Man, these games…….it’s been
years since I played these games, years.
I wondered, if after so much time my opinion on these would change. I used to think
for a while it was my favorite video game series, which is quite the tall order
it has to live up to. So I wondered, would it change at all, and would I think
any less of them?
After replaying this first case,
I can say no, no that won’t happen, if anything I’m going to love these games
even more……cause oh my god these games are SO GOOD WHAT THE HELL.
While playing this case, everything
I love about this series came rushing back; the characters, the writing, the
stories, the freaking atmosphere of the courtroom which oh my gosh is the
greatest thing ever. It’s so fast paced, with so many plot twists, so many
developments, and so much yelling and attacks and evidence and info and oh my
god it’s so much great story in so much little time and it sucks you in sooooo
fast oh gosh I was only playing it for a bit before I was hooked and way deep
into this series, it has grabbed me so hard and I don’t want it to let go.
Going to try and calm down here
and speak about this series and case more objectively but oh geez it’s going to
be hard. Phew, all right, calming down, let’s discuss this calmly here……
So the first case, yes, let’s
start with this case, The First Turnabout as it’s called. You know, I think as
a first case, this one is pretty much perfect. All of the tropes and ideas I
associate with a good opening were found in this case and more. You’re
introduced in a way that’s both simple and easy to understand, but doesn’t feel
like it’s being dumbed down, or like it’s hurt the immersion of the story at
all. This is Phoenix Wright’s first trial as a lawyer, and as a such the story
does a perfect job at providing hints and tips to help the player to understand
the gameplay of the court segments without it ever feeling out of place, since
it’s also Wright’s first trial. Not to mention, because the gameplay is so
simple and easy to understand, it doesn’t take long for you to get a grip of
things at all, and this immediately signals a core theme of the entire series;
that the gameplay is simple and easy to get into, because these games are about
the story, characters, and atmosphere far more than they are the gameplay.
I really love the way the first
case makes the player feel like Wright. Mia helps Phoenix out like a mentor
would, but also helps the player to understand the gameplay and mechanics, so
she’s perfect both for story and gameplay purposes. The prosecutor Payne and
Frank Shawit are the only characters in the game to interrupt Phoenix or try
and stop his claims, clearly showing these are the character obstacles the
player will want to stop. Larry both helps the player in figuring out the truth
while also hindering them unintentionally, mirroring Phoenix’s conflicted
feelings towards him with the player in how he effects the objective. This is
why I love these games so much. In all my years of gaming, I swear, I’ve never
encountered games that so well fuse the gameplay and story together so that
they feel like one, and that you really do feel like the main character and
like you are a part of the story, and it’s so amazing I can’t even.
And being the first case, it does
a fantastic job of staying simple, and giving the player an easy challenge that
doesn’t force the gameplay to stop for too long as a result of a difficult
challenge. If the puzzles were harder you see, the player would have to spend
lots of time thinking, and that could hurt the immersion and the overall
enjoyment from the player. I must admit, I got so into this first case that
when I was faced with something that stumped me, a part of me felt really
strongly like I should just go with my gut, because well, that’s how it goes in
a courtroom. The defense attorney doesn’t stop everything to think, he has to
make a choice and run with it. And well, these games made me feel so much like
an attorney and I got so into that fast gameplay that I wanted it to continue,
it just felt right, and I love that the game was able to do that to me. I hope
to do that more in future cases where if I get stumped I want to just go with
my gut, as that’s what it feels like I should do, like what Phoenix would do.
Another thing that always makes a
first installment great, the first episode, the first story, etc, is its view
in hindsight. What really makes an introduction feel fantastic I feel is when
you learn in later installments of its significance, and this is something that
is very true of this first case. Meeting Larry turns out to be huge for future
cases since he will return so much, and more than that, Mia’s role in this is
hugely significant. Having a role of a mentor to guide both the player and
Phoenix I think gave both some great help and confidence in their abilities,
which makes the next case hit so much harder and really make this first one
feel more special. In particular I was touched at Mia’s big speech she gives at
the end, about how being a defense attorney is about trusting your defendant,
believing in them, and more than anything, believing in yourself. It is both
true for Wright’s growth and journey throughout the series as much as it is for
the player in their shared journey through the gameplay and its story, where
believing in yourself when things seem uncertain plays a huge role in the themes
of many of the series’ future stories.
That speech also drove home even
more what I love about these games. Mia remarks that in the same way that the
evidence in court had to be seen in different perspectives in order for it to
work and show the full truth, so too are people not to be seen in just one light,
but should be seen in many in order to understand who they truly are. It is a
both a lesson that is incredibly important to the gameplay with the evidence,
as much as it is important for the stories’ main themes and its progression. And
well, it’s also very true of life in general, and is a great lesson to keep in
mind as we go through our journeys within this world. The fact that the first
case ends with such a quote, one that holds great significance for both the
story and gameplay of not just this case but the entire series, while also
offering for tons of parallels and interpretations, reminded me more than
anything why I love this series so so much. They aren’t just fantastic stories,
but fantastic games. Fusing the
themes of the story with the gameplay make the themes really stick, and I
honestly think that the fact that these games made their themes a part of both
the gameplay and story and drove them home so hard is why, when I first played
these games, they had such a profound effect on me as a person, and really
changed me for the better. I owe so much to these games, and after replaying
this first case, I was reminded of why and more.
I can’t even begin to state how
much I love these games, so I think I’ll stop here and let this essay speak for
itself. The First Turnabout is an incredible first case, and hits all the
points I think a good introduction should. It introduces the player to the core
mechanics and structure without ever hurting the immersion, it showcases why
this series is so great in its amazing atmosphere, tension, and expression that
comes from the courtroom segments. And even more than that, it introduces
everything to the player from the core gameplay to the core characters and
themes and more, many of which without the player even realizing it, which only
makes this case more special in hindsight. They started off on such a high
note, I don’t think there’s any way they could top it, but then again, this is
my favorite series we’re talking about……. <3
Random other notes:
I like how Wright will
occasionally narrate what’s going on too, great way to give information and
leave exciting cliffhangers while also just feeling like a great mystery story.
Adding the date and time whenever segments begin also adds to this epic mystery
story feel the games have. I like that.
Why is the music of this game so
good and heart pumping oh my gosh.
Larry is wonderful and I see
parts of me in him.
As a first case too this also
does a fantastic job of setting up the tone that the series will take for its
entirety, being super serious at times, but also with tons of lighthearted
sillyness.
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