Two formerly Japan-only 'Ace Attorney' games are finally being released in English
The classic Capcom titles combine in 'The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles'
Warm up your arguing voice and limber your objection fingers, there's a new Ace Attorney game coming to town. Technically it's two Capcom games in one. The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures originally dropped in 2015 and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve followed in 2017, though there's little chance American gamers have had a chance to play them, as both were originally released exclusively in Japan. But this summer, US gamers will be able to litigate their way through both classic capers as part of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.
Set in the Meiji era, would-be barristers will assume the role of Phoenix Wright's ancestor, Ryunosuke Naruhodo as he defends himself against spurious charges. For there Ryunosuke — accompanied by his legal aide, Susato Mikotoba — travels throughout Japan and Victorian Europe representing clients in ten novel courtroom adventures. Legendary detective Herlock Sholmes even makes an appearance!
Though the cases are new, much of the gameplay remains true to the Ace Attorney franchise. Players will have to comb crime scenes for clues and interview a cast of quirky characters to uncover the truth before presenting their case before a judge and jury. But be warned: just as in real life, the in-game Japanese courts operate very differently than their English counterparts. Interestingly, since this is a Japanese market port, many of the game's original Japanese text and written assets remain in this new version — if you can't read hiragana, don't worry, hovering the cursor over items causes English subtitles to appear.
And if you aren't in the mood to canvas crime scenes or cross-examen recalcitrant witnesses, Chronicles also offers a unique new feature called Story Mode. It's basically like watching an episode of Law & Order in the Ace Attorney universe — you relax and watch the case unfold while the game plays itself. Additionally, Chronicles includes "eight additional 'Escapades' (mini-episodes separate from the main story), two 'Special Trial' videos, thirteen video clips from 'Ryunosuke Naruhodo’s Seven Days of Sin,' and three alternate, optional costumes," according to Capcom.
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles arrives on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam on July 27th.
