A Rival’s Time to Shine
Ace Attorney is one of my most cherished franchises, and it’s definitely my favorite IP under Capcom’s vast catalog. For years, three entries remained Japanese-exclusive, so the arrival of the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, meaning complete English availability for the series, is immensely significant. I’ve been eagerly anticipating this duology since this has become the only avenue of the series I’m somewhat unfamiliar with, and I’ve had the opportunity to experience it early.
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection includes two titles: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit, with the latter marking its official Western debut. Currently, I’ve experienced all of the first Investigations while I’ve begun my foray into the fan-acclaimed sequel, though I’ll only lightly tread on plot elements and such for the sake of this preview.
The Individuality of Miles Edgeworth
The Investigations duology follows Miles Edgeworth, a rival prosecutor from the very first Ace Attorney who developed throughout the original trilogy. These two particular entries occur after the events of Trials and Tribulations, making them the final titles before the circumstances leading to the seven-year time skip seen in Apollo Justice.
What makes Investigations stand out above all else, besides its evident gameplay shift of focusing primarily on crime scenes rather than court proceedings, is simply the protagonist, Miles Edgeworth. From the opening minutes of the first case, even if you’re unfamiliar with Edgeworth’s characterization, it’s abundantly evident that he differs inherently from the likes of Phoenix, Apollo, and Ryunosuke, who emanate constant anxiety about their capabilities in their inner monologues.
The Investigations Collection feels like the most impressive re-arrival in the series.
On the other hand, Edgeworth is confident, capable, and assured in most scenarios, counting internally, illustrating a jarring sense of distinction. Even if this may be a self-imposed mask, this implementation does a terrific job of playing as the opposing side of the usual protagonists, regardless of whether that was necessarily the intention. It also keeps Edgeworth in character, with incorrectly chosen options feeling dramatically out of character, subtly encouraging more careful thought into your answers so as to not disrupt this canonical flow.
A Meticulous Re-Crafting
As for the package itself, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is an ambitious re-release thanks to its fully revamped presentation. Unlike every other entry, which always features backgrounds with realistically portrayed character sprites in a first-person or omniscient third-person perspective, the Investigations games allow manual movement on the maps. On the original DS releases, these titles used highly pixelated representations for the characters while navigating, but this remake has gone the extra mile.
Besides having the original pixelated depictions as a selectable option, a newly crafted art style has been added here. Alongside high-resolution backgrounds, this fresh option features the cast in more realistic forms, albeit in somewhat adorable miniaturized depictions. Still, everyone and everything looks substantially clearer, unironically making this collective experience wholly distinct compared to the originals.
If you were a fan of Edgeworth from the original trilogy, these focused titles will only enhance that appreciation tenfold.
This isn’t to bash the previous Ace Attorney re-releases by any means, but the Investigations Collection feels like the most impressive re-arrival in the series. Every area has received remarkable upgrades in its presentation, contrasting the previous titles, which look fantastic yet are more akin to higher-quality looks of the same original styles.
Another notable facet of the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is how both titles have a more transparently cohesive storytelling structure than many of the other games, which can frequently come across as episodic sans specific contexts. Edgeworth’s adventures here follow a clear narrative-based throughline from beginning to end, making the process far more personable than it would likely be otherwise. So, if you were a fan of Edgeworth from the original trilogy, these focused titles will only enhance that appreciation tenfold.
A Collection to Remember
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection marks a simultaneous capstone and potential turning point for the franchise. Still, as of now, it’s vital to emphasize the games themselves and not overlook them rather than just honing in on the implications this package embodies.
From what I’ve experienced, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is a definite high point of this series, feeling like a natural extension of pre-established characters and events. I’m looking forward to playing the entirety of both titles for a complete assessment ahead of the collection’s public release on September 6, 2024, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.
