ABSOLUTE CINEMA

Really good entry into the ace attorney series with a completly new cast of characters that are likeable, written well and make sense (most of the time). The artwork, art direction and setting of the game is incredible and as the latest entry the strongest in the whole series. In classic AA fashion, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing and on point.

The story was a rollercoaster for me. Some of the cases are absolutely amazing, while others felt an absolute slog to play through. Some of the convicts caught me offguard super hard while some of them were obvious to the point where I was gaslighting myself into thinking that they must be red herrings.

The pacing in general is one of my biggest gripes with the game. There is an insane amount of dialogue and I felt like some cross-examinations in some cases could've been shortened and skipped for sure.

Gameplay additions compared to previous mainline games include the detailed inspection of evidence, sumination exam, pursuing witnesses and "deduction correction"

Evidence inspection is an amazing addition and should be a standard mechanic in any future AA game

Sumination exam is a nice gimmick with bad execution. It takes forever to start, usually just drags out the trial and further adds to my general pacing issues with the game.

Witness pursuing is a nothing burger mechanic, where it is instantly obvious where you are supposed to use it with zero consequences

Finally, "deduction correction" is another great idea with horrible execution. It's supposed to act as a puzzle solving mechanic outside of the usual trials, but usually just ends up as "pointing out the obvious" to everyone included. Whenever deductions come into play, they are usually insanely easy and take forever to get through.

Even with most of my gripes I still thoroughly enjoyed my time with both games. The second game is for sure better in any way over the first regarding story and case quality.

All in all, both games are very good entries into the series and with the PC release they are a great package deal.

I loved the story experience of these games. When I bought this, I actually didnt know there was a second game in this series, so that was such a pleasant surprise. I highly recommend this game for any fan of visual novels and even fans of mystery stories. I also would recommend this to anyone who hasn't even played an Ace Attorney game. Great music, great characters, great story, great mysteries. These games are a fun time and are so worth the price, ESPECIALLY if it's on sale!!!