I’m An Amoral, Scum Sucking Lawyer

Or at least, thanks to the Nintendo Dual Screen, I can play one on the go.

Even though I don’t have to review it, I still managed to get a hold–courtesy of GameAxis–of a copy of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

Yep, that’s right, a video game about lawyers.

You play the eponymous lawyer in question (who is of course, the rookie) as he wrangles his way through the labyrinth of courtroom drama, and by God, the game really is dramatic. The way to success is to psychologically assault witnesses on the stand, studying your court documents and evidence, and using it pick apart testimony. IE, a witness claims they must have heard something on the victim’s television, and you present evidence showing that the building was having a power blackout, thus showing a discrepancy in the statement and giving you more ammunition to badger the witness with.

It’s the kind of game you can only play once since once you know the story, and you know the arguments to present and key pieces of evidence to bring out, and the contradictions in testimony to pick on, there’s not much surprise or added content to muck around with. I mean, unless you just LIKE going through courtrooms badgering witnesses…

I gotta’ say though, it’s an interesting premise and it definitely appeals to one personality aspect that video games have thus far ignored. If you are the kind of person that either feels a compulsion–or just enjoys–winning arguments, then this is a quick fix that will allow you to indulge in embarrassing people with their own contradictions without actually having to lose friends or sleep on the couch.

‘Course, you gotta’ have a Nintendo Dual Screen to play it. And if you’re feeling really brave, you can use the microphone function and actually say “Objection!” or “Take that!” to pick your fights. But really, only a super confident, completely unself-conscious individual would have the guts to do that on a train, plane or bus…