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andyprue, who has so <i>whole-heartedly</i> recommended PW series to me "D. Since I'm not a gamer by nature, my take on the games would mostly be focused on the story than anything else. Also due to the aforementioned reason, I will not be able to compare it with any other games of the same genre, and my standard and expectation might probably be a bit "amateurish", one would say.
Anyway, moving on to the main story. PW is truly truly excellent plot-wise. Except for the first cases of both parts, which are meant for the players to get acquainted with the gameplay, all the remaining mysteries are intriguing with multiple layers to them, and entertaining enough to get me hooked to the screen for about 5 hours/case. Gosh, I don't even watch anime for 5 hours straight without a break, but again, the game is interactive so it could be more appealing. The stories are rigged with twists and turns, and although some of them are indeed predictable, I really appreciate all the details the creators have carefully constructed.
Actually, episodic detective stories are not really my thing, so I applaud the effort of PW to link all the episodes together in a game. It truly feels like a climax whenever I reach the last case of the game, and all the cases before them are exciting buildups. In the end, everything indeed ties together into a satisfactory conclusion.
However, what really sets PW apart from other detective types of mystery is that its focus is not on the detective work, but the lawyer work. I know that the judiciary in PW is not a realistic portrayal, but exposing the mystery using cross-examination and presentation of evidence is innovative and fresh for this genre. It definitely reminds me of the trial in "To kill the Mockingbird" by Harper Lee (though this novel is technically not a mystery). The logic applied in PW is thus very down-to-earth, very realistic and easy to relate to (of course it must be simple enough for the players to catch up with), instead of those far-fetched outrageous explanations that most mystery stories are fond of abusing to show off the protagonist's intelligence (looking at you, Conan-kun!).
And this brings me to my next point (shamelessly copy PW line :">") that this original method of unveiling the mystery poses much more challenge than the usual investigation-type, and thus is much more exciting. Witnesses are allowed to alter their testimony to their hearts' content; therefore, pointing out a simple contradiction is not enough to obtain the truth. The logic of the player, hence, must be extremely airtight with adequate supporting evidence for every statement. It leaves room for few plot holes and enhance the satisfaction after completing the game. Indeed, I felt overwhelmingly pleased after finishing Justice for All, and I can safely conclude that PW is very successful in the enjoyment department.
A good storyline is one thing, but the cast is what's pivotal in determining how long will the series last in my memories. I can tell from experience that a series with multiple plot holes but boasting a brilliant cast definitely overshadows those with intriguing, complicated storyline but with very dull characters in my mind. So how well has PW fared with my expectation so far?
The answer is yes, it's been doing pretty well, but it could be better.
The protagonist, Phoenix Wright, is definitely an excellent lead with enough strength to carry on the whole story. I could not stop cracking at his motto, "Talk first, think later", which is ironically so true from the standpoint of a player who does not know at all what a certain choice will lead the story to. He is so clueless half of the time, and yet his brilliant bluffing usually leads him to the right answer, which is a fresh breeze to the stereotypical ultra-super-IQ guy with ultra-super deductive skills. His cluelessness also makes way for a lot of comic relief during the course of the game, easing the mental strain of the player.
Miles Edgeworth the prosecutor, Wright's childhood friend and rival, is an equally strong character with interesting character development throughout the course of the story. I cannot mention how he has grown without descending into spoiler, but his back story is awesome. He can also be a jerk sometimes, but witnessing his subtle changes in the second game is really ...heartwarming in a sense. Hey, I definitely will play AAI Miles Edgeworth after T&T!
The recurring characters are interesting as well, albeit very one-dimensional. I suppose I like Mia best out of the Fey family (well of course, Mia kicks ass XD). Maya is a bit on the annoying side, but I don't mind her too much. Pearl is pretty cute I think. The side characters are fun to play with, but nothing really deep. Except Franziska, who's supposed to develop a bit more in T&T, based on JFA's epilogue. I'm looking forward to the next installment of PW; hopefully more exciting characters will appear.
Talking about PW, I cannot mention enough how good the localization is "D The translation feels absolutely natural, American-style, and no joke is lost in translation "D Even a small detail like Lotta Hart being a Southern girl is so absolutely American that I could hardly think of the characters are originally Japanese.
On the downside of the game, I think sometimes the dialogues drag a bit. I frequently get impatient with all the long conversations, occasionally long-winded. I know it's essential characterization, but I think I can make do without a few of the comments from the characters. Also, the characters' movements are heavily repetitive (which account for its extremely light size)
Overall, I like it enough to continue playing the rest of the series "D About shipping, I think it's obvious from what I've typed which couple I'm supporting, but I want to finish the series before really rushing head on into the fandom "D
andyprue, who has so <i>whole-heartedly</i> recommended PW series to me "D. Since I'm not a gamer by nature, my take on the games would mostly be focused on the story than anything else. Also due to the aforementioned reason, I will not be able to compare it with any other games of the same genre, and my standard and expectation might probably be a bit "amateurish", one would say.Anyway, moving on to the main story. PW is truly truly excellent plot-wise. Except for the first cases of both parts, which are meant for the players to get acquainted with the gameplay, all the remaining mysteries are intriguing with multiple layers to them, and entertaining enough to get me hooked to the screen for about 5 hours/case. Gosh, I don't even watch anime for 5 hours straight without a break, but again, the game is interactive so it could be more appealing. The stories are rigged with twists and turns, and although some of them are indeed predictable, I really appreciate all the details the creators have carefully constructed.
Actually, episodic detective stories are not really my thing, so I applaud the effort of PW to link all the episodes together in a game. It truly feels like a climax whenever I reach the last case of the game, and all the cases before them are exciting buildups. In the end, everything indeed ties together into a satisfactory conclusion.
However, what really sets PW apart from other detective types of mystery is that its focus is not on the detective work, but the lawyer work. I know that the judiciary in PW is not a realistic portrayal, but exposing the mystery using cross-examination and presentation of evidence is innovative and fresh for this genre. It definitely reminds me of the trial in "To kill the Mockingbird" by Harper Lee (though this novel is technically not a mystery). The logic applied in PW is thus very down-to-earth, very realistic and easy to relate to (of course it must be simple enough for the players to catch up with), instead of those far-fetched outrageous explanations that most mystery stories are fond of abusing to show off the protagonist's intelligence (looking at you, Conan-kun!).
And this brings me to my next point (shamelessly copy PW line :">") that this original method of unveiling the mystery poses much more challenge than the usual investigation-type, and thus is much more exciting. Witnesses are allowed to alter their testimony to their hearts' content; therefore, pointing out a simple contradiction is not enough to obtain the truth. The logic of the player, hence, must be extremely airtight with adequate supporting evidence for every statement. It leaves room for few plot holes and enhance the satisfaction after completing the game. Indeed, I felt overwhelmingly pleased after finishing Justice for All, and I can safely conclude that PW is very successful in the enjoyment department.
A good storyline is one thing, but the cast is what's pivotal in determining how long will the series last in my memories. I can tell from experience that a series with multiple plot holes but boasting a brilliant cast definitely overshadows those with intriguing, complicated storyline but with very dull characters in my mind. So how well has PW fared with my expectation so far?
The answer is yes, it's been doing pretty well, but it could be better.
The protagonist, Phoenix Wright, is definitely an excellent lead with enough strength to carry on the whole story. I could not stop cracking at his motto, "Talk first, think later", which is ironically so true from the standpoint of a player who does not know at all what a certain choice will lead the story to. He is so clueless half of the time, and yet his brilliant bluffing usually leads him to the right answer, which is a fresh breeze to the stereotypical ultra-super-IQ guy with ultra-super deductive skills. His cluelessness also makes way for a lot of comic relief during the course of the game, easing the mental strain of the player.
Miles Edgeworth the prosecutor, Wright's childhood friend and rival, is an equally strong character with interesting character development throughout the course of the story. I cannot mention how he has grown without descending into spoiler, but his back story is awesome. He can also be a jerk sometimes, but witnessing his subtle changes in the second game is really ...heartwarming in a sense. Hey, I definitely will play AAI Miles Edgeworth after T&T!
The recurring characters are interesting as well, albeit very one-dimensional. I suppose I like Mia best out of the Fey family (well of course, Mia kicks ass XD). Maya is a bit on the annoying side, but I don't mind her too much. Pearl is pretty cute I think. The side characters are fun to play with, but nothing really deep. Except Franziska, who's supposed to develop a bit more in T&T, based on JFA's epilogue. I'm looking forward to the next installment of PW; hopefully more exciting characters will appear.
Talking about PW, I cannot mention enough how good the localization is "D The translation feels absolutely natural, American-style, and no joke is lost in translation "D Even a small detail like Lotta Hart being a Southern girl is so absolutely American that I could hardly think of the characters are originally Japanese.
On the downside of the game, I think sometimes the dialogues drag a bit. I frequently get impatient with all the long conversations, occasionally long-winded. I know it's essential characterization, but I think I can make do without a few of the comments from the characters. Also, the characters' movements are heavily repetitive (which account for its extremely light size)
Overall, I like it enough to continue playing the rest of the series "D About shipping, I think it's obvious from what I've typed which couple I'm supporting, but I want to finish the series before really rushing head on into the fandom "D
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22/1/11 04:27 (UTC)(no subject)
22/1/11 04:36 (UTC)