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croikOh my god it's finally over ;_;
It's a shame that a case that started out so interesting got so bad so fast ;_;
Phoenix coming back was great (I like the idea of poor Phoenix wandering around with his cold - I like guys in distress, okay!?). But with Phoenix back, the focus was put back on Maya like whoa, and that, weirdly enough, killed all the suspense for me. You know Maya is fine. You know she's gonna pop out smiling, that she didn't kill anyone, that Phoenix will prove it. There's no mystery for that part of the case: the only mystery is who *other than Maya* comitted the murder, and more importantly, how? So every time Phoenix prayed "I hope Maya's okay!" I rolled my eyes a little and plowed on.
It's not just that it was Maya and I'm not a Maya fan - it's just so obvious that nothing bad is going to happen to Maya. So what's the point of pretending something might? Really old, really fast.
ANYWAY, it still kind of annoys me in this case that Edgeworth is able to exert so much influence. The court system doesn't exist in a bubble (hopefully). The fact that he was able to swoop in, use his influence as a prosecutor to hide the fact that he's a prosecutor, and then act AS a prosecutor later that very same day is pretty mind boggling. At 10 am Iris was his client and he defended her in court. By 5 pm he was the sole person entrusted with Iris' care. No wonder their justice system is fucked :\
However, it was still painfully adorable when Edgeworth passed out and lost Iris. Poor guy :( I'm actually really glad that he hasn't gotten over his earthquake fear. It always seemed like a slightly irrational thing, because you'd think he'd be just as scared of closed spaces, and the dark, and guns, but of all the things that ruined his life it's the earthquake that gets the most blame. Not that I want Edgeworth to suffer, but it makes more sense to say it's something he'll never get over. Plus every character needs a weakness.
But really, the point in which this case really took a dive for me was when Phoenix crossed the bridge for the first time since its repair and ran into Godot. I'm not trying to brag or anything, but it was at that point that I knew Godot was guilty. It just seemed so obvious - there's no way he could have slipped in and beat Phoenix there. He had to have been one of the people trapped on the temple side. And why would he be there if he wasn't guilty? From that point on the suspense around the murder was kind of ruined.
Not to mention Godot then has to be a jerkoff, ranting at Phoenix about how much of a failure he is when HE JUST KILLED MAYA'S MOTHER. God I wanted to throttle him.
The one thing I didn't figure out until the end was that Iris was Dahlia all along. For a while I was actually convinced that Dahlia and Iris had switched places in prison, before Dahlia's execution - that Iris had been dead all along, and Dahlia snuck in to Hazakura long before Godot and Elise showed up. Which would have been sad for Iris, but oh well :D
Then, back to court. While playing through this time, I thought of something I hadn't before, concerning Godot's motivations at this point in the trial. By now, he's probably resigned himself to the fact that he's going to be found guilty - in the end, he does *want* to be caught. But he's going through the motions anyway as a "test" for Wright. Which makes him a complete and total douche because 1) Phoenix has already beaten him twice, thus proving himself better anyway, and 2) He was willing to put Maya's life and comfort on the line to do it. Which is why whenever someone brings up the question, "Did Godot really care about protecting Maya?" I don't see how there can be any doubt that the answer is no. Godot rejected every opportunity he had to save Maya. He even preached at her about needing to be strong and "finish it", forcing her through a painful experience when he had the power to end it at any time. Jackass >:O
ANYWAY, rewind. Preparing for the second day of trial, Godot had Iris in the prosecution lobby. At that point, we have to assume that he's figured out she's really Dahlia (but he hasn't let on to her yet that he knows). He knew that everything Dahlia told him was a lie, a lie that implicated Maya. But even knowing all this (and also probably knowing that Maya was the one channeling Dahlia, straining her body even longer) he still put Dahlia on the stand. He still allowed her to implicate Maya in the murder, her at risk and forcing all her friends to suffer. He *helped Dahlia* by giving her the freedom to testify.
That's the part I can't quite wrap my head around. He threw Dahlia up on the stand just so that he could have her be exposed and punished in front of an audience. It wasn't enough to save Maya and spoil her plan, he had to humiliate Dahlia in the process. Every bit of that trial, and every moment before and after, was solely for Godot's own satisfaction. The fact that anyone tries to pretend otherwise (him, Phoenix, Maya, Mia, the fans) drives me flipping nuts!!
3-5 also further demonstrates the failure of Feys. When Godot talks about the blade hidden in Misty's staff, he says that at that point, he realized just how far Misty was willing to go to protect her daughter. Far enough to murder, yeah. BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH TO SWALLOW HER OWN GODDAMN PRIDE AND ACTUALLY SPEAK TO HER. MISTY COULD HAVE SAVED EVERYONE BY EXPLAINING THE SITUATION. BUT NOOOOO, THAT WOULD REVEAL HER SECRET. YOU STUPID WENCH, MIA DIED BECAUSE SHE WAS SEARCHING FOR A TRUTH YOU COULD HAVE SIMPLY TOLD HER. MAYA AND PEARL'S LIVES WERE ALMOST RUINED BECAUSE OF ENEMIES THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD TO LOOK OUT FOR. IT'S YOUR FAULT AND I'M GLAD YOU DIED.
I'm not really that mad, but I wanted to use caps anyway. Godot and Misty are both pricks. Iris is kind of a prick too, but when Maya's own mother is telling you she knows what's best, it's kind of hard to challenge that.
I could hate on Godot a lot more, even, but I'm getting kinda tired of it. So instead, Phoenix/Iris.
The first time Iris showed up, I thought she was adorable and perfect for Phoenix (even as a NaruMitsu fan). I'm a sucker for female characters who are strong willed, but also very sweet and feminine. Strength doesn't mean ass kicking and mini skirts, people.
However, I don't feel like I can really support the couple past T&T. It was such a throwaway romance in a lot of ways. In 3-1 "Feenie" and "Dollie" were just so sickeningly sweet it was nearly impossible to imagine them as a functioning couple, and by 3-5 it's kind of too late. Iris isn't as important as the people that have been following Phoenix through all the games, so it's to hard imagine Phoenix loving her even as much as them. She's not pictured in any official art or group photos. It's like the writers didn't even really intend for her to be a viable love interest.
Now, canonness of a pairing has never prevented me from my favorite ships. But sometimes, when a ship is presented in canon as plausible but is not realized...I lose interest like crazy. Same with Phoenix/Maya - could have easily been canon, but wasn't. Not that I would have ever shipped Phoenix/Maya anyway.
In any case, I like Phoenix/Iris as a concept, but it's not a pairing I have any interest in pursuing in any way. I'll be sticking to Phoenix/Edgeworth and Phoenix/Kristoph thanks :D :D :D
Lastly, there's...um...Franziska! I still don't like her very much. It was funny having her follow Phoenix around, but I can't help but think that she was full of false characterization here. Clearly, she's a bit softer than before. But her every mannerism has been reduced to gimmick, and her hostility wasn't anything more than going through the motions. It's too bad there wasn't enough time to engage her in a way that exposed some real character growth.
To wrap up...I don't like 3-5 much. There are some great concepts, but I don't think it was executed well at all. The last cross examination was way too easy for it to be satisfying, especially since Godot holds your hand through it all (even after saying repeatedly that Phoenix would have to "do it alone"). It doesn't feel like Phoenix really figured out anything, or even "solved" the case when Godot, Mia, Maya, Iris, and just about everyone except for Phoenix and the Judge himself had already figured everything out long before it gets presented. Congrats, Phoenix, you proved what anyone else could have confessed to an hour ago, if they weren't all obnoxious cowards. Bahh. What a way to end a career.
If this is what Mia considers Phoenix's crowning achievement as a lawyer...maybe it's a good thing he no longer is one!
And that's the end of the countdown for me! All in all I enjoyed it a great deal, though I can't say I'll be doing it again anytime soon XD;;. It kind of seems like there are more cases I don't enjoy playing through than do... On average each AA game has one case that I really love and would play over and over, one that I might replay if prompted...and the rest I don't entirely care for. They're each an important link in the main story, but I don't feel the need to replay them all just for fun.
But the refresher definately did me some good. I didn't remember how aggressive Phoenix was even in the earliest cases, and I appreciate characters like Will and Adrian and Acro much more. After having played 4 this replay also highlighted for me a lot of the immoral and illegal behavior going on through the series, some prompted by Phoenix, some by Mia. I like Phoenix a lot more because of it, especially knowing his actions in GS4.
I know a ton of people are going to get to 4 and complain that Phoenix has changed completely, but I simply don't believe that. After seeing Phoenix's bravado, his sarcasm, his ability to hold grudges, his drive, his devotion and his apathy, I'm convinced HoboPhoenix isn't that far off at all. Phoenix *isn't* just your common good guy fighting for justice, and I think some people forget that a little when they go without having played the games for a while. I know I did, to an extent. And I'm glad for the reminder.
GS4 has it's faults, to be sure. There are some parts that are as improbable and nonsensical as anything in 3-5. There are interactions that are glossed over, relationships that aren't fleshed out as well as they could be. There are some characters who aren't developed enough or are just annoying. But in the end...I still love the game. The characters are still quirky and compelling, the cases are still engaging, and hey, Apollo is damn cute. And as far as I'm concerned, that's what makes a great Ace Attorney game.
So ends the countdown. Though I might do a post for each of the AJ cases, once it's out and I've gotten the bulk up my updates done.
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silverwind9 - this countdown idea was genius, and it's thanks to you <3333 You're awesome <333333
It also made me realize I need more AA icons, stat!!
It's a shame that a case that started out so interesting got so bad so fast ;_;
Phoenix coming back was great (I like the idea of poor Phoenix wandering around with his cold - I like guys in distress, okay!?). But with Phoenix back, the focus was put back on Maya like whoa, and that, weirdly enough, killed all the suspense for me. You know Maya is fine. You know she's gonna pop out smiling, that she didn't kill anyone, that Phoenix will prove it. There's no mystery for that part of the case: the only mystery is who *other than Maya* comitted the murder, and more importantly, how? So every time Phoenix prayed "I hope Maya's okay!" I rolled my eyes a little and plowed on.
It's not just that it was Maya and I'm not a Maya fan - it's just so obvious that nothing bad is going to happen to Maya. So what's the point of pretending something might? Really old, really fast.
ANYWAY, it still kind of annoys me in this case that Edgeworth is able to exert so much influence. The court system doesn't exist in a bubble (hopefully). The fact that he was able to swoop in, use his influence as a prosecutor to hide the fact that he's a prosecutor, and then act AS a prosecutor later that very same day is pretty mind boggling. At 10 am Iris was his client and he defended her in court. By 5 pm he was the sole person entrusted with Iris' care. No wonder their justice system is fucked :\
However, it was still painfully adorable when Edgeworth passed out and lost Iris. Poor guy :( I'm actually really glad that he hasn't gotten over his earthquake fear. It always seemed like a slightly irrational thing, because you'd think he'd be just as scared of closed spaces, and the dark, and guns, but of all the things that ruined his life it's the earthquake that gets the most blame. Not that I want Edgeworth to suffer, but it makes more sense to say it's something he'll never get over. Plus every character needs a weakness.
But really, the point in which this case really took a dive for me was when Phoenix crossed the bridge for the first time since its repair and ran into Godot. I'm not trying to brag or anything, but it was at that point that I knew Godot was guilty. It just seemed so obvious - there's no way he could have slipped in and beat Phoenix there. He had to have been one of the people trapped on the temple side. And why would he be there if he wasn't guilty? From that point on the suspense around the murder was kind of ruined.
Not to mention Godot then has to be a jerkoff, ranting at Phoenix about how much of a failure he is when HE JUST KILLED MAYA'S MOTHER. God I wanted to throttle him.
The one thing I didn't figure out until the end was that Iris was Dahlia all along. For a while I was actually convinced that Dahlia and Iris had switched places in prison, before Dahlia's execution - that Iris had been dead all along, and Dahlia snuck in to Hazakura long before Godot and Elise showed up. Which would have been sad for Iris, but oh well :D
Then, back to court. While playing through this time, I thought of something I hadn't before, concerning Godot's motivations at this point in the trial. By now, he's probably resigned himself to the fact that he's going to be found guilty - in the end, he does *want* to be caught. But he's going through the motions anyway as a "test" for Wright. Which makes him a complete and total douche because 1) Phoenix has already beaten him twice, thus proving himself better anyway, and 2) He was willing to put Maya's life and comfort on the line to do it. Which is why whenever someone brings up the question, "Did Godot really care about protecting Maya?" I don't see how there can be any doubt that the answer is no. Godot rejected every opportunity he had to save Maya. He even preached at her about needing to be strong and "finish it", forcing her through a painful experience when he had the power to end it at any time. Jackass >:O
ANYWAY, rewind. Preparing for the second day of trial, Godot had Iris in the prosecution lobby. At that point, we have to assume that he's figured out she's really Dahlia (but he hasn't let on to her yet that he knows). He knew that everything Dahlia told him was a lie, a lie that implicated Maya. But even knowing all this (and also probably knowing that Maya was the one channeling Dahlia, straining her body even longer) he still put Dahlia on the stand. He still allowed her to implicate Maya in the murder, her at risk and forcing all her friends to suffer. He *helped Dahlia* by giving her the freedom to testify.
That's the part I can't quite wrap my head around. He threw Dahlia up on the stand just so that he could have her be exposed and punished in front of an audience. It wasn't enough to save Maya and spoil her plan, he had to humiliate Dahlia in the process. Every bit of that trial, and every moment before and after, was solely for Godot's own satisfaction. The fact that anyone tries to pretend otherwise (him, Phoenix, Maya, Mia, the fans) drives me flipping nuts!!
3-5 also further demonstrates the failure of Feys. When Godot talks about the blade hidden in Misty's staff, he says that at that point, he realized just how far Misty was willing to go to protect her daughter. Far enough to murder, yeah. BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH TO SWALLOW HER OWN GODDAMN PRIDE AND ACTUALLY SPEAK TO HER. MISTY COULD HAVE SAVED EVERYONE BY EXPLAINING THE SITUATION. BUT NOOOOO, THAT WOULD REVEAL HER SECRET. YOU STUPID WENCH, MIA DIED BECAUSE SHE WAS SEARCHING FOR A TRUTH YOU COULD HAVE SIMPLY TOLD HER. MAYA AND PEARL'S LIVES WERE ALMOST RUINED BECAUSE OF ENEMIES THEY DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD TO LOOK OUT FOR. IT'S YOUR FAULT AND I'M GLAD YOU DIED.
I'm not really that mad, but I wanted to use caps anyway. Godot and Misty are both pricks. Iris is kind of a prick too, but when Maya's own mother is telling you she knows what's best, it's kind of hard to challenge that.
I could hate on Godot a lot more, even, but I'm getting kinda tired of it. So instead, Phoenix/Iris.
The first time Iris showed up, I thought she was adorable and perfect for Phoenix (even as a NaruMitsu fan). I'm a sucker for female characters who are strong willed, but also very sweet and feminine. Strength doesn't mean ass kicking and mini skirts, people.
However, I don't feel like I can really support the couple past T&T. It was such a throwaway romance in a lot of ways. In 3-1 "Feenie" and "Dollie" were just so sickeningly sweet it was nearly impossible to imagine them as a functioning couple, and by 3-5 it's kind of too late. Iris isn't as important as the people that have been following Phoenix through all the games, so it's to hard imagine Phoenix loving her even as much as them. She's not pictured in any official art or group photos. It's like the writers didn't even really intend for her to be a viable love interest.
Now, canonness of a pairing has never prevented me from my favorite ships. But sometimes, when a ship is presented in canon as plausible but is not realized...I lose interest like crazy. Same with Phoenix/Maya - could have easily been canon, but wasn't. Not that I would have ever shipped Phoenix/Maya anyway.
In any case, I like Phoenix/Iris as a concept, but it's not a pairing I have any interest in pursuing in any way. I'll be sticking to Phoenix/Edgeworth and Phoenix/Kristoph thanks :D :D :D
Lastly, there's...um...Franziska! I still don't like her very much. It was funny having her follow Phoenix around, but I can't help but think that she was full of false characterization here. Clearly, she's a bit softer than before. But her every mannerism has been reduced to gimmick, and her hostility wasn't anything more than going through the motions. It's too bad there wasn't enough time to engage her in a way that exposed some real character growth.
To wrap up...I don't like 3-5 much. There are some great concepts, but I don't think it was executed well at all. The last cross examination was way too easy for it to be satisfying, especially since Godot holds your hand through it all (even after saying repeatedly that Phoenix would have to "do it alone"). It doesn't feel like Phoenix really figured out anything, or even "solved" the case when Godot, Mia, Maya, Iris, and just about everyone except for Phoenix and the Judge himself had already figured everything out long before it gets presented. Congrats, Phoenix, you proved what anyone else could have confessed to an hour ago, if they weren't all obnoxious cowards. Bahh. What a way to end a career.
If this is what Mia considers Phoenix's crowning achievement as a lawyer...maybe it's a good thing he no longer is one!
And that's the end of the countdown for me! All in all I enjoyed it a great deal, though I can't say I'll be doing it again anytime soon XD;;. It kind of seems like there are more cases I don't enjoy playing through than do... On average each AA game has one case that I really love and would play over and over, one that I might replay if prompted...and the rest I don't entirely care for. They're each an important link in the main story, but I don't feel the need to replay them all just for fun.
But the refresher definately did me some good. I didn't remember how aggressive Phoenix was even in the earliest cases, and I appreciate characters like Will and Adrian and Acro much more. After having played 4 this replay also highlighted for me a lot of the immoral and illegal behavior going on through the series, some prompted by Phoenix, some by Mia. I like Phoenix a lot more because of it, especially knowing his actions in GS4.
I know a ton of people are going to get to 4 and complain that Phoenix has changed completely, but I simply don't believe that. After seeing Phoenix's bravado, his sarcasm, his ability to hold grudges, his drive, his devotion and his apathy, I'm convinced HoboPhoenix isn't that far off at all. Phoenix *isn't* just your common good guy fighting for justice, and I think some people forget that a little when they go without having played the games for a while. I know I did, to an extent. And I'm glad for the reminder.
GS4 has it's faults, to be sure. There are some parts that are as improbable and nonsensical as anything in 3-5. There are interactions that are glossed over, relationships that aren't fleshed out as well as they could be. There are some characters who aren't developed enough or are just annoying. But in the end...I still love the game. The characters are still quirky and compelling, the cases are still engaging, and hey, Apollo is damn cute. And as far as I'm concerned, that's what makes a great Ace Attorney game.
So ends the countdown. Though I might do a post for each of the AJ cases, once it's out and I've gotten the bulk up my updates done.
silverwind9 - this countdown idea was genius, and it's thanks to you <3333 You're awesome <333333It also made me realize I need more AA icons, stat!!
