Nina Aquila: Legal Eagle, Season One
- July 9, 2021
- Tanuki-sama Studios
Get on SteamNina Aquila: Legal Eagle, Season One is a visual novel adventure game where you play as a rookie attorney investigating crimes and defending clients in court. In this season, help Nina solve a series of cases involving a mysterious serial killer and uncover a conspiracy in the process. Use your wits and intuition to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and present your case in court to secure a guilty verdict or prove your client's innocence.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Nina Aquila: Legal Eagle offers a fun and engaging courtroom experience with charming characters and witty writing, reminiscent of the Ace Attorney series.
- The game features unique mini-games in each chapter, such as card battles and racing, which add variety to the gameplay and keep it interesting.
- The story is well-crafted with a mix of humor and serious moments, and the overarching plot keeps players invested in Nina's journey as a defense attorney.
- Some players found the mini-games, particularly the racing segment, to be tedious and not as enjoyable, leading to a feeling of padding in the gameplay.
- The game relies on stock RPG Maker assets, which can make it feel cheap and detract from the overall experience, especially during trial sections.
- While the writing is generally good, some players noted that the exploration sections can be frustrating due to the need to follow specific actions to advance the plot.
- story53 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story of Nale is highly praised for its engaging narrative and well-developed characters, blending courtroom drama with humor and mystery. Each chapter presents a unique case while contributing to an overarching plot that keeps players invested and eager for more. Despite some minigames that can interrupt the flow, the writing and character interactions are noted as standout features, making it a compelling experience for fans of the genre.
“The story is great, the minigames are fun.”
“The story, speaking of, is absolutely fantastic and will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire experience.”
“The characters are well written, the plot is believable, and you'll end the game wanting more.”
“The minigames are well made, but they do tend to kind of grind the story to a halt.”
“Keep in mind the 'season one' in the title - stakes are set up for a big overarching final case in this game, but you don't get to actually tackle it yet, so after case 3 the story just kind of stops without ending (though on a fairly dramatic note).”
“I will say that there are quite a few story elements that get brought up but are left unresolved, presumably to be addressed in a sequel, so I hope that that actually happens.”
- gameplay25 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and well-paced, featuring a mix of Ace Attorney-style courtroom mechanics and various mini-games that incorporate different anime tropes. While the core gameplay is engaging, some mini-games can feel repetitive and overly simplistic, particularly those relying on rock-paper-scissors mechanics. Overall, the game offers a fun experience with creative variations across chapters, though some segments may feel padded or too easy.
“Fun and feel-good game to run through on a few evenings, with enjoyable gameplay!”
“The gameplay is similar to that of the Pwaa series, a visual novel with mystery solving, but instead of the old-fashioned point-and-click interaction, it adapted a 2D top-down pixel RPG style with mini-games included!”
“Great storytelling, fun music, and solid mechanics make this an easy and solid recommendation for any Ace Attorney or mystery/comedy adventure game fan.”
“The chapter 3 racing game, in contrast, had almost nothing worthwhile, gameplay-wise.”
“My only real complaint is how some of the investigations' minigames are implemented, both mechanically and narratively.”
“From a mechanical standpoint this is fine for the first few runs, but when it turns into ~3-5 minutes per game and it needs to be done 8-10 times a chapter, it starts to feel a bit like padding, even when you can turn on an auto-win setting.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming 8 to 16-bit pixel art style that blends RPG elements with a comical courtroom aesthetic, though some players note a slight over-reliance on anime influences. While the visuals are generally cohesive and polished, with detailed sprite work and unique handcrafted locations, there are occasional art style clashes due to multiple artists contributing character portraits. Overall, the graphics are well-received, with improvements noted in later episodes, including enhanced cut scenes and mini-games.
“The sprites and maps look good; I don't know how much of it uses stock RPG Maker assets, if any, but whatever the case, the art style feels cohesive and polished, and there are some nice lighting and effects.”
“Aesthetically, the story is a perfect blend of courtroom drama and 90s anime fun.”
“While clearly an RPG Maker graphical adventure, the game features huge drawings of Nina and other key characters, very detailed sprite work, and every location looks unique: it's clear that each area was handcrafted and not just copied and pasted.”
“The aesthetic of the game is just a tad too anime.”
“There are some art style clashes as a result of having a variety of artists making character portraits instead of one artist doing everyone.”
“The art style is very RPG-like, but I was still hoping to see better details and texture.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for being genuinely funny, well-paced, and cleverly integrated with the story, featuring witty writing and numerous pop culture references. Players appreciate the balance between humor and darker themes, noting that the game avoids the overuse of character abuse for comedic effect, resulting in a charming and engaging experience. Overall, the humor adds significant personality and heart to the game, enhancing its appeal.
“This game was genuinely pretty funny and had me laughing out loud at a couple moments.”
“The writing is genuinely inspired, witty and funny.”
“Everything in this game has tons of personality, humor, and amazing direction.”
- music9 mentions
- 89 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchiness and ability to enhance the mood of various scenes, with a solid soundtrack and enjoyable sound design. Players appreciate the inclusion of character voices and the post-game jukebox feature that allows for replaying music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered entertaining and a highlight of the game, making it a strong recommendation for fans of the genre.
“The music is catchy and the sound design is fun.”
“I enjoy the sound design and soundtrack a lot, and I am glad that the post-game lobby has a jukebox feature, as well as a bunch of very cool easter-egg dev stuff that anyone interested in game development will love to see.”
“The overall sound design of the game is very good, with the soundtrack having several bangers on it.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players are pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth of the game, which features well-developed characters that evolve throughout the chapters. The blend of engaging mysteries and a mix of humorous and heartfelt interactions creates a fulfilling experience that goes beyond initial expectations.
“At most, I was expecting a Phoenix Wright clone/parody driven by fanservice that would be a decent way to kill an afternoon, but as I played chapter 2, I was surprised to find a game with surprisingly deep characters who changed over the chapter and a genuine mystery that made me feel accomplished as I slowly pieced everything together, all wrapped together in a colorful bundle of card game references.”
“Each chapter has both a good mystery and a mix of silly and heartfelt interactions between characters.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is noted to be limited overall, yet it effectively highlights Nina's gradual and often clumsy journey towards self-discovery.
“Character development can be sparse, but focus is given to Nina's slow, sometimes awkward attempts to come into her own.”
“The characters feel one-dimensional, lacking the depth needed for meaningful growth throughout the story.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, making it hard to connect with their journeys.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the game avoids grindy achievements, making progress feel more rewarding and enjoyable.
