Highlights
- Capcom's Ace Attorney series offers gripping stories with memorable characters that captivate players for over 20 years.
- Each game in the series has its strengths and weaknesses, with some cases being more enjoyable than others.
- The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, a previously Japan-only release, provides a satisfying narrative with mature themes set in Meiji-era Japan and London.
For over 20 years, Capcom's Ace Attorney series has allowed players to step into the manicured shoes of a lawyer, busting criminals and absolving clients with reckless abandon. Granted, it probably bears little to no similarity to the work of a real-life attorney – but it's tough to care when the stories are this good.
The 19 Best Detective Games, Ranked
Video games revolving around being a detective are few and far between, and these ten are the absolute best when it comes to this underrated genre.Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, Athena Cykes; these primary-coloured faces are just a few of the budding desk-slammers you'll be controlling in this iconic franchise. But with several games to choose from, where does one start? Here they all are, ranked (albeit not by legal accuracy.)
Updated February 5, 2024 by Gabrielle Castania: The long-awaited remaster of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is out now, so to celebrate, we're updating our list of the best Ace Attorney games ranked to help it shine.
10 Ace Attorney Investigations
We Love Edgeworth, But...
Ace Attorney Investigations is the first full game to feature fan-favorite Miles Edgeworth as a protagonist; a complex and intriguing figure. Having been playable for a short period in Trials & Tribulations, it seemed that Shu Takumi was testing the waters, making it almost inevitable that Edgeworth would receive his own series of games.
The game attempts to organically connect an important backstory to present-day cases, though some confrontations feel more technical than exciting. Trust us: it's no fun spending upwards of three hours arguing the finer points of diplomatic immunity. For all of Edgeworth's intelligence, the Logic mechanic can also be obtuse and confusing.
9 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
Who'd Have Thought You'd Get Scared When A Roof Caves In?
Despite many fans expecting a direct sequel to Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Capcom took a very different route for this fifth mainline installment. Sure, Apollo's here, and even has an edgy backstory to uncover, but Phoenix gets top billing once more. The first entry on the 3DS, Dual Destinies makes adequate use of its hardware. Unfortunately, from a graphical standpoint, the game suffers from uncomfortable 3D models; with some characters looking unexpressive and stiff.
The introduction of Athena Cykes, the first playable female lawyer (discounting your brief stint as Mia in flashback) held a lot of potential, but ultimately, her storyline rehashed the original Ace Attorney's "defence attorney has a troubled history with the prosecution" schtick. Athena's application of psychology throughout is exciting, though sometimes lacking in substance.
8 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All
The Music Is Great, Though
Justice For All is a classic case of 'so close, yet so far.' On a surface level, it's a worthy sequel to the original - the intrigue of Edgeworth's disappearance, combined with the introduction of a new Von Karma instills a curiosity that can only be sated by poring over every word of the dialogue.
However, it's hindered by a truly atrocious bad-case-to-good-case ratio. The tutorial chapter is laughable, especially that 'villain.' The one with the irritating Ini Miney? No, thanks. And Turnabout Big Top, populated entirely with the most intolerable secondary characters ever conceived? Well, the less said about that, the better.
7 Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Talk About A Dream Crossover
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a prime example of how to combine two disparate series to create something bigger than the sum of their parts. Both protagonists rely on puzzles and strategic thinking, but in different ways. Layton is a logical deducer, whereas Phoenix has the gift of the gab, which complement each other perfectly.
Which Ace Attorney Character Are You Based On Your Zodiac Sign?
Lawyers, detectives, and even superheroes can be found in the Ace Attorney series. Which one has more in common with you?The game's set in Labyrinthia, a medieval fantasy town where witches exist and spells being cast is just part of the daily furniture. It's up to Layton to unravel the truth behind the town, while Phoenix defends would-be executees in court.
Despite its brilliance, the game ranks lower on our list due to it being a crossover: there's less actual Ace Attorney gameplay than there is Layton puzzle-solving. Nevertheless, it's a worthy tribute to both universes that's more than worth your time.
6 Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Finally Remade
Apollo Justice was meant to represent the passing of the torch from Phoenix to his “apprentice” figure, signaling that Phoenix’s saga had come to a close (or so it seemed). Fans were able to see how beloved characters had grown and evolved during the seven in-universe years that had passed since the last game.
So Apollo's debut occupies a strange middle ground: it's technically his game, but Phoenix keeps popping up, and ultimately is instrumental to the main case's resolution. It's a shame since Apollo's character is engaging and lovable. We were also introduced to Trucy Wright, a bubbly new assistant who's Phoenix's adoptive daughter, along with Apollo's new gameplay ability to 'Perceive'.
5 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
The Game That Started It All
Made in only ten months by a team of seven people, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney allowed us to first meet such iconic faces as Phoenix, Maya, and Edgeworth, all with wonderful arcs and resolutions. The unforgettable music, and poignant ideals and messages, emanate throughout its whole being.
Whether it's exploring a crummy knockoff TV studio, helping Larry Butz photograph 'the Lake Gourd Monster', or nailing a guy literally named 'Frank Sahwit' on a lie, it's all top-class. Re-released with its bonus case, Rise From The Ashes, the game quickly became a hit with Western audiences and paved the way for all the other games seen on this list.
4 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Spirit Of Justice
Spirit of Justice shifts to the kingdom of Khura'in, where a corrupt autocracy has assumed control and made a butchery of the legal system. It's up to Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena, who just so happen to be visiting an in-training Maya, to set things right. A few plot points from previous Ace Attorney games continue to go unaddressed and appearances from the likes of Maya and Edgeworth come off as fan service rather than actual contributions to the story.
Apollo finishes the adventure with more backstories than any poor soul should have to burden, which leaves little time for exploring his relationships with already existing characters. However, the new testimony mechanic, séances that let you see the final moments of the victim, is ambitious and unique.
Despite the game's flaws, Khura’in’s hatred of defence lawyers creates an enthralling atmosphere of tension; and really, how many games can you name that end with a greenhorn attorney toppling a government?
3 The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Why Not Add Ancestors To The Mix?
Few people expected that The Great Ace Attorney would ever see a Western release. The series had spent the better part of two decades attempting to convince Anglophonic players that the games were set in Los Angeles instead of Japan. Never mind that Maya claims she loves burgers while patronizing a noodle stand, or all the cherry blossoms everywhere.
How Many Ace Attorney Games Are There?
The stories of gaming's most popular lawyer come in quite a couple of titles. But how many do you need to play to close every case?Initially launched on the 3DS in Japan, this was meant to be a trilogy but shrunk down to two after budgets ran over. You play Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a Japanese ancestor of Phoenix Wright in Meiji-era Japan, as he navigates the pitfalls of immigrating to London in a time of great racial tension.
He and his assistant, Susato 'Susie' Mikotoba, are subject to prejudice from the second they step off the boat, and it's refreshing to see such a lighthearted, bouncy franchise tackle such mature themes. Top that off with a satisfyingly complex narrative, the inclusion of a legally distinct Sherlock Holmes, and more puns about ladders than you could ever comprehend, and this was well worth the wait.
2 Ace Attorney Investigations 2
Hope You Like Fan Translations
The definitive hidden gem of the Ace Attorney series, Investigations 2 is available only in English through an outstanding fan translation. An otherwise Japanese-exclusive title, it's worthy of all the attention it can get, standing out as a sequel better than the original.
The game features improved puzzle mechanics, such as Logic Chess, and all its cases are, thank goodness, connected to the plot in a meaningful way. Relationships formed in the first game are furthered, deepened, and tested in some genuinely heart-wrenching ways, and the third-act plot twist is one of the most sublime in the entire series, if not the visual novel medium in general.
1 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials And Tribulations
The widely agreed-upon crown jewel of the Ace Attorney series, Trials and Tribulations, allows you to act as three different attorneys throughout the game, which jumps between time periods with breakneck frequency. If being able to play as Mia Fey wasn't enough to earn first place on this list, then Phoenix Wright's college backstory most certainly is.
The game wrapped up every loose thread in the original Phoenix Wright trilogy with style, while feeling effortless and heartfelt as it did so. The enigmatic new prosecutor Godot lends suave charm and intrigue to the overarching mystery and ties back to the prior titles seamlessly. It would have been the perfect conclusion to everything the series had been building towards if it had been the final game in the series.