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rsmithca's Phoenix Wright: Justice For All (DS)
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| [February 9, 2007 06:54:33 PM]
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While I still haven't quite beaten this game yet, I feel like I've played enough to present a detailed analysis. Here are some descriptions of different aspects of the game:
1. Characters - Still as wacky as the first game...again, not a bad thing. Playing as a spiky-haired lawyer of justice never seems to get old.
2. Music - mostly remixes of songs from the first game. Some of the new themes are nice, but not quite as thrilling as the original songs.
3. Gameplay - instantly familiar to someone who has played the first game. Still searching for evidence, still finding contradictions in peoples' statements, and still dealing with bizarre murder cases. The "psyche lock" feature, as mentioned in the first log, is the only new addition. It is used a lot more in the third and final cases, but it never felt fully fleshed out. It was never used in the court battles, only while searching for evidence. Overall an interesting new gameplay mechanism, but underutilized.
4. Story - Humorous scenarios mixed with hidden pasts pretty much sums up each case in this game. There are many comedic moments throughout, but also genuinely clever plot twists, with secrets being revealed and lies uncovered.
5. Replay Value - Not great. This type of game is good for a single play-through, because afterwards you know what to look for and what to do and say in the court battles. There are no alternate paths to take; it's a linear game that is fun while it lasts, but one that you probably won't pick up and play again for quite a while.
6. Lasting impressions - While this is a fun game, it doesn't really improve upon the first game in my opinion. Also, one thing I haven't mentioned yet is that this is based on a Game Boy Advance game that has been ported over for the DS. That said, besides using the touchscreen to press on evidence and using the built-in microphone to say "hold it!" and "objection!", the capabilities of the DS are not really utilized. Almost everything you use the touchscreen for you can also just use the d-pad and press buttons. I would have liked to see more touch-based puzzles or activities, but I suppose I'll have to wait for a Phoenix Wright game that is made from the ground up for the DS.
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| [February 9, 2007 01:25:54 AM]
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I was a big fan of the first Phoenix Wright game for the DS, "Ace Attorney", so I was definitely excited about the sequel! What I like about this series is it's sense of humor, its wacky characters, and its ridiculous court cases. In "Justice For All", you reprise the role of Phoenix Wright - a spiky-haired defense attorney who's mission is to gather evidence and find contradictions in the witnesses' testimonies in order to clear your clients' names. The main prosecutor in this one (there is more than one, but the game focuses on this one) is Franziska Von Fraasen - the daughter of Mr. Von Fraasen from the first game who is trying to get revenge upon you for soiling the Von Fraasen name by beating you in court. Not only that, but she caries her signature whip with her wherever she goes and actually whips people...even in court! Of course, the game rarely takes itself seriously, except when there's murder involved. Most of the characters in the game are highly eccentric - from the bumbling detective Gumshoe to the lecherous hospital patient who tries to pass himself off as the hospital's director! I'm on the third case right now (out of four total), and so far it's exactly the same as its predecessor - a murder occurs, an innocent person is accused, you go around getting evidence and questioning people, and you attempt to prove your client is not guilty in court. The only exception so far is the inclusion of a new feature called "psyche locks." Occasionally, when you are questioning someone, they will refrain from telling you the whole truth. When this happens, you will see chains appear with locks on them (the more locks there are, the harder the psyche lock is to break). These people have their reasons for not spilling the beans, and you must gather evidence to pry the truth out from them. This is an interesting addition to the game, but I'm not sure it makes it more fun. Perhaps if this feature was tweaked a bit it could provide more excitement, but right now it just seems to be a hassle sometimes. I will know more once I've finished playing through the game.
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rsmithca's Phoenix Wright: Justice For All (DS)
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Current Status: Finished playing
GameLog started on: Friday 9 February, 2007
GameLog closed on: Friday 9 February, 2007 |
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