Close? Exceeds it? No, not really? I know it's early, but you know, just want to ask.

Oh and please, please keep this topic spoiler-free.

Even though I can't read most of the text, I'm absolutely loving the game so far. Since it's been built ground up for the DS, it has quite amazing visuals and even small movies. Even the sprite animations are more fluid.

From what I've read of the spoilers, the story is top notch as expected from capcom.

I would have to finish the game first before I compare it to the rest.

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Is it living up to my expectations? As a fan of the original series, no.

If it was the first game I'd ever played in the series, I would have liked it, but there are just too many issues for me to say I'm enjoying it on a story level.

I guess on a technical level it's impressive and fun to play, but to me, the soul of the games were always the characters. This game is lacking soul, and Phoenix is the problem.

But, well, I'm not done yet.

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This topic is making me incredibly depressed. Actually, this entire board is making me incredibly depressed. I can understand why Takumi wanted to start fresh, but don't leave all of us hanging (MAYA? PEARL? EDGEWORTH?).

I knew from all the changes that were announced that this game wasn't going to be my favorite of the series, and since my expectations were small enough it does live up to. I'd say it's a really great game with a bunch of little problems.

Technically, it's really hardly better than the first three execpt for some short movies and a (not very nice) 3D model of most items. The controls are bugging me, controlling it with the stylus feels pretty clunky (you need to double-click to check things and that fails about half the times leaving you jabbing at the screen a lot) and controlling with the buttons isn't an option as several things can't be done like that.

I'm not done with the game yet so I can't say something final about the story. It's lacking in a way right now, but that still could be fixed. The series shows signs of the creators running out of ideas though, so many little things are reused.

The Minuku system isn't great either, but I knew that before as well, so no surprise there.

Sadly, no. The antagonists were good, yet somewhat amusing. ...Most of the witnesses and defendants---failed to shine like the previous ones from GS1-GS3.
I know it's a whole new arc for Odoroki, but the style is a bit too different. However, the game is full of surprises. But I have to say that Phoenix pretty much stole the show.

Edited after Cookie~Ace grew a brain. XD (didn't read the sign.)

Aren't the controls the same as in the other DS games? You didn't have to double tap in those, there was also a button on the touch screen to check with.

I'm getting kind of upset hearing what people are saying about AA4. I was expecting it to be the best in the series, but it seems to lack all the soul of the original trilogy. The characters aren't as good, and it basically trivializes the first three games and acts like they didn't happen. Not just in regards to ignoring characters, but even Phoenix's personality and character development. Hearing that he overshadows Odoroki is disappointing, I really wanted to see his development and backstory the way we did for Phoenix in his games. It's unfair that AA4 should suffer just because it's a sequel. It was supposed to be a reboot of sorts, yet the sole fact that Phoenix already exists prevents the story from standing alone or having characters as good as PW:AA did. Overdoing Phoenix's involvement without actually making it FEEL like it's really Phoenix will probably be the worst part... It just ruins the overall story retroactively, in a way.

But besides that, is the game still good? Are the cases themselves at the same standard as the rest? Are there some good characters, and are there still tense moments even if you have an overly nice prosecutor?

I played 1~3 on the GBA.

You can click the "check" button, but that's just what I meant when I said the controls feel clunky. It really takes the point out of using the stylus if using the D-pad and buttons is actually faster and less complicated.

Actually, that would be more of the scriptwriters/designers fault. I think the characters LOOK great from what I can see, so the writers probably just didn't do a good enough job bringing them to life. Which is inexcusable in a text-rich series like AA.

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I don't know if there's any point in posting this, but I just feel compelled to say it anyway...

I'd just like to encourage people to wait to play the game for themselves and form their own opinion, rather than getting all disappointed and discouraged based upon this general negative vibe that's starting to surface now about a week after the game's release.

Yes, I'm reading the Japanese reviews. Yes, I can understand some of the criticisms that people are expressing. At the same time, I'm playing through the game myself and enjoying it quite a bit to this point. Maybe as I play through the game more, I'll see more and more of the disappointments that people are expressing, and my overall impression of GS4 will turn more negative. But for the time being, I don't want to sabotage my own enjoyment of a game I've been looking forward to for three years simply on the basis of various negative opinions that I've heard around the internet. I'm just trying my best to keep an open mind as I play through, so I can form my own opinions -- and I'd just like to strongly encourage others to wait until they're able to do the same.

Another brief comment:

Unless I'm mistaken, it isn't scriptwritERS -- Shu Takumi has written every single line of dialogue in each game from 1 to 4. So while it's possible that the guy has completely run out of ideas or forgotten how to write (hey, I guess it can happen -- look at George Lucas and the Star Wars prequels) -- I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm halfway through Case 2 now, and while I can relate to some of the other criticisms that have been mentioned, I'm not feeling like the conversations are so utterly boring or lifeless compared to GS1-3. The dialogue itself -- at least in my opinion, to the point that I've played up to so far -- is certainly not the complete disappointment that some people seem to be suggesting that is.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, but I hope what I'm saying here makes at least some sense.

I think the game gets beaten up a lot more than it deserves, probably partly because of the huge hype that (only) this game had before release. There are a lot of small things that could have been better, but the game is still great.

What bothers me the most is that it seems the creator(s) couldn't decide whether to start an all-new series or pick up where they left off, and it feels pretty half-hearted either way.

I haven't played case 4 yet and what I'll think of the game finally does largely depend on this, so I won't say too much yet.

I sincerely hope the negatives don't outweigh the positives so much that Capcom decides to cease the Gyakuten Saiban series all together.

Perhaps whatever wrongs could be corrected in a 5th installment?

According to the sales figures (250,000+ copies sold ), I'm pretty sure we'll be getting a GS5 in the distant future. Capcom does listen to their fans so I'm sure things will improve.

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Onamida, that was beautiful.

May I bear your children?

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I'd love to see a 5th game with Naruhodou as the main character and psycho locks again, but another one with Odoroki wouldn't necessarily be bad. Probably it'd focus more on Odoroki and feel more like his own game then.

Still, another problem is they seem to be running out of ideas. Many concepts and pretty import plot elements have been simply reused from before.

While I'd like to see another couple of GS games, I also hope they'll end the series when they run out of ideas completely and don't pull a Meitantei Conan, repeating the same cases over and over until absolutely everyone loses their interest in the series.

I dunno. It is Capcom...

Which is why Phoenix is in the game in the first place.

I think maybe I'll benefit from getting into the series so recently. While I have grown attached to some of the characters, sure, I don't think it'll be to the extent that an arrangement like GS4 will seem unappealing. I'm willing to try new things.

And, I mean, I'm an MM fan, so I'm already kind of a Capcom whore as it is.

It's sort of like..
--You know the protagonist is Odoroki, and you kind of get some fun out of him seeing him as a novice lawyer.

BUT..

-- You always want to find and talk to Naruhodo...

So far, yes.

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