The Miracle Happen :')

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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by clcman »

Trybien wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 3:52 am
That Turnabout Where the Murderer Killed the Victim by clcman
Spoiler : Screenshot :
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It is on this day that I am sad to inform you that clcman has been banned for submitting an entry with excessive swearing. May his soul rest in piece and his unfinished cases unforgotten.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
A murder happens where someone is killed and a defense attorney defends his client while the prosecutor tries to convince the judge to hand down a guilty verdict on the defendant.
Spoiler : Review :

Story: We are back to the funny side of the case comp, and veteran AAO funny man clcman delivers. Funnily enough, this was my first time actually playing one of his cases and I can easily see the hype. Not only is the setup from the get go highly amusing, but the trial itself is funny bit after funny bit, without a single joke missing. Though, while the comedy of this case is airtight, the mystery itself feels kind of like window dressing to just how off the rails the actual proceedings are. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty there to put together a decent theory of how the crime went down based off of context clues, though if you are going in for anything other than the absolutely delightful courtroom shenanigans, you would be missing the point.

Characters: Great comedy case with great funny characters. Due this being some independent sequel to That Turnabout Where The Defendant Is The Murderer, there was clearly some history behind some of the characters involved, though even without that I could easily understand and have a fun time with the characters. In particular, the judge and the co-counsel were incredible individuals.

Presentation: You don’t get more classic AAO than using a bunch of assets from the editor. All the characters, sans the judge, do the classic OC character with a canon sprite. The judge herself has a familiar canon face, but it’s definitely not in the editor, I checked. Everything looks and sounds as you can expect; however, I wanted to shout out one incredibly brilliant use of a canon CG and how the story was written around it.

Gameplay: Outside of one sneaky investigation block, we have a trial only experience here, and for the most part it plays as you can expect. Puzzle logic can be a bit hit or miss, with one cross-examination in particular I found a bit questionable.

Theme Relevance: As you might have expected from a clcman comedy case, he somehow managed to work the theme into some very funny goofs and gags. Most of the time he is riffing on the first definition of the theme, but there is one very questionable use of the second theme that leads to a great visual gag.
Spoiler : Overall :
PROS
-Funny man made a funny case
-Great use of canon content
-Hilarious and lovable cast
CONS
-Actual story and narrative is a bit lacking
Good job finding a useable screenshot in there! It's hard to find something that is representative without spoiling anything.
Spoiler : :
For some background trivia, this case is actually three cases fused into one. The core crime and plot are from my first ever AAO case attempt, even before A Pre-Emptive Turnabout, all the way back in 2011. Over the years, the plot moved between a number of protagonists (including a Hobo Phoenix/Edgeworth team-up and a different OC attorney) before eventually being combined with the characters and tone of That Turnabout Where The Defendant Is The Murderer. When I was considering options for this comp, I initially envisioned a further TTWTDITM sequel ("That Turnabout That Ends In A Verdict") where Patrick faced Winston Payne, but whenever either of them made any progress, someone would kick down the door with new evidence or testimony for the other side. Eventually, I decided that Murdered Killed The Victim worked well enough for this comp theme and folded Ends In A Verdict's primary gag into it. The results seem to have worked pretty well.
Unfortunately, the case itself is only about 15-20% done, cutting it off from the other classic clcman trope of utterly excessive number of characters (not to mention plot complexity) and leaving out, among other things, the ninja lady, the prosecutor's assistant, a witness the entire court fears, closely scrutinized firefighting equipment, rocks, family emergencies, (more) unwise presses, questionable ethics, insurance policy debates, the CLC Extended Universe, the murderer killing the victim and, potentially, a deus ex machina.

Someday on AAO...
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"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by applekitty »

Trybien wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 5:30 am
Turnabout for Human Rights by applekitty and eerew
Spoiler : Screenshot :
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You have personally caused me to lose IQ, and I will never forgive you. Though, between the two of us, I think I got the better end of the bargain.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
Defense Attorney Evan Denceforge visits his good friend Alberto Quintero, and they have a gay ol’ time… that is until there is some foul play...
Spoiler : Review :

Story: For anyone who has played The Based Turnabout, you might be familiar with the tonal whiplash that these two creatives are capable of. For those who haven’t, imagine if your dms with eerew were somehow turned into an irreverent mystery thriller. That being said, what we have here is a mixture of immature comedy and actually well thought out mystery that is actually very compelling and enjoyable if the sense of humour tickles your fancy. While the case is still incomplete, four parts were turned in and it's a freakin’ beast of a narrative. Not only did this take me multiple hours to finish, but they also went out of their way to create tons of unique optional presents and examines in the two pretty chunky investigations. As for we are left off, its right at the turning point where we take down the big bad, and I am excited to see what nonsense they have in store for wrapping this up.

Characters: Similar to The Based Turnabout being a trial taking canon characters and warping them into out of character nonsensical versions of themselves, that sort of seems to be the case here, but with the OCs of Evan Denceforge and Alberto Quintero. Now granted, I know very little about these characters outside of references, so for all intents and purposes they felt like your typical OCs to me written in the quirky eerew and kitty style. Same can be said about the rest of the original cast, some weird balance of an immature middle/highschooler and overly self aware 20 y/o, all too their varying degrees. The bulk of the case revolving around Evan and Alberto’s interactions end up feeling like an utter delight, and this all comes to a head with one of the greatest concepts for a villain I have seen in a long time. Overall very fun and enjoyable case, assuming they don’t get on your nerves.

Presentation: Where do I even begin with this. Kitty and ereew have a particular style to their presentation, grabbing a mishmash of visual and sound assets from who knows where, and I have absolutely no idea what was made for the case and what was repurposed thanks to the lack credits. For example, eerew combed through one of my lets plays and sampled me saying objection to use as a voice clip for one of the characters. Consider me flattered and scarred. What I can say though is that despite all of this, the presentation has a very strong sense of coherent identity... somehow, and the use of visual and audio humor hits the nail on the head… assuming you like that sort of thing.

Gameplay: Regardless of what you might think of the rest of the case, the gameplay is objectively top tier. The two full investigation scenes are well planned out with tons of optional presents and examines. The courtroom segments have well thought out logic puzzles and fair cross examinations. On top of that, there are a couple of instances where they use the bottom screen for little minigames, and they both work well enough despite being completely unnecessary. Though the last one is not very mouse friendly…
Spoiler : :
Theme Relevance: Mission accomplished. For the vast majority of the entry, the case keeps hinting at the theme, promising a deus ex machina, and by jove they manage to pull off both definitions in two incredibly original ways. Mind you both of them are both narratively silly, like very very silly, but given who created the case, I think that is no surprise.
Spoiler : Overall :
PROS
- It's a very good case if you like this sort of thing
- Lots of quirky funny characters
- Neat gameplay gimmicks
- My voice is in the entry
CONS
- It's a very bad case if you do not like this sort of thing
- Character writing could very easily be a turn off for some
- Not very mouse friendly... probably not trackpad friendly either
- My voice is in the entry
Thanks for playing. :smil:
Spoiler : :
Most visual assets are from me except for all the ocs that aren't Evan, but I share credit for the evan sprites with my friend transscrina. Will be elaborated on further when the end comes out with the credits scene... *giggle and kicks feet
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by eerew »

thanks for the review mr trybien... i'll make sure the final product is um really c-cool for you...
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by Trybien »

Turnabout Divergence by skyem
Spoiler : Screenshot :
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*Screams incoherently at Phoenix about the evidence obviously being hella sus*... "Oh... I forgot this wasn't the actual real game... my bad."
Spoiler : Synopsis (AJ Spoilers) :
While defending a famous magician for his master's murdee, Phoenix Wright is handed a mysterious piece of evidence designed to destroy his career. Luckily for him, a certain chance encounter causes him to escape this dreadful trap.
Spoiler : Review (More AJ Spoilers) :

Story: After all the nonsense I’ve been forced to suffer through this competition, skyem swoops in at the end to submit a feel good retelling of the flashback case from 4-4. For the most part, the beginning of the case plays out roughly the same through the first two cross-examinations, and they feel faithfully recreated outside of some extra internal dialogue which help the divergence feel more grounded. The case smartly introduces the deus ex machina (or two) right at the start, and they do not feel hamfisted all while smartly only nudging Phoenix into the correct direction. Your mileage may vary through the recreated testimonies based on how much you like those parts, but I think most players would easily find the payoff worth it. Personally, this felt like the exact sort of power fantasy retelling of one of my least favorite parts of one of my favorite games in the series. While the case itself is currently incomplete, it leaves off at a very satisfying place, and I look forward to see what skyem has in store for the rest of it.

Characters: As you might expect, Turnabout Divergence is a case that uses canon characters. Considering it uses parts of the canon script, skyem took a big risk having her portrayal of the cast clash with the official content. Thankfully, she managed to dance that line of making all of the non-canon actions feel believable, and in some ways feel more in character for Phoenix as an experienced attorney compared to his flagrantly careless portrayal in the canon material. In particular, I absolutely loved the moment where Phoenix one-ups Klavier through bluffs and goading to get around presenting the forged evidence. Speaking of Klavier, it was really great seeing the overconfident rookie have the narrative he built for himself crumble while he desperately tries to cope with the fact he was played.

Presentation: Unless I am incorrect, this was the only entry to use Catalysis, and outside of some asset and timer weirdness, the case looks and feels like your traditional Ace Attorney fair. There is one set of custom sprites used in the case, and they fit right in with the rest of the cast. The only time the case really deviates from the typical look and feel is for a sort of visual gag near the end, and given the context I think it fits despite being the one time I was like “oh yeah, this is a fan game”. Not that there was much other way to work around it I think?

Gameplay: Go figure that a retelling of a trial only segment is trial only. As to be expected, the first two cross-examinations play just like you’d expect. What makes the gameplay actually sort of impressive is how the feel and approach to the later cross-examinations feel consistent with the canon material in the case. At no point did I feel like I was playing two different games made by two different creatives, it all flowed seamlessly,

Theme Relevance: Outside of the obvious deus ex machina at the beginning that sets Wright on course to not being an utter embarrassment to the profession, there are quite a few scattered throughout the trial. Each and every one of these hit that sweet spot of being surprising and convenient without feeling unreasonable and hamfisted. I will say the very last one felt overly convenient, but it’s also sort of balanced by being sort of humorous and kind of necessary to setting up the cliffhanger at the very end.
Spoiler : Overall :
PROS
-Believable divergence from one of the more questionable parts in the canon
-Feel good Phoenix Wright power fantasy
-Ends up feeling one one cohesive product rather than a fan rewrite
CONS
-Relatively minor presentation bugs
Last edited by Trybien on Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by skyem »

Woooo!
Glad I made it, and glad you had fun playing it.
I guess that's all Trybien's reviews done, now we all await for SpongeSonic's.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by trialdude »

In order to lessen the pain of waiting, here is a meme.
Spoiler : :
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I have the stupidest username in all of AAO. Nowhere else will you find one more stupid.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by TimeAxis »

trialdude wrote: Sun Jun 19, 2022 5:25 am In order to lessen the pain of waiting, here is a meme.
Spoiler : :
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Spoiler : :
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by Spongesonic »

The Reflective Turnabout Review
Entry by: Sonnie Celanna
Spoiler : Screenshot :
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Maybe stop making yourself an easy target, Apollo.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
Apollo takes on a locked room murder case, where only the defendant and victim were in the room. However, the prosecution can't seem to find the missing murder weapon...
Spoiler : Review :
Story: The case is set during a flashback, some time after the events of Apollo Justice, but before the events of Dual Destinies. For the most part, it just sorta seems like a standard case, with not much that would initially make it stand out. The pacing is rather quick, tending not to linger on moments for very long. Much of what makes it stand out really hinges on the big twist reveal that completely changes your perspective of how it all played out, though I will save that for when I get to Theme Relevance. Overall, the story isn't bad, but one would struggle to see what makes it special until that big twist.

Characters: The characters are a bit of a mixed bag. Some are really great and memorable, some are just kinda there, and some can get rather annoying. In particular, I wasn't fond of how the defendant would just kinda start explaining things, stop, and then go "nah, you'll find out soon enough," and the first witness bringing the story to a halt led to him getting on my nerves real quick. However, the interactions between the canon characters are all pretty well handled, and their interactions were the best part of the character writing. If you like the interactions between Apollo, Trucy, Ema, and Klavier in AJ, you'll like them here. Since none of the new characters were focused on for too long, I'd say that even the annoying ones don't stay long enough to be that much of a bother, so the canon characters easily make up for whatever faults are there. Because of that, I'd say the good outweighs the bad.

Presentation: The unique sprites and backgrounds were pretty well done, though because of art delays there are sadly no courtroom sprites for custom OCs. I expect that will likely be fixed when it eventually gets published, however. The main issue with presentation typically comes from grammar mistakes and typos, character's sprites speaking when they're not supposed to and vice versa, some missing timing on certain things like fades, and some missing sound effects. The presentation was definitely the weakest part of the case, but the unique art does help to make up for that.

Gameplay: Gameplay was pretty standard, puzzles are usually pretty easy and don't require much thought, though the mystery behind the gameplay is a fair bit more complicated than it may appear at first. Once the actual truth behind the mystery is revealed, the solution is actually extremely clever, and definitely feels like something that could be in an actual Ace Attorney game. What drags the gameplay down a bit is that I feel like the case had a fair bit of filler testimonies that only exist to give the player a contradiction to point out, while not really adding to the mystery. Some of these are played off as a joke, but even then it's still one of the big no-nos of case design. For the most part, though, it's not bad, just not anything spectacular.

Theme Relevance:
Spoiler : Interpretation(s) Used: :
1) An unsolvable problem being solved by a sudden and unexpected happenstance
Since so much of the case in hinging on the big Deus ex Machina twist, it's fitting that not only is it expertly handled, but also the best part of the mystery. Once the twist happens, not only does it create a bit of tension for reasons that are too much of a spoiler to discuss here, but it also opens up the possibility of what really happened. From there, the pieces fall into place like dominoes. If something like this place was put into an actual Ace Attorney game, you wouldn't think twice about it being a Deus ex Machina. Very good use of theme.
Spoiler : Final Thoughts :
A pretty standard case with a fantastic twist and great use of the comp's theme. The issues with presentation and filler testimonies do hold it back, but I'd recommend playing through it at least once to see what it's about.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by Sonnie Celanna »

Both the reviews for mine back and wow they are interesting to look at side by side.

At least now I really can fully relax until the awards come out.
S. Cel :april: :pearlhappy:
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by Spongesonic »

Champion of Turnabouts Review
Entry by: TimeAxis
Spoiler : Screenshot :
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Agreed, Olga. Agreed. All in.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
A gambling addict down on his luck challenges Phoenix Wright to a game of Poker... with the help of the Goddess of Luck. Will he accept her blessing to cheat his way to the top? Or will he win on his own terms?
Spoiler : Review :
Story: While the gameplay is the star of the show here, there is a dedicated story mode that details who the main character is, what his motivations are, and how he came to be in this position. Overall, considering what this entry is going for, the story works fairly well. It's simple, but effective, with three different endings to achieve. Finding all the endings shouldn't take to long once you get to know how the system works. This is supposedly a crossover with the Kaiji series, which I never played, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Characters: Most of the characters are canon Ace Attorney characters, but there are a few that aren't. Everyone is written very well, from a prideful protagonist out to restore his broken ego, to a hobo Phoenix who acts exactly how you'd expect, to a mysterious goddess who has her own agenda. By the end, I felt like all the characters had gotten plenty of moments to shine and show off their personalities - which is pretty outstanding considering what this entry is trying to be. The interactions between the main protagonist and the Goddess of Luck are particularly good in the alternate endings.

Presentation: The presentation in this entry is absolutely stellar. I don't think there were character sprites or backgrounds made specifically for this case, but how they're used all fit perfectly. The assets related to the UI are amazing to see in action - it's almost hard to believe you're looking at something made with the limitations of AAO at times. Music choices were all excellent. They fit the mood and are fun to listen to.

Gameplay: The gameplay is the real star of the show for this entry. What we have here is a fully functional version of One Poker (from Kaiji) in the AAO engine. Once you have the rules explained to you, you're thrown right into the action, with a whole host of options available - putting down cards, raising and calling, folding, the whole spiel. You know how Poker works. Of course, any Poker game is incomplete without good AI, and what TimeAxis has managed with this is nothing short of incredible. There are a total of five(ish) opponents you can face, each with their own AI - some of them are better at calling bluffs, some of them get luckier draws, some are better at hiding if they have good cards, but they all have their own weaknesses to exploit. On top of that, there's even a system of tell-spotting at play, where the opponent you're facing will react depending on whether the card they draw is good, neutral, or bad. Learning their tells is a bit difficult without reading up on the guide, admittedly, but that's a minor nitpick at best. The most interesting addition to the gameplay is the ability to change your card after you put it down. You can only do it a certain number of times, but it's useful for taking down some of the tougher opponents... or you could opt to not use it and play fair. Every opponent is beatable without using it, after all. Overall, the gameplay in this entry is incredibly well-polished and fun to play.

Theme Relevance:
Spoiler : Interpretation(s) Used: :
2) Something impossible/highly improbable happening that can only be explained away with divine intervention
This is probably one of the most creative uses of the comp theme I've seen thus far. I don't know what lies up ahead, but I doubt many of them have turned the comp theme into a legitimate gameplay mechanic. Not to mention, it feels very interwoven into the story without coming off as forced. Excellent job.
Spoiler : Final Thoughts :
This is a must-play for sure. Even if you're not a big fan of Poker, it's worth playing just to see the kind of wizardry TimeAxis accomplished here. I was very impressed by this one.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by TimeAxis »

Spongesonic wrote: Mon Jun 20, 2022 6:38 am
Champion of Turnabouts Review
Entry by: TimeAxis
Spoiler : Screenshot :
Image
Agreed, Olga. Agreed. All in.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
A gambling addict down on his luck challenges Phoenix Wright to a game of Poker... with the help of the Goddess of Luck. Will he accept her blessing to cheat his way to the top? Or will he win on his own terms?
Spoiler : Review :
Story: While the gameplay is the star of the show here, there is a dedicated story mode that details who the main character is, what his motivations are, and how he came to be in this position. Overall, considering what this entry is going for, the story works fairly well. It's simple, but effective, with three different endings to achieve. Finding all the endings shouldn't take to long once you get to know how the system works. This is supposedly a crossover with the Kaiji series, which I never played, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Characters: Most of the characters are canon Ace Attorney characters, but there are a few that aren't. Everyone is written very well, from a prideful protagonist out to restore his broken ego, to a hobo Phoenix who acts exactly how you'd expect, to a mysterious goddess who has her own agenda. By the end, I felt like all the characters had gotten plenty of moments to shine and show off their personalities - which is pretty outstanding considering what this entry is trying to be. The interactions between the main protagonist and the Goddess of Luck are particularly good in the alternate endings.

Presentation: The presentation in this entry is absolutely stellar. I don't think there were character sprites or backgrounds made specifically for this case, but how they're used all fit perfectly. The assets related to the UI are amazing to see in action - it's almost hard to believe you're looking at something made with the limitations of AAO at times. Music choices were all excellent. They fit the mood and are fun to listen to.

Gameplay: The gameplay is the real star of the show for this entry. What we have here is a fully functional version of One Poker (from Kaiji) in the AAO engine. Once you have the rules explained to you, you're thrown right into the action, with a whole host of options available - putting down cards, raising and calling, folding, the whole spiel. You know how Poker works. Of course, any Poker game is incomplete without good AI, and what TimeAxis has managed with this is nothing short of incredible. There are a total of five(ish) opponents you can face, each with their own AI - some of them are better at calling bluffs, some of them get luckier draws, some are better at hiding if they have good cards, but they all have their own weaknesses to exploit. On top of that, there's even a system of tell-spotting at play, where the opponent you're facing will react depending on whether the card they draw is good, neutral, or bad. Learning their tells is a bit difficult without reading up on the guide, admittedly, but that's a minor nitpick at best. The most interesting addition to the gameplay is the ability to change your card after you put it down. You can only do it a certain number of times, but it's useful for taking down some of the tougher opponents... or you could opt to not use it and play fair. Every opponent is beatable without using it, after all. Overall, the gameplay in this entry is incredibly well-polished and fun to play.

Theme Relevance:
Spoiler : Interpretation(s) Used: :
2) Something impossible/highly improbable happening that can only be explained away with divine intervention
This is probably one of the most creative uses of the comp theme I've seen thus far. I don't know what lies up ahead, but I doubt many of them have turned the comp theme into a legitimate gameplay mechanic. Not to mention, it feels very interwoven into the story without coming off as forced. Excellent job.
Spoiler : Final Thoughts :
This is a must-play for sure. Even if you're not a big fan of Poker, it's worth playing just to see the kind of wizardry TimeAxis accomplished here. I was very impressed by this one.
Thanks for the review! Oh, but just so you know:
Spoiler : :
I don't think there were character sprites or backgrounds made specifically for this case, but how they're used all fit perfectly.
There were. Tenyo, the black suited goons, and the "???" guy sprites were made by me for this case. Some of the canon character breakdown sprites were also made for this case.
Seems like I'll be able to release the case shortly after the comp without needing to change much, so that's good.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by skyem »

...oh boy, and onwards to the next review we await.
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by Spongesonic »

Turnabout Retribution Review
Entry by: The Fury Wraith
Spoiler : Screenshot :
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Huh. Not very often people get excited to see the badge.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
The Devil sends Kristoph Gavin back in time in a battle for his soul. How to win the bet? Kill Phoenix Wright.
Spoiler : Review :
Story: The storytelling here is absolutely phenomenal. There's clear stakes, goals, and urgency to the plot right off the bat, which are always in the back of your mind as the case progresses. The tension is so thick that you can cut it with a knife, not only because of the looming pressure of what will happen if you fail, but also because the protagonist is forced to interact with the one person he hates most of all in the world. Because of all these factors, standard Ace Attorney tropes, such as an impossible case that's stacked in the prosecution's favor, have their effects magnified tenfold. The entry is sadly incomplete as of the time of this review, but I'm excited to see where it goes next.

Characters: The character writing is generally excellent. We've got a batch of new and old characters here, and all of them are fun to watch with memorable personalities. However, the star of the show here is Kristoph Gavin, our main protagonist. The way we really get into his head and see the world from his eyes is what ties everything together, and getting to see how he operates, tries to keep his cool while hiding his dark side, and - crucially - shows off his major weaknesses that end up putting him in more trouble, are the best parts of the character writing. All of the other characters could suck hard (which they, of course, don't) and Kristoph's characterization would still be enough for this to all be a net positive.

Presentation: Sprites for OC Characters are taken from the OC thread, and work pretty well for the characters they represent. Likewise, the backgrounds represent what they need to fairly well. There are no courtroom overview sprites, though that's likely due to time constraints more than anything. What I'm not fond of with the presentation is the characters disappearing in the courtroom scenes every time the camera shifts. But what really drives home the presentation is the music. The music choices help sell the atmosphere of this story, especially in the more tense moments. The music used for the courtroom scenes, in particular, give off the feeling that the day of reckoning is coming, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. Overall, pretty great stuff.

Gameplay: The investigation was handled pretty well, with it being pretty open and having some fun moments. It can get a bit too pixel-huntey for me at times, though. (One piece of evidence in particular, I would've never found without the guide.) The courtroom stuff is hard to comment on, since there's only two cross-examinations finished so far, so I don't know how the puzzles will turn out. However, with what we do have, the logic is pretty easy to follow. Since these are just the first two testimonies, they're not particularly difficult, and I'm still clueless on what the true solution is, though I look forward to seeing how the puzzles expand in the future.

Theme Relevance:
Spoiler : Interpretation(s) Used: :
1) An unsolvable problem being solved by a sudden and unexpected happenstance
2) Something impossible/highly improbable happening that can only be explained away with divine intervention
Even though this case is unfinished, the Deus ex Machina is made clear right from the very beginning, and becomes the central plot point that the story revolves around. Ironically enough, even though this case involves the literal Devil, it really is more accurate to call it a Deus ex Machina rather than a Diabolus ex Machina, since it serves to help the protagonist rather than the antagonist. Regardless, since the entire plot revolves around the Deus ex Machina, it doesn't end up feeling like a forced inclusion in the slightest, and actually is one of the key factors in its amazing sense of urgency. This case would feel incomplete without it.
Spoiler : Final Thoughts :
A fantastic story and atmosphere with an extremely compelling protagonist lead to this case being one of the ones I'm most looking forward to being finished. This case knocked it out of the park so far.
Last edited by Spongesonic on Mon Jun 20, 2022 8:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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The Fury Wraith
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by The Fury Wraith »

Spongesonic wrote: Mon Jun 20, 2022 5:27 pm
Turnabout Retribution Review
Entry by: The Fury Wraith
Spoiler : Screenshot :
Image
Huh. Not very often people get excited to see the badge.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
The Devil sends Kristoph Gavin back in time in a battle for his soul. How to win the bet? Kill Phoenix Wright.
Spoiler : Review :
Story: The storytelling here is absolutely phenomenal. There's clear stakes, goals, and urgency to the plot right off the bat, which are always in the back of your mind as the case progresses. The tension is so thick that you can cut it with a knife, not only because of the looming pressure of what will happen if you fail, but also because the protagonist is forced to interact with the one person he hates most of all in the world. Because of all these factors, standard Ace Attorney tropes, such as an impossible case that's stacked in the prosecution's favor, have their effects magnified tenfold. The entry is sadly incomplete as of the time of this review, but I'm excited to see where it goes next.

Characters: The character writing is generally excellent. We've got a batch of new and old characters here, and all of them are fun to watch with memorable personalities. However, the star of the show here is Kristoph Gavin, our main protagonist. The way we really get into his head and see the world from his eyes is what ties everything together, and getting to see how he operates, tries to keep his cool while hiding his dark side, and - crucially - shows off his major weaknesses that end up putting him in more trouble, are the best parts of the character writing. All of the other characters could suck hard (which they, of course, don't) and Kristoph's characterization would still be enough for this to all be a net positive.

Presentation: Sprites for OC Characters are taken from the OC thread, and work pretty well for the characters they represent. Likewise, the backgrounds represent what they need to fairly well. There are no courtroom overview sprites, though that's likely due to time constraints more than anything. What I'm not fond of with the presentation is the characters disappearing in the courtroom scenes every time the camera shifts. But what really drives home the presentation is the music. The music choices help sell the atmosphere of this story, especially in the more tense moments. The music used for the courtroom scenes, in particular, give off the feeling that the day of reckoning is coming, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. Overall, pretty great stuff.

Gameplay: The investigation was handled pretty well, with it being pretty open and having some fun moments. It can get a bit too pixel-huntey for me at times, though. (One piece of evidence in particular, I would've never found without the guide.) The courtroom stuff is hard to comment on, since there's only two cross-examinations finished so far, so I don't know how the puzzles will turn out. However, with what we do have, the logic is pretty easy to follow. Since these are just the first two testimonies, they're not particularly difficult, and I'm still clueless on what the true solution is, though I look forward to seeing how the puzzles expand in the future.

Theme Relevance:
Spoiler : :
1) An unsolvable problem being solved by a sudden and unexpected happenstance
2) Something impossible/highly improbable happening that can only be explained away with divine intervention
Even though this case is unfinished, the Deus ex Machina is made clear right from the very beginning, and becomes the central plot point that the story revolves around. Ironically enough, even though this case involves the literal Devil, it really is more accurate to call it a Deus ex Machina rather than a Diabolus ex Machina, since it serves to help the protagonist rather than the antagonist. Regardless, since the entire plot revolves around the Deus ex Machina, it doesn't end up feeling like a forced conclusion in the slightest, and actually is one of the key factors in its amazing sense of urgency. This case would feel incomplete without it.
Spoiler : Final Thoughts :
A fantastic story and atmosphere with an extremely compelling protagonist lead to this case being one of the ones I'm most looking forward to being finished. This case knocked it out of the park so far.
Thank you for the review!
Spoiler : :
I'm really glad you enjoyed it so much! Also glad the choices I made with this case are paying off. Some of the technical stuff (Character disappearances from camera shifts and courtroom overview sprites) are definitely things I hope to have fixed when I finish the product. I do wish I could have finished more of it before the comp deadline, as the case is really just beginning, but I will definitely finish this one hopefully sooner rather than later. (At least I'll be sure to return working on it as soon as the comp ends)

Thanks to both Trybien and Sponge for playing!
Case made by me: Turnabout Retribution
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Spongesonic
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Re: The Miracle Happen :')

Post by Spongesonic »

The Strange Case Of The Turnabout Review
Entry by: XavierWright
Spoiler : Screenshot :
Image
Try telling that to every prosecutor in this series ever.
Spoiler : Synopsis :
A defense attorney from the UK comes to visit his friend, Henry Jekyll... but Jekyll gets caught up in a murder case he's not sure he's innocent of.
Spoiler : Review :
Story: So, this case is somewhat of a retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. While I'm not super familiar with the original story, I do know the basics of it. Sadly, since this case currently only consists of one investigation segment, it ends before it starts to get to the exciting courtroom bits. Still, the foundation for an interesting mystery is there, and I'm intrigued where it's going to go next, and how it's going to use our knowledge of the original story to play with our expectations. There's also a bit of a tie-in to The Great Ace Attorney duology as well, though the case ends before it can be fully explained. There's a lot of potential in this story, but for now we're just seeing the opening bits.

Characters: I hope nobody takes offense to me wording it like this, but there's a certain British dryness to the characterization in this case. I don't mean that as an insult at all - simply that the characters are generally polite, and that the emotions they show tend to be a bit more subdued. That's not to say the characters are bad, mind you - the emotions may be subtle, but there's a lot of meaning behind them. Personally, I quite like it, and considering the story this case is adapting, I think it fits quite well. Still, since this entry is so short, we'll just have to wait and see where their arcs take them.

Presentation: Presentation was pretty alright for the most part. Character sprites and backgrounds fit well, and nothing really seems out of place. Music choices are also generally pretty good. But there's nothing really stand-out about the presentation. Not that it's bad, but it's simply just doing what it needs to do.

Gameplay: The gameplay in this entry isn't super in-depth, at least not yet. So far it's just an investigation segment, and a fairly linear one at that, with no real need to examine anything at that. While there's no real chance of getting lost, it mainly just feels like build-up for the main event that's about to come. There's really not much to this one.

Theme Relevance:
Note: Since this entry is currently incomplete, this is mostly just a guess at this point.
Spoiler : Interpretation(s) Used: :
1) An unsolvable problem being solved by a sudden and unexpected happenstance
I can't say I'm really to sure about how this ties into the comp theme, to be honest. I do have one guess, which would be a moment when one of the characters is in danger, but then something suddenly happens to get them out of that danger, but I'm not sure how much it counts as a Deus ex Machina, as well as being a bit glossed over in the narrative, at least for the time being. I definitely feel like the relation to the theme could've been stronger here.
Spoiler : Final Thoughts :
This case definitely has a lot of potential to lead somewhere interesting, though it's definitely a case of "wait and see". That, and I feel like the case could've been more clear on its relation to the comp's theme.
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Winner of the "Broken Commandments" Case Competition
-------
♂ + ♂ = ♥
♀ + ♀ = ♥
♀ + ♂ = ♥
Love should be genderless.
If you agree, please add this to your signature.


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