Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies

Unreleased

"Phoenix Wright"

- A dark time is coming for our legal system... A twisting of justice brought on by our very own court system. We have to set it right.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (逆転裁判 5 Gyakuten Saiban 5, lit. "Turnabout Trial 5") is the upcoming fifth installment of the Gyakuten Saiban series, the seventh installment overall in the Ace Attorney series of visual novel games, and the first in the series on the Nintendo 3DS (though Ace Attorney characters also feature in Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban). It was formally announced with a partial logo in Japan on January 29, 2012, alongside Gyakuten Saiban 123 HD as part of the Gyakuten Saiban 10th Anniversary Event. Phoenix Wright returns as the main protagonist, and his design has been changed to reflect his maturation and greater sense of comfort compared to his last cases as a lawyer eight years prior.

A Japanese release date of July 25, 2013 was leaked on the official website on April 11, 2013, which was later confirmed. Plans for localizations for the U.S. and Europe were revealed soon after the original Japanese announcement, and an official announcement with trailer was made on May 13, 2013. It was later announced that the game would only be localized into English for the European release.

The development team includes producer Motohide Eshiro, scenario director Takeshi Yamazaki and soundtrack composer Noriyuki Iwadare, similarly to Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Gyakuten Kenji 2. Yamazaki replaces the role of series creator Shu Takumi, who reportedly is already busy with Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban. Dual Destinies also features a 3D world instead of the 2D sprites and backgrounds of previous games, as well as a fully orchestral soundtrack.

Background
Speculation began on a fifth Gyakuten Saiban game after Capcom's president announced on May 22, 2007 that a new Ace Attorney game would be released, though no further detail was divulged. For the next five years, there was no concrete indication of the existence of a "Gyakuten Saiban 5". All hints of an "upcoming" Ace Attorney game from 2007 to early 2012 were followed by the announcement and release of a different title in the series, most recently Gyakuten Kenji 2 (starring Miles Edgeworth) and the crossover game Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban.

The rumors (Ace Attorney Investigations)
On February 1, 2008, Siliconera posted an interview with product marketing manager for Ace Attorney, Colin Ferris, concerning Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, which at the time was weeks away from its North American release. Ferris gave no concrete information on "the next game" when asked about it, only assuring that the developers had "some neat new ideas for it." This may have been in reference to Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, however, which was announced as "NEW Gyakuten NOT Saiban" a month later. Four months later, on May 4, 2008, Komachi posted on Court Records saying that development of the game had been paused. The reason given was that, while Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney had been the best-selling game in the series thus far, existing fans of the series had not received it very well, prompting them to focus their attention on Ace Attorney Investigations.

On June 30, 2008, at Capcom's first annual Captivate convention, Court Records admin Croik asked various Capcom employees about info on a fifth Ace Attorney game. The employees gave little concrete information but quashed rumors from Chinese fansites that Shu Takumi had left Capcom and that the game had been canceled. Croik commented that the employees probably knew that she was not asking about Ace Attorney Investigations. A year later, after the release of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, an interview with its producer Motohide Eshiro revealed that he had contacted core series producer Minae Matsukawa and talked about making a new game in the Saiban saga, as well as possibly working on a sequel to Edgeworth's game. The latter was eventually released as Gyakuten Kenji 2, but news on the former once again became quiet.

Shu Takumi's involvement (Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban)
Series creator Shu Takumi originally intended for the series to end at Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations and later Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. However, he expressed in interviews that he was reconsidering his decision to end his involvement in the series due to the positive fan reaction that the series has gained over the years. In one particular interview with VideoGamer.com at E3 2010, Takumi expressed an interest in taking the Ace Attorney series to the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo's newest portable game console. This eventually came to fruition with Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban.

Development
The game was announced with a partial logo on January 29, 2012, as part of the Gyakuten Saiban 10th Anniversary Event. Months later, starting on September 5, information on characters and plot were revealed through Famitsu and a new official website.

First wave: Famitsu interview and Tokyo Game Show
Famitsu featured an interview with Eshiro and Yamazaki, in which they talked about the gameplay and plot and speculated on Maya Fey's whereabouts during the game. Yamazaki posited that she was training at Kurain Village, which seems to imply that she will not feature heavily in the game, with a new character playing her role as the partner character. This new assistant was said to have been difficult to design, looking almost alien-like at first, though the color yellow was always a theme. The game is expected to be of similar length to previous games in the series.



On the move to 3D, Yamazaki explained:

"Takeshi Yamazaki"

- Part of the visual appeal of Ace Attorney stems from the fact that it's in 2D, after all. We were limited in how many animation frames we could put in the first few games, so at first there were maybe only one or two variations on the 'Objection!' word balloon. That wound up giving the game this sense of speed and sharpness that we couldn't have gotten otherwise. To recreate that feel in 3D, we're deliberately messing with the pace, inserting pauses and skipping over other things. With 2D we played around with perspectives — drawing Wright's hand larger than usual when he's pointing at someone — and we're taking measures to recreate that sort of thing in 3D.

It was also announced that a localization was planned. Capcom USA's Senior Vice President, Christian Svensson, explained that the predicted performance for Ace Attorney 5 was "aggressive" in comparison to the performance of the franchise thus far.

The showing of Gyakuten Saiban 5 at Tokyo Game Show 2012 featured a 15-minute demo and some more information about the new partner character, Kokone Kizuki (Athena Cykes).

Second wave
In mid-March 2013, Housuke Odoroki (Apollo Justice) was confirmed to be returning, sporting a new look. A month later, a more substantial update was released to the public via Famitsu and the official website. This included the first details of the game's second case, confirming an uninjured Justice as playable, and the reveal of Jin Yuugami (Simon Blackquill), the rival prosecutor of the game. Among the announcements were a Japanese release date of July 25, various limited edition bundles, and the first downloadable content in the form of costumes for the three lawyers. At the end of April, Capcom had an updated demo and gameplay trailer to show at the Nico Nico Cho Kaigi 2 event, with the demo confirming Justice's role during the first case. On May 13, the first details of the game's localization were revealed by Capcom USA and Capcom Europe. This included the new title Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, and a fall 2013 release, although it was announced that the game would only come to the west via the Nintendo eShop. Capcom USA’s Senior Vice-President, Christian Svensson, cited difficulties with ensuring retail support for physical releases of Ace Attorney games as a reason for a download-only release in the West. Meanwhile, Reiji Mitsurugi (Miles Edgeworth), Minuki Naruhodou (Trucy Wright) and details on the second case were revealed in Famitsu. Additionally, the Tokyo Game Show demo and a new trailer were posted on the Japanese official website. The very end of the trailer was later slightly adjusted to briefly show Edgeworth's new in-game sprite at the prosecutor's bench.

Third wave: Nintendo Direct and E3
On May 31, 2013, the game was featured alongside Monster Hunter 4 in a Nintendo Direct focusing on Capcom's upcoming games for the Nintendo 3DS. A new three minute voiced trailer was shown that revealed two returning characters: Harumi Ayasato (Pearl Fey) and Kyouya Garyuu (Klavier Gavin). It also showed the return of gameplay elements from previous entries in the series, specifically Wright's magatama and Justice's bracelet, as well as teasing some details of the third case.

On June 6, the official site was updated with new information, including voice actors, details on the second and third cases, and the Thought Route (カンガエルート kangae ruuto). Meanwhile, ahead of E3 2013, the English names of Ted Tonate and Simon Blackquill were revealed. During E3, some more details were discussed in a Q&A session with Eshiro, and an English version of the demo was playable.

The June 20 issue of Famitsu and a corresponding official site update featured the third case of the game, along with Gavin's role in the game.

Story
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies takes place roughly one year after Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. By this time, Phoenix Wright has regained his attorney's badge. The plot has a darker theme than previous games in the series, in accordance with Wright's warning in Turnabout Trump, "A dark time is coming for our legal system. [...] We have to set it right". However, it has the same overall light tone of the other games in the series.

Episodes
In the E3 2013 interview with Eshiro it was stated that the game would have roughly the same amount of content as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations and would take 25-30 hours to complete.


 * Turnabout Countdown - Phoenix Wright takes on Winston Payne's younger brother Gaspen, in the case of a high school girl named Juniper Woods, accused of planting a bomb to destroy one of the courtrooms at the District Court.


 * 逆転の百鬼夜行 - Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes investigate a "kitsune's forest" filled with "ghosts". The case involves a "hero" wearing a kitsune mask. This case introduces Simon Blackquill.


 * Turnabout Academy - The third case takes place at Themis Law School during a culture festival. Klavier Gavin returns to take on Apollo Justice in court.

Main characters

 * Phoenix Wright - The protagonist of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Justice For All, and Trials and Tribulations. A previously disbarred defense attorney who has regained his badge. One of the playable characters. His magatama allows him to see Psyche-Locks around people, showing that they are hiding something from him.


 * Apollo Justice - The protagonist of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is set to return as a playable character. He has the ability to detect subtle, subconscious movements that witnesses make, aided by his bracelet. At some point in the game, he is injured, with both his arms and his right eye swathed in bandages. While wounded, he also sports a slightly tattered long blue coat that hangs from his shoulders over his usual apparel.


 * Athena Cykes - Defense attorney and new partner character. She has a great drive to win, distinguishing her from Maya Fey. She can examine witnesses' emotions using a computer on her necklace called the "Mood Matrix" (ココロスコープ, kokoro sukōpu, lit. "Heart Scope").


 * Simon Blackquill - The game's rival prosecutor. A pale man with black eyeshadow and a feather in his mouth, he was ordered to stand in court despite technically serving a murder sentence. Blackquill, as befitting of a prisoner, has a large pair of handcuffs connected by a chain on his wrists. He also wears a black and white long coat, and carries a hawk named Gin on his right shoulder. He uses psychological manipulation techniques.


 * Gouzou Ban (番　轟三) - A hot-blooded detective with the catchphrase "In justice we trust!" he has worked with Simon Blackquill many times and is paired up with him in court. The detective hopes to help the prosecutor redeem himself, and he seems completely oblivious to Blackquill's attempts to manipulate him. Ban has such a strong sense of justice that he is compelled to intervene to help those in trouble, and he will even help defense attorneys if it will lead to a fair trial. His English surname is Fulbright.


 * The unnamed judge who has presided over most of the cases in Ace Attorney series.

Returning characters

 * Trucy Wright - Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter and Apollo Justice's former investigative partner. A young magician from a well-known family of magicians, she is still working at the Wright Anything Agency and continues to aid the lawyers in their investigations.


 * Miles Edgeworth - A renowned prosecutor prodigy and current Chief Prosecutor. A childhood friend and longtime rival of Phoenix Wright, as well as the protagonist of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Gyakuten Kenji 2.


 * Klavier Gavin - Rival prosecutor to Justice when he started his career, and former lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band "The Gavinners".


 * Pearl Fey - A member of a Fey clan branch family and the younger cousin of Phoenix Wright's old assistant Maya Fey.

New characters
Case 1:


 * Gaspen Payne - Winston Payne's younger brother. He is somewhat more villainous than Winston was, as he is not afraid of using dirty tactics.


 * Juniper Woods - Athena Cykes's childhood friend. A high school student with a weak disposition who goes into spasms when nervous. Woods is also the president of the Themis Law School council.


 * Ted Tonate - A suspicious member of the bomb squad who communicates almost entirely via his keyboard.


 * Hozumi Kakuru (賀来 ほずみ) - A woman found dead near the debris of the courtroom explosion. Her surname comes from "kakusu" (隠す), meaning "conceal", and her first name comes from "sumi" (隅), which means "corner". Only known from a screenshot shown near the end of the Nintendo Direct trailer.

Case 2:


 * Yumemi Tenma (天馬 ゆめみ) - The daughter of the head of the Tenma family. Her father is arrested for the murder of Kyuubi Village's mayor. Yumemi believes that the real culprit is the demon Tenma Tarou (天魔太郎). A friend of Trucy, she had originally invited Justice and the others to Kyuubi Village for a celebration.


 * Tenma (天馬 出右衛門) - Yumemi Tenma's father and the mayor of Tenma City. The main suspect for the murder of Kyuubi Village's mayor.


 * Kumabee Zeniarai (銭洗 熊兵衛) - The manager of the mayor's mansion. He has been seen at one point wearing a bracelet on his left arm that looks very much like the one belonging to Justice.


 * Shuuichi Biyouin (美葉院 秀一) - A secretary working for the Tenma family.

Case 3:


 * Rei (レイ) - A high school student at Themis Law School who is, according to a school newspaper, involved in a love triangle with Juniper Woods. Only seen in gameplay screenshots.


 * Ichiro (イチロ) - A pale older man at Themis Law School who wears a white toga over his suit and holds a staff with a globe on top. His face somewhat resembles that of the Ancient Greek god Zeus. Only seen in gameplay screenshots.


 * Masayo Michiba - The victim.


 * Atsume Uwasa - A suspicious man who obscures his features by covering himself in a cardboard box. He may know something about the case and may be hiding crucial items related to the case in his box. Justice has to perceive him outside of the courtroom in order to reveal what he knows. His name means "rumor collecting". Only seen in gameplay screenshots.

Gameplay
The classic courtroom gameplay of Phoenix Wright's previous adventures returns, including Phoenix Wright's magatama and Apollo Justice's bracelet. Added to this formula are the "Mood Matrix" (ココ口スコ‐プ "kokoro sukōpu") and the Thought Route (カンガエルート kangae ruuto). The player character uses the Mood Matrix to examine the emotions of a witness and find contradictions between the witness's emotional state and his or her testimony. The Thought Route comes into play at a critical point in the trial. Similarly to the Logic feature in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Gyakuten Kenji 2, the player character reviews the known facts and builds up a train of thought to reach a conclusion. The player is presented with a series of facts of many kinds, such as items and evidence connected to the case, and must choose the correct one to advance the reasoning towards a final conclusion.

In addition to this, the game world has transitioned into 3D with fully orchestral music, allowing for dynamic camera angles while retaining the 2D "touch" of the characters by taking measures to maintain the sense of speed sharpness from the 2D games. The 3D transition also allows the player to look at rooms from different angles during investigations. In addition, the game features animated scenes by the anime studio Bones, similarly to Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban. Another new feature is a backlog function, which allows players to review previous dialogue.

Downloadable content
As an incentive to order early, free downloadable costumes will be available in Japan until a month after the game's release. Said costumes are: Wright's old suit from the first three games for Phoenix Wright, a new casual outfit by character designer Kazuya Nuri for Apollo Justice, and a sailor fuku for Athena Cykes.

Note
Excluding the European box art for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (which only has Phoenix Wright on it), Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies is the first game in the Ace Attorney series to have voiced speech bubbles for all the characters featured on the front cover of the box art.