Heroism and Rebellion

Objection!

On fundamental level, societies create laws to prevent citizens from abuse by others, but sometimes this not enough. In Shu Takumi's visual novel video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, developed by Capcom titled Gyakuten Saiban: Yomigaeru Gyakuten in its original Japanese version, decent people rise to fight for truth and justice within the confines of a broken legal system. Acting as a satire of issues surrounding contemporary law, the game takes place in a fictional near-future world where the judicial system, under the pressures of high crime rates and rising populations, has been altered for maximum efficiency. Criminals are treated as guilty before proven innocence, prosecutors work directly with the police department and have unbounded influence over witnesses and court evidence, and trials are limited to just three days before a verdict is given. The law no longer defends the innocent, but situations change when rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright enters the courtroom. Phoenix is fresh out of law school, and is far from ready to take on the law's dark underbelly, but when his mentor, Mia Fey, is murdered and her sister - a young spirit medium named Maya - is framed for the crime, he is forced to confront enemies far more powerful than himself as he defends Maya and then takes over Mia's law firm. One of these foes is his childhood friend, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, a bitter man who has an obsessive hatred of crime, and will resort to any methods whatsoever in order to get a guilty verdict, regardless of the defendant's innocence.

Young and optimistic, Phoenix wants honest justice and is willing to fight for it - armed with the law, investigative skills, some peculiar friends, and limitless determination. The interactive story takes the player through two types of gameplay, consisting of investigations where the player searches for clues to the crime, and trials where the player points out contradictions in the testimonies of witnesses. Both of these play styles, in essence, are searches for the truth, and in this embodies the mission of the main character as he challenges the corrupt and flawed system he works within, and tries to save his friend Edgeworth from his own crooked ways.

With its ludic mechanics, a unique artistry and visual storytelling, strong characters, and an intense narrative, Phoenix Wright tells a tale of personal growth, redemption, and heroism in a world that seeks to destroy heroes. While it paints a picture of a dark world, its optimistic story leaves its players hopeful for the future, and professes that justice can always prevail over fraudulency.

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