Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Review – A Prosecutor’s Frayed Path

A Fan-Favorite Character’s Personal Journey

For as varied as the Ace Attorney franchise is between its differing time periods, comically inventive murders, and defining gameplay gimmicks, the series has never pursued the oppositional path to defense attorneys, save for one neglected subseries: the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection.

This duology follows the beloved rival prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, though these titles occur after his surprise return in the third game, Trials and Tribulations. Further, the two entries in this compact collection are the final ones to happen before the fated seven-year time skip seen in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

Familiar, Yet Altered, Gameplay Loop

Still, despite the change in protagonist type and the focus on investigations rather than court proceedings, the overall structure of both of these titles is familiar. In essence, cases are divided into playable episodes that focus on a new murder that Edgeworth becomes involved with in one way or another. However, what makes Ace Attorney Investigations Collection stand out is how each episode is more transparently connected in their collective narrative and throughline, which is often on and off with the rest of the franchise.

For instance, the first Investigations game follows a singular crime syndicate across each case, ultimately resulting in a finale that feels naturally at home with the rest of the experience. This storytelling choice does a magnificent job of keeping you invested, which is a general problem I occasionally had during Justice for All.

Then again, as cohesive and undeniably strong as the writing and progression in the first Ace Attorney Investigations are, I found it to be the least memorable game in the franchise. That probably sounds like an exaggeration, but I don’t mean to knock the title down needlessly.

What makes Ace Attorney Investigations Collection stand out is the storytelling cohesion across each case.

The best way I can describe my assessment is that this first entry has no significant highs or lows that stand out in hindsight. Instead, it resides in a consistent sea of average satisfaction. It’s an admittedly strange sensation since I would definitely rank the first Ace Attorney Investigations above a handful of the other titles from a purely critical lens. But it lacks that residual spark of impact after completing it that practically every other Ace Attorney entry boasts.

The cases all feel relatively equal in quality, even if the pacing in the third and fifth ones can be a mixed bag at specific points. Most significantly, vestiges of Edgeworth’s past continually make themselves known, too, whether it be previous acquaintances or his history as a student of the once-feared and detested legendary prosecutor, Manfred von Karma. Granted, Edgeworth’s characterization is more of a secondary focus than the late introduction of the infectiously energetic new member, Kay.

Speaking of, Edgeworth has his own entourage here, instilling the adventures with comical and extended perspectives that play off Edgeworth’s stern and veiled sense of humor extraordinarily well. For one, the fan-favorite detective from the original trilogy, Dick Gumshoe, is a regularly appearing character who aids Edgeworth in several matters. He possesses the tiresome trope of seemingly appearing far too incompetent in his career to ludicrous extents. Still, his endearing dynamics and genuine desire to help others ensure it isn’t all-defining or frustrating. Plus, in the second entry, he’s depicted as far more capable at his job.

The star of the show for the first game is Kay Faraday, a self-proclaimed Great Thief who isn’t afraid of shouting that supposed fact to the world. Her personality starkly contrasts Edgeworth’s, making their exchanges inherently captivating, especially when her past becomes a narrative focal point. Kay and Gumshoe are the usually constant companions, but other new characters and the returning Franziska von Karma from Justice for All appear with crucial roles, too.

Gameplay-wise, the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection possesses the signature series staples of investigating crime scenes, cross-examining parties of interest, and presenting evidence or pressing for information when necessary. With that being the case, the new mechanic for individuality is a new-fangled idea that no other Ace Attorney character has ever used: Logic.

The Not-so-Supernatural Power of Logic

Jokes aside, Logic is the literal name of Edgeworth’s mystery-solving crux, and it’s expectedly intuitive. When questioning key individuals and examining crime scenes, Edgeworth mentally notes facets of interest. Then, once you have reached an impasse, you’ll need to manually connect two threads of Logic together, forming a new conclusion that illustrates a contradiction with the previously established, supposed facts. While this lacks the flair and supernatural foundations of Apollo’s and Phoenix’s abilities, Edgeworth’s is no less satisfying to utilize.

Succeeding with enacting the flow of Logic arguably makes the player more actively involved with the cases at a consistent rate compared to the other entries. As simple as the notion is, these general internal queries quickly delve into rabbit holes of intrigue and theory-crafting. What makes matters even more compelling is how, despite Edgeworth’s confidence, he isn’t always right, instilling genuine tension in some episodes.

Logic is Edgeworth’s sole trump card in the first Investigations, but the second game, Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit, introduces something entirely different: Mind Chess. This scenario involves Edgeworth engaging in a battle of words with his opponent, requiring players to correctly react and respond to the revealing dialogue. While there are general rules to follow here, progression is often more subtly enforced, with you needing to judge the other party’s tone and attitude first and foremost. This manipulation of sorts offers a refreshing methodology for gathering information, contrasting the more straightforward natures of other titles.

Logic and Mind Chess are Edgeworth’s investigative cruxes that keep progression gripping.

Otherwise, the gameplay in the sequel is identical in structure. Yet, the sheer quality of this follow-up can’t be understated. After the relatively lukewarm execution of the first title, Edgeworth’s adventures right afterward are leagues above in almost every way you can conceive. Newly added lawyers and even a judge challenge Edgeworth’s convictions as a prosecutor and force him to confront his past more than ever. This entry, in particular, highlights Edgeworth’s characterization and flaws the most, making him one of the most multi-faceted members of the franchise.

An Exemplary Sequel

It’s no exaggeration to claim Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit amongst the cream of the crop in the Ace Attorney series as a whole. Besides the vigorous handling of the protagonist and new cast, the cases are all terrific, with each offering genuinely thought-provoking mysteries and non-one-note NPC arrivals who don’t make your apparent conclusions seem all that certain.

In fact, I found this to be the most challenging entry in the series. Even the first case contains more than a handful of tricky testimonies that are far more demanding than what these games usually offer. Consequently, I feel like I have an inherently greater understanding of these mysteries’ inner workings than is typically the case.

Granted, both games can needlessly drag themselves on near the conclusion of some cases. Perhaps to amplify tension and uncertainty, select confrontations overstay their durations, instilling the opposing effect. Still, the sequel boasts immaculate writing with its character relationships, first and foremost, sticking to the series’ strengths. Honestly, I was never too much of an Edgeworth fan before, but this entry alone makes him far more compelling.

Appreciated Boons and Features

As is customary with these packaged re-releases, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection boasts several bonus features, such as a story mode that auto-plays for you, a gallery mode compiling several avenues of illustrations, animations, in-game achievements, soundtracks, sketches, and all 106 background tracks. Further, many orchestral arrangements are included alongside an original one. And as is always the case with Ace Attorney, the soundtrack is superb; no arguments there.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is arguably the most fundamentally reworked collection in the franchise.

However, the most significant addition has to be newly drawn HD presentations for the cast and backgrounds. While the original DS sprite pixelations are selectable, these refreshing perceptions grant this duology impeccable distinction. In a sense, this effort alone makes the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection arguably the most fundamentally reworked collection in the franchise, at least from an outsider’s perspective. What they’ve done with rebirthing these visuals is no small feat, as everyone and everything looks polished, exactly as you’d imagine them to be.

It’s worth noting that translation-wise, this package is mostly excellent. There are a handful of noticeable typos, which I mainly spotted in the second half of Investigations 2, but they’re minor.

Looking to the Future

With the release of Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, we’re steadily approaching the end of an age where I can reliably expect Capcom releases that genuinely interest me. This is the final compiled package of this series that was missing sans the Professor Layton crossover, so any future ventures will need to be wholly original and maybe even finally progress the canon past Spirit of Justice from eight years ago.

Still, regardless of what Ace Attorney Investigations Collection signifies, the contents should not be overlooked. Despite containing only two games, making it the smallest compilation to date, both adventures are absolutely worth your time.

The first Investigations may play it too safe, and the second Investigations may overly draw itself out, but the writing across both entries is meticulous. The latter, in particular, is near the series’ heights, being a fittingly excellent capstone in this era of the franchise’s ported releases. Ultimately, the future may be more unknown than ever, but the past can always be cherished and celebrated.