ace_attorney

Storyline

Details of the murder are further investigated. Phoenix (aka the player/main character/defense attorney) interacts with other characters such as the defense assistant Mia Fey, the defendant Larry Butz, the prosecutor Winston Payne, and the judge. The storyline and dialogue follow a visual novel structure.

Court Record

The court record is a main gameplay element. It can be invoked anytime throughout the game by pressing [R]. It contains the evidences gathered throughout the investigations and by pressing [R] again, it will show a biography of all persons in question. Information needed by the judge can be found in the court record in order to further progress the story.

Trial

The player participates in a criminal bench trial, representing his or her defendant against the accusations of the prosecution. The player's main method of attack is through the cross-examination of witnesses brought forth by the prosecution. Cross-examinations can lead to the uncovering of contradictions between testimony and evidence, as well as new information and even an opportunity for the defense attorney to call a witness.

The defense attorney can present evidence from the court record by pressing [X] to point out a contradiction in the witness's testimony, or simply to prove a point based on the statement in question.

Additional Gameplay Mechanic: Health Bar

The player must also be wary of the judge's confidence in them, which is represented by a health bar which the judge can damage via penalties. Penalties occur if the player presents evidence that has no connection with the case at hand.