The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles: Everything you need to know

For the first time, Ace Attorney fans in the United States and Europe can experience all the content within two previously Japanese-exclusive titles in the Ace Attorney series: The Great Ace Attorney Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney Adventures 2: Resolve. First released in 2015 and 2017, respectively, these two games have been combined with bonus content alongside quality-of-life features. The games showcase one of the famous Phoenix Wright's ancestors as he engages with the early legal systems in both Japan and England.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Story

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is set in the late 19th century during the Japanese Meiji Period and English Victorian Period, shortly after the Anglo-Japanese Friendship Treaty was signed. The game follows an ancestor of Phoenix Wright, Ryunosuke Naruhodo, as he winds up in the position of a lawyer despite still being in law school.

The judiciary system in Japan is beginning to modernize, and Ryunosuke seeks to help shape it in a positive way, despite being unsure of himself and easily overwhelmed. He travels across the globe to Victorian England to witness and assist in legal disputes there, with the help of memorable characters like the ever-confident Herlock Sholmes.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Gameplay

Anyone who has played an Ace Attorney game will feel right at home here. Players must listen and observe the details of court cases, comparing them to evidence and character stories in court records. Players can examine items submitted into evidence with a magnifying glass, using inconsistencies to uncover the truth. As Ryunosuke listens to witness testimonies, he can press for more information or confront the witnesses with examined evidence to expose disparities in their accounts so that justice can be brought to light.

In the overworld, Ryunosuke must move around various places of interest and examine the scenes for any clues. They can converse with bystanders or other people involved in the case, gathering as much information and evidence as possible to strengthen their defense in the courtroom.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles New features

In The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, the English courtrooms feature a jury system, who decides the fate of the accused. Ryunosuke and his team must use the information they've gleaned throughout the investigation to convince the jury that their client is innocent. Each jury member has their own opinion of how things happened at the crime scene and, unfortunately, are not exempt from the biases that make us all human.

It's up to Ryunosuke to present compelling evidence, press the jury members for more information and find discrepancies in their musings. Once all jurors have made their decision, they send their fire to the scales of justice, tipping it in favor of whomever the jury deems innocent.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Bonus content

The combination of The Great Ace Attorney Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney Adventures 2: Resolve into one neat package is accompanied by some lovely bonus content. Players can experience the game's audio in either English or Japanese, which fits given the game's setting in both England and Japan.

There are also a series of "Slice of Life Escapades," little shorts that give insight into the characters' experiences and feelings throughout each chapter. Art and music galleries are also available for those who really enjoyed the game's soundtrack.

In The Great Ace Attorney Adventures 2: Resolve, players can dress the main characters up in one of several costumes. While not integral to the gameplay, each of these extra features can be enjoyed between play sessions.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles Release date

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles will release on the Nintendo Switch family of systems on July 27, 2021.

Show off your deductive reasoning skills!

Live out your detective dreams and learn how the Japanese legal system got started in The Great Ace Attorney Adventures. Investigate crime scenes for clues, examine the evidence, and draw the truth from witnesses as you seek to serve justice where it's due. The Ace Attorney series has always been beloved by Nintendo fans, and there's no doubt that this will be one of the best games in the visual novel genre on the system.