Ace Attorney has always been a bizarre series — in one game, an actual orca with a mustache and pirate hat takes the witness stand. But even among those weird hallowed halls, Ace Attorney Investigations stands out as a spinoff that takes the action out of the courtroom and onto the crime scene. Up until now, Ace Attorney Investigations 2 was also the only game in the series that had never been released in the West. Luckily, the Investigations Collection fixes that omission. Even better, it’s the most impressive remaster Ace Attorney has seen yet, largely because of jaw-dropping visual enhancements.
The Investigations games are spinoffs that star renowned prosecutor Miles Edgeworth, putting a larger emphasis on the investigation elements of Ace Attorney while adding some unique gameplay features in the process. These games do stand entirely separate from the series at large, and I’d even argue you don’t even need to have played an Ace Attorney game at all to jump in. That’s beneficial in some regards, but Investigations does retain the weirdo off-the-wall humor that made the series so beloved.
These games, like Ace Attorney at large, have an impeccable way of injecting comedy and whimsy into ultra-serious events. One case in the first game has you solving a murder aboard an extravagant first-class airplane that even comes equipped with its own multi-floor elevator, something that becomes vital to the case. The first case of Investigations 2 has Miles solving a bizarre assassination attempt on an over-the-top theatrical foreign president with orange hair — admittedly that case feels especially bizarre to play in the year 2024.
Whereas most Ace Attorney games are about unique mechanics and finding contradictions in testimony, Investigations puts a large emphasis on Edgeworth’s “logic” skills. You can fully explore crime scenes to find pieces of evidence and talk to witnesses, which gives you clues in the case record. Using a mechanic called Logic, Edgeworth can combine two clues to find a new clue, which will let you advance the case further. Investigations 2 adds a further wrinkle with an ability called “Mind Chess,” where Edgeworth has to verbally spar with witnesses to get them to reveal information they’re hiding.
The Investigations games, while similar, feel integrally different from the mainline Ace Attorney franchise. The writing and humor are equally strong, but the focus on logic and piecing clues together can be a bit of a mixed bag. When later cases grow more complex, it can be an absolute blast, but the earlier cases oftentimes make the solutions you need far too simple, or even bizarrely specific.
In an early case, for example, I had to present a laser sight to prove the red dot on someone’s head was from a firearm, but I couldn’t just present the weapon itself, but rather a specific piece of testimony. Sometimes, the specificity of what piece of evidence you need to present can feel too limiting. It’s a problem that definitely feels more present in Investigations than other Ace Attorney games. Despite those issues, it does feel refreshing to play Investigations, two games that ambitiously attempted to break the franchise’s mold, and that’s admirable even if not everything is a home run.
But those unique elements of Investigations help give the game a distinct flavor, and luckily that’s something that Capcom has really leaned into with this remaster in particular.
The main addition, and by far the most impressive aspect, is the new 3D sprites that are used in the environment and investigations scenes. I cannot overstate how fantastic this addition is in every way — these sprites are absurdly detailed, lavishly animated, and absolutely oozing personality. This aesthetic change heavily leans into the humor and style of the Investigations games, and it truly makes the world of both Investigations games feel alive, practically popping off the screen.
Environments and objects have accordingly been updated as well, making it feel like you’re navigating Edgeworth around adorable little crime dioramas. Previous Ace Attorney collections have had great visual updates, but Investigations feels like it’s on another level entirely. This collection doesn’t just update these games for modern systems but makes stylistic changes that actively make both games better. As much as I’ve enjoyed the past collections, Investigations has them beat for this sheer fact alone.
The Investigations games aren’t the best entries in the franchise, but they’re fun romps with a few warts and some unique ideas. But what’s really remarkable is the trajectory Capcom’s been on with these collections, with each one becoming more ambitious and adding more meaningful changes. The Investigations Collection comes with all the bells and whistles the others have, like an Art Gallery and Story Mode, but I’m honestly blown away by how much better these games look and feel than their original incarnations.
Every single Ace Attorney game is now playable on all modern consoles, and hopefully, that’s a sign of Capcom committing to the continuation of the quirky series.
