REVIEW: ‘Ace Attorney Investigations Collection’ Elevates The Attorney Experience (Switch)

Capcom has had a good track record of re-releasing several beloved Ace Attorney titles to modern audiences in recent years. Now, the publisher has bundled up and remastered the two spin-off titles, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit, via the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection.

These titles have received the same treatment as the Apollo Justice and Phoenix Wright remaster trilogies but with new changes. The changes elevate the gameplay experience in Ace Attorney Investigations Collection for both games, especially for newer players, but do not change any of their core issues.

The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection features two great spin-off titles focused on the esteemed prosecutor and Phoenix Wright’s rival, Miles Edgeworth. Both games feature interesting, engaging stories and unique and compelling characters that have become franchise icons. They also freshen things up narratively by taking things out of the courtroom and focusing more on the investigation aspect of solving cases.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth takes place after the events of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations and begins with Miles Edgeworth, who returns to work after being away for a month to discover that a murder has occurred right in his office. With the help of his partner, Detective Gumshoe, he investigates the crime scene and cross-examines witnesses to expose the culprit.

In the process, he ends up involved with an international smuggling ring, which leads him to meet several characters, including Interpol agent Shi-Long Lang and Kay Faraday, a rookie thief in training. Along his journey, Edgeworth solves multiple murders related to the smuggling ring, each bringing him closer to the truth. The narrative weaves through five interconnected episodes, each building on the last to build up the overarching mystery that ultimately ties all the cases together.

In Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit, Edgeworth is assigned to a case to find the culprit behind the attempted murder of Zheng Fa’s president Di-Jun Wang. He gets on the case alongside his partner, Detective Gumshoe, and recurring character, Kay Faraday. Along the way, they discover yet another controversy related to political dealings when several individuals related to each case wind up mysteriously dead.

Edgeworth’s career as a prosecutor is threatened by the introduction of his new rival, Verity Gavèlle, who tries to interfere with his investigation of cases he isn’t assigned to. Both games’ stories are incredibly engaging and feature memorable characters that make the narrative experience enjoyable in both grim and comedic moments.

Gameplay-wise, The Ace Attorney Investigations games diverge from the traditional courtroom battles of the main series, focusing instead on investigation and deduction. Players guide Edgeworth through various crime scenes, gathering evidence and piecing together the events leading up to each crime. The Logic system is also a central part of gameplay, where Edgeworth connects related pieces of evidence or ideas to form conclusions that help progress the investigation. This system encourages players to think critically about the evidence they collect and how it relates to each case uniquely.

Another notable feature is the ability to freely move Edgeworth around crime scenes, which makes the game a more interactive experience than the point-and-click mechanics of previous games. Moving around environments also allows for more precise exploration of each crime scene, making investigations more immersive. Like previous titles, both games feature many puzzles that often require keen observation of detail and critical thinking, and solving the especially challenging puzzles always feels rewarding.

Other than that, while the first Ace Attorney Investigations game in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection doesn’t do anything significantly new, all the core elements, such as cross-examinations, presenting and analyzing clues, and character dialogue, still hold up really well. Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit, conversely, introduces the Mind Chess system.

The system sees Edgeworth argue with suspects or witnesses through mental battles that break down their defenses to extract crucial information. This system adds a more interactive and strategic approach to interrogations and new depth to the investigative process. It also features some of the more comedic moments in the game. However, it is worth noting that some chapters across both games, specifically in later parts, have some really bloated cases. Many of the puzzles feel repetitive as they have most of the same beats seen in earlier chapters.

The Investigations Collection also adds several new features and quality-of-life improvements. Perhaps the most interesting is the new nostalgia-evoking feature that lets players switch between the newly remastered character sprites and the old Nintendo DS sprites. The system works really well, and players can switch between both effortlessly. The newly remodeled visuals are also incredibly picturesque, the models are highly detailed, and the art design is superb.

The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection also adds the History feature, which lets players review any dialogue they may have missed, which is incredibly useful. The collection also adds the Story Mode feature, where players can just enjoy the story and see each puzzle solved automatically. Players who purchase the collection will also get some bonus content, including a full gallery with concept art and character designs and the full soundtrack featuring all 106 in-game background songs, one completely new song, and more. Performance-wise, both games run incredibly well on Nintendo Switch, save for some minor lagging experienced in the first game while playing docked.

Overall, The Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is another amazing Capcom collection featuring some of the most entertaining games in the Ace Attorney series. The remastered bundle does an excellent job of bringing the spin-off titles to a new audience through great features that support both games’ stellar narratives and gameplay experiences.

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.