#chasm plays aai

[reminisced-turnabout]

So I finished Ace Attorney Investigations 2 a couple of days ago

It was fantastic

(spoilers under cut)

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The Grand Turnabout demonstrates just how good the writing in this series can be. It ties up the plot threads of the story superbly. It was a satisfying conclusion

I liken this game to a rollercoaster. There were a lot of twists that catch you off guard the first time you play this game. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride

One of the standout sections of this case was the logic chess with Sebastian. This post discusses this moment better than I ever could. Still, I want to talk about it

This moment flipped the logic chess mechanic on its head. Instead of using it to pry information from someone, you're using it as a way to comfort someone in a highly vulnerable, emotional state

And the fact that Edgeworth helped Sebastian to find the strength to pick himself up and stand up to his own abusive father was jaw-dropping. Not only that, he sent him to jail. There is an unbelievable amount of strength it takes to do that

This post talks about the parallels between Sebastian and Miles. It was so cool to see that play out and have it conclude with Sebastian breaking the cycle of abuse. I've said this before, but he's allowed to grow and I think that's important

This case also made me like Judge Courtney more. Here, she showed a much more vulnerable side, especially when it's revealed that she's a mother. And her son got kidnapped. Then accused of murdering the president. I felt sorry for the both of them, to be honest... By the end of the case, Courtney felt more comfortable with the idea of expressing her emotions instead of keeping them behind a strong judge persona. I love that kind of growth for her

Now, let's talk twists

The fact that there was a fake president shocked me, especially with the realisation that the real one had been dead for years. Zheng Fa had been governed by a fake president for over a decade...

It was also shocking how Dogen was involved. He was the one who assassinated the president, as part of a plot involving Patricia (the warden from the second case) and Blaise. Then they tried to kill Dogen (jesus) but he escaped because of an orphan

Speaking of which

JESUS FUCK, SIMON KEYES

Unfortunately, the twist of him being the mastermind behind everything that happened in the game was spoiled to me. I refuse to believe it, so my question was mostly "him? how????"

WELL

Turned out he was a two-faced motherfucker who exploited everyone's emotional vulnerabilities to get his way. And he had no remorse for his actions

Somehow, the final confrontation against him felt more frustrating than the confrontation with Quercus Alba in the last game, despite the fact that the latter dragged on. Maybe it was because I was tired and I was trying to not use a guide, so Simon's mocking got to me more. Maybe it's the fact that the confrontation wasn't broken up as much by any sort of ridiculousness. It was just Simon running circles around you, ridiculing you while he stayed juuust out of reach because you don't have the evidence

And he had the fucking audacity to have a fake breakdown

But here's the thing: he's a well-written, very tragic villain. He was a child who was used by his father, betrayed by his childhood friend (who was also being used by his dad) and spent an indescribable amount of time on the run with an assassin while fearing for his life. He became vengeful because there was no one he could trust. He couldn't even go to the authorities because of the corruption in the system (thanks Blaise). As Miles stated in the end, Simon was a victim who was let down by the system of law. This doesn't excuse his actions, merely explains them

Another interesting thing about Simon is that he's just a guy. And yet, he was able to manipulate some rather powerful people by exploiting their emotional weaknesses. Normally, when you come across a character in this series who is manipulative, they tend to hold some level of power. Meanwhile, this guy has nothing (except his ability to control animals)

I hate him. That's not a bad thing

(I like his theme though, after the reveal. That slapped)

The last thing I wanted to talk about in this post is Edgeworth's motivations (be a prosecutor or a defence attorney?) and how it concluded in this game

The last case had him sacrifice his badge for Kay, citing it as something that was holding him back. And, earlier in the game, he acted as a defence attorney (just like his dad, there's a lot of connections to family in this game)

He recognised that he wanted to save people (which is probably a desire he had since childhood). However, he also recognised that so much of this bloodshed and tragedy that happened could have been prevented if there was someone in the justice system that Simon could trust (he's a victim)

So, Edgeworth decided to save people as a prosecutor. He adopted an idea from Judge Courtney: fight the corruption in the system (and "contradictions in the law") by working in the system. It's quite a noble goal

It's also interesting. He's completely recontextualised and reclaimed what it meant to be a prosecutor from what Manfred taught him. He also seperated himself from his father's legacy, but not without adopting some of the ideas of a defence attorney. He didn't let anyone pressure him into going down a certain path or follow in someone else's footsteps. He made this choice on his own accord

This ties into a strong theme in this game: independence from legacy. Kay, in the end, decided that she didn't want to emulate her father but wanted to be a hero in her own way. Sebastian, during the logic chess segment, stated that he wanted to be a different prosecutor to what his father had been. It even showed up with Simon, with him being disgusted at the idea that he unknowingly emulated his father

I think this theme is important. I think it's important for a character like Edgeworth to have. And I think it's important for people to see

It's okay to not be like the people who raised you. You are in control of your own future

[reminisced-turnabout]

I'm back with another post about my experiences with Investigations and it's on Turnabout Reminiscence

As usual, spoilers under the cut

I wasn't sure of what to expect...

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I was excited to play this case. A case where we get to see a young Edgeworth interacting with a young Kay and a young Gumshoe? A chance for my favourite character to finally goddamn show up? Sign me up

I definitely wasn't expecting that the first person you speak to was Manfred. Genuinely, I gasped when he appeared. In the main series, you don't ever see that cane of his but here you do. I like the overwold sprites of him pointing with it and slamming it into the ground. Sure, it was brief, but I'm just happy that he was even in the game lol

I should've seen it coming but I also didn't expect a 13-year old Franziska to appear. Here, we really get to see how competitive she was. Literally, she dragged Miles into a competition to solve the murder case (and, yes, Manfred got them permission to basically run the show). She also liked to bully Miles with her riding crop. I greatly enjoyed the banter between the two throughout the case. And her curtsey animation is still one of my favourite things ever

Kay was adorable (to be expected). It was hilarious to see her sneak up behind Bratworth and kick him before running away (there was a lot of Bratworth abuse in this case, huh?) It was tragic to learn that that was the day that her dad was murdered. And her only friend at the courthouse, Gumshoe, was being accused of murdering him. Poor kid

She also had an ally in a new character introduced in this case: Tyrell Badd, a detective that worked closely with Kay's dad (who was a prosecutor). She called him uncle. Honestly, I really like his near monochromatic design and cool theme

Another character's design and theme I really liked was Calisto Yew's. She's a defence attorney (and part of the smuggling ring we keep hearing about). I wasn't expecting her to laugh so much. Especially at Edgeworth. It was a reminder that he's so young and inexperienced (he's only 20!)

Speaking of inexperience, it was interesting to see how Edgeworth was during his Bratworth days, especially compared to his present day self. He had a burning desire for justice but a narrow world view (thanks Manfred), which manifested as this mantra of "I will find all criminals guilty with the perfect evidence". He also had this self-importance that was soon challenged by the adults around him (Yew mocked him, Badd treated him like a child until he earnt his respect). Franziska had the same kind of attitude and got the same treatment

Miles and Franziska also had a lot of respect for Manfred. It's tragic how much they looked up to him and tried to emulate him. There were a few moments where their animations would mirror his (not just the crossed arms, there was a moment at the start where both Miles and Manfred did that finger waggle)

It also seems that, in this game, whenever someone is losing in their argument, they like to cite Manfred's apparent corruption to dismiss Miles. In the last case, in the present, Lang's comments simply made Edgeworth flinch. In this case, in the past, Yew's comments were seen as a personal attack by Miles and Franziska (especially Fran). They were offended

There was also this denial from young Edgeworth when he heard that Mr Armano (y'know, family friend) was part of the corruption scandal that these murders were related to. He believed that Badd was mistaken when he told him

It makes me sad to think that Miles and Franziska were so naive to the corruption. They were in this idealistic little world. Then they grew up... and were haunted by Manfred's legacy, even after his death...

[reminisced-turnabout]

I finished The Forgotten Turnabout yesterday

Whoa, this one had a lot of twists and turns (like a rollercoaster!)

Spoilers under cut

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This case had everything: a memory loss plot, an updated autopsy report, evidence from past cases, a conversation through a transceiver (with de Killer), a past case being connected to the current one, so much forged evidence and the exposure and takedown of an incredibly corrupt bastard

This case also singlehandedly flipped my feelings towards Judge Courtney and Sebastian Debeste. That is quite an achievement. It just took me by surprise in general

One of the big surprises was that when Edgeworth was forced to choose between his prosecutor's badge and Kay, he chose Kay and resigned. Now that is brave. I have nothing but respect for him

And then Franziska said, "You're leaving me behind again?! I'll never forgive you!"

OH. MY. HEART

Another surprise was Judge Courtney. There's a part where it looked completely hopeless. We had done everything to try to prove Kay innocent and to accuse the the chairman of the prosecutional investigations committee (who, we found out, was very corrupt). Then, as it seemed that she was going to declare Kay and Edgeworth guilty...she indicted the chairman

Holy shit

It was amazing to see her go from being a real thorn in our side to being on our side. She could recognise that her superior was corrupt and not get blinded by his power

Speaking of, the chairman of this committee was Blaise Debeste. I knew very very little about this guy. I had only seen him in fanart grouped with Damon Gant and Manfred von Karma (which I think is a fun aspect of this fandom lol). This dude must be bad. And he was the chairman?? Of this committee?? That's just bad news!

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting him to weep as much as he did. He could drown his own eyes with his flooded goggles. The phrase "crocodile tears" comes to mind...

I also didn't expect him to be such a blatant bully to his own son. I felt sorry for Sebastian (and felt guilty that I wanted to pick on him previously). It put Sebastian's desires to be praised in a really tragic light (his own dad would never give him praise, so he has to turn to others for that love)

As Blaise was accused of murder and orchestrating a black market auction, Sebastian tried to defend him. Because he loved his dad. Then Franziska made a comment that actually gave me goosebumps:

One must be able to accept the mistakes of their father, no matter how much they may look up to him...

Sebastian was faced with a similar situation that Franziska and Miles had experienced: watching their father figure, that they held so highly, crash and crumble from their perfect podium from the exposure of his true corrupt nature

I love how Sebastian parallels Miles by being like a past version of him. And I love how, with the theme of finding the truth, that Sebastian is allowed to realise the truth about his dad. He's allowed to grow. I think that's important

Something that I found interesting was that it was Blaise that screwed over Manfred von Karma during the IS-7 incident by not telling him about the missing body and giving him a forged autopsy report. I find it so interesting because this is one of the very few times that Manfred got screwed over (he doesn't normally falter). And it was a deliberate act and not contrived coincidence. I guess it showed that, in a system of corruption, not even someone who took advantage of it could be safe from its negative impacts...

Finally, I just want to talk about the logic chess sections in this case. A little challenge I set myself at the start of the game was that I would complete all of the logic chess sections without a guide. This case ramped up the difficulty by doing something quite simple: shortening the time limit. It made it very tense, especially the logic chess with Blaise. And then the music kicked up a notch during the logic chess with Blaise, escalating the tension. It was difficult but I still haven't failed one of these sections!

[reminisced-turnabout]

Hey, guess what! I started playing the second Ace Attorney Investigations game!

And I have many thoughts!

Spoilers for Turnabout Target and the Imprisoned Turnabout

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First things first, I cannot stress how much I adore the spritework of these games. It is some really impressive stuff. Knightley spinning that gun around is just...wow

And the music! It's got a different feel to the first game but it's just as good. It almost feels jazzier in some tracks? But sometimes it gets your blood pumping, especially the music for the Logic Chess sections

Speaking of, Logic Chess is such a good mechanic. It's more fast-paced and tense than the cross-examinations. It does capture the feel of tournament chess (with those timers) in an interrogation. You're trying to read what your opponent's mood so that you can "attack" with logic when their guard is down. It's genius

One more thing: I just want to say that this translation is so well done. It feels official. And the dubbing for certain characters is also well done. I'm impressed so far!

Anyway, onto...

Turnabout Target

Wow, they've really raised the stakes here, haven't they? The first game centred around a murder in Edgeworth's office. This game decided to kick things off with an assassination attempt on a president

How in goddamn is that the tutorial level? Yet, somehow, it works

I do like the new characters that they introduced, except for the president of Zheng Fa (his clothes defy logic...why are they vacuum-sealed around his muscles??? what the fuck???) As I said before, I'm blown away by Knightley's gun-slinging animations. I think it's fun that this game has a chess theme and he's designed around a knight piece. And the other security guard was a rook piece (called Rooke, of course)

I'm sure that I've said this before but I am going into these games mostly blind. I have a vague idea that certain characters from the main series appear here. I just don't know when and where they'll pop up

I wasn't expecting Shelly de Killer to be in the first case of this game

And just like in the case he first appeared in, there was a surprising amount of mystery in this case (despite his name). Even more shocking was the fact that he actually didn't kill anyone this time. He did hold someone hostage though (despite having an arm bandaged, like damn dude)

Despite being the tutorial, there were several things going on to obscure the truth. There was a staged assassination attempt by the president to boost his approval ratings at home. There was a deep loathing from Knightley towards Rooke because of the latter's position as lead bodyguard. And then there's the fact that someone hired Shelly to take out the president, who got injured in the process (by Rooke) and stayed so that he could find out what happened to the one who hurt him

Just, wow, the writing in these games...

They really are starting strong in this game!

The Imprisoned Turnabout

I reasoned that Knightley was going to appear later in the game as he was important enough to get his own "objection"

I didn't anticipate that he was be fucking dead in the next case!

In a prison no less!!

So apparently the detention centre and the prison are part of the sane building. The real conundrum was finding out how the hell he got there. And how the hell did someone murder him in a prison

That's what Edgeworth was going to find out. Except there was one little problem...

He got taken off the case by a representative of the Prosecutor's council, Justine Courtney, and was replaced by a rookie prosecutor called Sebastian Debeste

I like their designs. I think a priestess of law is a really interesting design concept, especially for a judge. And a conductor prosecutor with a waltz for a theme? Again, interesting, but I feel like bullying him a little. That kid is arrogant (but I understand that he's supposed to be like when Edgeworth was 20)

Another new character we meet in this case is Raymond Shields, a defence attorney who once worked with Miles' dad, Gregory Edgeworth. He seems like a cool guy and his theme is a bop. However, he's also quite bitter. When you meet him, after mistaking Miles for Manfred, he really emphasised how Edgeworth was a prosecutor and made it clear that he hated it (saying that Miles was "tainted" by von Karma). He changed his tune when Edgeworth said that he would become his assistant so that he could continue the investigation

So, for the rest of the case, Miles is a defence attorney's assistant (and Kay is a defence attorney's assistant's assistant). There was a point where he even thought "my god, I'm becoming just like Phoenix Wright". And he persisted despite Judge Courtney threatening to strip him of his prosecutor's badge

With the introduction with Mr Shields, the main idea of the story is revealed: why is Miles Edgeworth a prosecutor?

This is going to get super interesting, especially since I know that you get to play as Gregory at some point. Does anyone remember how I guessed that there might be an exploration of the relationship between Miles and Manfred and how corruption played a part? I think we might get that in this game

I can't wait

[reminisced-turnabout]

Here, have some links to my ramblings about my playthough of Ace Attorney Investigations 1 and 2

Investigations 1

Part 1 - Turnabout Visitor and First Impressions

Part 2 - Turnabout Airlines (and a bit of Turnabout Visitor)

Part 3 - The Kidnapped Turnabout

Part 4 - Turnabout Reminiscence

Part 5 - Turnabout Ablaze

Investigations 2

Part 1 - First Impressions, Turnabout Target and the Imprisoned Turnabout

Part 2 - The Inherited Turnabout

Part 3 - The Forgotten Turnabout

Part 4 - The Grand Turnabout

[reminisced-turnabout]

I started playing Ace Attorney: Investigations today (completed the first case) and aaaaaaaaaaaa

I adore the spritework. They have so much character! It was so cool seeing all those little gestures that the characters do when you're close up also play out in the overworld (like Edgeworth shrugging, Jacques (another prosecutor and new character) whipping his jacket around, etc). I thought that was really clever too, having the overworld sprites and close up sprites to break up gameplay

And then there's the soundtrack. It's awesome so far. I look forward to hearing the rest of it

Logic is an interesting mechanic. In the main series, the evidence is all you have. With logic, you can 'create' new evidence to find the truth (on top of cross-examining people)

Although necessary from a gameplay perspective, Gumshoe asking Edgeworth what logic is is objectively hilarious. And the fact that thinking is literally Edgeworth's power

Despite how much I look forward to the rest of the game, I've already gamed-over once...fantastic start lmao

[reminisced-turnabout]

Oh. My. God.

I think I found my favourite case in the Inherited Turnabout

I finished it yesterday and, wow, it was amazing!!

(spoilers under cut)

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When I saw how long this case was, I knew that it had to be a case that took place in the present and in the past. I'm so happy that I was right

One of the things that I like about Ace Attorney is how they weave the present and the past together in their cases, showing how people's past actions can impact those in the present. You also end up working on two cases instead of one, which adds to the complexity of the mystery

What better case to do this with than the last one Gregory Edgeworth worked on?

Half of the case takes place in Raymond Shields' recount of the IS-7 incident, a case set 18 years ago, when a contestant of a cooking competition was murdered. You play as Gregory, accompanied by an 18 year old Ray

The other half of the case takes place in the present, at a museum that was in the same building as the cooking tragedy, displaying the works of the murder victim all those years ago. Here, you are Miles, accompanied by Ray (of course)

It was so cool to jump between the two time periods. It really emphasised how much Miles embodied his dad, even if he wasn't fully conscious of it

It was also fascinating to play as Gregory. He's a character you only hear about through others (and technically, here is not that different). This was the first time we met him in person. The thing that I noticed about him immediately was his gentle kindness. He just wanted to help others. There's also a dramatic irony as you play through his sections, especially whenever he referenced his son. It makes your heart ache the more you think about it

Another thing that I liked about this case was that you got to take on Manfred von Karma. You got to cross-examine him and break apart his logic, which was satisfying to do as he did everything in his power to screw over the defence. And, boy, did he... It's actually quite horrifying how much he distorted the truth, manipulated the case (even going as far as altering official records) and pushed the defendant (by blackmailing him) in order to win. And this was one case. He did this for 40 years

So, yes, the truth escaped for 18 years because of von Karma's distortions. It was up to Miles to untangle that mess and solve the case he inherited from his dad

He had to solve it because it was that case that cause the culprit of the present to act the way she did. It was because of the false guilty verdict that she wanted to take justice into her own hands

In the process, Miles made an important declaration: that he wanted to find the truth no matter what (like Gregory), instead of obscuring it (like Manfred). He, once again, distanced himself from the von Karma name, forging his own path. There were also a few comments about Miles sounding like a defence attorney and comparing him to his dad

But what path should he follow: to protect people or to fight for justice? That was the question Miles was left with in the end. It didn't help that there were those around him were trying to pull him in different directions...

I look forward to seeing how this internal conflict develops

[reminisced-turnabout]

Yesterday, I finished the last case of Ace Attorney Investigations, Turnabout Ablaze

It was long but, by god, was it awesome

Spoilers under cut

Part of this case's complexity is due to the fact that it's set in two different countries' embassies, two countries that were once one and share the same building. Essentially, two murders happened in two different countries

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This case is longer than any other in the game due to its sheer complexity and how much you must unravel to finally see the truth. In that sense, it reminds me of Rise from the Ashes. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, full of twists and turns. The ending dragged a bit but I don't mind because it made the player feel the same kind of anger and exasperation as Edgeworth and his "peanut gallery"

And one of then was on fire. Twice

There's also the fact that the murder weapons were from opposite sides of the building and were somehow smuggled to each side

So, part of the puzzle of this entire case is figuring out how anything, including yourself, can move between highly secure embassy buildings. Turns out, there's a few ways due to the structure of the building...

Another complicating factor is the Yatagarasu. I didn't mention this in my last post, mostly because I didn't believe her, but Calisto Yew proclaimed to be the great thief before stealing the key/dagger all those years ago. And now she supposedly came back to set the place on fire and murder (and leave the key with the body). Kay was understandably upset that her family's thief legacy was being tainted in blood

But, as it turned out, the Yatagarasu was not one person, but three. Three people using their talents to work outside the bounds of the law to catch those who escaped it. And the three people who were this team of vigilantes? Byrne Faraday, Tyrell Badd and Calisto Yew

Badd had been trying to hunt Calisto down all of these years since Byrne's death. And she was hiding in plain sight

The twist with Shih-na (Lang's secretary and top Interpol agent) actually being Calisto Yew and the realisation that an Interpol agent had been feeding information to the smuggling ring was mind-blowing. I did not see that coming

I also could not have predicted that the head of the smuggling ring was one of the ambassadors, Quercus Alba (YOU BASTARD). I genuinely wanted to strangle him at the end

Why? He was nigh untouchable. He could only be prosecuted under the laws of his own country...until it was proven that he murdered his own co-conspirator, the secretary to the opposing country's ambassador, in the "neutral" area of the embassy building. He did not make that easy to prove

But this aspect of the case brought up a dilemma that Edgeworth had to solve: how do you hold people accountable for their actions if the law cannot? By extension, it also posed the question of what is a prosecutor's job

At one point, Franziska proclaimed that risk-taking and guesswork aren't of the von Karma way, that the purpose of a prosecutor was to achieve the "perfect victory". Edgeworth responded by saying that he's not a "genius" like her dad was and that no one should have had the precedent of convicting all defendants. He then followed it with this (emphasis mine):

As a prosecutor, what I pursue is not the perfect victory, but the perfect truth. And if that means that the bridge I must cross will crumble beneath my feet... then let it crumble as I walk on towards the truth!

This scene is fascinating because we see that his mantra has changed from when he was younger, from "get the perfect victory" to "find the perfect truth". He didn't care about winning or losing a case, only that the truth was dragged into the light. It is a sentiment that is repeated whenever there was a cross-examination. By pressing someone, he hoped to draw the truth out from behind the web of lies

Another reason why this scene fascinates me is that Edgeworth still respected his old mentor to an extent, despite completely disagreeing with his methodology and the trauma he endured. This is a very stark contrast to the last case where there was this strong admiration for him. Edgeworth was criticising him, something his young naive self would've never dreamt of doing

There was another scene that jumped out at me because it finally showed me what this story wanted to ask. It was when Edgeworth was about to accuse Alba using illegally obtained evidence. We get this beautiful quote:

I no longer follow the path of Manfred von Karma... and I won't follow the path of the Yatagarasu! This leaves me with what? What creed will I believe in? If I want to pursue the truth, then I will sully my hands in illegality... and if I want to pursue justice, then I will lose the truth! What is the "law", and what is "justice"? And which path is a "prosecutor" supposed to follow!? That choice... is one I must make by my own hand here and now! There is no limit to the law. Any limit that exists was set there by man. When a person goes beyond that limit, then the law, too, crosses into new territory! For what reason were laws invented? The answer to that is what I must now show!

The Yatagarasu was a force that brought the truth to light. Manfred von Karma was a force who obtained victory through justice. They represent two different mindsets that Edgeworth is stuck in the middle of. He wanted to find the truth but do so within the law. Here, faced with a situation where the law limited his ability to hold someone in power accountable, Edgeworth redefined what "the law" and "the truth" mean to him as a prosecutor. He decided to forge his own path by pursuing the truth, justifying his use of illegal evidence by saying that the law, and therefore justice, is the only thing that can reach those who move beyond human law

In a sense, Edgeworth adopted ideas from both parties. As a prosecutor, you are supposed to protect the law and find the truth. To protect the law here, he had to be prepared to do anything (like Manfred) and move outside of the law of the land (like the Yatagarasu). What is more important is finding the truth and holding others accountable, no matter how untouchable they seem. That is true justice

This case is big and complex and a perfect ending to a really solid game. I thoroughly enjoyed it

[reminisced-turnabout]

I finished The Kidnapped Turnabout today so you know what that means

Yet another installment of this liveblogging(?) woooooo

Obviously spoilers for this case

I find it hilarious that this game brought back the Gatewater Hotel and went, "Yep, now it's a theme park"

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What I find fascinating is that this is set before the first case, following the events of the second case. We're still in the past, essentially

And Edgeworth is knocked out by five nights at freddy's the fucking blue badger. While exchanging ransom money for a kidnap victim

These games are so absurd. I love it

I also absolutely adore Kay Faraday. She's so fun and mischievous, which is a perfect complement to Edgeworth's seriousness. I also love how she's the great thief Yatagarasu, or, well, the latest heir to the title (she strives to find the truth). The crow motif is so fucking cool omg. And that holographic gadget wow

Speaking of animal motifs, Agent Shi-Long Lang was also pretty cool. I do like how he saw his team as a "pack" and leant into the wolf metaphors (somehow it didn't seem cheesy). I also like his flinching animation, putting his guard up as if to strike back. What I appreciated less was how he seemed to conduct his investigation: he doesn't investigate, he just arrests people (at least he admitted it?)

I don't know what is worse, accusing people with faulty evidence or with no evidence at all!

So, why was Edgeworth even doing at this place? Simple, he was helping a family friend, Ernest Armano, get his son back

Armano's design really reminded me of those Buddha statues (which is probably deliberate). When he said that he and Manfred von Karma go way back (especially referring to him by first name), that was a big red flag

Okay so I like Manfred (he's my favourite character, have I said that here?) but even I know that he's pretty fucking corrupt. And the last person who (in universe) spoke of him positively was Damon Gant, and, well...they probably met in prison lol

So my thought when I heard Mr Armano say that was I refuse to believe that you're completely innocent, bud

Speaking of Rise from the Ashes, it was amazing to see Ema Skye again. And she had grown omg! She and Edgeworth remembered each other!!

Every time she said "scientifically" or "science", I had to fight the urge to read it as "skyentifically" and "skyence". Curse you Press Buttons and Talk!

(Fun fact, they actually did do a lets play of Investigations. I bet ya that they made that same joke too!)

It was also fun seeing the game continuing the trend of returning characters from the main series with Officer Meekins, Oldbag (oh no!) and apparently the bellboy from the hotel (I didn't notice until my walkthrough pointed that out lol)

Talking about the actual story, the smuggling ring comes up again. Mr Armano is possibly connected to it, according to Lang

Armano also straight up tampers with evidence during this case and even boasted that he has a private forensics lab

Oh shit Manfred has totally gotten his help to forge evidence, hasn't he?!

And apparently Lang just hates prosecutors. And thought Miles was the "corrupt prosecutor" he's heard so much about

Um hello?!

And then there's the fact that Kay actually met Miles and Gumshoe before (which is a hook for the next case omg)

Something I haven't mentioned in any of the previous posts is another reoccurring thing in these cases: Manfred von Karma. His name has popped up in all of them up to this point. I know that he was an important figure in Edgeworth's past, but it was strange

In the first case, Jacques makes a comment that Manfred was Miles's mentor (that makes sense)

In the second case, he get brought up because Franziska is there and she's his daughter. She even says something to the effect of "How dare you bring shame to the von Karma name by murdering someone" to Miles (to which Miles said "I didn't murder anyone goddamnit"). She also made a comment about her dad being invincible and Miles replying with "I'm not too sure about that" (He's not invincible but he did heal off a bullet by himself so...)

And now, in this third case, not only do you have this connection with Mr Armano, there was also when Lang called Miles corrupt because of his mentor. Lang found it pretty suspicious that there was a prosecutor with a 40-year win streak. Although we, the audience, know the truth, they're apparently rumours...

Before this case, I figured that these references were a sign that Miles also had this issue of being unable to completely distance himself from the von Karma name (like Franziska). Now, I think there's also this theme of corruption at play and how that relates to Miles' relationship with Manfred

Oh boy

I wonder how this will play out...

[reminisced-turnabout]

Call me a mosquito cause I'm absolutely buzzing

I just finished the second case of investigations (turnabout airlines) and GOD I LOVE THIS GAME

(spoilers for the first two cases of the first two cases of the game!)

Jacques is a ruthless bastard. Shooting his own partner? Jesus dude

----

In my last post, I never really touched upon the plot of the first case (turnabout visitor) and my thoughts

Then he tried to pin the blame on Gumshoe

Then Maggey

Yeah, enjoy choking on that medal you chomped on

Oh yeah! Maggey Byrde is in this case. That was really cool to see her here. Still as unlucky as ever

I was also delighted to see Winston Payne make a cameo here. It wouldn't be a tutorial case if he wasn't here, I suppose

Anyway, onto case two...

We start on a turbulent plane. It was like an earthquake. And Miles fainted

He needs a hug...

When Miles awoke, he has a wallet in his pocket that isn't his. And he found himself before an elevator (this is a fancy plane)

The poor man starves off a panic attack

Oh god, I thought, this is Turnabout Goodbyes all over again

He opened the elevator door. Lo and behold, there was a dead body inside

Let me guess, he gets accused of murder?

YEP. First by a flight attendant, then by a von Karma

Not again

In this case, it's Franziska that makes the accusation

I shrieked with joy when she appeared, especially with the triumphant music that she got in Trials and Tribulations

I shrieked again when she did her curtsey-bow in the overworld. That has to be my favourite animation so far

(The animation of Jacques recoiling dramatically whenever he's shocked was also fantastic. God I love the spritework)

I loved piecing the puzzle of this case. It actually had me guessing right until the end

And I love how they're building up this story of a criminal network that connected these cases

(in the last case, a calling card of a notorious thief was found, one that had a three-legged crow on it and, in this case, the murderer was part of a smuggling ring and killed an interpol agent that Franziska was supposed to rendezvous with)

And the hooks at the end of each chapter make me so excited to continue the story

I'm quite proud of my session today. I didn't game over once, nor did I need to look at a guide. I completed it all by myself :D