Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Justice For All
Episode Four: Farewell, My Turnabout
"Finally, the case that makes purchasing the game worthwhile. Should I remove a sin for finally reaching this point, or add one for it taking so long?" *does nothing in the end
(The opening) "And with that asshole entrance of claiming the prize right as the spotlight centers on the Jammin' Ninja before jumping in front of everyone to obscure their faces, Matt Engarde's true character and personality are established long before we meet the actual guy." *removes a sin
"Even the announcer is a dick to the Jammin' Ninja." *ding
"Well, the Gatewater Hotel has gotten a lot fancier since the first game. How did they get so much renovation done in eighteen months?" *ding
"Also, wasn't it just a little over a year ago that the Steel Samurai was at the height of popularity? How has he already passed the baton on to the next generation? And if they are, what happened to the Pink Princess? Will Powers later says Jammin' Ninja lost to the Pink Princess last year, but that Grand Prix would have been held only a few months after Turnabout Samurai, meaning Pink Princess was just getting started. How did 'she' rise to fame so quickly? Is 'she' already off the air after a year? This superhero franchise is harder to keep track of than the MCU." *ding
"Pearl and Maya are jerks to Phoenix for liking a kids show. Good thing they never found out about Edgeworth's secret hobby." *ding
"The return of Wendy Oldbag." *five sins
"Also, Oldbag says Powers didn't get nominated last year, but last year, Pink Princess won the Grand Prix, so not only was Powers nominated, he won the goddamn thing. The only people who wouldn't know this are the people who didn't play the first game before coming here, so what's Oldbag's excuse?" *ding
"Also... I hate to linger on what is easily the worst aspect of a great case, but who gave Oldbag an astronaut costume? And why?" *ding
"What did Phoenix do at lawyer camp? That never gets explained." *ding
(Pearl says Phoenix would walk over hot coals for Maya) "Well, burning bridge. Close enough, right?" *ding
(De Killer appears to "inform Maya of a phone call" with his sinister theme song playing) "Foreshadowing via song. Not a common use of foreshadowing in this series, but a variant nonetheless." *can't bring myself to sin it
"Does Gumshoe really not remember who Lotta is? They've met three times now, the first time on an extremely memorable case." *ding
"Does Pearl really not remember who Lotta is? The first time they met was on an extremely memorable case for Pearl that saw her mom taken away. I don't think Pearl would have forgotten that case so easily." *ding
"Gumshoe spends all that time keeping Lotta away from the crime scene... then abandons Lotta to the crime scene so he can talk with Phoenix and Pearl for several minutes. Seems logical." *ding
(Phoenix gets the transceiver from Powers) "Let's just talk bout Engarde's (De Killer's?) kidnapping plot for a second: the plan for De Killer to abduct Maya dressed like a bellboy is all fine and dandy, but how did he know Phoenix and Maya would be here? Powers is the one who invited them. Did Engarde suggest inviting the two of them to Powers? Did he overhear Powers's intention to invite his former lawyer and assistant? Was it coincidence? Either way, it's not explained, so it's a sin." *ding
(The first ransom call) "What is the banging that causes the scene to pixelate? It's great for dramatic effect, but it makes no logical sense." *ding
"Getting down to the nitty gritty of the kidnapping requires the screen to lose color." *ding
"Also, I know I've been ragging on the music in this game, but the Suspense/Pursuit theme they play in this scene is awesome. The perfect combination heart-racing and hopeless." *removes a sin
"Why can Maya only scream on cue? Is De Killer removing her gag at certain times for dramatic effect? How does this work, exactly?" *ding
"Phoenix is told to not talk to any cops, so naturally, his first instinct is to tell Gumshoe everything. I understand he's pretty stressed right now, but really?" *ding
(Gumshoe insists this kidnapping means Engarde is guilty) "Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Gumshoe is 100% correct about a case for once? We're not even a half hour into this case, and he's already called it. One point for Scruffy Detective." *removes a sin due to the rarity of the occassion
(Scene from Maya's POV) "I love briefly playing as Maya as much as anyone, but the ransom call was already suspenseful enough the first time. Did we need to see it again?" *I'm not sinning, just asking
"Let's get my biggest problem with this case out of the way early: Why does Engarde (Or De Killer, if this was his plan) feel the need to have Phoenix as his lawyer so strongly that he holds Maya for ransom? First of all, the game was already trending towards us taking Engarde as a client without Maya's kidnapping, and Engarde convinces Phoenix he's innocent easily enough regardless. If Ron Delite in the next game is able to fool Phoenix about being a criminal (despite admitting to his actual crime from the beginning, and Phoenix really only pressing on out of his lawyerly faith), Engarde would have been able to as well.
"Second of all, even if he didn't get Phoenix, why does he want Phoenix so badly in the first place? We know from the first game that people like Hammond exist in this world, who don't care about the truth of a case when they seek out a verdict. Heck, AJ even gives us Kristoph Gavin, a defense attorney every bit as amoral as Manfred Von Karma, and good at it to boot. It's implied that he's also practicing at this time, so why couldn't he have been Engarde's lawyer? He would have loved the exposure the case would bring him. Why go for the one defense attorney with strong morals when Engarde could have someone with equal or better skill who couldn't give two shits that he's actually guity? Why does he want the one attorney around right now (that we know of) who cares about that stuff? This plot could have been a lot more awesome if it wasn't so easily avoided." *ding
"Pearl says Maya is all she has left in this world... until the next game, when it's revealed she's had a half-sister living at Hazukara all this time that no one knew about. I swear, this family tree gets bigger with every game." *ding
(Engarde mistakes Phoenix for various salespeople) "Engarde acts like an idiot for no discernable benefit." *ding
"Also, Matt Engarde." *only one sin for pre-reveal
"Wrist phones. I guess they're this universe's version of smartwatches?" *ding
"Why does Engarde act surprised to hear the name De Killer? Are you telling me he didn't recognize Phoenix as the lawyer he wanted to represent him until this very moment?" *ding
(The Magatama test) "Wonderful twist setup. The devil is truly in the details, isn't it?" *removes a sin
"Oldbag simultaneously thinks she's in Turnabout Samurai again while not remembering any of the events of that episode. How is that possible? And does that mean we can accuse her of being the killer again? No? ...Dammit." *ding
"Also, game tasks us with finding the true killer in a case where the witnesses are seventy-five percent recurring characters from the previous game. I understand the true twists of the case lie elsewhere, but this makes the player suspect Andrews without even thinking about it, lowering the possible suspect list from five to two (four to one if you want to discount Engarde for the time being) for the entire case. And I thought the later games had a problem with recurring characters." *ding
(Lotta got her camera's price reduced from $1,600 to $700 after five hours of haggling/camera scratching) "Lotta's haggling game is on point. Go Lotta!" *not really a sin
(In Corrida's room) "This guy's bear fetish." *ding
(Meeting Adrian Andrews) "Why is Andrews the only one who ever comments on Phoenix bringing an eight year old to murder scenes and trials (Engarde comments on her coming to the detention center specifically, but that's it)? I mean, good on her for noticing, but sin on everyone else." *ding
"The requirement for being a character in this case was that you had to have Psyche-Locks on your secrets at any given time. Calling the theory now." *ding
(The various Samurais) "Did someone whip out a periodic table while naming these characters? Is Steel Samurai the love child between Iron Samurai and the Carbon Magistrate? I swear, the only characters with worse names than our universe's superheroes are fictional universe's superheroes. And that isn't even getting into the other superheroes who were at this competition in the opening." *ding
(The Nickel Samurai's villain is the evil Strawberry Clan) "Just... apply my earlier sin to villains, would you? This is almost as stupid as the Underminer." *ding
"They play the Steel Samurai theme for the Jammin' Ninja. Considering this guy's music obsession, you would think he'd get a track or two of his own, and apparently, you'd be wrong." *ding
(The Suspense music plays for Franziska) "Franziska uses her whip more times in her first minute onscreen in the finale than she did in the entire previous case. I guess she knew ahead of time she wouldn't end up prosecuting this one and had to get a few licks in before being shot?" *sin on me for joking about that
"Also, Franziska swears on her family's honor that this case will be won by the prosecution, and while she is right... isn't her family's honor more than a little tarnished at this point, with everything her father did and her recent losses? I don't think this means as much as she thinks it does." *ding
(Franziska gives Phoenix the autograph from Corrida to (apparently) Oldbag) "Why does Franziska help us on this front? That's never explained." *ding
(Oldbag's four locks break with one piece of evidence) "Best. Psychelock segment. Ever." *no sin
"Oldbag also calls this case almost completely correctly (with a few mixed up details) for the only time in this series. I hate to say it, but go annoying grandma." *still no sin
(At Criminal Affairs) "That creepy looking Blue Badger in the background, three years before Rise from the Ashes was a case. Are we sure that isn't the Proto Badger?" *ding
(Celeste's suicide is mentioned for the first time) "Incident from x years ago is related to today cliche for the third time in as many episodes. And just like last game, this warrants a total of three sins. Get another cliche to abuse, would you?" *three sins awarded
"If Franziska is so tired of Gumshoe helping the defense, is there a reason she can't get another detective on the case? Aside from Economy Casting, I mean? I mean, yeah, she gets him fired later, but why not put someone else on the investigating team to replace him? Detective Badd isn't in prison yet. (He also doesn't exist yet, but you get my point.)" *ding
(Edgeworth appears) "How did Edgeworth sneak into Criminal Affairs without being noticed? Everyone in this room (save Gumshoe) thinks he killed himself, and he's not exactly inconspicuous in appearance." *ding
"Also, (exaggerated gasp) you mean one of the four characters on this game's cover art is actually in the game? What a groundbreaking plot twist!" *ding
"All that said... it's still Miles Edgeworth." *removes five sins
"The Great Revival plays for the first time in this entire series." *removes another sin
"Franziska encounters her brother, who's apparently back from the dead, and her first instinct is to lecture him for soiled reputations. Some sister she is." *ding
"Edgeworth sees his sister again for the first time in about a year after convincing her he died, and his first instinct is to mock her for losing cases. Some relationship these two have. Not to mention, she wouldn't have even lost the second time if Edgeworth hadn't intervened, but I digress." *ding
"Franziska says she'll never hand this case over to Edgeworth, despite the fact that... I get the sense Franziska is one of the least genre savvy characters in the series. Sure, I'm used to the self-awareness of later games, but even so. Does she have no sense of plot?
"Contrast that with Miles Edgeworth in this case, who spends this entire scene foreshadowing later portions of the case. He is far more accepting of his role in a greater narrative than Franziska. I guess he got to have a long chat with the scriptwriter on his year off?" *ding
"Phoenix knows he's on a tight schedule to investigate the case and only gets one day from De Killer to prove Engarde innocent, but decides now is the time to have a long philosophical chat about personal motivations regardless. Now I know these thematic elements are important to the plot later, but there's no way Phoenix did. Unless he too got to have a long chat with the scriptwriter, that is." *ding
"Game forces you to go to locations you can do nothing at in order to drive the game forward. You also receive part of a report from Edgeworth, but have to present the report he just gave you to him in order to get the second piece. Why does the game do that?" *ding
"Also, Edgeworth just casually outs Andrews for having codependency issues like it's no big deal. Fuck people's right to privacy." *ding
"Also also... they have this conversation in front of an eight year old the day after she watched her cousin get kidnapped. Edgeworth and Phoenix are a dicks to Pearl. Eight years old is too young to learn about suicide, goddammit!" *ding
(Franziska reveals planting the beacon on Gumshoe) "That... doesn't sound legal." *ding
(Breaking Andrews's Psyche Locks) "Eleven years before Athena Cykes is a character in this series, and we already have a lawyer performing therapy sessions on witnesses to get them to reveal information." *ding
(Getting through a locked door as Maya) "Cliffhangers." *too tense to remove a sin
"De Killer's idea of a 'present' is to shoot the prosecutor in charge of the case. I guess he knew how many fangirls Edgeworth had and wanted to make sure that guy got the finale?" *ding
"Also, Franziska receives the Von Karma badge of dishonor after being somewhat humiliated by a persistent defense attorney, in the form of a gunshot wound to the shoulder. I imagine it will cause her the same amount of problems in her day to day life as it did her father. That is to say, absolutely none." *ding
"Miles Edgeworth on the prosecutor's bench." *removes a sin
(Edgeworth claims to understand why Gumshoe was fired and threatens his pension) "Edgeworth threatens to pull a McCabe on Gumshoe. Not cool, man." *ding
"Also, Gumshoe's been fired as the detective for this case, but he still testifies in court on behalf of the police department... why again?" *ding
(Edgeworth offers Phoenix one last chance to present evidence) "Why is Edgeworth helping us? He's right on the money in this case, and he doesn't yet know about Maya's situation, so what gives?" *ding
"Game whips out the 100% penalty a mere twenty three minutes into the first trial. They are not fucking around in this finale, are they?" *not really a sin
"Phoenix spends any time at all thinking about whether or not he will bluff about something." *ding
"Edgeworth strikes Phoenix down in twenty seconds flat, but still stalls for time for no apparent reason. I understand this game has to be winnable, but I would prefer winning on my merit as a player, not solely because the plot demands it." *ding
"Also, it means Edgeworth is willingly submitting both us and himself to the torture of Wendy Oldbag. Not cool, man." *ding
"Edgeworth can't get witnesses to say their witnesses to say their name cliche." *ding
"Also, the Wicked Witch of the Witness Stand. That's it, I'm using that nickname from here on out. Thanks, Edgeworth." *ding
"Oldbag calls His Honor 'gramps', but aren't they at least the same age? She might even be older than him, but I don't actually know, because the game doesn't provide ages for either character." *ding
"Oldbag confesses to having sabotaged hotel property for the sake of harming Engarde. Naturally, these actions lead to no consequences whatsoever." *ding
("Oh, what I wouldn't give to have Franziska's whip right about now...") "You and me both, pal. Am I the only one who thinks it would have been hilarious to see this scenario play out with Franziska on the bench? She's opposed to whipping children, but if her treatment of the judge is any indication, that courtesy does not extend to old people. Oldbag would be furious." *ding
(Oldbag's rant on clothing is... actually pretty funny) "Remove a sin? For Oldbag? Of course I wouldn't do such a thing." *a sin magically disappears from the sin count without my knowledge
"Oldbag's singing." *ding
"Phoenix wants to burn Oldbag in a fire? I hate her too, but surely there's a more efficient way to get rid of her. She'd scream the whole time if he did this." *ding
"Oldbag was hanging around Corrida's room for the sole purpose of attempting to jump Andrews. Much as I'd pay to see that-" *ding
"Oldbag also confesses to thievery on the witness stand. These actions bear no consequences whatsoever." *ding
(Edgeworth helps Phoenix in continuing the day's trial) "Just... see my sins from above, will you? He doesn't even learn about Maya's situation until later this trial day, so that excuse is out the window. What reason does he have for doing this besides plot?" *ding
(Andrews on the stand) "Edgeworth gives Phoenix a lesson in English grammar. I did notice fewer typos when he returned as a character..." *ding
"Andrew's pants do not match her shirt. You'd think a woman as careful as her would be sure to wear clothes that go together, and apparently, you'd be wrong. And yes, I really am sinning a character on their fashion sense." *ding
(Andrews's glasses break when she takes damage) "How do glass shards not get in her eyes? Does she have infinite spare pairs of glasses on hand? First of all, that's crazy expensive. Second of all, what the fuck?" *ding
(Phoenix proves Andrews framed Engarde, and she pleads the fifth) "Does Japan have an equivalent to the Fifth Amendment? If not, how did this scene go down in the Japanese version? And how does Phoenix have no idea the amendment exists? He's a lawyer and an American citizen. He should know these things." *ding
(Edgeworth reveals Andrews's mental health struggles to the court to force her hand) "I understand why Edgeworth does this, but seeing as he's the one questioning Phoenix's morality in how he blindly pursues his goals and demonizes the other side, it feels a little hypocritical for him to resort to blackmail for the same reason. Edgeworth just came back from faking an apparent suicide. He of all people should be more sensitive to those who might 'choose death'. But similar to what I said in the Turnabout Trump review, I can't think of another way for Edgeworth to accomplish what he does and, well, he is right about the case for once. I truly think that the way the game presents the scenario that it was a necessary evil. Still an asshole move, but in a case riddled with moral quandaries, I only give it one sin." *ding
(The trial gets a second day, giving the gavel a new sound effect and lots of fades between black screen) "Phoenix's new sprite is so perfectly hopeless looking that it really gets to you the first time you play the case. Even on subsequent playthroughs, to an extent." *removes a sin
"How is Edgeworth just noticing the calling card? Andrews has been on the stand for over forty minutes our time, which is probably two or three hours in their world. Even after his revival, Edgeworth remains to be unobservant as fuck." *ding
(Back in the office with Pearl) "So was Pearl channeling Mia for almost eight hours? When Maya couldn't even do it for one in the first game? Wow..." *not a sin
(Gumshoe volunteers to work for Phoenix after he gets fired) "Dick Gumshoe: Ace Attorney is not a game that exists." *ding
(The return of "Hotti") "But speaking of things that exist... There's still this guy." *three sins
(Franziska is standing and walking around normally about eight-nine hours after being shot) "...How?! Did she inherit her father's bullet-related genetics? This didn't make sense in the first game, and it still doesn't make sense in this one." *ding
("The end justifies the means, Mr. Phoenix Wright. The end justifies the means.") "Not this shit agai- wait. Dual Destinies came out eleven years after this game, didn't it?" *ding
(We get back to Maya) "Maya says she's never used a computer before... in March 2018." *ding
"Who uses VCR in this day and age? Are we sure this isn't 1998?" *ding
(Oldbag references Lord of the Rings) *ding
"Phoenix can identify Oldbag's perfume by name. Why can he do that?" *ding
(We meet Shoe) "Dammit. They had to make the cat adorable, too." *removes a sin
"Hey, did we ever actually feed Shoe? I need closure for Shoe, goddammit!" *ding
"Does Phoenix really not recognize De Killer as the bellboy from earlier? Could we really have averted the second half of this case if Phoenix were better with faces? Faces that have a zipper like scar down the middle? (sigh)" *two sins
"Phoenix is not at all suspicious that De Killer introduces himself as John Doe. I know Edgeworth has the same problem in AAI2, but that doesn't make this any less sinworthy." *ding
"Also, can he not hear the theme music?" *last sin about this moment, I promise
(Wait, I lied) "Also, 'butler did it' cliche. De Killer is really just disguised as a butler, but the core of the cliche remains." *okay. That's the last one
(Phoenix uses zoinks in reference to Oldbag) "Scooby Doo references." *ding
"The clock says it's already eight pm, but the outside of the office is still a light blue. They couldn't have shown it getting darker for one scene?" *ding
"Same goes for Corrida's room. It looks like midday through the windows there." *ding
"Gumshoe had the ability to construct fully functioning bug sweepers in elementary school, but still spends his days bumbling as a low wage detective. I think he missed his calling." *ding
"Why would Engarde buy the rarest, most expensive bear possible to hide his camera in? He has no reason to do so, and the whole business of filming De Killer is ultimately what does him in. Culprit foils his own plot for one of the weirdest and most ridiculous of reasons." *ding
(Edgeworth carries the giant bear out of the hotel room by himself) "Game does not give us a picture of this." *ding
"This idea of the Magatama being caught on a technicality is a great plot point. So naturally, none of the other games ever touch on it. They're willing to copy every other aspect of this case, but not this part? I don't know which game I'm sinning here, but it's a sin nonetheless." *ding
"Hey, Will Powers is back! Not gonna lie, I kinda forgot he was in this case." *ding
(Engarde's five Psyche Locks) "They don't even try to line up the locks with the chains here. For such a serious part of the game, you'd think the visual people would have put in a little more effort, you know? This looks like something out of the first three cases right here." *ding
"Are people allowed to order pizza in prison? I know AAI2 hasn't been written yet, but I thought food wasn't allowed in the detention center." *ding 90
"Pearl has never eaten pizza?! What sort of nonsense is that?" *ding
(Cracking Engarde's Psyche Locks) "Engarde spends almost four thousand dollars on toothbrushes?! What a waste!" *ding
"Also, Engarde supports the ivory market. Elephant hater." *ding
(Engarde's transformation) "How did this asshole get a glass of brandy in prison? And are you telling me not one member of the public has ever seen his telltale evil scars? What even are those claw marks anyway? Did he also fight a bear? A lion? A tiger? Shoe?!" *despite my best efforts to crack jokes about this, this scene made me shit myself the first time I experienced it. So... only five sins for this asshole
"When did Engarde grow vampire fangs? I'm pretty sure he didn't have those earlier." *ding
"Was Edgeworth eavesdropping the whole time?" *ding
(Phoenix has a crisis of conscience) "This case is great at getting Phoenix to question his methods and learn to not trust in his clients and point of view blindly. So naturally, he completely reverts back to his old self in later games (save AJ, which had its own ideas for Phoenix) as though this case never happened. I gotta say, I would like this case more than I do if it actually had a lasting impact on the series." *ding
"The name label on the text box lists de Killer's name with a lowercase 'd', but the textbox itself gives his name the uppercase 'D'. So... which way is right? Until this game tells me, I will assume the two are interchangeable." *ding
"Why would De Killer be stupid enough to hide his hostage in his own client's mansion? I thought he was supposed to be competent. Maybe he's just a better assassin than he is kidnapper? This is never explained." *ding
"Phoenix and Edgeworth break the door down, but when they enter the next room, it's already back on its hinges. Why did they waste time putting the door back on?" *ding
(Maya writes that "If you get that creepy slimebag a not guilty, I'll never forgive you, ever!") "'Unless he also dated my sister way back when and killed my mother in an elaborate scheme to 'protect' me. Then he deserves to get away with it.' Not a sin on this game (I actually liked this part from Maya), but a sin nonetheless." *ding
"Phoenix's nightmare reused from the first case. But this time, it actually means shit. Why didn't they save it for this case, then?" *ding
"Why did they let Engarde bring his brandy to court? Is he gonna make like Bucky and be drunk for his own- wait, Spirit of Justice came after this game by fourteen years, didn't it?" *ding
(Powers says "Every time you do your lawyer thing, the witness suddenly turns into the bad guy" on the stand) "Powers knows what's up. Even though he was our past client, and the only person who can get past 'clients' as culprits is Edgeworth, he's right to be concerned." *no sin
"The 'press one statement and then another to get ahead' is a great trick to use in cross examinations. So naturally- wait, this was used outside of the first game? How did I forget about this?" *sin on me
"Phoenix admits to not getting paid for most his work, so how does he afford rent, food,or anything of that nature?" *ding
"Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Powers never once tried to lie in his testimony? Why can't more witnesses be like him?" *no sin, just praise
("But there really, really is!" "There really, really isn't!") "(Singing) I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want. So tell me what you want, what you really, really- I'm sorry." *ding
("So? A baseball has stitches! Are you saying all baseballs are suspicious because they have stitches!?" and "So? A football has leather. Are you saying all footballs are suspicious because they're made of leather!?") "Phoenix's sports metaphors." *ding
"Overuse of the Investigation: Core theme. In the middle of court, no less." *ding
(Phoenix says the one who accepted the bear may have been Andrews) "I know Phoenix is just stalling for time here, but why does his point stand for more than five seconds? The timeline itself proves he's wrong. De Killer gave the bear to Engarde directly after the murder. Andrews didn't don the Nickel Samurai costume until she found the body and chose to frame Engarde, which was after De Killer left. Edgeworth can discount the possibility right now. He just chooses not to even before agreeing to play along with Phoenix and Gumshoe. For some reason." *ding
"His Honor tells the gallery that hecklers will be forced to leave, but in Spirit of Justice, they get away with anything and everything. Why did the rules change from 2018 to 2028 in this series?" *ding
"Wait, so Maya called Mia's spirit away from Pearl? Who's the more powerful medium here, again? This piece pf plebotinum never fails to confuse me." *ding
"Also, the Berry Big Circus is still in town? After three months? Don't most circuses travel throughout the year?" *ding
(Andrews opens the bear figurine) "So where was Corrida hiding Inpax's note before he got the bear? Why would he hide it in a place he knew Andrews could get into? Didn't he know she wanted to burn it? This is never explained." *ding
"Game has the judge read the suicide note, but we never actually learn what it said. Phoenix just summarizes the note for us. All this for a brief summary of shit we already knew?!" *ding
"Co-counsel is vague to put pressure on the player cliche. Why does Mia pull this shit at a time like this? Now is not the time to teach Phoenix a lesson. Now is the time to keep the trial running until Maya is found. Unless Mia is also wasting time, and her vagueness is her pulling a bluff game comparable to any of Phoenix's stunts. That would make a lot of sense, actua- I just talked myself out of a sin, didn't I? Dammit." *no sin
(The gallery is all chanting guilty) "Well I think I know which game Yamakazi played when coming up with Spirit of Justice. Even Takumi with DGS, to an extent in the Jury System." *ding
"Phoenix throws his phone across the courtroom to Edgeworth. Because you know, walking or running over there to hand it to him is so much work." *ding
"Game does the dramatic 'pan between characters to find out who interjected' even when the clip is voiced and we know exactly who did the interjecting. So why does the game still go through this? I don't think this is the only game I've complained about this in. They need to stop doing that." *ding
"Gumshoe talks on the phone and runs red lights in an effort to get stolen evidence to court on time. I understand these are special circumstances, but don't try this at home, kids. Is it any wonder he gets into a crash?" *sin on me for joking about this
(Shelley de Killer on the stand via walkie talkie, and Phoenix says "The defense has no objections to this person!") "Well, that's a first." *ding
"De Killer is a troll on the witness stand. It'd be funny in lighter circumstances, but in this case, it's downright sinworthy." *ding
(De Killer's second testimony session) "In the end, the move that does Engarde in after all his well laid plans and Phoenix's efforts and saves Andrews's life... is the fact that De Killer never bothered to learn the true gender of Adrian Andrews. If she didn't have a gender neutral name (or any of the characters in the courtroom happened to mention it before De Killer slipped up), she would have been fucked." *ding
"How does the speaker on the walkie talkie change sizes and rock from side to side when De Killer talks? Even sweating oil when the witness gets nervous? In what factory can I buy semi-animate devices like this? Is this the same place that built the toys in Toy Story? Because I am down for that crossover." *ding
"Why does the judge think Phoenix wants him dead? If anything, Phoenix should like him for presiding over all his cases and allowing all this crazy bullshit to happen. You think Judge Courtney would have been down for even half of this?" *ding
(De Killer offers to let Phoenix become his successor) "Phoenix Wright: Ace Assassin did not make it into the final version of the game." *ding
"Why does Phoenix refer to himself as a doctor? He went to law school, not medical school." *ding
"I know Phoenix doesn't want to let Engarde go free, but if he really cares about finding the truth and not letting Adrian take the blame as an innocent, what's stopping him from taking her case after this trial is over? As we see in the next game, he has no problem proving someone innocent of a crime he just blamed them for (and vice versa), so really, it's possible for everyone to go free. No, this doesn't solve the moral dilemma, but it is a third option that no one seems to realize exists." *ding
(The trial is about to end for the fifth time today when-) "Oh yeah. Go Franziska! This will probably be the only time I ever remove a sin for Franziska whipping someone, and because the occasion is so rare-" *I choose to remove two sins
(Mia tells Phoenix what the final present is) "Mia ex machina. Less so than, say, Turnabout Goodbyes, but she's still the one who comes up with how to beat the game and not Phoenix. Up until now, she's only been in an advising/spirit messenger sort of role, both of which I'm okay with. But she had to ruin it when the case almost over, so sin." *ding
(Phoenix convinces de Killer to turn on Engarde) "This final present, the final way out, is awesome. I have no qualms removing several sins for this." *removes seven sins
(Engarde's breakdown) "Well. The new actor for Scarface certainly looks promising." *removes eight more sins for a total of fifteen
(Franziska was put in charge of incarcerating Engarde and is implied to be whipping him heavily) "Torture of prisoners. I can't say I'm too mad about it in this case, but-" *still a sin
"Andrews thanks Edgeworth for invading her privacy and outing her as mentally ill in a public trial. That... has some unfortunate implications." *Sorry, Edgeworth, but that's still a sin
"Phoenix and Edgeworth take great pains to explain the moral of this story to the pla- I mean, Franziska. Because you know, there's no way we could have gotten it one our own." *can't bring myself to sin it
(The picture of Phoenix and Pearl reuniting with Maya) "Awwww..." *removes a sin
(Maya, Lotta, et al. make Phoenix pay for all their shit) "Game spends five minutes appreciating Phoenix's efforts throughout the case, then go back to using him as a butt monkey. Ungrateful jerks." *ding
"While the credits are playing, let me take a moment to switch over to the bad ending. It's a great bad ending, the best of the series, but I have four words I need to sin for the original English version of this game. Just four words:
'The miracle never happen.'" *ding
(In the credits, Andrews says Franziska promised to help her with "anything at all" upon release) "Steps toward redemption. And from the way T&T makes it sound, the start of a beautiful relationship." *removes a sin
(Post credits scene with Edgeworth and Franziska) "This leads to a great scene and all, but why would Franziska take Gumshoe's coat with her back to Germany? Even when she knows it's bugged. Did she secretly want Edgeworth to find her and stop her? That... might actually be possible." *not quite a sin
"Whose idea was it to make Franziska adorable when crying? Who gave them the right to play with my heart like this?" *removes a sin through the tears
"Also, whoever decided to add this insight into Franziska's character by giving her this scene... God bless that person on this holy day." *removes another sin
"However... I don't know why everyone makes a big deal about T&T letting you play as Edgeworth, or someone other than Phoenix in general. The first case to employ that was this case, after all." *not a sin, just a comment
"Franziska says she kept the card with Maya's drawing so she can give it back to Phoenix later, but when she sees Phoenix again in T&T, it's never mentioned again. ...But I really don't want to end this review on a sin, so-" *I do nothing
Total Sin Tally: 114
Sentence: Protecting Engarde from an Angry Assassin
A/N's: So I didn't realize the events for this happened a little over a week ago (March 18-23, 2018), or else I would have tried harder to get this out earlier. Even so, Happy Easter/April Fool's Day! Not gonna lie, I also briefly considered posting an author's note pretending to be a review as an April Fool's joke. Then I decided i would rather actually finish this thing once and for all.
Obviously, the next game on the list is Trials and Tribulations. But I don't know when I'll have that up, because April is a Camp NaNo month and otherwise busy time for me, so any writing work I do will be directed at either AAI3 (which has a new chapter halfway written) or my Camp NaNo project: my first novel length Star Wars fanfiction! Whoo boy am I excited. That's what I'm gonna start writing as soon as I'm finished here.
But even though this case got barely more sins than Turnabout Goodbyes (114 to 103), JFA is still the game to accrue the fewest number of sins so far, with 374 sins total. That's less than half of DD or SoJ (though those games had six (arguably seven for SoJ, if you separate the two parts of the finale), and this case had four. RftA put the first game over the edge, leading to it scoring 389 sins total, if I remember correctly. Remember: lack of sins doesn't mean I love the game. It's a better indicator of length than quality.
Still, I hope you enjoyed, thanks for coming on this journey with me, please review, and I'll see you on the far side!