Gender: Male
Rank: Ace Attorney
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2014 8:13 pm
Posts: 1546
1-3:
I've criticized this case before but I've grown to have a little more appreciation of it in recent time (mostly thanks to Rubia). I think the main problem with the case is that it's too long for it's own good. It should only be two trial days and it definitely dampers the replayability. The monkey head is incredibly annoying and the evidence against Powers is so weak that he shouldn't have even been arrested. However, the last contradiction is one of my favorites in the series. If it was said during the first trial, you'd just be like, "Objection! Hammer wasn't injured, you silly goose!" However, so much has happened that you forget the basic details of the case. When you finally realize the contradiction, you're like, "Oooooooh." There's also a lot of subtext with Dee Vasquez and Manuel. It's very implied that she loved him. I'd say this case is definitely the weakest in the first game, even though I don't hate it as much as I used to
2-3:
Probably the weakest case in JFA, as well (bar the tutorial case). Also, probably my least favorite out of all the ones on this list. I won't get too into it because everything that has ever needed to be said about it has been said, but I do enjoy the cross-examination with Moe and the case is actually pretty difficult but fair in the first trial day. I don't feel that bad for Acro, unfortunately, but I know they took a risk with the villain, which is somewhat appreciative. I am going to go against the popular opinion and say that I do think Regina matured from this case to her appearance in GK2. It's been a while since I've played 2-3, though, so I could be wrong
3-3:
I don't really like it. Viola is probably my favorite one-case appearance character in the entire series (besides Rhoda) and I did really feel for her. Also, the confrontation against Tigre is the closest the series has gotten to a final boss without being in the final case (this case also has one of my favorite motives in the series). My main problem with the case is that it's so...contrived. I still think that AAI-5 is the most contrived case in the series, but at least as it's being explained to me, I'm thinking, "Oh. I guess that would work. The plan was a little needlessly complex but I guess it's somewhat plausible." As I'm playing 3-3, I'm thinking, "No. There's no possible realm of reality this could work. Not a chance." I don't even understand why Tigre would take such a huge risk with his convoluted plan. The only reason he did is so the case could be convoluted. Tigre should've just killed Maggey, too, and then ask Armstrong with help burying the bodies, in exchange for his debt being cleared. I just want to add that I'm also not fond that the whole premise of this case is built on a foundation of bullshit. I don't think the fact that the game lampshades it is an excuse, either, because the case takes itself seriously enough. Also, once we proved that he was actually at Tres Bien, that should've immediately exonerated Maggie
4-3:
Again, I won't get too into it, because everybody has already said what needs to be said. I will say that Daryan is a great villain, though. He's the only villain in the entire game who actually puts up a decent fight. Plus, this case has that classic Takumi set up. He puts so many pieces in place with Lamiroir and the Gramaryes (and I've said it before, but Valant is in my top 5 favorite characters of the series) and then elegantly reveals all of it in the last case. The rest of the case is kind of just...boring, I guess? Oh well.
AAI-3:
I. Fucking. Love. This. Case. I'm always vehemently 100% against people who disagree with me. Okay, not really, because I do understand some of the flaws tih it. Meekins didn't need to be in it. Ema didn't need to be in it. Oldbag didn't need to be in it (but it added hilarity when she appeared again in Case 5). The Bellboy...nah. The Bellboy needed to be in it. The common complaints that I've heard about this case is that it has too many cameo characters when it should've been focusing on Lauren Paups and the Amanos. And to that I say...yeah. However, this case introduces Kay (in my top 5 for characters as well) and Shi-Long Lang (in my top 10). The case gets deeper and deeper and while Lance isn't a great villain, it's actually a little difficult to take him down with Shi-Long Lang providing resistance, as well as Ernest Amano. The last segment with Little Thief was a genius way to close off the case. Plus, Lauren Paups is a pretty decent one-off character in my opinion. It had a pretty bittersweet ending when Edgey revealed that her father was just out to protect her. Colin's story gets even more tragic when you realize the truth behind his arrest in Case 4. This might be bold to say, but I think this is one of the most replayable cases of the series, along with Turnabout Beginnings, Turnabout Trump, Turnabout Airlines, and Turnabout Target
AAI2-3:
Best non-finale case in the series. The mystery in this one isn't that special to be honest, but the story really brings it all home. Playing as Gregory and going against Von Karma and then closing the book as his son was just too good to not screw up. I think this case was an absolute success. I don't want delve into it that much because there are still people who haven't played the game, but I talk about it to a greater extent in the GK2 forum section
5-3:
Great case. Hugh O'Conner is the one thing that holds it back, but the case manages to mix the goofiness with the intrigue very effectively. Robin Newman was a great character and I thought Means was a pretty good villain. The end with the statue was pretty funny and a clever way to
wrap up the case (Get it? I did like a thing...)
So, I'd say that bar the tutorial cases, the third case is the weakest about 4/7 times
Rubia Ryu the Royal wrote:
The intermediate cases often are wrongly labelled as "filler" because of an overall disinterest in them. A more accurate description would be "sequential breaks from highlights." You can't get from climax to climax without some relatively less intense moments to fill in-between. It's only natural the 3rd cases would seem weak in comparison because they're placed right before cases 4 & 5, where the spectacular things happen. If case 3 is the highlight, then cases 4 and 5 will drop in quality. That's what happened in GK2. The end felt rushed, as if all those loose ends conveniently tied themselves up. (And the final boss felt so underwhelming compared to the boss in case 4.)
Quote:
On a related note, why do the later games pale in comparison to the original trilogy? For one, there's a strong focus on one character. For another, we see him grow with accumulated experience, up until he faces the most dangerous (and most stubborn) opponent of them all. In stark contrast, the only reason GK2 follows GK1 is because of a week skip (pun not intended). We could easily flip them around, switch the arrivals of certain characters, and with localization thrown in, we wouldn't know the difference.
I disagree. While GK didn't develop Edgeworth's character that much and more existed for Kay's sake, GK2 was a huge turning point for Edgeworth. Going from GK2 Edgeworth into GK Edgeworth would be a giant step backwards. At least GK had him start thinking like a defense attorney and then they turned that into an actual dilemma in GK2