Conquer 19th century courtrooms

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is an adventure video game wherein you join a rookie lawyer in navigating the curious world of the courtroom during the late 19th century of Japan and England. Developed by CAPCOM, this visual novel game features the ancestor of Phoenix Wright—the protagonist of the main Ace Attorney games. 

In The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, you get most of the beloved gameplay mechanics found in the previous games. This version is also a compilation of two games previously released only in Japan—making it much easier for new and old players to try this spin-off series. 

How many games are in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles?

Ace Attorney is a series of adventure video game legal dramas wherein you go through the strange cases of Phoenix Wright—also known as Ryuichi Naruhodo—who eventually becomes a legendary lawyer throughout the series. Its success spawned numerous sequels, prequels, as well as spin-off games for various platforms. One such spin-off is The Great Ace Attorney series, which includes The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve.

These two games introduce a new protagonist: Ryunosuke Naruhodo, who happens to be Phoenix Wright’s ancestor. However, they were only released in Japan. With The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, however, you can easily play both Adventures and Resolve on PC. Here, Ryunosuke is a rookie attorney, too, and ends up getting entangled in a series of cold cases and tricky trials in the heart of London.

Several gameplay mechanics return here, such as the classic cross-examinations and crime scene investigations. You also get full 3D environments, cross-examinations on multiple witnesses, and even a jury system that you need to play into your favor. There’s even an assistance feature in case you get stuck. Compared to previous games, though, these new gameplay additions can detract from the core mechanics of gathering evidence for your case.

A great spin-off series

All in all, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a great Ace Attorney spin-off series for any fan of mystery games—whether you’re new to the franchise or an old fan of AA games. While the numerous mechanics added in can leave no room for some of the original core gameplay, the overall package is still quite enjoyable as this game aims to tell an overarching story of the protagonist’s adventures.