The Ace Attorney Games: Worst to Best
Capcom’s Ace Attorney series is one of the most loved visual novel franchises. It has been a cultural phenomenon for more than 20 years and surprising fans with every new instalment. It is difficult to rank the Ace Attorney games, and each one will be unique for everyone. Each Ace Attorney title adds something to the franchise that makes it stand out and sets it apart from other Ace Attorney titles.
There are some things that the series is known for that will keep us coming back: great dialogue writing, iconic soundtracks and plot twists you’d never expect. If you play an Ace Attorney game, you can be sure to strike the perfect balance between serious and funny, whether you are Phoenix Wright or any of the other great attorneys.
If you don’t mind, here are our top ten Ace Attorney games, ranked in order of worst to best.
9. Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney Investigations
The title refers to how investigation-type gameplay was introduced in Ace Attorney Investigations Miles Edgeworth. This marked a significant, polarizing shift from the previous four games. It is exciting and engaging to play as Edgeworth, particularly for those who enjoy detective games. The soundtrack is also outstanding in this instalment.
Don’t let this fool you. This game is not the Ace Attorney franchise’s best-rated title. The cases are uninspired, and the plot is boring. This is the first franchise game to feature five points, and it certainly seems excessive. One particular case drags on for seemingly forever, but it finally ends in an ending we all knew was coming.
8. Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright – Ace Attorney
Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright was a disappointing crossover game, especially considering that both franchises had been around for so long and have built up solid fan bases. Expectations were not met when it came down to playing as Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright. The puzzles were less difficult than typical Layton games, and the courtroom sequences were very different from those of an Ace Attorney game.
It seemed to be more true for Professor Layton than for Phoenix Wright. This may be a good recommendation for Professor Layton lovers. Still, it is a disappointing recommendation for Ace Attorney fans because there is less satisfying “Objection!” moments as well as a lack of interesting witnesses.
7. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Spirit of Justice
Spirit of Justice, the latest game in the main series, retains the spirit of the previous four games but didn’t live up to the fans’ expectations. Although the writing is great as usual, the Himalayan-esque setting makes for a refreshing change. However, some parts are divisive, such as the divination seance gameplay mechanic in Spirit of Justice. It also explored the sad background story of Apollo Justice. This worked for some players, but not for others.
Some of the cases in the game seem disconnected to a certain extent as if they were not meant to be combined. The overall plot has its flaws. Spirit of Justice neglects the narrative points from the previous games, to the point that appearances by major characters like Miles Edgeworth and Maya Fey feel almost fan-servicey.
6. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney was the first Ace Attorney game that allowed you to play as another character than Phoenix Wright. It worked out surprisingly well. Apollo Justice, an apprentice to Phoenix Wright, is a charming and entertaining protagonist in the game. He was also able to perceive at a deeper level than his predecessor.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney introduced a new bracelet mechanism that allows you to detect slight nervous twitches and reactions in witnesses’ body language. This can be used to indicate dishonesty. The story is great and the characters are interesting. The puzzles aren’t very clever and the cases are not easy to remember creating some imbalance.
5. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
The Switch bundle included two excellent Ace Attorney spin-offs, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures & The Great Ace Attorney 2, Resolve.
Chronicles is a departure from previous games. It features historical settings in both Meiji-era Japan as well as Victorian England. Ryunosuke, a rookie attorney, is actually an ancestor to Phoenix Wright. He investigates international murder mysteries.
Chronicles stand out because it doesn’t hesitate to explore the darkest corners of their world, narratively and visually. This game has so many things to see that you can’t help but notice how it comes to life when you look into a particular scene. They are relatable and complex and often find themselves in difficult situations. This contrasts with the silly Ace Attorney humour.
4. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney-Justice for All
While a worthy sequel to the original game, Justice for All isn’t doing anything new or groundbreaking. Only one new gameplay mechanic was added to Justice for All: the psyche lock feature. This allowed you to unlock mental barriers and interrogate a witness. Secret information is only available if they are able.
The mysterious disappearance of Miles Edgeworth set up the game for an exciting story. It continues right where the original left off in terms of characters and unexpected twists. Justice for All’s dialogue is sometimes hilarious in Ace Attorney style. Overall, Justice for All offers four hours of pure entertainment with characters we already love from the first game.
3. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for Dual Destinies
Dual Destinies was an almost perfect Nintendo 3DS game when it was released. The 3D features were used flawlessly, and the game also included fully animated cutscenes that brought the crime scene and courtroom to life. It was a major turning point for the franchise, introducing elements we wouldn’t be able to participate in, which secured it a top in the Ace Attorney franchise ranking among the original trilogy games.
You can play as Phoenix, Athena and Apollo throughout the game, which gives you a variety of experiences and allows you to get a different feel for the game. Dual Destinies introduced the mood matrix gameplay mechanic, which will enable you to see inconsistencies in witness testimony and how they feel about it. Fans were divided about the addition of the mood matrix. Some loved it, while others didn’t.
2. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is the original game. It holds up 21 years later, thanks to its amazing story and clever puzzles. This is the second Ace Attorney game ranking. It provides an exciting introduction to a series we will never forget, no matter how many others follow.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has a lot of fascinating cases with creative but still feasible solutions. Things can become predictable or far-fetched later in the series. However, this instalment has the best balance of case-solving and is unrivalled.
The original game is not just nostalgic. The soundtrack is undoubtedly the best in the series, and the last case has one of the strongest endings in the franchise.
1. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations
Trials and Tribulations, the third game in the original trilogy and a fan favourite, takes the Ace Attorney franchise ranking. Trials and Tribulations was a great game because it used narrative first to introduce characters and help with the complex plot.
It was an amazing experience to play both Phoenix and Mia in Ace Attorney. We will never see them the same after reading their backstories. Godot is one of the most memorable video game villains. He has a catchy, jazzy theme song that plays whenever he enters the scene and a love affair with coffee that many can relate to.
Trials and Tribulations successfully wrapped up all plot points created in the first two games. This made the original trilogy a memorable finale.
