Ace Attorney Investigations Collection review

Aiming to bring all their Ace Attorney titles to all major platforms, Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is Capcom's last stop in this graphic adventure journey. This duology enhances and packages together two games that were previously only available on the Nintendo DS, one of which was a Japan-exclusive title that has now launched overseas for the first time.

What is Ace Attorney Investigations Collection about and can newcomers dive into it? Read to find out more in our full review of the game.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection shines a spotlight on the beloved prosecutor Miles Edgeworth

The murder mystery begins (Image via Capcom)

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Ace Attorney Investigations Collection consists of the following two games:

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit

The premise of this collection will be easy to grasp for those familiar with Capcom's Ace Attorney series. Newcomers, however, will need an introduction: The games star Miles Edgeworth, a prosecutor extraordinaire and rival to franchise mascot Phoenix Wright. Set after the events of the renowned Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy, players control the hardened prosecutor as he finds himself at the center of bizarre crimes and mysteries.

Ranging from smuggling and theft to murder and assassination in broad daylight, each of the two games' five Episodes features distinct scenarios to contend with. The first game begins with a murder occurring in Edgeworth's own office, with him and his sidekicks becoming the target of suspicion. The second game, on the other hand, begins with a bang as the gang must investigate an attempt at the life of a foreign president visiting the country.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection (Image via Capcom)

Together with sidekick Kay Faraday and returning goofball Detective Gumshoe, the trio must tackle these cases by indulging in in-depth investigations to dig out the truth by searching for clues in the environment, securing evidence, and poking at suspects' arguments for holes until they slip up.

The beloved humor and bizarre lineup of NPCs are also accounted for in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. From the intimidating Agent Lang and cold-as-ice Judge Gavelle to the whip-cracking Prosecutor Franziska von Karma and helpful scientist Ema Skye, the roster includes both familiar faces and newcomers.

Pockets of humor are not uncommon amidst the high-stakes verbal battles and crime investigations (Image via Capcom)

They are the highlight of Ace Attorney Investigations Collection and easily carry the cases of the games with their unique personalities, motives, and ambitions regardless of whether their goals are minor or lofty. That said, this collection is about Miles Edgeworth - not just his role away from the confines of the courthouse, but also his growth from a cold, brow-furrowed man to one who is open to those around him, including his friends.

Accusations and incriminations

Presenting the wrong evidence or clue when prompted depletes the top-left gauge (Image via Capcom)

Much of the core fundamentals of the Ace Attorney formula are intact in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. As is tradition, players will control Edgeworth and navigate crime scenes to inspect objects and areas of interest. Gathered clues and evidence will be tucked away into the Organizer for further reference and inspection.

Talking to NPCs will unearth further information that aids with story progression, while suspects need to be questioned and prodded to make them spill the beans. When it comes down to it, their testimonies must be thoroughly combed through during the Rebuttal phases of gameplay to unearth any lies or contradictions - and these are pretty much the Ace Attorney's Cross-Examination sections.

There are certain key differences, however, that ensure this is more than just the old formula with a new coat of paint. For one, the games ditch the traditional "first-person" visual novel view in favor of a third-person camera, showcasing the character's sprites and environments in rich detail. This fresh presentation is enhanced by overhauled HD artwork that blows away the original DS pixel art.

Piecing together the puzzle (Image via Capcom)

Coming back to Rebuttals, these see players press the target for more details as needed and present incriminating evidence when a statement that seems like it is contradictory is presented. Unlike the mainline games, however, these arguments do not take place in the courtroom. Instead, Edgeworth will directly debate the suspect on the spot be it at the crime scene or a location like a precinct.

This is a fresh change of pace but the courtroom drama did have its own charm. On the flip side, this unorthodox story progression does introduce minor pacing issues as the suspects lie and weasel their way out of situations using nonsensical arguments and hypotheticals while not under oath of court.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection also introduces some interesting mechanics to spice up the trial-and-error lines of questioning and the cat-and-mouse chase of evidence gathering. This includes a "Logic" mechanic where Edgeworth must deduce a conclusion by combining two relevant pieces of information. The other, perhaps less effective inclusion is "Mind Chess".

A novel mechanic but not fun in the long run (Image via Capcom)

Debuting in the second game, Edgeworth must face off against agitated suspects and try to break their arguments indicated by chess pieces under a time limit. Players can "Bide" their time while waiting for the angry target to fess up and then use the new information to attack them when they have their guard lowered. While intriguing at first, it quickly devolves into monotonous territory due to how predictable and lengthy these sections can get later on.

Graphics, performance, and sound

The new art in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is gorgeous (Image via Capcom)

As mentioned before, this is a 2D game, and a Nintendo DS one, so there are no technical issues to report. The new artwork is gorgeous, with expressive animations that fans have come to expect and love from the franchise. Purists who dislike the new art for whatever reason can switch back to pixel art from the in-game settings. While they have their charm, they don't look pretty blown up on a big screen.

This collection also includes extra goodies for hardcore fans in the form of official concept art, soundtrack, and more - although some of the categories include art and feature story spoilers. Given that narrative is the bread and butter of Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, we recommend staying away from the Extras section until both games have been beaten.

The collection's soundtrack does not disappoint either. Fans will love the familiar and remixed music tracks from the DS titles, all of which fall in line with the whimsy and serious tunes that the Ace Attorney series is known for.

In conclusion

The collection is a straight-up character growth arc for Mr. Edgeworth (Image via Capcom)

While Ace Attorney Investigations Collection won't replace the original Phoenix Wright Trilogy anytime soon, it is still a solid addition to the series that series fans should pick up without hesitation thanks to a colorful cast of characters, intriguing cases, and iconic rebuttals. Newcomers, however, will want to play the first three games starring Phoenix Wright before dipping their toes in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection as this is a continuation of that saga.