I came into
this review without any prior experience with the Phoenix Wright series. I had
heard of the games and the addiction they led to, and I admit that my curiosity
was piqued. I acquired Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations and promptly
jammed it into my Nintendo DS. After a few hours of play time, I started to
question my motive for investigating this title any further.
The Phoenix
Wright phenomenon is based around a specific fan base of adventure-story lovers
who allow themselves to become completely engrossed in the storyline. The
Adventure genre is selective and secluded throughout the gaming community, but
somehow the Ace Attorney managed to crack his way into many American hearts.
After I decided to open my mind to this form of game play unfamiliar to myself,
I quickly dove headfirst into Phoenix Wright’s law abiding life.
The story
involves a lawyer, Phoenix Wright, who must defend multiple clients by
investigating crimes, gathering information and evidence, and presenting the
case to an all powerful judge. No jury is involved, for whatever reason, just
Phoenix Wright, the prosecution lawyer, and the judge. You as the player are
required to piece together evidence in such a way that your client is found Not
Guilty. As an added feature, Phoenix Wright is given a special ability that
allows him to see when certain people are hiding a secret. This feature is
called the “Psyche Lock.”
First and
foremost, I noticed just how much dialogue is involved within the game. Every
action you perform is followed by lines and lines of character interaction via
words scrolling across the top screen of your DS. I found myself getting
impatient quite frequently, as evidenced by my random tapping on the touchpad
with the stylus. The initial trial placed me in the role of Mia Fey, with the
story unfolding years before Phoenix Wright ever becomes an attorney. The game
was good about guiding me through the ropes of being a lawyer, but if I made a
mistake or missed a piece of evidence, Trials and Tribulations would rewind back
and force me to replay a small portion in order to get the storyline correct.
This feature apparently continued throughout the game, and became quite annoying
when paired with lengthy dialogue by overzealous witnesses.
I would’ve
initially been turned off by the constant stream of reading required of the
player, but the storyline did a great job of keeping me involved and attuned to
what was happening. The events that unfold during each trial are truly the
highlights of the game, with twists and turns thrown at you throughout. I felt
as though I were reading a suspenseful, silly book at times, unable to put the
game down as I approached important revelations during different portions of the
trials. The storyline is easily the best portion of the game.
But, in order
to carry a great storyline, you must provide great actors and actresses. The
characters involved during each of Phoenix’s investigations provide a stellar
performance and adds immensely to the overall feel of the game. Each person is
accompanied with slight, but grand, animations that really express their
feelings at that exact moment. Picture a silly anime film and you will, in
essence, know what the animations entail.
Graphically,
Trials and Tribulations does nothing special, with stationary environments to
examine, slightly animated characters to question, and the occasional massive
“Objection!” flashing on the screen. Character conceptions and appearances are
wonderful to look at, but only for a short while. I found myself wanting more to
occur on screen than anything that ever did. Even when depicting what happened
during a crime, the screen would simply play like a slideshow, with little
movement within the actual scene.
As for actual
interaction, the player is very limited. Most of the time, you have the option
to examine the scene at hand, talk to the present witness, present a piece of
evidence in order to obtain more information from said witness, or move to
another location. You also have constant access to the Court Record, which
contains profiles on all characters involved with the case, and all evidence
obtained thus far. If desired, the player can also hold down the “Y” button and
say specific words during specific moments instead of pushing the button
pertaining to the word. This feature is trivial at best, and I never found
myself even wanting to use it.
Listening to
the music and the occasional “Hold It!” or “Objection!” emit from the DS
speakers will form smiles at the beginning of the game, but once you get used to
it, the game can easily be played without any volume at all. Sometimes during
cases, a specific tone is desired, and this is evidenced through a change in
music. This will add to the feel of Trials and Tribulations, but you probably
would not notice if it wasn’t there.
The concept has
remained the same throughout the entire series, and this fact remains true for
Trials and Tribulations. The game is very easy to play, very simple and slow
paced, and required very little from the gamer. You literally use none of the
face buttons for anything. Some find this concept comfortable and welcoming in a
day and age where faster is better. I, for one, did not really get into the game
because of the lack of involvement. If it was not for the engrossing storyline,
I would find myself significantly more disappointed than I would up being.
Basically, if
you enjoyed the previous two installments of the Phoenix Wright series, you will
love Trials and Tribulations just as much, as the game adds closure to the
three-part saga. The same characters appear to be involved, and the game changed
very little overall when compared. If you like up beat, fast-paced action, then
you might want to skip on this title, at least until your blood pressure boils
down.
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Gameplay: 6.0
What gameplay? Oh
right, the stylus tapping and menu selection. Gameplay is simplistic, basic, and
perfect for the style of game you will be involved in. If you want a casual
experience, then the controls are right for you.
Graphics: 6.5
Character models are
pristine and perfect for each role they play, but the backdrops fall short in
many ways. Examining environments can only be rewarding because of the evidence
involved. You won’t find yourself examining different locales simply because
they are beautiful.
Sound: 7.5
Musically inclined
for an adventure game, the mood is always set nicely thanks to the score
incorporated. Occasional hollers and yells from your attorney or the defense is
lovely and different at first, but will slowly lose its muster.
Difficulty: Easy
Some of the actual
investigations presented challenging thought processes and really made you work
your brain to figure out, but the fact that everything is trial and error,
allowing you to restart the text until you figure out what you are missing,
detracts from the engaging brain activity. Besides the storyline, everything
about running Trials and Tribulations is as simply as possible.
Concept: 8.0
Conceptually, I like
Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations. The storyline is the true Ace of the
game, with engaging, in depth investigations that ensue throughout. The only
thing that detracted from the concept was the amount of reading involved.
Overall: 6.5
The fact that I have
not played any previous Phoenix titles may or may not have hindered my judgment,
but I feel that even if I was playing the first game in the series, I’d still
find myself struggling to get into it. Many things look promising for the
franchise, but wind up falling short in my eyes. Even when I became involved
with the story, I’d eventually get tired of text tapping the screen, and quit
playing altogether. Fans should pick up this title immediately. Newcomers should
be wary of the genre, not the game itself.
