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Phoenix Wright’s gameplay is very similar to a bishoujo game’s. In short: it’s a digital novel. I normally find digital novels boring as hell, most especially if they’re not of the erotic kind. Now, you can probably imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I found myself hooked. The only time I can bring myself to put it down is if I had to do something extremely important. No digital novel has ever carried me to that level of addiction, with the sole exception of Knights of Xentar. But Phoenix Wright took me beyond even that.

At first I had difficulty swallowing the premise. You’re playing Phoenix Wright, a defense lawyer, who not only snoops around crime scenes but also implicates the real murderers in court. Having uncles for lawyers, I was aghast to see Wright lift evidence directly from his investigations and go above the normal protocols. I end up frequently asking my boyfriend, “Can he do that???” or exclaim, “He’s searching illegally!!!”

Not only that, his court battles can get ridiculous sometimes, with logic being too linear. It’s like solving an Analytic Geometry problem that only accepts solutions from a teacher’s answer key. For instance, I’m seeing another angle in a particular case but the game only wants me to go with its pre-programmed angles.

I also have issues with running around crime scenes like a headless chicken if I happen to miss examining something, if I don’t know where to go next, or if I have to go over a testimony/location twice just to trigger an event. When that happens, the game becomes my cure for insomnia.

Heh. For all my complaints about Phoenix Wright, I can’t deny that it is addictive. You don’t select from mindless, luck-based choices like what most bishoujo games are wont to offer. You’re actually out to look for the truth in every case and it means searching every nook and cranny for it. Of course, you’re following a logical trail while you’re at it. The court record hands you a gamut of clues, puzzle pieces, and evidence to throw against your opponents both in court and during your investigations. My favorite part is dismantling witness testimonies by pointing out contradictions. >>> Read more at the Otaku Fridge >>>