Top 10 Best Ace Attorney Games
The Ace Attorney series has been a fan favorite for years, offering a unique mix of courtroom drama, clever puzzles, and unforgettable characters. Whether you're shouting Objection! for the first time or reliving the nail-biting moments of past trials, this franchise delivers a special kind of excitement. Each game takes you through intricate cases filled with twists, unexpected revelations, and plenty of humor, making it hard to pick a favorite.
The third main entry in the Ace Attorney series follows defense attorney Phoenix Wright and prosecutor Godot across several connected cases. It concludes the trilogy's overarching narrative while delving into the backstory of key characters. Played the first three and then Apollo Justice, and the third one is far and away the best in the series. Amazing storyline, the guy who drinks the coffee is hilarious, and it has a great ending that ties everything together.
This is the most memorable game in my opinion. The soundtrack is amazing, and the story really grips you. It's my personal favorite game of all time.
One of the very best games of all time. There isn't a bad case, and it will astound you!
The first entry in the Ace Attorney series introduces Phoenix Wright as a rookie defense attorney who resolves cases through courtroom trials and investigations. It sets up the series' signature blend of storytelling and puzzle-solving. Overrated, but not bad. I think the original Ace Attorney has a major weakness: a lack of good cases. The first case is iconic but a bit boring and way too short. Turnabout Sisters has the main problems of showing the killer and having an unsatisfying ending. Turnabout Samurai is quite awful, with unlikable characters, annoying investigation segments, and an obvious killer with an annoying testimony. Turnabout Goodbyes is the only great case, but even then, I don't think it compares well with other final cases. Rise from the Ashes is overstuffed and at times infuriating, but it has its moments. Otherwise, it's a decent game.
This Japan-exclusive sequel to Ace Attorney Investigations features prosecutor Miles Edgeworth solving interconnected cases with a focus on gameplay mechanics like logic and deduction. The game introduces new characters and refines investigation mechanics. People have given good reviews of the story and gameplay, so I'm going to talk about this game's soundtrack. Easily the best soundtrack in a game ever. Every single song is my favorite. Music is much more subjective than games, but if you don't like this soundtrack, then I pray for you. Best game I've ever played. Best music I've ever heard.
An incredible overarching storyline, enjoyable characters, and not a single bad case. What more could you ask out of Ace Attorney? I prefer the investigations gameplay loop most of the time anyway, but unlike Investigations 1, this has a great story and quality cases.
This game follows Phoenix Wright's return to law alongside his colleagues Athena Cykes and Apollo Justice. It introduces new mechanics like "Mood Matrix" to analyze emotions during testimonies. I love this one, but I really think it receives much more criticism than it deserves.
This is the best game in my opinion, although I also like Investigations 2. In my view, this is the best game in the Ace Attorney series.
Set partially in the kingdom of Khura'in, this installment explores a legal system influenced by mysticism and divine insights. It features a mix of returning and new characters, alongside the introduction of "Divination Séances" in trials. It has an amazing plot, beautiful graphics, and unforgettable characters. Episode five was probably one of the best cases in the Phoenix Wright series. I won't spoil it for anyone, but it had some heart-wrenching moments which were very well done. 10 out of 10!
It literally has everything I've loved about the first trilogy and Apollo plus a helping heap of original material between the setting, goofy names, the Insight system, and returning characters with new layers.
Spirit of Justice has the best music in the series, and its story feels amazing. It helps redefine Phoenix Wright's purpose and introduces real threats to losing. Additionally, Apollo Justice receives a lot of character development. However, I wish you could use the perceive ability during court and investigations like you did in Apollo Justice.
This fourth installment introduces Apollo Justice as a new defense attorney protagonist working under Phoenix Wright. The game incorporates new gameplay elements such as perceiving nervous habits during testimony. Everyone hates on this so much just because they disliked Hobo Phoenix! In my opinion, Hobonix and Apollo Justice have so much more personality than Trilogy Phoenix.
I don't really like this one, and not just because Phoenix isn't the main character. It's because the cases are uninteresting.
This spin-off focuses on prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, shifting the gameplay to crime scene investigations and logic-based deductions. The narrative emphasizes Edgeworth's approach to uncovering the truth outside the courtroom.
The second game in the series continues Phoenix Wright's legal career, introducing new gameplay features like the "Psyche-Lock" system for uncovering hidden truths. It features cases with escalating stakes and dramatic plot developments. In every game, the last case is the biggest and most impactful on the overall game and develops the characters the most. In this game, you can think of every case as one of those big cases. The three that I loved the most were Turnabout Big Top. Farewell, My Turnabout. And Reunion and Turnabout because each one has a character you can sympathize with. Acro, Pearly, and Adrian all dealt with horrible incidents.
Way too overly hated. This game alone affects almost all of the events in later games, introduces some pretty cool game mechanics, and has some of the best cases in the series.
This crossover combines puzzle-solving from the Professor Layton series with courtroom drama from Ace Attorney. The story places both protagonists in a medieval setting, blending their distinct gameplay styles. It is often criticized because it is a crossover with Professor Layton, which is a less popular series. I was already familiar with Professor Layton before Phoenix Wright, and this crossover introduced me to Phoenix Wright.