#my favorite part of ace attorney is just the small nice interactions between the characters

[okartichoke]

Psst.... *slides this across table to you*

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61743991

[note from future me: HEY EVERYONE GO READ THIS FIC !!! :DDD]

I LITERALLY SQUEALLED WHEN I SAW THIS ASK YESTERDAY AND THEN HAVENT BEEN ALONE WITH FREE TIME UNTIL RIGHT NOW BUT OMG AM I EXCITED ! you're getting my live reactions now YIPPEE !!!

"In the laughing rivulets that filled his chest, it whispered maybe." I LOVE this sentence. This whole section is so vivid and MMMMMM

"He felt, and felt, and felt and there was barely even Phoenix anymore, just a haunted angry thing choking on feelings and moving on instinct." This quote isn't even half a page down from the last but there's genuinely already like a billion lines like this that are just spectacular; that with so few words move me so deeply

"She knelt beside the threadbare couch and took his hand, and begged him to get up. Said she’d be a better daughter... " OFIEJOIJWEFOEWA AND THAT'S NOT TO EVEN MENTION THE THE NEXT PARAGRAPH WITH TRUCY which actually made my eyes prick with tears

I really like the way you write Larry btw ! [edit from 30 minutes later me: i like how u write everyone actually x3,, fran and miles get special shoutouts too]

"—A voice in his dreams, it sounded like Mia" OFJEWOIAJFEOIFJDLFJOSJFELS

GUMSHOE IN A KNIT SCARF EEEEEKSKSSS SO CUTE

the little bit with everyone saying bye got me to chuckle xDD

OKAY CHAPTER 1 DONE!!!! CRYPTID.. CRYPTIID..... OMG... i knew this was going to be a good read but AHHH i loved it sm x333 you're dialogue is so fun. like the conversations feel real, and they go off on little tangents in really charming ways,, i really enjoyed the little moments like Maggey excitedly talking about being suspected a second time, or Phoenix holding the phone far from his ear during his call with Fran. (and that's just to name a couple examples) (ALSO FRAN CARING SO MUCH <333 I LOVE OMG) okokok onto chapter 2

wait oops i got sucked in and forgot to take live notes LOL,, anyways this comment is about the little reactions from Phoenix in regards to Miles' idiosyncracies,, specifically (in regards to MIles' grabbing his bicep) "That old habit. The Phoenix of a year ago would have ached at the sight. Current Phoenix just ached." and "Miles had gotten more expressive with his hands since his time away in Germany. Phoenix thought it suited him." I loved these inclusions so so so so much. it's like, despite everything, phoenix still cares so deeply. OH OH AND NOW PHOENIX LIGHTLY SCOLDING EDGEWORTH AGUHHH I LOVE !!! I LOVE !!

"'Yeah, you’re a pompous ruffly ass'" lmao

i guess i have a soft spot for phoenix and trucy's relationship bc woah here i am tearing up again at phoenix talking about her <333 you write him exactly how i imagine him <33

holy shit. the way you (or, Edgeworth, i guess) describes Wright's flavor of honesty? you've put his character into words so eloquently.. god i love him and i love you for writing him so good omg. and then the end of that short monologue hits like a truck aughghhhooooghhh

OH AND THEY'RE SO TENDER. HOW DARE THE CHAPTER END LIKE THAT BWAHAH FIOJOIAJDFJLSDKJFAOEIO AHH !!!

CRYPPTTIIDIDDDXDD AUUGHHHHHH !!!!! i need to stress again just how much i love your style of writing !!!!111! 1 the banter is so alive and the levity throughout (despite Phoenix's emotional state) makes the moments of tenderness and of the characters proving how deeply they care for each other hit so hard,, this was wonderful !!! thank you for sharing w the fandom and with me!! :DDD LOOKING FORWARD TO CHAPTER 3 FOAIWEJFLAKJD

[greentrickster]

hey by any chancz do you happen to have any ace attorney fic rec?

I sure do!

(Also, if you want to just run through my bookmarks list on AO3, I would recommend anything on it, though mind your filters - I’m an adult, and some of the stuff I read is aimed at the 18+ crowd, so please use discretion!)

The Invisible Lawyer, by happy_mystic

Leans beautifully into the magical-realism aspect of the Ace Attorney universe, and features some high-quality Pheenie-era content! A longer one-shot, this is a great choice for some lunch break reading or a nice slice of AA content right before bed!

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Kristoph Gavin: Bastard Attorney, by Ravenoftheskyes

If you’ve seen a thread with a title like this floating around sometime over the past half a year and gone, “Gee, I wish someone would write a fic for this”... then you’re in luck, because Ravenoftheskyes did! A crack!fic in the grand old tradition of the genre, it’s five chapters and about 7k words of Kristoph Gavin and Dahlia Hawthorne being salty, terrible bros facing off against Manfred von Karma in court. A fun ride if you’re looking for some of that good AA-style dark humour!

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Texts & Turnabouts, by Yanagikana

Multiple text conversations between the various AA characters, and actually done with a text-message creation program, so don’t let it’s word count of zero fool you! It features a lot of the goofy fun you’d expect with text fics, but also goes unexpectedly serious at times in a really good way - this fic actually has my favorite Phoenix-Klavier post-AA:AJ interaction I’ve seen to date! It’s on-going, but doesn’t have any incomplete arcs as of the moment, so feel free to hop in and have a good giggle!

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Turnabout Sole, by Collaberal Damage

Narumitsu post-Dual Destinies body-swap fic, do I really need to tell you more than that? ten chapters, about 17k words, and complete, it’s the sort of fic you read over a nice lazy breakfast or for an extended mid-afternoon break, drink it on down like some drink you like to drink, I was going to use a specific drink but ‘delicious’ is a highly subjective concept that I decided not to get into.

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Fate, Choice, and Everything in Between, by The_Eccelctic_Bookworm

Narumitsu soulmates fic, and an interesting take on the soulmates premise in general. Uses the ‘words on skin’ approach, but - and this is the neat bit - the words appear only after your soulmate has said them, they have personal significance to you, and they can fade if the relationship/feelings fade. Basically it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen done with soulmate marks, a bit more than 4k, and complete, so you should probably read it. Also, why aren’t there more soulmate AUs in this fandom, I thought it would be lined with them when I first got here and it’s not????

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Fifty Flights of Stairs (Plus One), by theacegrace

Okay, time for a genfic! And hey, look, Raymond Shields! Takes place during AAI2, when Miles and Ray have to climb a lot of stairs to get to Kay. It’s a great slice of interaction between these characters, and covers some stuff that it would have been nice to see in the game. A bit under 4K words and complete, one to read with a plushie or friend on-hand, in case of feels-induced hug cravings.

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Miles Edgeworth and the No Good, Very Bad, Week of Cases from Absolute Hell, by mullhund

The events of Ace Attorney Investigations 1, as transcribed through the text conversations Edgeworth has with Phoenix during them. If you need a good laugh, give this one a read, I howled the first time I read it, and still giggle with every reread! Featuring perfect levels of snark and sass from our favorite legal duo, and a bit over 3k words, this features the parts of these two that make them a fun couple!

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Everything that I, Green Trickster/tiedyedtrickster, have written!

Because of course I’m going to recommend my own stuff! Besides Saturation, I’ve also got Teenage Rebellion (a cute one-shot involving Pearl), my Flock Together series (a small set of one-shot wing!fics set in the same universe), Fae Taken (my on-going fantasy/folklore involving Miles getting stolen by the faeries as a child and Phoenix going on a quest to get him back)! Those are all the things I’ve written in formal fic-format - I also have a bunch of stuff that are collected posts for various AUs I’ve done a lot of world-building for here on tumblr and wanted to organize better. These are easy to spot, they always have ‘AU’ in the title! ...except for The Ace Benders, because it’s sneaky like that.

Hopefully somewhere in all that you’ll find something to your taste! ^U^

Thanks for the ask!

[jensvisualnoveladventures]

Debated putting this on my website, but decided to just make a post for now as it’s just Closed Beta and I don’t feel I have enough to say for my site but I’ve essentially been playing Tears of Themis since the Closed Beta started and I finished Chapter 4 yesterday evening. 

I already spoke a bit on my Twitter about it, so a summary and expansion of that as it all still holds true: 

I love the cases. The investigating is so fun and I really enjoy nearly everything about it. Every time we enter the Court Room, I feel like I’m playing Ace Attorney. My only nitpick is sometimes you just aren’t allowed to find certain pieces of evidence yet and by that I mean that you may SEE something that looks suspicious, but aren’t allowed to interact with it until the next investigation prompt. It’s really strange and while I get it from a story perspective, it’s hard to tell if it’s because you can’t look at something yet or you’re just not tapping it right (which is the other issue-- I do my best to tap everything, but it’s really finnicky on what you’ve “already checked” and what may actually be new)

I’m actually really invested in the characters! I like all of them. While Luke and Marius are my favorites (I would say overall, I’m leaning towards Luke, but there’s a small few traits for him I’m not too fond of that Marius has in full force and it’s what makes it so hard), I’m already looking forward to the next bit of story for every single character. I have not read any spoilers so I do not know which is to come and we’re not really allowed to say story spoilers for the NDA, but I am concerned for Luke.

Similarly, every case has made me emotional at one point or another and again, just really makes me think of Ace Attorney, but with fancier graphics.

Speaking of the graphics, they’re STUNNING. The MC is really pretty, all the art is gorgeous, the animations are really nice... I actually enjoy just listening to the music. The fact that a minigame mode even has a 8-bit version of one of the songs is super cute and a nice touch they didn’t even need to do. The only issue that comes with such nice graphics is my phone overheats at times and it’s draining on the battery. Putting on the “Low-Temp” setting helped a lot with this at least, but wow do I wish I could play on PC (I know there’s mirroring apps, but I genuinely mean I wish it was a PC game I could play)

They say it’s a WIP, but honestly, it really looks good to go? The only art that looked even slightly off to me, and even then there’s enough great about it that I don’t care, is Luke’s visiting background. Text-wise, I’ve seen some typos/grammatical errors or missing words, but it’s few and far between. The most errors I’ve seen are some translation choices with the texting feature. 

Finally, the Card system genuinely is kind of pointless and it exists only to give the game a gachapon system which is kind of disappointing, but I suppose isn’t uncommon for free to play games (That said, I would pay for this game if it had a price and I didn’t have to deal with any gachapon features). The Card mechanic is easily my least favorite part of the game because the debates are meaningless 99% of the time. I wish they were actual debate puzzles, but they’re not. They use a silly battle triangle and having to level up cards and things is my least favorite part of the game and it’s something I’m worried for outside of Closed Beta when we won’t be given as much from the get-go. 

Chapter 4 was where my lack of Cards/low levels really became issues and I struggled with a 3 or 4 stages due to that, usually winning just barely and actually having an easier time with the final debate than one of the earlier ones. 

I think the Cards are really pretty. I LOVE reading the Stories for the SR and SSR versions. But I don’t think they should be part of the main story walls. I think they should be solely side content and minigames like one of the current modes that is just debates. I still want to earn and level up regardless, but having to pause in the middle of main story for a debate that has barely anything to do with said case is really annoying. 

One thing that’s nice though is if you fail a debate, you actually don’t lose the energy you used to try. You can try over and over again and you’ll only lose that energy when you succeed. 

Similarly, you can use the Hint System as much as you want. You lose nothing for using it, there’s no limit or anything, so if you’re struggling or unsure, you can just tap it with no problems. 

Writing-wise, I would say the only thing unneeded is how often the MC says she wants to lose weight? It feels like it’s meant as a joke anyway and just let her love her dessert, god. 

Anyway, the special event starts sometime this week and I just really hope I manage to finish all the CB goals. 

I genuinely can’t wait for more of the character stories and future cases. I’m going to be sad having to redo so much when the Beta is over and the game officially opens up... 

I do hope maybe we’ll eventually have English voices though. I have no issue with any of the current languages available, but they used different names for the characters in EVERY language which, at least for me, is kind of confusing. I’ll pick up words from hearing or look at certain things and be like “wait that name is not the one written here” and it always takes me a bit. I wonder if the names have similar meanings in each language or not. 

Anyway, miHoYo, please make the Bunny/Puppy plushie, thank you.

If anyone wants to be friends on the game, feel free to message me with your friend code! :)

I can’t wait until the game releases and I can record it T~T <3

[kikiofthevast]

Fanfic I have downloaded on my phone

I do recommend all of these and read them fairly consistently.

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Sanders Sides

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A Lovely Night - Peter164

Summary:

Virgil has a boyfriend, a dramatic, over the top, self absorbed boyfriend. But his dad doesn't know. He asks for some help from a trusted adult. This trusted adult just happens to be his teacher. But it seems that there always has to be a secret boyfriend in the family when his dad starts dating.

Genre: Fluff and Smut

Ships: Prinxiety + Logicality

My Thoughts: Fantastic, and you can skip the smut chapters without missing anything. It's a good, pretty healthy, supportive romance on both ends and I love reading it, it's so nice.

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Powerless - patentpending (on Ao3) (Tumblr: @/impatentpending)

Summary:

“People like us,” Logan had once remarked to Virgil. “Are statistical anomalies.”

(Almost) Everyone in the world has powers. As for those who don’t, well, they’re such a small part of the population - only 0.04% - why would anyone care about them?

Ever since he realized what people mean when they call him Powerless, Virgil Sanders has tried to fight back against the system that oppresses people like him, Patton, and Logan. When Patton’s bakery is targeted in a hate crime, he finally snaps. With the help of a mysterious sponsor, Virgil becomes a villain, ready to remake a broken society. The only thing standing in his way is the world’s most Powerful (and infuriatingly charming) superhero: The Prince, who is hiding the fact that his gilded life isn’t as perfect as it may seem.

Genre: Angst

Ships: Prinxiety + Logicality (with background OC+OC)

My thoughts: Without a doubt one of the best fanfics I've ever read. The author likes to keep readers on their toes and surprise you around ever corner. Every part of the plot is well-executed and enjoyable, and you can feel the emotion of the characters.

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Horizons - triggermoreliketiger (I know they have a Tumblr but I don't know what it is)

Summary:

The life of Roman del Rey was planned to the bits. Born in a wealthy family he was supposed to take over his father’s business. His last moments of freedom? The journey abroad. He couldn’t have predicted that when he would come back, everything he knew was about to change.

On the opposide side of social ladder, the genius inventor- Logan Sanders was struggling to make it through another day. His only chance? Get himself a sponsor rich enough to fund another year of Logan’s work. He couldn’t know that his last chance would blew up right into his face.

Genre: Angst

Ships: Prinxiety + Logicality

My thoughts: Holy crap I love this fic so much you wouldn't even believe. I adore the way everyone is characterized and Virgil and Patton are probably my favorites on that front. Just go read it, you won't regret it.

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Patton's Break - Shay_Nioum (Tumblr: @/sidespromptblog)

Summary:

When Patton snaps one day, it directly affects Logan. A misunderstanding on Patton's part, and a broken heart on Logan's.

Genre: Angst

Ships: Platonic Logicality

My thoughts: I read this whenever I need to cry. It's such quality angst and I love it a lot. Logan is trying so hard, poor boi.

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Ace Attorney

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The Phantom's Curse - gen

Summary:

Everyone knows the story of the Phantom; usually mothers whisper it to their babies to get them to behave, or it's told around the campfires of travelers. What they don't know, however, is that it is very real, and the Phantom could be watching at any time, from any set of eyes.

Genre: Angst and Adventure

Ships: Wrightworth/Narumitsu

My thoughts: I'm a sucker for pirates. I love the way this fic was written and executed you you should go read it. Also: don't be me and waste time being suspicious of Kristoph because he ain't evil in this. Still a bit of an ass, though. All the references to the cases were nice and the whole plotline was just so fun and enjoyable.

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A Beautiful Thing - wrightgotwronged

Summary:

"The Girl was offering me a way out...and I was desperate enough to believe her,"

Private Inspector Phoenix Wright is given the case of a lifetime when the mysterious Dahlia Hawthorne walks into his office. With a missing girl and murder on his plate, Phoenix is caught in a whirlwind of confusion and deceit. His past coming back to haunt him in the form of the District Attorney doesn't seem to help either.

Genre: Angst and Mystery

Ships: Eventual Wrightworth (Brief Phoenix/Dahlia)

My thoughts: I adore this fic. It's got a good, substantial mystery, and though most people can predict some of the turns it takes, it's a fun ride and 10/10 would read again.

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Turnabout: Bloodline - MalikRuttingAssassinAss

Summary:

Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth collapses at work in the midst of a heated trial. What comes from his hospitalisation throws both his and Phoenix's worlds into mass confusion, exposing forgotten family secrets, a murder, and uncharted feelings.

Genre: Angst and Smut (with a side of Fluff and Comedy)

Ships: Wrightworth/Narumitsu

My thoughts: This is a fantastic storyline, Phoenix is also kind of an idiot for the first bit but it's still really entertaining and nice.

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The Turnabout of Hazakura - MalikRuttingAssassinAss

Sequel to Turnabout: Bloodline

Summary:

Losing patience with the so-called "gift" of his lineage, Miles Edgeworth, along with Phoenix Wright, seeks the tutelage of the Nuns of Hazakura temple. Whilst hoping to control his "gift" with a punishing endurance regime, a horrific murder is discovered within the Temple grounds, and the evidence points towards one person.

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, and Smut

Ships: Previously established, also developing Phoenix/Miles/Simon

My thoughts: This fic is incredible and I agree with Miles on the reveal of a certain plot point, honestly. But the mystery is well-executed and I just love the inclusion of Shi Long Lang (even though I haven't played either of the Investigations games).

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sleep no more - prinsipe

Summary:

Blood is thicker than water.

Or: Klavier deals with the aftermath.

Klavier’s first memory of blood went a little like this: the turkey at the family dinner, the worn handle of the knife, and Kristoph’s brown hands.

In retrospect, it was those details that stuck out at him above all else—the family dinner, because it was the first and last of its kind, the worn handle of the knife because it made him think of how it looked like it was made for the grooves of Kristoph’s hands, and Kristoph’s hands because they moved in a way that made him think he was born for the kitchen, not the courtroom.

(Of course, as a child, it had slipped his mind that knives weren’t just used for cooking.)

Genre: Angst and minor Hurt/Comfort

Ships: Pretty Background Klapollo, implied past Daryan/Klavier

My thoughts: A very long but a very good fic. I love the way everyone is characterized, and honestly this is one of those stories that you get more out of it if you read it aloud. Klavier is just alone, and I love the way Apollo slowly helps him get back up.

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Damage Control - pantswarrior

Summary:

After an emotional reaction from Phoenix following Edgeworth's return, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death in truth. Fortunately for Phoenix, he doesn't quite succeed - and both of them have to learn a few lessons about communication.

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Ships: Wirghtworth/Narumitsu

My thoughts: This is such a good story, but things have to get worse before they get better so read the tags and proceed with caution.

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Lost in a Lie - court-ships (virtualbrownie)

Summary:

Miles Edgeworth learned to kill when he was a newborn, and he learns to love it at the age of six.

Genre: Angst and a bit of Horror

Ships: None

My thoughts: This is really dark, but I really like it and you should definitely proceed with caution. Warnings for character death, murder, animal death, and blood.

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Intermetamorphosis - Jessepinwheel

Summary:

Or: Five Times Miles Edgeworth Didn't Know What Was Wrong With Phoenix and One Time He Wished He Didn't.

Or: God dammit Phoenix, stop shoving evidence in criminals' faces, or at least invest in a recorder.

Or: The story where Phoenix dies, but that doesn't stop him from being an ace attorney.

Genre: Comedy and Angst

Ships: None

My thoughts: This story is ridiculous but it's the good kind of ridiculous. There's just something so bizzarely funny about this happening that you just laugh at Miles's ignorance. Okay, that sounds mean, but really Miles?

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Turnabout Santa Claus - lostangelssong

Summary:

A Christmas trial that could have been.

Genre: Comedy

Ships: None

My thoughts: It's literally just Miracle on 34th Street. That's all it is. But it's so gosh darn funny and ridiculous that I had to recommend it.

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The Rise and Fall of the Stalk Trucy Wright Club - SlashPrincess15 (slashprincess15)

Summary:

Trucy Wright is a weird girl who makes all sorts of claims that cannot possible be true, at least that's what her school's student population believe. It all changes however when she starts getting picked up from school again.

Genre: Comedy and Angst

Ships: None

My thoughts: Such a nice fic, honestly. It's pretty funny, and the interactions Trucy has with the people that come to pick her up are fantastic.

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The Realm - Farris

Summary:

It started off normal and innocent enough: a welcome home party for Iris.

But when a demon comes slashing through, bringing a world of ghosts and crazy with it, Maya Fey has no choice but to stand as Master to save her friends and restore balance to the Afterlife. Unfortunately, she's not Master yet. Nor is she sure she wants to be, given all that's happened to her and her family. Oh, and things only get worse when she discovers she must face a series of Trials to prove herself and her worthiness of said Master title.

Still very bitter about Kurain's role in DL-6, Miles Edgeworth finds himself having to come to terms with spiritual powers as he tags along to the realm between this world and the next. And then there are the monsters. And the gods, his father, and the Trials. Not to mention something is very much wrong with Wright... like the fact that he's not dead.

Genre: Action, Adventure, and Angst

Ships: None

My thoughts: Definitely in my top 10 favorite fics, if "A Beautiful Thing" is a 10/10, then this thing is off the scale. Also Gregory being a Good Dad™ deserves it's own book.

[mysticfyres]

2019 Fyre Awards: Game of the Year Awards

Winner: Mobile Game of the Year - Florence

While I admit I am somewhat late to the party on this one, Florence truly is a clever and refreshing twist on mobile games which I much appreciated this year. Florence is a relatively short game which tells the story of a young woman’s search for love, eventual heartbreak, and journey of recovery and self-discovery. Though perhaps this sounds somewhat simple on paper, the game represents these concepts through beautiful visuals and clean/simple comic-style artwork so beautiful I was practically screenshotting every panel. However, though comic-esque in its style, this game uniquely manages to tell this heartfelt story with almost no dialogue (spoken or written) whatsoever, instead leaning heavily on its visuals, use of colors, and fantastically inter-woven gameplay to tell its story. Though nothing in its story itself was inherently unique, its gameplay elements, such as putting together pieces of a blank dialogue box to demonstrate how it feels to work your way through a conversation with someone new, were. In fact, elements such as these make me both hopeful and curious as to what digital comic designers in the future may be able to do with their work, to allow reader interactivity beyond simply glancing over their page. Innovations aside, however, Florence as it is is a sweet, reflective, and quiet experience I much appreciated amid the noise and chaos of many other entires on this year’s game list. As such, Florence is my clear winner of the 2019 Mobile Game of the Year Award.

Winner: Xbox Game of the Year - Dishonored 2

While I previously sung its praises for its level design, I can’t neglect mentioning that Dishonored 2 was the best single-player experience I’ve had all year. From a visual perspective, this game is stunning, with beautiful steampunk coastal exteriors and interiors brimming with art, coins, and trinkets. Its level design is likewise phenomenal, with diverse options for clearing each and every section of each and every level, whether you are bloodthirsty or aim to disappear into the shadows completely. Its enemy and weapon designs are likewise fun, with iconic adversaries like the clockwork soldiers, and abilities which let you do things like turn into a shadow monster. With so many ways to play and so many cool things to see on your way, the game gives you strong inherent incentive to explore, and spend hours and hours in its world. Although that world is considerably smaller than that of some other games, every second among Karnaca’s alleys felt like a treat. Its overall excellence and creativity in design make Dishonored 2 an easy winner of the 2019 Xbox Game of the Year Award.

Winner: PlayStation Game of the Year - Shadow of the Colossus

Speaking of games I definitely missed out on at the height of their popularity, my first experience with Shadow of the Colossus this year was one I will never forget. Shadow of the Colossus, for those living under a rock, follows a boy named Wander’s quest to climb and destroy 16 colossi roaming across forbidden lands, in order to resurrect a girl named Mono. Although I had a good time with it, there was a lot which I think was left to be desired with Shadow of the Colossus, as even the game’s remaster felt empty, colorless, and glitchy. However, one significant point of note about Shadow of the Colossus is that it permanently changed how I felt about boss fights. After finding these 16 colossi, quaking at their magnitude and destructive power, and attempting to scale and wound them only to be time and time again thrown off, beaten around, or killed, I found myself a changed person. After completing these bosses and this game, no boss battle has ever felt quite as intimidating. Although I’m sure there are yet games out there which will provide even greater challenges than that I faced with these colossi, after scaling and defeating these creatures I don’t think later boss fights will ever feel as impossible to me. That’s the beauty of building a game around crazy-intimidating boss fights, through this, the game trains you to approach even the most insurmountable-feeling task with a level of determination and trust in your own abilities which I feel so many other games don’t care if you do or don’t have. Again, while the game at large didn’t feel that fun or strike any specific chords with me, I think this is definitely something everyone should experience at least once. Thus, Shadow of the Colossus wins the 2019 Playstation Game of the Year Award.

Winner: Nintendo Game of the Year - Untitled Goose Game

As far as games go that let you unleash your inner b*stard, nothing can beat Untitled Goose Game. Untitled Goose Game is a stealth/simulator type game where you play as a goose whose sole purpose is to steal bells and simultaneously ruin the lives of everyone around you. As someone who always picks the nice option in video games, and who knows all too well about the studies which prove the nonexistence of things like catharsis, I didn’t really see myself being able to get into the mindset of a goose who really just wants to bring chaos and ruin. But I gave it a try, and soon found myself giving in to my inner a**hole. Part of the ease of doing this, I think, is great game design. In a world where you can pick up and move everything your goose mouth can hold, why wouldn’t you? In a world where people will be mean to you and stare at you for simply minding your own business, or god forbid- trying to have a picnic, why wouldn’t you, say, steal their radio, lock them in a garage, or break their stuff? Although the game tells you all the best ways to ruin their lives, it doesn’t have to incentivize you to do them: when you’re that small and filled with that much rage, it comes naturally. Although the controls to pull off some of those things are a bit slippery at times, if anything it only serves to fuel your terrible rampage, and continue your pleasure-seeking riot through the village. Again, while not ever things I would see myself doing, a goose does as a goose does. For this unfiltered look at my own psychoticism, Untitled Goose Game wins the 2019 Nintendo Game of the Year Award.

Winner: PC Game of the Year - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy

While there were many games I really enjoyed this year, there is no game I had more inherent interest in or continued desire to play than the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. PW:AAT is the port of three classic games which I’ve wanted to play basically my entire life: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Justice for All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Trials and Tribulations. All three games follow lawyer Phoenix Wright in his quest to defend the innocent in various trials. As a combo of all three games, PW:AAT features hours and hours of content, which together make for an enjoyable, though somewhat mixed, bag of ideas. Characters in the three games are wacky caricatures which somehow loop back around into being unique, yet somehow entirely believable. The writing, meanwhile, careens back and forth between being dead serious and comedic. The story behind each case and the logic it takes to solve it is sometimes clear as day, otherwise seemingly non-existent. However, while PW:AAT is occasionally frustrating, it also keeps things fresh and leads to some genuine surprises. Each trial is a roller coaster ride from start to finish, and while far from a perfect game series, it is nonetheless wildly entertaining. For countless surprises and top-notch entertainment value, I have to give PW:AAT the 2019 PC Game of the Year Award.

Winner: Ultimate Game of the Year - Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

And finally, the winner of my Ultimate Game of the Year Award for 2019 is Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. Like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is actually multiple games in one, and includes both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands the Pre-Sequel plus all DLCs of both games. The collection is named after the famous villain Handsome Jack, who appears prominently as both a protagonist and antagonist in both games. Besides being a genuinely great experience, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection was the series that defined my entire summer, and which I played start to finish with my best friend Ak. Story-wise, the games’ writing is phenomenal, with one of the best co-op campaigns I have ever played, and an engaging yet upbeat story as well. As mentioned before, both games likewise host an iconic cast of characters of diverse ethnicities, sexualities, and body types. The world design is likewise simultaneously bleak and colorful, leaving both Pandora and Elpis feeling both masterfully whimsical yet also like the wastelands they are often likened to. As far as gameplay, the game’s FPS and loot system mechanics are some of the most enjoyable I’ve experienced, and come to fruition in some insanely fun boss battles with great loot drops. Though other games both on this list and in the world at large have tried to mirror these elements, no game quite nails it like this one. The Handsome Collection is likewise easy to sink hours into without even trying, and before I knew it I had over 250 hours logged easily. Though I put off exploring the Borderlands series for many years, I am so incredibly glad I finally gave it a chance, as it’s now one of my favorite series of all times. As the game collection which allowed me to fall in love with this all new set of characters and universe, the Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is my indisputable 2019 Ultimate Game of the Year.