Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice Reviews

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

There’s enough snappy dialogue and silliness in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice to satisfy long-term series fans, and the conventional courtroom sequences still feel rewarding when you get on a roll and a witness starts to unravel. But the heavy-handed mysticism of its bloated middle act and the general lack of innovation makes for a less than essential entry in the Phoenix Wright saga on the whole.

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Oct 4, 2016

I hope the next Ace Attorney game has more structure in its overarching narrative and the developers actually have the cases flow naturally from one to the next. Even with its flaws, Spirit of Justice is good fun, through, and another quality example of a narrative from the ever-growing stable of visual novels we are now getting translated into English.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
7 / 10
Nov 14, 2016

Gorgeous, but let down by a lack of confidence

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Sep 8, 2016

Fans know exactly what they're getting from Phoenix Wright, and Spirit of Justice doesn't disappoint.

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Sep 21, 2016

Spirit of Justice is yet another enjoyable entry in a cherished franchise, which doubles-down on the delightfully zany aspects of the series to great effect. The back-and-forth courtroom disputes suffer from a weak presence on the opposing bench and several decade-old mechanical flaws, but none of its sins are egregious enough to quash the divine character work and enchanting anime style.An imperfect, but nonetheless victorious, return for Capcom's distinguished defence attorney.

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Sep 8, 2016

Hardcore fans of the series will still enjoy it despite its flaws. Newcomers may want to check out the original Phoenix Wright trilogy on DS, where the series is at its strongest.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

While I would never object to more Ace Attorney, there’s evidence enough to suggest that changes to the mechanics are in order.

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Krista Noren
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2016

While the overall writing and story is a little weak here, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is still a fun game, featuring characters you all know and love. Sadly, it's starting to prove that living up to the quality of the first three games is a hard feat to pull off.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice has some bumps along the road, but there's a twisting and thrilling story worth the occasional struggle.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 9, 2016

Spirit of Justice's confident story outweighs its clumsy moments

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7.6 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

I never thought I would enjoy being a lawyer, but Spirit of Justice definitely has me imagining that strange fantasy.

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Oct 5, 2016

Obwohl ich mich nicht als Ace-Attorney-Experte bezeichnen würde, kann ich der Reihe schon einige positive Seiten abgewinnen. Bislang habe ich als großer Fan der Professor-Layton-Serie lediglich das Crossover von Capcom und Level 5 aus dem Jahr 2014 gespielt und dieses auch sehr genossen. Allerdings sollte sich jeder angehende Star-Anwalt auch über die Eigentümlichkeiten bewusst sein, die zur DNA eines jeden Phoenix Wright zwingend dazugehören. Die Inszenierung der Gerichtsprozesse kommt in ihrer Anmutung schon sehr japanisch daher. Der Schlagabtausch zwischen Richter, Staatsanwalt und Verteidigung erinnert in seiner Hektik an die Aufgeregtheit eines Duracell-Hasen. Unentwegt schmettern die Protagonisten "Einspruch, Euer Ehren!". Und wenn mal eine der handelnden Personen in die Defensive gerät, fließen die Schweißperlen in einer völlig überzeichneten Ästhetik an der Stirn herab. Auch die Texte, obwohl mit viel Witz und Liebe zum Detail ins Englische übersetzt, arten zum Teil in nicht enden wollende Klickwüsten aus. Auch der klackernde Sound der Buchstaben kann nach einiger Zeit schon ein bisschen nerven. Dafür kann man die Serie nur lieben oder hassen. Einen Mittelweg gibt es wahrscheinlich nicht. Von daher können alle Fans der Serie bedenkenlos zugreifen, während Skeptiker auch diesmal einen großen Bogen darum machen.

Review in German | Read full review

Sep 18, 2016

From prisoner prosecutors to astronaut defendants, the Ace Attorney series has built a reputation on turning legal proceedings into over-the-top battles for the truth. You’d think after five games, three spinoffs (two of which we’re unlikely to see in the West) and one crossover, every possible plotline would be played out, but the writers behind Ace Attorney just keep coming up with new scenarios, new gimmicks and new memorable characters. In fact, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice proves the franchise still has a lot of life in it yet, and ranks among its best entries.

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Simon Brown
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 22, 2016

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice does everything you’d expect from a sequel, and whilst some issues from the past linger you’ll be too engrossed to be bothered. A great instalment for series fans and newcomers alike.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

It’s ostensibly that game but with a new, better story, a new gimmicky mechanic, and some fan service to boot. The game is finally starting to show its age fifteen years and ten games later, but the fact that it has taken this long is nothing short of a miracle. And make no mistake: a solid Phoenix Wright game with a strong story is still a game that demands one’s attention.

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4 / 5
Sep 8, 2016

The game starts out slowly, and there's a lot to read, and not all of it is interesting, but it keeps what makes the series’ what it is, from great characters and music, a story that starts out weird and just goes crazier from there, and a unique gameplay system of using clues to uncover contradictions and ultimately the truth. As the 6th main entry it doesn't add a lot to the series, and some of what it does add isn't always a success, but if you're a fan of the series then this is an overall great entry, especially its final case, which is also its longest and most bonker, and a must play.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

All in all, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice is a solid addition to the  franchise. At times, it feels like it's more of the same and just spinning its wheels, but even at that point, it's charming and fun to play. The cases are strong, the characters are funny, and the visuals are delightful. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or drastically change up the series, but it doesn't need to. The title provides enough satisfying payoff for long-term subplots that it carries itself through the weaker moments. Fans should have a lot of fun, but newcomers may want to play Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and Dual Destinies first.

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8 / 10
Oct 17, 2016

Capcom has the Ace Attorney foundations firmly mastered at this point, meaning fans know what to expect from a new entry in the series.

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GamingBolt
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 9, 2016

Spirit of Justice is recommended to just about everybody.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice has some flaws in its testimony, but it’s ultimately a winning entry in the prolific series, and a welcome return to form. No objections here.

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