The Great Ace Attorney Is Finally Being Localised, And We Should All Be Excited

Few can argue Capcom had a rough time last year. Having been targeted in a ransomware attack, a lot of their upcoming plans leaked online, including a few details about Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village. Amongst them? A surprising revelation for Ace Attorney fans. At long last, we knew that The Great Ace Attorney was coming to the West, and that got officially confirmed last week.

Many are familiar with the exploits of Phoenix Wright, but few know of his ancestor, Ryūnosuke Naruhodō. Across 2015 and 2017, Capcom released two distant prequels with this new protagonist, set around the 20th century. Known in Japan as Dai Gyakuten Saiban, they're coming this July in a compilation set as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Even if you've not played the original games, there's several reasons to be excited.

The Great Ace Attorney Is Finally Being Localised, And We Should All Be Excited

Before anything else, Ace Attorney's gameplay loop remains entertaining. As defence lawyers, each case sees us taking on a new client who's been wrongly accused of murder. Cases are generally split into two sections, investigating the crime in one half before taking this fight to court. Most entries require us to convince the Judge with evidence, but by shifting the setting to Great Britain, Great Ace Attorney implements a jury system instead, offering a fresh take on this formula.

Adding to this, Ace Attorney's sense of humour reemains one of its strongest elements. Between ridiculously named characters from Frank Didit Sahwit and Pees'lubn Andistan'dhin, to Klavier Gavin nicknaming Apollo Justice "Herr Forehead", this legal thriller comedy-drama has always maintained a light touch. For a game focused on clearing clients of murder, that's no easy feat, and Great Ace Attorney is no exception.

Thirdly, alongside your assistant Susato Mikotoba, Herlock Sholmes is your investigate companion. Yes, you read that correctly. Thanks to U.S. copyright laws, Sherlock Holmes' use remains contested by the Doyle Estate, despite being public domain in the UK and Japan. So, rather than incur legal issues, Capcom's decision to blatantly rename him is stupidly funny. Even Sony had to go "yes, really" in the official announcement.

Honestly, I could go on here, but it's better to see for yourself. There's plenty of reasons to be excited, and after six long years, we're finally getting Great Ace Attorney localised. If you've never touched the main entries beforehand, I strongly advise taking a look into the Trilogy Collection first. With 6 main entries, numerous spin-off, and a fantastic cast, Ace Attorney contains some truly fantastic adventures worth looking into, and I cannot wait for this next step.