Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies – Turnabout Reclaimed — Don’t Pirate This

A quick glance at a few screenshots of “Turnabout Reclaimed” for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies was enough for me to quiver in fear. It’s special sixth case Capcom released as downloadable content a few weeks after the main game, focusing on characters that appear to be part of a clown troupe. The pictures make the case appear to be a callback to the third case from the second game in the franchise, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All, one where Phoenix had to defend a clown performer for murder. It was intolerable thanks to its poor pacing and annoying characters. There’s a good reason why it’s commonly referred to as the worst case in the franchise.

But that’s selling Reclaimed short, as it’s a case where appearances are deceiving. I went in expecting a good time, but not for it to be one of my favorites — providing better entertainment than some cases in the main game.

Farfetched? Well yeah; it’s an Ace Attorney game.

This is Phoenix Wright’s first case back after passing the bar exam to practice law again, placing it between the second and third cases chronologically. Good thing he’s ready to get back to business, as a woman dressed as a pirate named Sasha Buckler (get it?) enters the Wright and Co. Law Offices to see if they’ll have her as a client to take her case. The twist? The defendant is one Ora Shipley, an orca. Yes, that means she’s a killer whale, meaning the odds are already stacked against her. They’re convinced to listen to her story and take the case after Phoenix considers his history as a defense attorney, a history that fortuitously includes cross-examining a bird. He’s the right guy for the job.

Reclaimed doesn’t play out in an entirely silly manner, though. It’s more of the same, and that’s just fine considering what existed in the main game was fantastic. The pacing and length resemble the third case, with an ample amount of time being reserved for investigation and court sessions. It’s a DLC case, but Capcom treated it like it was part of the main game and didn’t skimp on the presentation. (This might beg the question of whether it was part of the main game at one point.) The songs featured during the case (yes, performed in English for the localized version) in the anime cutscenes are too catchy for comfort, and the animations for characters unique to the case are actually a tad better than some in the main game. There isn’t much new music here, but what composer Noriyuki Iwadare provided hits all the right notes. Yes, pun intended.

She really wears that outfit everywhere.

What’s really refreshing, however, is how not a single character is annoying here, even when it seems like some characters will head in that direction. Sasha is one of the most level-headed clients the series has ever provided, though she has her moments. The Shipshape Aquarium may appear simple enough, but what lies beyond that façade is a complex tale of drama.

Despite the case occurring well before the main game’s finale, its difficulty is on par with the final case — if not higher. I found myself stumped a number of times when figuring out what evidence to present in court, and not many hints are offered when those situations arise. I was almost ready to start presenting random evidence in the hope that I fulfilled a request.  It feels like Capcom listened to all the fans who thought the main game was too lenient, but it serves as a nice callback to the feeling of tension the classic games imposed upon the player.

With the quality of Turnabout Reclaimed, it’s a shame Capcom didn’t feel the need to provide a bunch of cases for fans to enjoy Dual Destinies a little while longer. That’s assuming they made their money back on it when it originally released in Japan in August, since it’s not like they care about western sales for this franchise any longer. This case also serves a bigger purpose: it shows that filler cases do have a purpose. Whenever you see someone complaining about every case not following the main story, point to this one as a good example for why that’s not necessary. Anyone on the fence due to not being a fan of DLC as a whole is missing out if they don’t give this one a purchase. At least consider this one.