Elementary, My Dear Great Ace Attorney

There’s something different about The Great Ace Attorney.

Specifically, it looks different in a way many didn’t expect — me included. The first details from late-April gave the impression that the entire game would take place in Japan’s Meiji era. This was driven home with the attires of protagonist Ryuunosuke Naruhodou and assistant Susaku Mikotoba wore, donning a classic traditional Japanese schoolboy outfit and kimono, respectively. The courtroom was also given a classic Japan touch. They didn’t show the game, but the franchise’s fanbase was thrilled over how different of a take this would be. Some English speakers were excited despite the difficulty Capcom USA would have in localizing it, assuming they would consider it at all.

But a localization won’t be as daunting of a task as first suspected, as shown when the real first details surfaced with this week’s Tokyo Game Show. Only the first case, the kickoff for Ryuunosuke’s career as a lawyer, will take place in Japan. Following that, the duo will leave to continue their adventures in London. That’s where the aspiring defense attorney needs to learn the law in order to become worthwhile. It’s also a dream for Susaku, who made a hobby out of reading novels about foreign detectives, because she’ll be meeting one.

It’s fortuitous how this was revealed shortly after Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney released in America, given how this looks like director and franchise creator Shu Takumi’s way of continuing with that setting, albeit without the need for Level 5 and Layton. Besides, it’s not like Level 5 will be using poor Hershel anymore either, considering where they’re taking the franchise — assuming that…thing still exists.

They’ve swapped Layton for, um, Sherlock Holmes!? Yes, the man himself will be starring with The Great Ace Attorney to assist in solve crimes, and he should be more useful for investigations than the likes of Detective Gumshoe and Bobby Fulbright. He’s a public domain character, so the developers felt it would have been a waste not to use him, given the setting. But don’t be surprised if he comes packed with an Ace Attorney-style humorous demeanor, despite how he’s described as one of the sharpest detectives in the country in the bio provided.

As usual, Holmes will be accompanied by Watson. Unlike usual, this is Dr. Iris Watson, an…8-year-old girl. This is how you know you’re dealing with a modern Japanese mid-tier game. She’ll still be a Doctor of Medicine despite her age, and her deductive reasoning skills might surpass Holmes’. At least she’s well dressed, bearing a minor resemblance to modern AA character Pearl Fey enough that she could be charming instead of embracing traditional “moe” tropes. Hopefully that isn’t wishful thinking on my part.

Like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies and the aforementioned Layton vs. AA, the game will have 3D characters and backdrops. Interestingly enough, though, the style of the character models resembles the latter rather than the former, not what you’d expect when the developer of the former is handling it. Perhaps Takumi instructed the team to mimic that style as far as possible, which would serve as proof that he wanted to make a sequel without Layton and Level 5’s involvement.

Given how Capcom operates, I’m concerned that they could potentially drive the AA franchise into the ground with an endless amount of sequels and spinoffs. It’s been a known phenomenon for years now. If this game isn’t your thing, the team responsible for Dual Destinies is working on a sixth mainline game, possibly due for release sometime in 2016.

We’re currently seeing a Capcom apparently desperately clinging to life in their intent on maintain their current profit margins — or better them. To ensure that, they’re doubling down on established franchises instead of pursuing even slightly risky ideas. This game will sell higher than a new IP like Ghost Trick (which sadly tanked hard), but decisions like these are typically only worthwhile for the short term; they can have dire repercussions in the future. That’s Capcom’s M.O. these days, so this is hardly surprising.

The Great Ace Attorney will hit Japan in spring 2015, and will hopefully release in western territories sometime after that. It may be easier to localize than initially suspected, but that doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to happen with a company that barely wants to release the games outside Japan. There’s a chance of them localizing it primarily to sell a mobile version later, similar to Dual Destinies, which hit the App Store worldwide weeks ago. Capcom USA might say something after the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy releases on 3DS in western territories this winter.

We should be seeing it in motion soon — perhaps this week. Then we’ll get a better impression of which game it resembles.

Update: Well, that didn’t take long. The first trailer has been released:

It looks like a fusion of Dual Destinies and Layton vs. Ace Attorney’s style in motion, though it resembles the former more. That’s hardly a surprise given that it uses the same graphics engine (MT Framework Mobile). The game will also have a classic Japanese Prosecutor Payne, though we should have seen that coming. There could be a stage demo later this week, so keep your eyes out for that.