Broken Commandments

[Awsome2464]

Review: "A Turnabout With Too Many Faces" by DWaM

Spoiler : :

The stupid kind of idiot, I reckon.

Synopsis: 4 people are locked in a hotel resort by an unknown Fiend. We also follow the story of Phoenix Wright defending himself in court.

By request of the creator, the broken and followed rules will not be revealed in this review.

Story: As stated in the Synopsis, we're following 2 stories at once: one at the resort from the perspective of an unnamed hostage and one from the perspective of Phoenix Wright: Ace Pianist. Both of these plots are introduced in a way that gets you invested in what's to come, and they alternate in a cliffhanger way, swapping to the other story when things in the current story get "really good". But as these stories progress, the crazier they get. I know Ace Attorney is known for its crazy story progression, but even canon Ace Attorney has nothing on the twists and turns this case takes. Though despite how bonkers this case can get, I was still eager to keep going and see everything through to the end. That being said, I must admit that as the case approached its ending, I was feeling like things were starting to get a bit TOO crazy, with some story elements being introduced in a way that I felt could've been handled better. Also, the tone surrounding a canon character added towards the end of the story is very jokey, which is very out of place in a case that's otherwise serious in nature (not to mention that said character feels flanderized throughout their entire screen time, which again, wouldn't be so bad/noticeable except all the other characters felt true to their canon selves). And a motivation reveal at the end just felt very slapped-on and doesn't really feel like it was built up. But despite all these criticisms, I was very much enjoying the story as I played. Though the biggest thing that threw me off was, despite this being a one-part case, it is as long as a multi-part case. I don't know the exact frame number, but I reckon it's around 4 or 5 thousand frames! But that's not a criticism, as the case ran well with no noticeable technical issues. If anything, it's a praise, as despite its length, the case is complete! So overall, the story is lengthy and can get a bit out there towards the end, but it's completed and a very investing read that'll keep you asking what's to come next.

Presentation: As this case is set in the main Ace Attorney canon, it mostly consists of in-engine character sprites throughout, with in-engine backgrounds taking up the Phoenix side of the story. But there are a few custom character sprites thrown in, as well, with the resort story consisting of custom backgrounds that fit their roles greatly. There were also some good animated backgrounds used in the beginning and end of the case, and one sequence towards the case's end was very visually pleasing and set the right tone it needed. Aside from that, it was a standard Ace Attorney layout, which there's definitely nothing wrong with.

Gameplay: Like I said above, this case has a standard Ace Attorney layout. There are a handful of Investigation sequences sprinkled in, but for the most part, we're dealing with text dumps and trial mechanics. There was a moment while playing that I needed the guide, but it was a result of me not following the "order of operations", which is always a bit of a pain to encounter, but the logic was still there, so at least there was that.

Theme Relevance: While playing, several opportunities emerged that left me wondering if X would be the broken rule, but thankfully, by the end, it was clear what the broken and followed rules were. And without going into too much detail, the execution of the broken rule/rules was done in a very interesting and believable way, which is definitely what the aim of the game is for this comp. The followed rule/rules seemed a bit in your face, but it was also a natural topic to bring up, so that's not an issue.

Final Thoughts: Despite some issues I had with the story, this is still a well-written mystery that feels at home with Ace Attorney. If I feel like I've been a bit vague with this review, it's mostly because there's really no way to go into too much depth without giving things away. Though since this case is complete, I hope DWaM releases it, as it's definitely something I feel you will all enjoy. (Though do make sure you've got a few hours to spare before you play it; you'll need it.)

[Trybien]

Review: "A Turnabout With Too Many Faces" by DWaM

Spoiler : :

The stupid kind of idiot, I reckon.

Synopsis: 4 people are locked in a hotel resort by an unknown Fiend. We also follow the story of Phoenix Wright defending himself in court.

By request of the creator, the broken and followed rules will not be revealed in this review.

Story: As stated in the Synopsis, we're following 2 stories at once: one at the resort from the perspective of an unnamed hostage and one from the perspective of Phoenix Wright: Ace Pianist. Both of these plots are introduced in a way that gets you invested in what's to come, and they alternate in a cliffhanger way, swapping to the other story when things in the current story get "really good". But as these stories progress, the crazier they get. I know Ace Attorney is known for its crazy story progression, but even canon Ace Attorney has nothing on the twists and turns this case takes. Though despite how bonkers this case can get, I was still eager to keep going and see everything through to the end. That being said, I must admit that as the case approached its ending, I was feeling like things were starting to get a bit TOO crazy, with some story elements being introduced in a way that I felt could've been handled better. Also, the tone surrounding a canon character added towards the end of the story is very jokey, which is very out of place in a case that's otherwise serious in nature (not to mention that said character feels flanderized throughout their entire screen time, which again, wouldn't be so bad/noticeable except all the other characters felt true to their canon selves). And a motivation reveal at the end just felt very slapped-on and doesn't really feel like it was built up. But despite all these criticisms, I was very much enjoying the story as I played. Though the biggest thing that threw me off was, despite this being a one-part case, it is as long as a multi-part case. I don't know the exact frame number, but I reckon it's around 4 or 5 thousand frames! But that's not a criticism, as the case ran well with no noticeable technical issues. If anything, it's a praise, as despite its length, the case is complete! So overall, the story is lengthy and can get a bit out there towards the end, but it's completed and a very investing read that'll keep you asking what's to come next.

Presentation: As this case is set in the main Ace Attorney canon, it mostly consists of in-engine character sprites throughout, with in-engine backgrounds taking up the Phoenix side of the story. But there are a few custom character sprites thrown in, as well, with the resort story consisting of custom backgrounds that fit their roles greatly. There were also some good animated backgrounds used in the beginning and end of the case, and one sequence towards the case's end was very visually pleasing and set the right tone it needed. Aside from that, it was a standard Ace Attorney layout, which there's definitely nothing wrong with.

Gameplay: Like I said above, this case has a standard Ace Attorney layout. There are a handful of Investigation sequences sprinkled in, but for the most part, we're dealing with text dumps and trial mechanics. There was a moment while playing that I needed the guide, but it was a result of me not following the "order of operations", which is always a bit of a pain to encounter, but the logic was still there, so at least there was that.

Theme Relevance: While playing, several opportunities emerged that left me wondering if X would be the broken rule, but thankfully, by the end, it was clear what the broken and followed rules were. And without going into too much detail, the execution of the broken rule/rules was done in a very interesting and believable way, which is definitely what the aim of the game is for this comp. The followed rule/rules seemed a bit in your face, but it was also a natural topic to bring up, so that's not an issue.

Final Thoughts: Despite some issues I had with the story, this is still a well-written mystery that feels at home with Ace Attorney. If I feel like I've been a bit vague with this review, it's mostly because there's really no way to go into too much depth without giving things away. Though since this case is complete, I hope DWaM releases it, as it's definitely something I feel you will all enjoy. (Though do make sure you've got a few hours to spare before you play it; you'll need it.)

Definitely want to play this as well. Though finding the time to play a case that long might be a bit spooky.

[Blackrune]

Sounds like a binge. Gotta pray it's out before the holidays.

[TimeAxis]

The Costumed Tournabout by risefromtheashes

Spoiler : Screenshot :

Spoiler : Synopsis :

Athena and Trucy head to a costume party in Kurain Village, when an incident happens.

Spoiler : Review :

Story:
If this were a finished case, I would probably say that it feels like it has an identity crisis. But because it's unfinished, a better way of putting it might be that it's currently at a crossroads. It doesn't feel like this case is sure whether it wants to be primarily comedy-focused or a serious mystery. While the Ace Attorney games often blend serious and comedic content successfully, this case doesn't walk that tightrope quite as well, in my opinion. The tone is kind of all over the place and difficult to get a handle on, so I'll talk about both the serious content and the comedic content separately.

As far as the comedy goes, I'm going to preface this by saying that this is something where people's mileage may vary, and if I'm being honest, had you been more lucky with the judges (I don't know what Awsome2464 thought of it, mind you, as I tried to avoid being influenced for this review), the comedy might have landed a bit better. But for me personally, it just wasn't really my cup of tea. I don't mind humor, but this case just didn't mesh well with my preferred style of humor. A couple moments got some laughs out of me, but many jokes felt a little too on the nose, and overall I found the comedy a bit too random. To give an example, the very beginning of the case opens up with

Spoiler : Minor Spoilers :

a fairly long and completely random reference to Avatar the Last Airbender for no apparent reason. That sequence genuinely felt like risefromtheashes made this cool sequence (which admittedly looked very nice) without any real reasoning behind it, and then they didn't want it to go to waste so they just kind of slapped it into the case.

But I totally recognize that some people are going to love the randomness, so I'm not discounting the humor entirely based on my own preferences. I think the average Ace Attorney fan who hangs out in the fandom a lot posting memes would probably find it quite funny. Putting aside whether or not the jokes were funny, though, there were a number of times where the case would shift to this bizarre substory that seemingly has no narrative purpose. It's entirely possible that when the case is done, there might be some story payoff to those sections, and maybe there is some hidden important story purpose behind them, but currently they feel very unnecessary. As things stand, I have to judge the case as if these sections contribute pretty much nothing to the story whatsoever, yet it feels like they're getting a lot of focus for just comic relief.

Had this case just been a pure comedy, I could have written it off as a bit of good fun that's simply not for me. My review might have gone something along the lines of "it's hit or miss, but some of you might really enjoy this, while others might not." But this case isn't a pure comedy. There's actually a lot about this case that is very much for me. When the case isn't losing itself in silliness, it spends its time setting the scene for what has the makings of a very compelling mystery, with a fun cast of quirky characters that are well developed. The actual narrative, although lacking in substance at this point due to being unfinished, left me wanting to know more, which is always a good sign.

Characters:
This case features a mix of returning Ace Attorney characters as well as original characters. On the whole, I think the original characters were excellent. They were quirky, memorable, and could easily pass as real Ace Attorney characters. My favorite so far would probably have to be Malia, although that may just be because others haven't really had much time to shine so far. All of the other original characters left me curious to know their story as well.

As far as returning characters go, a lot of time goes into fleshing out some of the mainstays like Athena and Trucy, even more than you'd expect. Where a typical Ace Attorney case might just transition directly to Kurain Village from the office, for example, this case takes the player along for the train ride, and these little atmospheric slice of life moments really do help with character building. But while character building can be instrumental in building a good story, it's also possible for it to go nowhere and not actually contribute anything to the narrative. I don't think this case is falling into that trap right now, but because it's unfinished, that's a possibility, and it would be unfair for me to judge this case as if it were sure to neatly tie up every bit of characterization just because the conclusion is unknown. As things stand, though, the characterization is very promising. If I have one minor complaint, it's that all the characters have a tendency to ramble a bit, and I feel like some of the dialogue could be trimmed down at times.

There are also some minor moments where some of the returning ace attorney characters feel a little out of character, and it's hard to tell whether it's intentional or not. The case seems to be trying to take place within the canon Ace Attorney universe, but when it comes to the tone and the way the characters are handled, it can sometimes feel less like an Ace Attorney game and more like something you'd see in Ace Attorney fan comics and memes and the like. Characters tend to feel more "fanon" than "canon". As someone who doesn't spend a whole lot of time in the Ace Attorney fandom at large, that didn't particularly appeal to me, but I think a lot of people might find that to not be a bad thing at all, so I can't really hold that as a mark against the case. It's just something worth pointing out, I feel.

Presentation:
Presentation is far and away this case's strongest suit. Visually, it was gorgeous. Custom sprites and backgrounds felt seamlessly implemented, and contributed greatly to the overall atmosphere, as well as helping to make the characters stand out. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that there were a number of times where I nearly missed story details because I was so busy admiring how nice the sprites looked. Music and sound were also well chosen and timed well. As far as Ace Attorney conventions go, while it lacks polish somewhat (which is to be expected for an unfinished case), for the most part everything looks, feels and sounds like an Ace Attorney game.

While I have pretty much nothing but good things to say about the presentation, I think special mention needs to be made for the sequence near the end when the crime happens. That was extremely cool, and I loved it.

Gameplay:
This case's gameplay is unfortunately almost completely absent, apart from one optional investigation sequence. But that one sequence, while not particularly substantive, had nothing wrong with it. Unfortunately I can't really rate the gameplay too highly when there's this little of it, but I'm looking forward to what kind of gameplay the final case will have. Having Athena as a protagonist, with Widget at her disposal, gives this case a lot of potential to do interesting things.

Theme Relevance:
I wouldn't say that any commandments are really explored in this case's current state. The closest thing to a Broken Commandment would probably be:

Spoiler : Broken Commandment (May Contain Spoilers) :

10. Twins and doubles generally must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

Although it's only as a gag, there is technically a twin or double, although I wouldn't call it not being duly prepared for them, since they're not coming out of nowhere and factoring into the mystery at this point. But my feeling is that as long as a case brings the rules to mind, that's enough to satisfy the theme alright. I did say we weren't going to be too strict on the theme, so I feel like this satisfies it. Depending on how the case turns out, this may end up being the one that ends up being followed.

As far as Followed Commandments, without a solution to the mystery at this point, I unfortunately couldn't really think of any. All in all, I can't rate this too highly in the theme department in the state it's in right now. I do have to say, though, that the mystery has a ton of potential. I'm not kidding when I say that in the days after playing this case, I would often think about it and about what's going to happen. It's got me hooked, and I want to see more. I will almost definitely be checking out this case when it's finished.

Spoiler : Overall :

PROS

• Beautiful presentation
• Fun cast of characters that get a lot of development
• Interesting setup for the mystery

CONS

• Unfinished, so next to no theme relevance or gameplay at this point
• Humor can be hit or miss (some people might find it really funny) and at times feels at odds with the otherwise serious narrative
• Some of the Ace Attorney characters feel more "fanon" than "canon" (But this may be a pro for some people if that's what you're looking for)

To risefromtheashes, if you want the link to my first impressions, feel free to let me know.

[Awsome2464]

Review: "The Secret Turnabout" by Trybien and Spongesonic

Spoiler : :

Where's the fun in that, Apollo?

Synopsis: Phoenix recalls a secret trial that determined the fate of the Jurist System.

Spoiler : Broken/Followed Commandments :

Broken Commandment:

• Rule 3: No more than one secret room or hidden passage may factor into the mystery.

Followed Commandment:

• Rule 2: All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

Story: As stated, this entire case is told in past tense, with Phoenix telling the story of 2 trials set after "Turnabout Succession". I say "2 trials", but the main story takes place during the second trial, though that's not to say that the first trial is unimportant (quite the contrary). Speaking of the first trial, the writers took the approach of starting it not on the first day of the trial, but on the second, leaving those involved in the trial to be aware of what was happening in this case, but not the player. This was a very interesting approach, but one that worked well narratively and didn't leave me as overwhelmed with info as I would've thought. While this case is currently incomplete, the story thus far is absolutely incredible, feeling very much like a canon Ace Attorney case in its writing and characterization. Speaking of characterization, not only do we have our cast of canon characters, we also have quite a handful of original characters, as well, each of which feeling very much like Ace Attorney characters in their own right, from a competent-yet-cocky defense attorney to an honest-yet-paranoid defendant. I'll go into further detail on this point later on in the review, but we also get some characters present that, despite not knowing their names and faces (save for one), feel very fun and believable to their situation, creating for some fun moments. Lastly, I'd like to say that this story definitely does a great job with its pacing, revealing new information in just the right amount of time to where things fall into place, though I feel like things may have fallen into place just a bit too quickly at times, as there are 2 moments where I was able to deduce what the solution was long before the rest of the characters (though as per usual in this situation, I can't tell if that's the fault of the writing or me being more clever than I give myself credit for). One of these moments was settled by the end of the entry, with one still needing to be resolved in the finished story, so I'm definitely itching to see this story complete so I can see that resolution (and see if my assumption was correct).

Presentation: As I've described above, this case is formatted like a standard Ace Attorney case, but that doesn't mean there aren't moments where things are shook up a bit. For example, there's one moment when you're speaking to a character in an Investigation where the entire layout is different than what we're used to in an Investigation, yet it works well for what the situation is. And the creators used the AAO engine's formatting to recreate a gameplay segment into something more visually unique, the classic example of using limitations to your advantage. That all being said, there are some issues related to this category. It's nothing big, but I spotted a few grammar mistakes while playing. Some were as subtle as "The prosecutions claims" instead of "The prosecution's claims", while some were more noticeable, such as "Cold War" being all lowercase later in the trial when each word was capitalized earlier in the story. Like I said, nothing big or game-breaking, but noticeable nonetheless. Also, one final comment is that I'm not the biggest fan of placing your credits at the start of the case, as I feel like it lightly spoiled some things that were to come. Though that might just be a personal preference.

Gameplay: While most of the entry is spent on your typical Ace Attorney gameplay of Investigations and Trials, we also spend some time using a Summation Examination mechanic as seen in The Great Ace Attorney. The mechanic is explained to the player similarly to how it was in GAA, allowing people who have not played those games to still grasp the concept, while also having the people who have played GAA understand how to "work it" in AAO, since, as alluded to in Presentation, it's created with and treated like the Cross-Examination portion of the engine. And just like in GAA, the Summation Examination mechanic here is fun and really makes you think. As stated in Story, we never see the jurors' faces or names, but we still interact with them as we would in GAA, thus leading to the same fun banter between themselves and the player. And one thing I appreciated here is that, unlike in GAA where all it takes is one pitting of a pair of explanations to get people to change their stances, it actually requires multiple pits before we get people officially changing their minds, and that not only feels more realistic, but it really makes for a greater challenge, which definitely makes this feel less like a tutorial and more like actual gameplay. Overall, the Summation Examination was definitely a fun addition to the gameplay and makes narrative sense to the case, so I'm very pleased.

Theme Relevance: Halfway through the entry, it's clear what the broken and followed rules are, which is very much appreciated from a judging standpoint. As for how these rules are executed, I'd say they were done brilliantly. The broken and followed rules are very much embedded into the story and in no way feel like afterthoughts or workaround additions to a pre-existing story. Very good execution of the comp theme.

Final Thoughts: This case is definitely one I'll be looking forward to playing if/when it gets finished, as it has all the makings of a good case: good writing, fun characters, and some differing gameplay moments to make it stand out. While there are some relatively minor issues with the grammar and it could feel a bit too easy at times, it was still a fun experience that I'm glad I got to play.

[DJJ6800]

Oh man. My case is next. I'm nervous...

[Trybien]

Review: "The Secret Turnabout" by Trybien and Spongesonic

Spoiler : :

Where's the fun in that, Apollo?

Synopsis: Phoenix recalls a secret trial that determined the fate of the Jurist System.

Spoiler : Broken/Followed Commandments :

Broken Commandment:

• Rule 3: No more than one secret room or hidden passage may factor into the mystery.

Followed Commandment:

• Rule 2: All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

Story: As stated, this entire case is told in past tense, with Phoenix telling the story of 2 trials set after "Turnabout Succession". I say "2 trials", but the main story takes place during the second trial, though that's not to say that the first trial is unimportant (quite the contrary). Speaking of the first trial, the writers took the approach of starting it not on the first day of the trial, but on the second, leaving those involved in the trial to be aware of what was happening in this case, but not the player. This was a very interesting approach, but one that worked well narratively and didn't leave me as overwhelmed with info as I would've thought. While this case is currently incomplete, the story thus far is absolutely incredible, feeling very much like a canon Ace Attorney case in its writing and characterization. Speaking of characterization, not only do we have our cast of canon characters, we also have quite a handful of original characters, as well, each of which feeling very much like Ace Attorney characters in their own right, from a competent-yet-cocky defense attorney to an honest-yet-paranoid defendant. I'll go into further detail on this point later on in the review, but we also get some characters present that, despite not knowing their names and faces (save for one), feel very fun and believable to their situation, creating for some fun moments. Lastly, I'd like to say that this story definitely does a great job with its pacing, revealing new information in just the right amount of time to where things fall into place, though I feel like things may have fallen into place just a bit too quickly at times, as there are 2 moments where I was able to deduce what the solution was long before the rest of the characters (though as per usual in this situation, I can't tell if that's the fault of the writing or me being more clever than I give myself credit for). One of these moments was settled by the end of the entry, with one still needing to be resolved in the finished story, so I'm definitely itching to see this story complete so I can see that resolution (and see if my assumption was correct).

Presentation: As I've described above, this case is formatted like a standard Ace Attorney case, but that doesn't mean there aren't moments where things are shook up a bit. For example, there's one moment when you're speaking to a character in an Investigation where the entire layout is different than what we're used to in an Investigation, yet it works well for what the situation is. And the creators used the AAO engine's formatting to recreate a gameplay segment into something more visually unique, the classic example of using limitations to your advantage. That all being said, there are some issues related to this category. It's nothing big, but I spotted a few grammar mistakes while playing. Some were as subtle as "The prosecutions claims" instead of "The prosecution's claims", while some were more noticeable, such as "Cold War" being all lowercase later in the trial when each word was capitalized earlier in the story. Like I said, nothing big or game-breaking, but noticeable nonetheless. Also, one final comment is that I'm not the biggest fan of placing your credits at the start of the case, as I feel like it lightly spoiled some things that were to come. Though that might just be a personal preference.

Gameplay: While most of the entry is spent on your typical Ace Attorney gameplay of Investigations and Trials, we also spend some time using a Summation Examination mechanic as seen in The Great Ace Attorney. The mechanic is explained to the player similarly to how it was in GAA, allowing people who have not played those games to still grasp the concept, while also having the people who have played GAA understand how to "work it" in AAO, since, as alluded to in Presentation, it's created with and treated like the Cross-Examination portion of the engine. And just like in GAA, the Summation Examination mechanic here is fun and really makes you think. As stated in Story, we never see the jurors' faces or names, but we still interact with them as we would in GAA, thus leading to the same fun banter between themselves and the player. And one thing I appreciated here is that, unlike in GAA where all it takes is one pitting of a pair of explanations to get people to change their stances, it actually requires multiple pits before we get people officially changing their minds, and that not only feels more realistic, but it really makes for a greater challenge, which definitely makes this feel less like a tutorial and more like actual gameplay. Overall, the Summation Examination was definitely a fun addition to the gameplay and makes narrative sense to the case, so I'm very pleased.

Theme Relevance: Halfway through the entry, it's clear what the broken and followed rules are, which is very much appreciated from a judging standpoint. As for how these rules are executed, I'd say they were done brilliantly. The broken and followed rules are very much embedded into the story and in no way feel like afterthoughts or workaround additions to a pre-existing story. Very good execution of the comp theme.

Final Thoughts: This case is definitely one I'll be looking forward to playing if/when it gets finished, as it has all the makings of a good case: good writing, fun characters, and some differing gameplay moments to make it stand out. While there are some relatively minor issues with the grammar and it could feel a bit too easy at times, it was still a fun experience that I'm glad I got to play.

Thanks for the review! I'll just leave my quick responses below.

Spoiler : Humble Response with minor spoilers :

Oof on those grammar mistakes that slipped through the cracks. I'm guessing those were in act 2 mostly since our playtesters didn't get through it by deadline. I don't particularly blame them though, with 8000+ frames even playtesting on our end was time consuming and exhausting.

As for the difficulty, that's probably on me. I wanted the case to be generally easier as we were playing around with gaps in player and character knowledge while utilizing red herrings to flip assumptions on their head. This ended up making the puzzles less "what happened" and more "how do I convince the judge/jury" using the information on hand. Unfortunately for the competition side of things, I feel like these ideas come together a lot clearer in act 3, which I would still say is not very difficult, but has its own set of twists and turns that should make the mystery feel more narratively satisfying.

Other than that, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Act 3 is rough-drafted in the editor, so we currently have no intention of abandoning it. I hope it lives up to your expectations following the first 2 parts.

[DWaM]

Review: "A Turnabout With Too Many Faces" by DWaM

Spoiler : :

Snipped.

Thanks for playing!

Spoiler : :

The one character at the end being jarring was something I was actively aware might throw people off... but it was also one of those things where between not doing it and doing it, my brain demanded the latter once the idea appeared. I have no regrets. Even if I should, perhaps.

The final frame count should be around 6.5k frames or so, give or take the frames I'd delete along the way.

The one thing I'm curious about is the followed rule/rules being in your face... I'm not going to ask for elaboration, since I obviously requested for the rules themselves to be kept hidden, but just something I thought was curious. I figured, if anything, the broken rules would stick out more...

As for the story going off the rails...

Well. I've probably done worse.

[Spongesonic]

Review: "The Secret Turnabout" by Trybien and Spongesonic

Spoiler : :

Where's the fun in that, Apollo?

Synopsis: Phoenix recalls a secret trial that determined the fate of the Jurist System.

Spoiler : Broken/Followed Commandments :

Broken Commandment:

• Rule 3: No more than one secret room or hidden passage may factor into the mystery.

Followed Commandment:

• Rule 2: All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

Story: As stated, this entire case is told in past tense, with Phoenix telling the story of 2 trials set after "Turnabout Succession". I say "2 trials", but the main story takes place during the second trial, though that's not to say that the first trial is unimportant (quite the contrary). Speaking of the first trial, the writers took the approach of starting it not on the first day of the trial, but on the second, leaving those involved in the trial to be aware of what was happening in this case, but not the player. This was a very interesting approach, but one that worked well narratively and didn't leave me as overwhelmed with info as I would've thought. While this case is currently incomplete, the story thus far is absolutely incredible, feeling very much like a canon Ace Attorney case in its writing and characterization. Speaking of characterization, not only do we have our cast of canon characters, we also have quite a handful of original characters, as well, each of which feeling very much like Ace Attorney characters in their own right, from a competent-yet-cocky defense attorney to an honest-yet-paranoid defendant. I'll go into further detail on this point later on in the review, but we also get some characters present that, despite not knowing their names and faces (save for one), feel very fun and believable to their situation, creating for some fun moments. Lastly, I'd like to say that this story definitely does a great job with its pacing, revealing new information in just the right amount of time to where things fall into place, though I feel like things may have fallen into place just a bit too quickly at times, as there are 2 moments where I was able to deduce what the solution was long before the rest of the characters (though as per usual in this situation, I can't tell if that's the fault of the writing or me being more clever than I give myself credit for). One of these moments was settled by the end of the entry, with one still needing to be resolved in the finished story, so I'm definitely itching to see this story complete so I can see that resolution (and see if my assumption was correct).

Presentation: As I've described above, this case is formatted like a standard Ace Attorney case, but that doesn't mean there aren't moments where things are shook up a bit. For example, there's one moment when you're speaking to a character in an Investigation where the entire layout is different than what we're used to in an Investigation, yet it works well for what the situation is. And the creators used the AAO engine's formatting to recreate a gameplay segment into something more visually unique, the classic example of using limitations to your advantage. That all being said, there are some issues related to this category. It's nothing big, but I spotted a few grammar mistakes while playing. Some were as subtle as "The prosecutions claims" instead of "The prosecution's claims", while some were more noticeable, such as "Cold War" being all lowercase later in the trial when each word was capitalized earlier in the story. Like I said, nothing big or game-breaking, but noticeable nonetheless. Also, one final comment is that I'm not the biggest fan of placing your credits at the start of the case, as I feel like it lightly spoiled some things that were to come. Though that might just be a personal preference.

Gameplay: While most of the entry is spent on your typical Ace Attorney gameplay of Investigations and Trials, we also spend some time using a Summation Examination mechanic as seen in The Great Ace Attorney. The mechanic is explained to the player similarly to how it was in GAA, allowing people who have not played those games to still grasp the concept, while also having the people who have played GAA understand how to "work it" in AAO, since, as alluded to in Presentation, it's created with and treated like the Cross-Examination portion of the engine. And just like in GAA, the Summation Examination mechanic here is fun and really makes you think. As stated in Story, we never see the jurors' faces or names, but we still interact with them as we would in GAA, thus leading to the same fun banter between themselves and the player. And one thing I appreciated here is that, unlike in GAA where all it takes is one pitting of a pair of explanations to get people to change their stances, it actually requires multiple pits before we get people officially changing their minds, and that not only feels more realistic, but it really makes for a greater challenge, which definitely makes this feel less like a tutorial and more like actual gameplay. Overall, the Summation Examination was definitely a fun addition to the gameplay and makes narrative sense to the case, so I'm very pleased.

Theme Relevance: Halfway through the entry, it's clear what the broken and followed rules are, which is very much appreciated from a judging standpoint. As for how these rules are executed, I'd say they were done brilliantly. The broken and followed rules are very much embedded into the story and in no way feel like afterthoughts or workaround additions to a pre-existing story. Very good execution of the comp theme.

Final Thoughts: This case is definitely one I'll be looking forward to playing if/when it gets finished, as it has all the makings of a good case: good writing, fun characters, and some differing gameplay moments to make it stand out. While there are some relatively minor issues with the grammar and it could feel a bit too easy at times, it was still a fun experience that I'm glad I got to play.

Thanks for the review! I'll just leave my quick responses below.

Spoiler : Humble Response with minor spoilers :

Oof on those grammar mistakes that slipped through the cracks. I'm guessing those were in act 2 mostly since our playtesters didn't get through it by deadline. I don't particularly blame them though, with 8000+ frames even playtesting on our end was time consuming and exhausting.

As for the difficulty, that's probably on me. I wanted the case to be generally easier as we were playing around with gaps in player and character knowledge while utilizing red herrings to flip assumptions on their head. This ended up making the puzzles less "what happened" and more "how do I convince the judge/jury" using the information on hand. Unfortunately for the competition side of things, I feel like these ideas come together a lot clearer in act 3, which I would still say is not very difficult, but has its own set of twists and turns that should make the mystery feel more narratively satisfying.

Other than that, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. Act 3 is rough-drafted in the editor, so we currently have no intention of abandoning it. I hope it lives up to your expectations following the first 2 parts.

Spoiler : :

And if you'd also like to leave us a list of grammatical errors you noticed so that we may fix that up after the comp, before we officially release the case, that would be good.

[enigma]

While we're waiting for more reviews to drop, here are some hype-shots I was going to present ages ago but didn't because I wanted to pair them with a trailer I never ended up finishing! (Better late than left to rot...) : D

Spoiler : :

[Awsome2464]

Review: "Turnabout of the Future" by DJJ6800

Spoiler : :

"Stupid" is a good way to describe such a law.

Synopsis: A law professor must defend himself for the murder of the Chief Justice in a time where trials are only held under certain circumstances.

Spoiler : Broken/Followed Commandments :

Broken Commandment:

• (Possibly) Rule 9: The sidekick of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind.

Followed Commandment:

• (Possibly) Rule 1: The criminal must be mentioned early in the story.

Story: This case is set in the year 2145 in New Los Angeles. During this era, trials have become a rare occurrence, only being used as a clause in high-profile situations. For an Ace Attorney-esque story, this is a very interesting setup, feeling inspired by how Khura'in operates in Spirit of Justice. The characters we're presented with feel like they belong in the Ace Attorney universe, from the honest defense to the jackass prosecution to the zany witnesses. And the mystery itself, while a bit basic, is still easy to follow for the most part and the player is able to think through logically. However, despite these praises, I do have some critiques in this department. For starters, had it not been for the case's title and the year being shown in transitions, I wouldn't have really known that we were over a century in the future. I understand we don't really see much of the world, itself, as the entire case is set in the courthouse, but every thing and person feels similar to our present. Had this case been set 10 or even 20 years in the future, that could be more forgiving, especially since the AA universe isn't 1:1 to ours, but when we're talking 100 years, I would've expected some sort of noticeable difference (To put it into context, that would be like if society in 2021 looked and behaved similarly to how it was in 1897). There was also a section towards the end regarding a witness that just felt very rushed. While I understand this was a crunch-time case, I still feel like too much information was revealed at once and it resolved too quickly. But for the most part, the story was an intriguing read with an interesting premise, though as it's currently incomplete, I do hope the conclusion is a satisfying one.

Presentation: I'll just come out right away and say that this is undeniably the weakest element of the entry, and as such, this section is going to come off very harsh. The biggest offender of this category is the fact that the creator needed to be contacted on 3 separate occasions for 3 moments where the correct way to proceed led to an immediate "The End" card. While this definitely isn't doing the entry any favors, that alone isn't the only issue regarding this category. Throughout the entire entry, issues such as lips moving through blue text, having to click through moments that should've been automatic (such as "Hold it!"s), the prosecution's overlay evidence being on the right side instead of the left (ultimately covering her head), the "Testimony" blinking text not appearing in testimonies, and even one witness's profile not being present in the Court Record were experienced. Some of these are admittedly nitpicky, such as the "Testimony" text, but others were immersion-breaking, such as having to click through normally automatic events. The only praise I can really say in this category is the character sprites do a good job at portraying their character, with one character in particular being the exact sprite set I had predicted based solely on their dialogue before their reveal. But for the most part, this case doesn't feel like it was playtested as well as it should have been, leading to immersion-breaking and game-ending moments that, frankly, shouldn't have been there in the "final" version.

Gameplay: This is your basic Ace Attorney trial gameplay of pointing out contradictions and figuring out the right answers to proceed. As stated above, there were 3 separate instances where the correct way to proceed through the case led to instant "The End" cards, which, as to be expected, was rather game-breaking. But other than that, the gameplay was as you'd expect from Ace Attorney.

Theme Relevance: The broken rule/rules didn't really present themselves until near the end of the entry, but seeing as how the case is still not finished, there's a chance it might not actually be the "correct" rule/rules in the way I am envisioning, as is also the case with the followed rule/rules. But as it currently stands, it's done a decent job at following the comp theme, breaking Knox's commandments while not feeling off.

Final Thoughts: As negative as this review comes off as, I am in no way trying to discourage the creator. In fact, I only want DJ to use this criticism to make the case the best it can be! While some of my critiques could be boiled down to personal preference, others are undeniably universal in nature, and I hope that you finish this case with as little flaws as possible (and should you be in need of a playtester come time for release, I'll be happy to fill the role).

[Blackrune]

Ah, a fellow victim of time pressure. You have my sympathies.

[DJJ6800]

Eh, it is what it is. I'm getting a collaborator on my next case. Whenever that happens. Someone who's good at mysteries so I can work on my strengths; characters and writing.

[Awsome2464]

Review: "Turnabout in the Lighthouse of Lunacy" by Blackrune

Spoiler : :

We can't handle the truth!

Synopsis: A journalist visiting an auction must defend herself in a makeshift civil trial.

Spoiler : Broken/Followed Commandments :

Broken Commandment:

• Rule 7: The detective must not themselves commit the crime.

Followed Commandments:

• (Possibly) Rule 1: The criminal must be mentioned early in the story.

• (Possibly) Rule 9: The sidekick of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind.

Story: This case starts right in the action, setting up exactly what the crime is, before transitioning to a flashback so we can figure out who all of these characters are and how they got here. This was a great way to start, in my opinion, and really gets the player wanting to see what's going on while adding some levels of irony and foreshadowing. Our leads are a journalist and her friend travelling to an auction, and as the story progresses, we learn more about them and the reason for the visit in a well-paced and organic way. This ultimately leads to a rushed-together trial for reasons that feel like an interesting approach to the situation. It could be argued that it maybe takes too long to catch up back to the beginning and get to the point, but by the time we do, we're well familiar with all the info we need, so there's really not much "filler" to be removed. One specific ability relating to our case's "Watson" originally felt like it came right out of nowhere, but after some reflection, it has a fair moment of foreshadowing, so I'm willing to not be harsh against it, though it is something for the author to consider when finishing the case. If I really had to give one critique in this area, it would be a moment right in the beginning that felt very unrealistic in an otherwise realistic scenario, that being a guard demanding a suspect hand them their weapon instead of telling them to drop it. But besides that, the writing flowed well and had some humorous moments, and it really makes me wish the story was finished.

Presentation: This case uses custom assets for the most part, with only 2 canon AA character sprites appearing. One is for sure used as an original character while the other is most likely an original character, though it's hard to know for sure. While using canon sprites as original characters is nothing new on AAO, it certainly feels out of place when everything else thus far has been original, but their usage fits well with their characters, so it's not as odd as it could've been. Though it should be noted that one of the AA character sprites was imported, because one of the animations is noticeably a pixel or so off from the rest of the sprites. It's not something immediately obvious, but after seeing the transition between poses occur a few times, it was picked up on. A final critique in this area is there were a few spelling/grammar errors that made me stop and reread the line to understand what was being said, such as "The [name]'s death was instant!" (I assume this was meant to be "The late [name]'s death was instant!" or something similar?) Despite all of these critiques, the presentation, for the most part, is very nice! As stated, most of the assets used come from outside of the editor, making for a more original-feeling game, despite it obviously using the Ace Attorney formatting.

Gameplay: As I just stated, this case uses the Ace Attorney formatting, and as such, we're given our usual Investigation and Trial segments (though the latter doesn't appear until noticeably later on). While there are multiple Investigation segments, only one is used as an actual investigation, the rest being a way to move the story along and talk to people you meet along the way. I do appreciate going this route instead of it all just being a long text dump until we get to the proper investigation, and it does create some funny present options along the way (with one piece of evidence in particular), but most of this entry isn't really spent "playing a game" as it is telling a story visual-novel style. While that's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, it's certainly noteworthy that there's around an hour between two of my saves, indicating that there was no choice/interaction to be made in that time. And I will acknowledge that the entry is incomplete, so there's definitely room for it to feel like more of a game, but as it stands now, it's about 80% story, 20% game. It should be noted that what gameplay we do get is very straightforward, though given the circumstances of this case, it actually makes sense, and I'm curious to see how that might apply going forward.

Theme Relevance: It's hard to know for sure at this time what the intended followed rule or rules are without it being finished, but as listed in the spoiler above, I have my assumption. But the broken rule/rules are very clear, and I applaud the creator's ability to handle it in a way that feels right and natural.

Final Thoughts: While some of its weaker elements became clear the longer I thought about it, I was having a blast while playing this entry. The story hooked me into this world and these characters, the usage of original assets helped differentiate it from standard AA, and the comp theme was implemented in a way that felt natural and satisfying. I hope Blackrune finishes this entry one day, as it's definitely quite an experience!

[Blackrune]

Review: "Turnabout in the Lighthouse of Lunacy" by Blackrune

Spoiler : :

We can't handle the truth!

Synopsis: A journalist visiting an auction must defend herself in a makeshift civil trial.

Spoiler : Broken/Followed Commandments :

Broken Commandment:

• Rule 7: The detective must not themselves commit the crime.

Followed Commandments:

• (Possibly) Rule 1: The criminal must be mentioned early in the story.

• (Possibly) Rule 9: The sidekick of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind.

Story: This case starts right in the action, setting up exactly what the crime is, before transitioning to a flashback so we can figure out who all of these characters are and how they got here. This was a great way to start, in my opinion, and really gets the player wanting to see what's going on while adding some levels of irony and foreshadowing. Our leads are a journalist and her friend travelling to an auction, and as the story progresses, we learn more about them and the reason for the visit in a well-paced and organic way. This ultimately leads to a rushed-together trial for reasons that feel like an interesting approach to the situation. It could be argued that it maybe takes too long to catch up back to the beginning and get to the point, but by the time we do, we're well familiar with all the info we need, so there's really not much "filler" to be removed. One specific ability relating to our case's "Watson" originally felt like it came right out of nowhere, but after some reflection, it has a fair moment of foreshadowing, so I'm willing to not be harsh against it, though it is something for the author to consider when finishing the case. If I really had to give one critique in this area, it would be a moment right in the beginning that felt very unrealistic in an otherwise realistic scenario, that being a guard demanding a suspect hand them their weapon instead of telling them to drop it. But besides that, the writing flowed well and had some humorous moments, and it really makes me wish the story was finished.

Presentation: This case uses custom assets for the most part, with only 2 canon AA character sprites appearing. One is for sure used as an original character while the other is most likely an original character, though it's hard to know for sure. While using canon sprites as original characters is nothing new on AAO, it certainly feels out of place when everything else thus far has been original, but their usage fits well with their characters, so it's not as odd as it could've been. Though it should be noted that one of the AA character sprites was imported, because one of the animations is noticeably a pixel or so off from the rest of the sprites. It's not something immediately obvious, but after seeing the transition between poses occur a few times, it was picked up on. A final critique in this area is there were a few spelling/grammar errors that made me stop and reread the line to understand what was being said, such as "The [name]'s death was instant!" (I assume this was meant to be "The late [name]'s death was instant!" or something similar?) Despite all of these critiques, the presentation, for the most part, is very nice! As stated, most of the assets used come from outside of the editor, making for a more original-feeling game, despite it obviously using the Ace Attorney formatting.

Gameplay: As I just stated, this case uses the Ace Attorney formatting, and as such, we're given our usual Investigation and Trial segments (though the latter doesn't appear until noticeably later on). While there are multiple Investigation segments, only one is used as an actual investigation, the rest being a way to move the story along and talk to people you meet along the way. I do appreciate going this route instead of it all just being a long text dump until we get to the proper investigation, and it does create some funny present options along the way (with one piece of evidence in particular), but most of this entry isn't really spent "playing a game" as it is telling a story visual-novel style. While that's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, it's certainly noteworthy that there's around an hour between two of my saves, indicating that there was no choice/interaction to be made in that time. And I will acknowledge that the entry is incomplete, so there's definitely room for it to feel like more of a game, but as it stands now, it's about 80% story, 20% game. It should be noted that what gameplay we do get is very straightforward, though given the circumstances of this case, it actually makes sense, and I'm curious to see how that might apply going forward.

Theme Relevance: It's hard to know for sure at this time what the intended followed rule or rules are without it being finished, but as listed in the spoiler above, I have my assumption. But the broken rule/rules are very clear, and I applaud the creator's ability to handle it in a way that feels right and natural.

Final Thoughts: While some of its weaker elements became clear the longer I thought about it, I was having a blast while playing this entry. The story hooked me into this world and these characters, the usage of original assets helped differentiate it from standard AA, and the comp theme was implemented in a way that felt natural and satisfying. I hope Blackrune finishes this entry one day, as it's definitely quite an experience!

Thanks for the review. I had no time to have anyone playtest so I'm happy to finally have some impressions.

Spoiler : :

I anticipated most of the points brought up. It's all on my todo list, but alas, some triage was necessary to get something somewhat playable out for the time being.
That one OC was a case of being unable to find or arrange for more fitting sprites for the specific character type I had in mind on short notice. Still possible I'll change them for the final version. I figured it'd look a little out of place.

I hadn't considered the gun part, you may have a point that that would be a more reasonable course of action, so I'll see how to adjust that.

As for finishing the case, I guess my track record of being done by the deadline isn't that great. But my track record of finishing them eventually is better, so here's hoping.