case by case: 1-1: i remember larry
This post originally appeared on Cohost. In transferring it, some formatting errors may have occurred.
In celebration of the Apollo Justice trilogy getting out of (3)DS jail, I've decided to play through the series again, and do a little post about each of the cases. I've played most of the games, and watched authorblues play through most of the cases in the one that I haven't played, but it's been long enough that I'll have forgotten enough that a playthrough will be fairly fresh. There will be spoilers.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFDLlAyakAApIer?format=jpg&name=large
Damning evidence of Phoenix Wright's judgment of character.
The first trial is, as you might expect, a tutorial. We are taught about how to use the Court Record, and how to interact with witness testimony; there isn't much difficulty to unraveling this puzzle and the whole case can be solved in . . . I think I started this half an hour ago and I'm already writing a summary? It's short. But it does its job admirably: it teaches us how to play the game, it introduces us to our protagonist and several recurring characters (including, unfortunately, Larry).
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFDLlAyacAAIvp5?format=jpg&name=large
Despite appearances to the contrary, we are a lawyer and this is a courtroom, Mr. Sahwit.
We don't get the full experience of the formula here, though: here we are simply given evidence and told to spot the contradictions. There is only the one witness, who is also the murderer, and we only need to present a handful of pieces of evidence in order to prove that. It won't be until the next case that we start investigating, and that, to me, is where the game really starts to shine: as we gradually learn about the case, and its puzzles, and we pick up items whose significance we can guess at but not yet understand. And later on we will get characters with more complex motives--here, the murderer was just trying to cover up a burglary. Because as the gameplay rests on untangling the puzzles of what happened and why, the storytelling is carried by its cast of colorful characters. It wouldn't be the same series without them. Even Larry.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFDLlA6bEAAax30?format=jpg&name=large
Phoenix, you can't just murder a man like that in a courtroom.
No one will be shocked that there isn't really much to say about this case. It does the job, and it lays the groundwork for an iconic series; it's just so short that it's hard for it to really linger in the memory or stand out. But, like, that's fine and expected. Introductions and tutorials are important, and this case helps ease the way into all of the many memorable moments that await us down the road.
So, watch this space for more Japanifornian legal advice. Next post will probably be up soon because I've got nothing else going on tonight, my target is to get through these at about one a week so I have time to focus on them and give them the consideration they deserve; one of the reasons I'm doing this is in my first playthrough I tended to binge them and it's easy to lose details when you're doing that.