Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Review (NSW) – Logical and Long-Winded

During my time at The Outerhaven, I’ve made it clear that I’m a big fan of the Ace Attorney franchise. I’ve created lists of my favorite characters and reviewed many of the games, including the Apollo Justice Trilogy, which released earlier this year! So, when I found out that the two spinoff titles featuring Miles Edgeworth were being remastered—especially with the second game being officially localized for the first time—I knew I had to play them. As I’ll highlight in my Ace Attorney Investigations Collection review, these games are deserving of the franchise name, though they don’t quite reach the heights of the main series.

Game Name: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox One
Developer(s): Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Release Date: September 6th, 2024

Due to embargo restrictions, I’ll only be providing light spoilers. I may be vague on certain positives and negatives, so please bear with me.

If you’re unfamiliar with these titles, they focus on fan-favorite prosecutor (and master of the furrowed brow) Miles Edgeworth. These games are set after the original Ace Attorney trilogy, so you’ll encounter plenty of familiar faces—some welcome, others less so. Much like the main series, each title features multiple cases for you to investigate and solve. However, instead of courtroom battles, you’ll be piecing together clues at the crime scenes themselves.

Unlike the adventures of Phoenix and Apollo, you’ll be using Miles Edgeworth’s skills outside the courtroom to uncover the truth behind the various incidents you find yourself entangled in. Murder, kidnapping, smuggling, theft—it’s all on the docket, and Miles is ready to deploy his signature “logic” to break it all down and ensure justice prevails. What’s important here is that this is the Miles Edgeworth who has evolved; he’s no longer just seeking a guilty verdict. He’s dedicated to examining all the evidence, dissecting testimony, and relying on trusted allies to reveal the truth. As a result, Miles truly shines in these games, arguably pushing his character development further than other entries in the series.

One element that absolutely deserves praise is the game’s art style. I played the original Miles Edgeworth title on the DS, though I missed the sequel due to its lack of localization. The upgrades to these DS titles, however, far exceeded my expectations. I wouldn’t even call the character models sprites—they’re more like beautifully hand-drawn cut-outs from an animation. Combined with the crisp backgrounds and dramatic shots, it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to return to the pixel versions. I certainly didn’t! This remaster sets a new standard for how games of this type should look in 2D form.

For those familiar with Ace Attorney, you’ll feel right at home with the many recurring characters and situations that Miles, Gumshoe, and new BFF Kay Faraday (the “Great Thief” of the bunch) encounter. The trademark name puns, quirky animations, and surprising plot twists are all here. So, while the gameplay may differ from the mainline series, it still captures the essence of an Ace Attorney game.

Alright, let’s dive into the gameplay! As mentioned earlier, things play out differently in Ace Attorney Investigations, as the usual division between “investigation sections” and “courtroom sections” is gone. Instead, everything happens in real-time, meaning you can encounter testimonies at almost any moment, depending on who you’re interacting with. It’s the same familiar “trial and error” system that Ace Attorney fans know (and sometimes love to hate), but at least it remains consistent.

The first game introduces the “Logic” system, which has Miles gathering clues like puzzle pieces and connecting them to gain new insights into the case. Prosecutor’s Gambit adds another layer with “Mind Chess,” a mental showdown where Miles must outwit his opponents to extract critical information. Kay also contributes with her “Little Thief” tool, which offers new perspectives on crime scenes. While these mechanics aren’t flawless (and I’ll discuss their shortcomings later), they help set this spinoff apart from the main series and ensure that Miles doesn’t feel like just “Phoenix Wright on the field.”

And of course, much like the rest of the series, the music is outstanding. Some tracks are so catchy they’ll stay with you for days, including one from the second game that I could hum endlessly without getting tired of it. The series excels at giving each character a distinct musical identity and knowing when to ramp up the intensity, hit a sweet emotional note, or linger in moments of sadness or tension.

Sadly, we’ve reached the part of my Ace Attorney Investigations Collection review where I must raise an “OBJECTION!” to some of what I experienced. One of the biggest flaws in these games is the pacing and flow. In most Ace Attorney titles, the battles are balanced between investigation sections and courtroom showdowns. Here, however, events can pile up one after another, making certain points feel exhausting to get through.

For instance, in one case, I had to complete a lengthy Mind Chess session with a character reluctant to give information. Right after that, I was thrust into a testimony section that dragged on just as long! It felt like the game was stretching itself unnecessarily rather than focusing on telling a compelling story. Both the “Logic” and “Mind Chess” systems, while interesting at first, became chores over time. The Logic system often goes unused for entire sections until it’s suddenly needed, while the Mind Chess segments got progressively longer and more tedious. And due to the game’s reliance on the “trial and error” mechanic, it’s easy to lose progress just by choosing the wrong option at the wrong moment.

Another issue lies in the storytelling and some of the characters. Both games suffer from trying to “go big” with certain cases when more restrained endings would have been perfectly satisfying. Some cases felt unnecessarily drawn out, while others were too short, creating an uneven pacing that really stood out based on how the cases were ordered.

Character-wise, while there are standouts like Miles, Gumshoe, Kay, Franziska, Lang, and some surprise appearances, others were less memorable or downright frustrating. I wasn’t fond of how both titles kept “recycling old friends” instead of expanding Miles’ world with more characters like Kay and Lang. On that note, I wish Kay and Lang had received more development instead of the choices the game made with certain other characters. The worst offender was a particular “Winner” who was so irritating that I cringed every time he appeared on screen. These character frustrations often spilled over into the cases themselves, muddying the overall narrative and undermining what could have been stronger storylines.

Speaking of cases, while some were fun with great twists—such as the flashback case featuring Miles’ father—others were rather forgettable and didn’t stack up against the greats from the main titles. Additionally, although the art is generally impressive, there were moments where it felt a bit “stuttery,” and some character close-ups lacked the detail seen in others.

As I draw up my closing arguments on this Ace Attorney Investigations Collection review, I find myself reflecting on how much I truly enjoyed these two titles. Out of the four Ace Attorney collections I’ve played on Switch, this is likely my least favorite, but that comes with context. The key factor is that Capcom was trying something different with the series 15 years ago, leading to experimentation that didn’t always hit the mark.

That said, it’s hard to deny that some aspects did work, and for fans of Miles Edgeworth, these two titles are a must-play simply because of his presence. And that, ladies and gentlemen of the court, is something… you can’t object to.

Review Disclosure Statement: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection was provided to us by Capcom for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy for more info.