biggest criticism of this game is that the prosecutor, Nahyuta, lacks personality and only receives character development until near the end of the game.”
    • “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is the game where they brought Phoenix back, and it's not a bad idea at first glance until you realize they reversed his character development from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney back to Phoenix from the first trilogy.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, particularly on the Steam Deck, where players report smooth performance without significant issues. However, some users note minor bugs related to dialog skipping.

    • “It runs great on Steam Deck; I finished all 3 games on it and never had any issues.”
    • “Runs great on a Steam Deck.”
    • “Skipping through dialog is a bit buggy and awkward.”
    • “I have encountered no bugs or glitches as of yet, so it seems Capcom took their time putting care into this product.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be inconsistent; while some tasks can be engaging and complex, others are perceived as overly lengthy and tedious, leading to a mixed experience.

    • “I liked most of them, but some go on for too long and make the cases tedious.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “These are hit or miss: Apollo's search for tells can be sometimes grindy and tedious, while Athena's analysis is comparatively more complex and enjoyable.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    While players find the trilogy enjoyable and nostalgic, only "Apollo Justice" stands out for its satisfying replay value. Overall, the games are noted for their surprising replayability despite being linear visual novels.

    • “These games are surprisingly replayable, even if they are linear visual novels.”
    • “It's worth playing through these games at least once, but of the three, Apollo Justice is the only one with satisfying replay value.”
    • “In terms of user engagement, the trilogy has been warmly received for its nostalgic value and replayability, even as a linear visual novel.”
    • “By the way, these games are surprisingly replayable, even if they are linear visual novels.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users express concerns that the presence of Denuvo and Enigma negatively affects game performance, particularly on Steam Decks, leading to calls for their removal to improve optimization and avoid potential legal issues.

    • “The game's optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
    • “I experienced significant performance issues, even on high-end hardware, which is unacceptable for a modern game.”
    • “The optimization feels rushed, with many areas of the game suffering from long loading times and poor resource management.”
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Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

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