The Verdict
Not all of its design choices may be consistently tasteful, but Aviary Attorney tells a good story to the end, paying attention to a lot of the finer details for a cohesive and entertaining whole. Where it does not succeed is in its courtroom happenings. While the game can hold its own, they’re not the standout moments they could have been. Further, its narrative could definitely have benefited from further development for a fuller experience. These characters do grow on you and it’s clear that much care went into creating a regal-yet-lighthearted atmosphere that players would grow accustomed to. Because of that, it’s dissatisfying to have things end sooner than they need to. Its humour and storytelling will be appreciated for their value as individual elements, but these touches don’t bring the overall experience to the highs it was creatively meant to achieve with greater support, ultimately making Aviary Attorney a pleasant mystery but a restrained one.
The Positives:
- Main characters Falcon and Sparrowson are good company to have along the journey, as they keep the mood light with their one-liners, careless behaviours and over-the-top exchanges. Even the minor characters you interact with have a measure of depth to them, owing to the fact that some re-appear in later cases. For the most part, they’re treated as fundamental parts rather than faceless information suppliers.
- Going for a classic storybook style of visual representation ultimately works really well in light of the historical theme, and this is supported by an interface that doesn’t detract from the on-screen action. In addition, interactions are not static, as there are small animations that bring out character personalities and the script itself.
- The experience as a whole doesn’t take the player’s attention for granted and goes about sustaining interest with an actual narrative. The narrative underpinning the four cases is interesting to follow and has some fun twists that actually go places, furthering the story in a positive way.
- Not all the circumstances surrounding each case are clear-cut, which is a good thing as it keeps you from jumping to conclusions while remaining engaged.
- Although they could have easily opted for a linear experience, the team did a good job of providing choices to feel more involved. How this philosophy plays out is by giving players freedom to visit places in the order of their choosing. To instill seriousness in players and to keep the game moving, traveling to certain locations will mean spending a day on the calendar. And if a court trial is booked to happen in five days, that doesn’t leave much room for fooling around.
- There are moments in each case that are supported with theatrics for dramatic effect. There’s also the role of the game’s classical soundtrack, which on the whole suits the overall posh theme but is also known to adopt a pronounced tone in support of a character’s words or a climax in the investigation.
- The save system is well-handled in that while you do have the ability to do a quick save at any time, it prevents you from stopping in the middle of court proceedings preemptively, with the understanding that you can undo bad actions by loading to the moment before.
- Decoy statements and questions are thrown into cross-examinations with the objective of upsetting the jury. Much like in the Ace Attorney games, if you make too many errors, it will mean a verdict in favor of the prosecution. But in my experience, that’s not a common path to follow.
The Negatives:
- Occasionally, cinematic sequences are introduced and can be selected from the navigation interface. But as these are, in fact, connected to the larger story, it’s odd that the developers would allow players to overlook them altogether.
- When freebies won’t work, money is sometimes needed to buy your way to more information. As such, the game has an economy management system that comes secondary to just about everything else, where aside from completing cases, you can earn small amounts of money by winning a game of Blackjack at the local tavern. While this element doesn’t impede the experience, it doesn’t help it either. Perhaps the developers were afraid that by making this more of a necessity, it could have become a real turn-off. But at the same time, it doesn't seem like a lot of thought went into its integration.
- In the third case, players are expected to take the time they’re given more seriously than in earlier cases, yet nothing is done to give you a strong awareness of the deadline you’re obligated to work with. By this point, you have almost full access to the game’s more than 10 locations, and it’s easy to lose track of where you are and not have a clear handle on what it is that you’re expected to produce. For this reason, there are three paths that can be followed for the final case.
- The freedom enjoyed in earlier cases — initially a boon for the overall flow of things — becomes a problem for the third case, to the point that the storytelling suffers because of it. This particular case demands that players have precise targets in a line, as it involves gathering specific evidence from specific locations and making sure that you take steps early on so you have enough time to see them through to the end. Otherwise, when it comes time for the trial, you’ll be lacking in evidence and it will mean following a different path for the final case. The choose-your-own-adventure gameplay style certainly has its place, but with how it’s been approached here, it’s bound to incite frustration more than appreciation for a replay value opportunity.
- One key element that Aviary Attorney does not share with the Ace Attorney series is, sadly, having gripping courtroom battles, and it’s something that stands out. In fact, the trials here are short-lived and not nearly as exciting. That doesn’t mean that everything beforehand builds towards a flat result. Plus, the lack of drawn-out proceedings may be appealing to some. But these trials are by no means striking events to participate in.
- For all the work that went into its setup, Aviary Attorney is a short experience that, on average, won’t take you more than five hours to complete. It’s a shame because with the narrative that they have, there definitely could have been more cases to create more breathing space. This is not to suggest that they should have included filler cases for the sake of extending the experience, but that the overall narrative could have been helped by a more rounded development.
As much as the Ace Attorney games thrive on exaggerated mannerisms and courtroom repartee, they are mysteries first, captivating in their suspense and puzzle construction. Aviary Attorney takes cues from this standard of scouring crime scenes for clues, followed by using evidence to overturn statements during phases of cross-examination. With a cast made up entirely of animals, many of which evoke a debonair vibe, the game’s events transpire in a mid-19th century Paris under the threat of social and political upheaval. As the historical background works to ground the experience, what follows is a tale of secrecy and corruption supported by endearing elements.
