Summary
Capcom announced itsAce Attorney InvestigationsCollection, an effort to remaster and localize a spinoff in theAce Attorneyseries that fans have had very few avenues to play until now. It’s exciting news forAce Attorneyfans for a number of reasons, one of which being the direction the game seems to be taking with its character art.
MostAce Attorneygames live solely within thevisual novel genre. However,Ace Attorney Investigations Collectionstands apart, featuring a greater focus on exploring the environment than its peers in the franchise. A visual upgrade is one of the first orders of business for any remaster, but this collection has a wonderful option for preserving the original as well.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Character Art is its Secret Weapon
WhilePhoenix Wrightis rarely seen outside of the courtroom inAce Attorney,Investigationsdiffers by allowing the player to actually walk around environments and sleuth for clues as Miles Edgeworth. This is the titular feature that setsInvestigationsapart from other games in the series, and one Capcom is leaning into for its remaster.
Ace Attorney Investigates a New Artstyle
One of the main highlights of the trailer forAce Attorney Investigations Collectionis a massive overhaul to the visual style of the remaster. While the original games featured a pixellated style during investigation sections,Investigations Collectionis exploring a whole new route. Rather thanpixel art sprites,Ace Attorney Investigations Collectionrevealed that it will feature hand-drawn chibi sprites instead. These sprites do a great job at giving the game an updated look for a new generation, and serve the dual purpose of giving the game a charm overhaul as well.
The hand-drawn aspect of the sprites already lends the game a unique identity, as does the chibi artstyle. On top of both of these things, however, are a host of new and expressive animations to go alongside them.Investigations Collectionhas only shown off a few tidbits so far, but every single one has shown characters emoting in a way fully befittingAce Attorney’s reputation.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Preserves the Look of the Original
WhileAce Attorney Investigations Collectionhas busted out a brand-new look with plenty of appeal, it would be understandable if fans were to miss the art style of the original games. After all, the pixel sprites in the originalInvestigationsgames had plenty of appeal all on their own. Thankfully,Capcom considered this already, and is allowing players to switch art styles if they choose.
This is great for a number of reasons. For one, it works towards not erasing the work that came before it, a valuable lesson for any video game remaster. In the same vein, player choice should be a primary motivator behind any game’s design. The fact that players are not locked into one option or the other, and can instead toggle between both, is a huge green flag for the care behindCapcom’s latest remaster collection.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Has Options For Everyone
Ace Attorneyis, in some ways, all about exaggerated expression. The series' most memorable moments are chock-full of colorful characters finally being exposed for their crimes, and putting on the breakdown of a lifetime for fans to enjoy. Now,Ace Attorney Investigations Collectionis promising to bring that level of charm and expressiveness into every moment of gameplay.
WhileAce Attorneyis usually limitedto depicting its characters in courtrooms or jail cells, theInvestigationsremaster is making full use of its overworld, all while allowing fans to look back on the art that gave the original its appeal in the first place. Players aren’t locked into either option, and can instead choose to experienceAce Attorney InvestigationsCollectionexactly as they please.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
WHERE TO PLAY
Apollo Justice’s Legal Journey Begins Anew!Join rookie attorney Apollo Justice and his mentor, the legendary Phoenix Wright, in this collection of 3 games! This title features the 14 episodes of “Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney”, “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies”, and “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice”, and the 2 previously DLC-only Special Episodes for a total of 16 episodes!Also included is a mountain of extra goodies that’s sure to satisfy any Ace Attorney fan!Orchestra Hall - Listen to the in-game background music and select orchestral arrangements!Art Library - View illustrations, design specs, commissioned pieces, and even the special Spirit of Justice Prologue anime!Animation Studio - Play around with character animations and recreate your favorite scenes!This collection supports Japanese, English, French, German, Korean, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese. Mix and match to play in whichever languages you’d like!Immerse yourself in this beautiful collection as you shout “Objection!” in these newly renovated halls of justice!Some of the contents of the games in this collection are presented as initially released to preserve the games as originally created.
