Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth
Typical pre-review caveat: This is a spin-off from the main Ace Attorney series featuring different gameplay mechanics focused on investigation rather than the courtroom. The investigation-heavy format is a significant departure from the usual structure of the main series, and frankly, I would love to see a game that merges the two styles.
Finally, an Ace Attorney game that meaningfully evolves the investigation mechanics beyond simple point-and-click tedium. The “logic” panel transforms the detective work into something genuinely engaging, allowing you to connect pieces of information to form new conclusions rather than just clicking on everything until something happens.
The shift to pixelated 3D environments makes examination feel more dynamic and immersive than the static 2D images of previous games. Even better, the character interactions feel more natural. Sprites actually face each other during conversations instead of perpetually addressing the player, creating more believable dialogue scenes.
Seeing Edgeworth as a character rather than living vicariously through him changes the entire dynamic, making the experience feel more fast-paced and engaging overall. The game also dials back some of the excessive silliness that occasionally plagued other entries in the series.
However, some problematic elements creep in. There are sudden, uncomfortable character designs that feel wildly inappropriate for the tone the game is trying to establish. The pacing can feel stop-start at times, and despite the improved mechanics, certain gameplay elements still fall into repetitive patterns that can test your patience. And most unfortunately, the story becomes less interesting and more melodramatic until it—I confess—becomes unbearable to continue.