And even more Objections I'd wager

Period piece mystery compendium The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has shifted 500,000 copies since its summer 2021 release on PC and console platforms. The impressive sales milestone was announced by developer Capcom on Twitter, in a post featuring some delightful new artwork for The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles features remastered editions of two spin-off titles within the Ace Attorney franchise: 2015's The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and its 2017 sequel, The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. Both titles launched in Japan on the Nintendo 3DS but never saw the light of day in the west, thus making the new compilation a frequently requested and highly anticipated release for the Ace Attorney fanbase.

The two titles step away from the more contemporary time periods utilized by most Ace Attorney releases, and instead winds the clocks back to the tail end of the 19th century. Protagonist Ryunosuke Naruhodo takes up the mantle of courtroom defender and investigator, solving baffling cases of murder and mayhem in the dawning years of th?e judicial system. The two titles are set against the backdrop of Meiji Japan and Victorian England, with a lavish steampunk aesthetic and even an appearance from the famous literary detective... erm... "Herlock Sholmes."

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. You can check out our own Eric van Allen's very positive thoughts on the release in this review.

//twitter.com/a??ceatt?orneygame/status/1514785875313324039?s=20&t=8I2cdBSZqj2-OS7ZT_CzRg

The post The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles hits half a million globa??l sales appeared first on Destructoid.

Please, no objections

Well, then. 2021 is over. A series of 365 days that decided, "what if we did 2020, again?" It was the remaster we did not need. But all that said,?? in spite of the continued effects of the pandemic and other nonsense, it was a good year too—one with good times, fun stories, and a smattering of new games to call my favorites of the year.

When I ran down the list of what I've played last year, I realized how all over the place it's been. There weren't a ton of tentpole games like there have been in recent years. Maybe Halo Infinite, but Xbox's heavy hitter launched a little late in the year for me to feel like I know where I'm at with it. I got to dive back into the Mass Effect series with the Legendary Edition, an honorable mention for this list; I didn't include it because it?? was my umpteenth time playing through the whole thing, but I'm glad those games have a unified home now.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8i53TtQ6IQ

2021 was another year of stellar indies. 2021 was a year of surprises, even in the AAA space. 2021 was the year of revivals, group plays, and long, late-night visual novel reading binges. Heck, by the end of it, I was even into Final Fantasy XIV. Never say never.

It was also the first year of my words finding a home here at Destructoid, and I just want to take a brief moment to thank all of y'all. If you've been hanging around in the comments, reading our work, and supporting the cool stories, interviews, reviews, and silly blogs we did here in 2021, thanks a ton!

Well, let's get this going? Here are some of my favorite games from the year 2021, in no?? particular order except the final one.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Holy flark, I did not see this one coming. I had admittedly written off Guardians of the Galaxy after the launch of Marvel's Avengers, and the Guardians aren't exactly my usual cup of tea when it comes to Marvel content anyways. Something about its Mass Effect Andromeda-ness appeal?ed to me though, and after hearing enough people shower surprised praise on it, I gave? it a shot.

What a pleasant, surprisingly heartfelt, and genuinely funny game. Honestly, Guardians of the Galaxy could still use a tune-up on the combat side. But the massive appeal of Eidos Montreal's Marvel journey is its writing and its characters. They got me to genuinely care about Drax, Gamora, and Rocket, with some genuinely fantastic writing at times. And all the barks! It was a good year for combat barks. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was the surprise I did not expect this year.

Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

After Nier Automata put the Nier series on my radar, I was very, very eager to see what its predecessor was like. And Nier Replicant did not disappoint. Though maybe a little bit more tedious than Automata, the modernizations of this year's Replicant remaster went a long way toward making an old game very fun to play through aga??in and again.

It was also great to see additional ties made to Automata with some added content. Both games serve as halves of a whole, to me; Replicant can gut-punch you about something, then hit you again in Automata, or vice versa. I'm curious to see what's next for Yoko Taro and the crew behind these games, and especially eager to see how the heck Nier plays out inside a critically acclaimed MMORPG. But Replicant felt lik??e I was tying off a loose end of gaming??, mining the depths of sadness and despair as I went.

The Forgotten City / Inscryption

This one's a two-parter, and I'll explain why: earlier this year, I wrote about my?? newfound joy in playing games with a group over Disco??rd. Since I was young, I've always enjoyed the many-people, one-controller way of p?laying certain games. It doesn't work for everything, but it can make some experiences really click.

In the driver's seat portion of this entry, The Forgotten City was a wonder to pick apart. In a year of time loop games offering all kinds of approaches to mystery and narrative, The Forgotten City stands above the pack. It's such a concise, contained loop that still finds so much space to work in. It waxes?? on and on about philosophy and history, with so much detail and care p?ut into framing the story at hand within the world at large. And the reveals are still just incredible.

On the flip-side, Inscryption is the game I still haven't played myself, but have back-seated through multiple friends. It's a refreshing take on the deck-building genre popularized by games like Slay the Spire and Monster Train. But it's also not just a good deck-builder; it's a good mystery, a good adventure, a good puzzle game, and oh so much more. I've been a fan of develo?per Daniel Mullins for?? a few years now, and it's been great to see him get so much recognition for the kinds of games he does oh-so-well.

Before Your Eyes

Honestly, I feel like I got this take out best a little while ago. Before Your Eyes is simply the one game from this year that I think everyone, and I mean everyone, should play.

In the time it takes to watch a modern movie, Before Your Eyes takes you through a life, one blink at a time. The way that developer GoodbyeWorld Games uses the blinking mechanic is so simple at first and becomes so clever as the story goes on. It's really an experience that I think anyone and everyone should try at least once. Get a webcam, hook it up, and experience one of the most genuinely movin??g games of the year.

Dungeon Encounters

Sometimes a game shows up and it is exactly what you needed, despite being something you'd never think to ask for in the first place. Dungeon Encounters feels experimental. It feels fresh and new. It's like getting to see the results of an internal game jam, only it's coming from the minds behind some of Final Fantasy's best.

The minimalist approach can seem sparse at first, but it really lets you fill in the spaces as you go. The deeper into the dungeon you go, the less it feels like a barren, unfinished game world, and the more it feels like a dive into a virtual tabletop. Its battle system is so brilliant and twists on itself in interesting ways. And the way systems and menus intertwine creates such a compelling experience of building and managing not just a party, but a whole company of adventurers. Everyone remembers their first Petrified journeyer, or when they discovered ??how to recruit more members.

I truly hope Dungeon Encounters is a sign of more to come from Square Enix. More ??offbeat, interesting games like this from big? publishers, please!

Life is Strange: True Colors

I've fallen a bit behind on Life is Strange. I loved the first season but never got around to the others. I think by the time Life is Strange 2 was releasing, I was burned out on the episodic model. One of the smartest things Life is Strange: True Colors does is keep the episodic structure, but del?iver them all at once. You know, like what streaming ??services used to do.

The other smartest thing it does is introduce Alex Chen, the heart and soul of True Colors. Between the incredible voice acting and really spot-on motion capture, Alex just feels like a relatable, endearing protagonist that carries the weight of the small-town mystery so well. Deck Nine really found a winner in the small-town story of True Colors,? and ?it's giving me hope that more adventure games from the episodic era can keep it going into the future.

Gnosia

Going into 2021, Gnosia was already on my radar. Its announcement at a winter Nintendo Indie World showcase was so exciting because I'd heard whispers about this game from a small studio in Japan that was making the rounds, one of the last Vita exclusives making its mark and now finally coming to Switch. And to me, Gnosia did not disappoint.

Gnosia is what I loved about old Flash dating sims, mixed with modern rogue-lite narrative ideas. It's another looping game, only this one has you ge??tting stronger run over run, able to sway debates, and discern impostors at a glance. And all the while, you get smarter too, learning more about these characters. Who they are, their preferred method of verbal warfare, and what they're hiding about the predicament you're all in.

If I had to pick the most overlooked game of the year, it's Gnosia. It's also decidedly not going to be everyone's cup of tea; I have a feeling this is one from 2021 that will have video essays made about it years from now. It's as much a game to analyze and dive deep into as it is to play in the moment. But it really did so many things that took me absolutely by surprise. And what a true ending, too. Gnosia is the little indie you shouldn't overlook.

Wildermyth

Speaking of small indie projects that up-ended my world, Wildermyth is both a game I can't yell about enough and a game I'm excited to see keep growing. Its melding of XCOM-like tactics and D&D narrative, with a hint of ?overworld management, might seem a bit dense. But it all works in conjunction to make a tabletop campaign come ??to life before your eyes, with procedurally generated engines driving the story behind it.

Wildermyth is, to put it bluntly, an engine for building myths and legends. Every campaign is a new story, and a new opportunity to see a humble farmer called to greatness. And then turned into a part-crow wizard with a penchant for archery. Or a stealthy huntress able to set enemies ablaze with her hands. Or a warrior, warm and cheerful among friends, slowly fading away thanks to the stone that pierced her heart. These are all stories that Wildermyth served to me on a silver platter.

The team at Worldwalker Games LLC has been doing a good job at updating Wildermyth too, adding new events and options. And it has Steam Workshop support, where the modding scene is only growing. This game has a lot of potential to become even mor??e in the years to come, and I can't wait to see it happen.

Tales of Arise

This was the revival the Tales series needed. Tales of Arise isn't just a show of force for Bandai Namco, putting in a significant budget and grap??hical upgrade compared to previous entries. But it scales up without losing its soul in the process.

Characters still loudly declare DEMON FANG and call out long incantations in the heat of battle, a symphony of special moves and responses. The story is grand and moving, yet there are still so many wonderful skits to uncover. Cooking is still here! And the cast is a genuine all-timer lineup of Tales party members.

Tales of Arise ultimately falls prey to some of the series' known shortcomings too. Its last act sags a good deal, and there are still odd spikes in levels and one very annoying recurring villain. But despite the falters, some of my favorite moments this year were seeing the animations for Boost Strikes over and over. The Boost moves felt like the glue for Tales of Arise, bringing the party together and really making fights feel like an all-out brawl. The horizon is very, very bright for the Tales series, and that's a good feeling.

The Backlog of Shame, 2021 Edition: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Lost Judgement, Unsighted, Shin Megami Tensei V, Death's Door

The Honorable Mentions, 2021 Edition: Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Dyson Sphere Program, Scarlet Nexus, Loop Hero, New Pokémon Snap, Operation: Tango

And my favorite game of the year goes to...

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

When I finished the final case in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, I knew two things. One, I needed a moment to just breathe and take it all in. And two, there was no way this game wouldn't be on my end-of-the-year lis??t.

I've been a fan of Phoenix Wright for a while, from the original trilogy up through the newer games. And as much as I love Phoenix, Apollo, Athena, and the crew, Great Ace Attorney is a breath of fresh air. No high-tech mec?hanisms or spirit channeling—the focus is solely on some basic forensics and deductions. And oh, the deductions. Herlock Sholmes and Ryunosuke Naruhodo doing the dance of deduction is such a treat.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles benefits greatly from being two games packed into one. And where I can see how fans wouldn't like the cliffhanger and obviously unanswered threads of the first game leading into the second, as a duo they are nigh-unstoppable. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles i??s a ten-case powerhouse that weaves threads and stories throughout its entire run, building up to huge showdowns in court with honor, reputation, legacy, and even lives on the l??ine.

This is the game I'd hand to anyone looking to get into the Ace Attorney series. It's a lengthy one, but ??so, so worth y?our time. And there's no doubt it's my favorite game I've played this year.

The post Eric’s favorite games of 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

Maybe the real friends were the fr?iends we made al??ong the way!

[Destructoid reader TheBlondeBass has once again gathered folks from the community together for this edition of Destructoid Draws, which focuses on their favorite sidekicks in video games! �strong>Kevin]

So, I've been having a good time playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon these past few days. Grea??t time, even, with the ?game having excellent characters, writing, minigames, the works. But, it took a little time to get there. Like many JRPGs, the game starts with a fairly slow opening with a party of one. And, you know what? It made me appreciate just how important a strong supporting cast is.

This time around for Destructoid Draws, members of the community were asked to draw their favorite sidekicks and allies. Because the real stars o?f the show are often just to the side of the spotlight, right?

It's tim??e to finally give these sidek?icks the respect they truly deserve, I say!

DeScruff
Cremia from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

"Cremia is a very minor character, but she gives you one thing that I never thought I would ever want outside of a dating sim. A warm heartfelt hug. In a game as dark and depressing as Majora's Mask, that is the best reward one can get."

"See you... tomorrow... Ok?"

TriggerPigking
Nia from Xenoblade Chronicles 2

"Nia is one of my favorite characters in gaming, and I could talk about her at length. From a companion angle, she's essentially the only dedicated healer in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so she's almost always a necessity for the party. From a character angle, she acts as a very nice sarcastic foil to the rest of the party (including Rex's upbeat?? attitude), which is a lot of fun.

We need more sarcastic cynical white mages in games, and the rough welsh accent she has works surprisingly well for s?uch a ch?aracter."

NeoTurbo
Whacka from Paper Mario

"Whacka is everyone's favorite Paper Mario NPC for some reason or another. Whether you want to protect that precious smile or protect your party from death at the cost of inflicting him serious head ??trauma.....Whacka has something for everyone!"

TheBlondeBass
Herlock Sholmes from The Great Ace Attorney

"The Great Ace Attorney is a fascinating duo of games. They manage to simultaneously raise the bar of what is possible in an Ace Attorney game, while also managing more subdued and, dare I say... realistic cases? They're not afraid to deal purposefully unsatisfying endings that wouldn't feel out of place in a court of law, free from the chains of Ku'rain channeling. I'll say it. They've outclassed Trials and Tribulations for me.

But, I digress. These games are ??still very much comedic, and this larger-than-life take on Sherlock Holmes takes the cake. Threading the ?line of genius and idiocy, you're never quite sure what's going to happen next with him, but you know you won't be disappointed!

I'm certainly not one to spoil story-rich games like this one, so let me just say this. After case 2-3, I was thinking "okay, that was the best Logic and Reasoning Spectacular." That's the name of a new mechanic where Sholmes and the main cha??racter try to piece together the clues at a crime scene, by the way. Anyway, then came cases 2-4 and 2-5, and they both blew me away back to back. That's a difficult feat!

Oh and? the uh... the jok??e in my submission is 'The game is a foot!'. Sorry."

Vesalius
Glory from Shadowrun: Dragonfall

"It was a tie between her and Big Bo from Binary Domain, but she’s my favorite murderous medic sideki??ck! I always made my characters weak in combat, so it was nice having a sidekick who could shred people’s faces."

Inquisitive Raven
Fret from NEO: The World Ends With You

"Fret first comes across as your typical dudebro (and to a degree he is), but there's more to him than that. He has a surprising amount of emotional intelligence, often knowing what to say to defuse a situation if possible. He presents himself as cheerful and easygoing to a fault, even when he has his own misgivings about what's going ??on. Later on in the game, Fret deals with the repercussions of this facade in a way that hit surprisingly close to home and led to a good bit of growth for him.

I didn't expect to like him as much as I did. I already had ideas of some of my favorite characters, but Fret really grew on me. He's a good dude! And that's not even mentioning how he complements Rindo, who's way more passive most of the time??. I like Fret as?? a "Sidekick" because he's legitimately his own character, and not tied to Rindo alone.

Also, I love hearing him yell, 'Galaxy Brain - ACTIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!!' before a battle!"

That's it for this edition of Destructoid Draws! While we're talking about favorite sidekicks, what are some of yours? As always, I'd love to see more stories and sketches?? in the comments! Want to check out the previous Destructoid Draws? Here are ??a few handy links!

• Guilty Gear
• Favorite Franchises
• Villains
• Original Mega Man Robot Masters
• Indie Games
• White Whales
• Super Smash Bros
• ENCORE: Guilty Gear
• ENCORE: Dream Crossovers

The post Destructoid Draws ENCORE: Favorite Sidekicks appeared first on Destructoid.

The game is afoot

Deduction and logic are at the heart of a good Ace Attorney case, and especially in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Each one has its own rise and fall, buildin?g up from a prelude and ?initial investigation into sometimes massive webs of conspiracy, with all secrets laid to bare in the midst of a courtroom battle.

The Ace Attorney series marks its 20th anniversary this year, st??retching back to the first Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney hitting? the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2001. And though North America has seen the mainline entries make their way over onto various platforms, the side games have been a different story.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles brings over both of the Great Ace Attorney games, localizing two spin-offs that not only put the focus on a new cast of characters rather than Phoenix and the gang, but take place in an entirely different era too. It's an all-new setting that takes advantage of its time period, historical potential, and even a bit of fiction to create an Ace Attorney duology that is, simply put, fantastic.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (Nintendo Switch [reviewed], PS4, Steam)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: July 27, 2021
MSRP: $39.99

Set during the late 19th century, as the international relationship between Great Britain and Japan sits precariously atop a new treaty, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles follows the travels and tribulations of accused-turned-law student Ryunosuke Naruhodo and judicial assistant Susato Mikitoba. As the pair leave Japan and set sail for Great Britain alo??ngside their mutual friend Kazuma Asogi to get some hands-on law study in a global center of innovation, they quickly find themselves mired in international politics and uncovering conspiracies stretching back for years.

Joining them is a cast of characters that, true to Ace Attorney games pri??or, is full of odd, quirky, eccentric people trying to make ends meet in London. Most notable among them is Herlock Sholmes, who is essentially Sherlock Holmes but renamed for copyright reasons. Herlock and his partner Iris Wilson quickly become regulars an??d part of the crew, and in Herlock's case, heavily play into the investigation side of things. We'll get to that in a little bit.

A frequent face across the courtroom from Naruhodo during both games' trials is Lord Barok van Zieks, a British prosecutor who's also whispered to be the "Reaper of the Bailey." He seems to hold a grudge against Naruhodo and all Japanese, and he stands as an intimi??dating opponent that nevertheless endears himself to you over the course of the duology. He's just so expressive and imposing, punctuating his objections with the pouring of a wine glass or the flick of a bottle, it's hard not to love him, even when he's completely destroying your arguments.

Other highlights include some trial characters that slowly ingratiate themselves with the main cast, like Inspector Gregson and the orphaned pickpocket Gina Lestrade. Even the individual trial characters, the culprits and suspects who come and go, have their memorable personality quirks and designs. Ace Attorney games usually have pretty eccentric casts, and The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is no exception.

The way these stories play out is also fantastic. Pairing the two Great Ace Attorney games together makes sense, just to bring both over and offer a pretty sizable amount of Ace Attorney in a single package, alongside a good amount of concept art and extras. But these games flow extremely well together; both within each entry, dubbed Adventures and Resolve, and between the two.? Every trial builds up on the mountain of mysteries that Naruhodo and pals are slowly picking apart, until by the end, you're discovering huge twists that? could change a nation. Alone, they're good; paired together, they're great.

The trials are very solid, with a few in particular already taking a spot in my all-time series favorites. (Resolve's third case, if you're curious.) They all have a very natural flow to them, with the action rising and falling very well. I did still run into a few moments where I was working a few steps ahead of where the story wanted me to be, logically, but that's ultimately part of what I think makes The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles work so well.

What's interesting about The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles' trials are how you get to the truth, and also how you prove it, beyond a reasonable doubt, as the truth. Good mystery games have fun, interesting, twisting webs of story to unravel, but The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles frequently makes a point to have Naruhodo, and you, prove that something is the only possible solution. The time period also means there aren't as many modern forensic tools available, or they're only just starting to become commonplace. This results in some really great a-ha moments and logical headscratchers, where you're trying to discern just how a hypothesis y?ou've posited is what really happened.

Summation Examination is one of the ways this best manifests i??n some of the cases. Trials taking place in Great Britain have a jury, and have a unique twist: each juror can, at any point in the trial, decide they've heard enough and declare for either Guilty or Not Guilty. If the jury unanim??ously declares a Guilty verdict, Naruhodo can start a Summation Examination, where he has to pit juror's arguments for why they think the accused is guilty against each other.

These segments serve as good segues between major trial revelations, but they're also pretty interesting in that they demand a lot of pressing and reasoning, rather than prese??????????????????????????nting evidence to contradict statements. The focus is put on finding ways in which jurors' differ??ing views on a matter highlight lingering contradictions in the trial, and uncovering them feels really rewarding.

This sort?? of logical reasoning also shows up in the Dance of Deduction, which takes place during the out-of-trial Investigation sections. Here, Herlock Sholmes will make a grand deduction, snapping around the room and spotlighting different things he's noticed, and how they indicate some greater truth.

The problem is, Herlock isn't always exactly on point, and so Naruhodo has to step i??n to clear things up. It plays out as an observation game, where you have to examine the angles from which Herlock is observing different pieces of information and find the real piece of evidence he noticed. A worried glance towards one corner of the room might not have been towards a flyer for the circus, for example, but towards a different item on the same ta?ble.

These deductions aren't all too difficult, as it's usually a case of just noticing the one thing slightly awry in the scene, but they do a lot to break up the Investigation phase and add a little more interaction? into them. Rat?her than the usual point-and-click search through an area, these Dances of Deduction involve viewing the scene from new angles, and usually unveil some interesting truths about the supporting characters.

Both the Deductions and Summation Examinations are really strong additions to the tried-and-true Ace Attorney formula. They blend in naturally with the gameplay, use a lot of the same verbiage as the regular investig??ation or cross-examination sections, and really emphasize Naruhodo's growing ability ??to deduce and discover the truth behind these situations.

In fact, a lot of what makes Ace Attorney a great series is on display here. The music is absolutely stellar; I've always felt the Ace Attorney doesn't get enough credit for its music, and the sweeping string accompaniments in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles really? work well to highlight the drama and intensity of big revelations.

In terms of cinematics, the first game Adventures has a few animated cutscenes to accompany big story book-ends, while Resolve utilizes seemingly in-engine scenes. The jumping around in visual styles isn't bad�em>The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles as a whole looks really good on the Switch—but it does feel a bit jarring. Between those, and the occasional intro from Wilson that frames the coming trial as a Sholmes story in the making, the visual presentation shifts around a bit between games, but never too much to its d?etriment.

There are also cases where I had to poke around a crime scene for a while, or try and figure out which characters needed to still be talked to or shown something to tick the box for the story to progress forward. These moments will probably feel familiar to Ace Attorney fans, and they're not deal-breakers by any stretch, but it is something for newcomers to be mindful about. There will be moments where the right point to break through takes some thinking and shifting your perspective, but I never felt any solution was too difficult to work out.

That said, this is also the Ace Attorney game I would absolutely, wholeheartedly recommend to anyone trying to get into the series. I enjoy the adventures of Phoenix Wright a lot (and the original trilogy has its own collection as well), but if you want something newer and the idea of a good detective story running alongside the courtroom drama is appealing, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles fits the bill beautifully.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles as a unified duology really captures everything that draws players into this series in the first place. It's got big reveals and turnabouts, clever use of examinations and deductions, and a cast littered with memorable, endearing characters. Naruhodo's journey through the legal system of London is one that's been a series highlight. It's nice to finally have these games in the West, as both a great onboarding point for newcome?rs and a nice treat for Ace Attorney fans. No objections here.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles appeared first on Destructoid.

This Ace Attorney spinoff series shines in its clever twists and turnabouts

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is only abou??t a month away? at this point, bringing two games over in a single collection to the U.S. It can feel a little different at times from the Phoenix Wright-led trial dramas some might normally associate with the Ace Attorney ser??ies, with a different protagonist, setting, and time per??iod.

It's in the smart new additions,? as well as expansions of other ideas u?sed in the series, that The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles stand out in its own right. We recent??ly got some early hands-on access from Capcom, and I found myself really enjoying the ways in which this spinoff put twists on the usual Ace Attorney format I was accustomed to.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles follows Ryuno??suke Naruhodo, a student who discovers a latent talent for observation and legal proceedings, and the judi?cial assistant Susato Mikotoba, the stern and dedicated back-up that keeps Ryunosuke going through tough times. The two go on a journey of studying and practicing law, taking them from Japan to Great Britain in the process.

A number of other supporting characters pop up, including Ryunosuke's idealistic friend Kazuma, a legendary English prosecutor, and a legendary detective and the author that chronicles his work. We'll get to that in a second. All of it takes place during the turn of the century, as new t??echnological advances move civilization forward and the conventions of the old clash with the conveniences and intricacies of the new.

Mysteries in vid??eo games have to strike a delicate balance between leading a player in the right direction and challenging them to m??ake deductions on their own. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles doesn't lack hea?d-scratchers; there were a few times where I had to pause, t?ake in what I knew—and didn't know—and try to follow it through to a logical solution.

The Ace Attorney series has often cha?llenged players to deduce and solve crimes from the stand, using a growing stoc??kpile of evidence that twists and turns on itself. Investigations gain a new format of insight in the one and only great detective, Herlock Sholmes. (Yes, Herlock Sholmes, for copyright reasons.) When Sholmes makes one of his Great Deductions, he can oftentimes be a little off the mark, and it's up to Ryunosuke to get him back on course. 

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=isU3-IJ2f9o

This commences the Dance of Ded?uction. It's an entertainingly dramatic bit of gamep??lay where Ryunosuke and Sholmes dance around each other, striking poses and snapping their fingers to cast down spotlights that has a little bit of Ghost Trick's spirit in it. What it really adds is a feeling of making deductions in the present, while also giving the areas you're investigating new perspectiv??es and angles. Catching the way a character's eyes dart towards something they're trying to hide and then deducing what they're really looking at, or spotting something they're trying to subtly conceal on their person, leads to some great "a-ha" moments. And Sholmes is endearing as the well-meaning detective whose thoughts are easily led astray by a tangent, needing Ryu?nosuke to bring him back on course.

Trials feel more like the Ace Attorney mainline series, though with their own changes. Once the char??acters are in Great Britain, they must contend with a jury: six jurors sit in attendance,?? and can cast their vote—represented by a ball of fire—towards guilty or innocent as the trial progresses. If the balance reaches a unanimous guilty vote, it can initiate a Summation Examination.

Here, Ryuno?suke can attempt to turn jurors' incongruous statements on each other, in an effort to sway them to change their votes an?d continue the trial. Not only does it prov?ide a new avenue for revelations or noticing odd holes in arguments, it's also more opportunities for an underrated qu?ality of the Ace Attorney series, its charact??ers, to shine. Pitting the jurors against each other can result in minor squabbles and arguments, with some pretty fun ?results.

It's also got a great look, and I seriously have to mention ?the music. The Ace Attorney series has always had great music, and as I wrote th??is preview, I still had some of the melodies floating through my mind as I was thinking back over it.

My overall feeling from my time with The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is that this is easily meeting the mark for what I've wanted out of a?? new Ace Attorney game. And yes, it's not quite nece??ssarily "new"—the two gam?es collected in Chronicles have been out in Japan for a while—but it's new to me??, and to a lot of players who have only been following the official localizations of these games.

For them, it feels like there's? going to be a lot here to uncover, deduce, and logic their way through. I'm definitely interested to see how the full game t?urns out, and how these systems get their own twists and turnabouts throughout the course of the collection. But for now, suffice it to say, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles left me eager to dedu??ce some more details, solve more mysteries, and win more cour?troom face-offs.

The post The Grea??t Ace Attorney Chronicles preview: The great deduction appeared first on Destructoid.

Cold Case

For even the most hardened Ace Attorney fans, the long-awaited, upcoming release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a major event. Traveling west for the first time since its i??nitial Japa??nese release on Nintendo 3DS, the new title will fill what has been, for some years, a gaping chasm in the legacy of the mystery-solving series.

Capcom has released a lengthy trailer for the new release, which offers an overview of the story, setting, and gameplay. Budding sleuths will find themselves poking around crime scenes for important?? clues, before taking the stand against a gallery of witnesses and suspects, pushing for the pertinent info required to obtain a confession or, at the ?very least, a conviction. The era may be very different, but any Phoenix Wright fan will find themselves right at home in the shoes of his historical ancestor, Ryunosuke Naruhodo.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqAfvqsCaKg

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles compiles two releases �2015's The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and 2017's The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve. The new release will include all of the previously released content from both titles, alongside updated visuals, dual-language audio, and an in-game gallery packed full of artwork, trailers, and other marketing materials. It's admittedly been a very, very long wait, but there's just a single ??month left before fans can finally step back in time. I take it there a?re no objections?

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles launches July 29 on PS4, PC, and Nintendo S?witch.

The post Ensure justic?e is timeless in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles appeared first on Destructoid.

No objections here

Prepare to don your Herlock Sholmes hat and re-open your basement detective agency. Capcom has announced that The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will be bringing its old-school, period-sleut??hing ways onto PS4, PC, a??nd Nintendo Switch this summer.

Previously spotted by the Taiwanese Game Rating Committee, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles collates two classic Nintendo 3DS releases: 2015's The Great Ace Attorney Adventures and 2017's The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve, both of which are being officially localized in English for the very first time, giving Ace Attorney fans th?e opportuni??ty to plug that frustrating gap in their franchise resume.

Set in Japan's Meiji period, which took place at the tail-end of the 19th century, The Great Ace Attorney titles transport the series' mystery, investigation, and accusation process to a quaint, sepia-tinged world of yesteryear. Players step into the role of Ryunosuke Naruhodo, great ancestor of the famous Phoenix Wright, as he embarks on 10 globe-trotting cases. The period might be unfamiliar, but the series' eccentric characters, intense courtroom battles, shifty witnesses and complex, dramatic? cases are all present and correct. After? all, justice is timeless.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles launches July 27 on PS4, PC (via Steam), and Nintendo Switch, priced at $39.99. An "Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection" featuring both The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy will be available digitally for $59.99. For more details, check out the official announcement over on the Capcom Unity blog.

The post The Great Ace A??ttorney Chronicles will final?ly bring two 3DS classics to the west July 27 appeared first on Destructoid.