sabinelagrande | Countdown to Apollo (Reply)

DAY SIX: RISE FROM THE ASHES, PART TWO
or, How Lana got her groove back

Defense Attorney: Phoenix Wright
Side Bar: Ema Skye
Prosecutor: Miles Edgeworth
Defendant: Lana Skye
Victim: Bruce Goodman
Play Time:
Day Two Trial: 54 min.
Day Three with credits: 2 hours, 22 min.
Full Case: 6 hours, 5 min.
Ace Attorney: 14 hours, 13 min.

I have a confession to make. The first time I ever played AA, I couldn't get through this case on the first try. The pacing of the first half is just unforgivable, and I wasn't emotionally involved enough in the story to actually care about finishing it. It really doesn't start to get interesting until the second trial. As noted above, this case is nearly as long as the rest of the cases combined. I must note that I played the majority of the case straight from a FAQ, so there was no fucking around trying to find the right option. I recognize that AA is a really, really short game without it, but… damn, people.

This is very much a "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" case. One thing that clearly didn't stick was the videotape evidence. It was a really cool concept, but it didn't really work out. The controls aren't bad, but it's highly annoying to have to watch the video several times to present several different pieces of evidence.

The personalities of the secondary characters make a bit of a leap between Turnabout Goodbyes and Rise from the Ashes. I'm thinking specifically of the Judge and Gumshoe. The Judge is back to his wacky self, and Gumshoe stops mistaking Wright for Larry. I can't help but love Gumshoe (all the time, but in this case in particular). He's willing to risk his badge just to help Edgeworth out. I wibbled. Though it's a really small thing, I really enjoy the Judge and Gant's friendship. It's weird, but it humanizes the both of them.

Speaking of humanizing Gant, I hate the Electric Boogaloo sprite. When all else fails, Gant is still dignified. He really has his shit together, even when being accused of murder. That sprite always seemed horribly out of place to me. The big arms clapping he does at the end is much more appropriate.

The time has come, my children, to speak of my OTP. You can keep your Phoenix/Edgeworth, your Maya/Franziska, and your Diego/Mia. My OTP, forever and always, is Gant/Lana. I was outside the cut at

fandomsecret for them, for fuck's sake. But I am now ready to say it loud and say it proud: might as well be canon, bitches.

It just hits all the right dirty-wrong buttons, doesn't it? Gant's got her completely at his mercy for two solid years. You just can't tell me he didn't press his advantage. And I was never really convinced by Gant's explanation of why he forged the evidence to look like Ema did it, either. It can't be that it was just that he needed a pawn- he could have used anyone, at any time. The fact that it was his gorgeous, sweet, driven partner, who wouldn't give another look to a man twice her age, definitely had something to do with it. But there's the tragedy of the whole thing- he goes to all these lengths just to have this girl, and he ends up with an automaton, completely locked away from any possibility of emotion.

…Maybe I should just go watch The Collector again.

Anyway. That's Ace Attorney. Overall, a fabulous game, with some great plotlines and an extremely compelling cast of characters. Tomorrow, we start Justice for All!

The only thing that remains are~

Top Three Reasons To Play Rise From The Ashes, Part Two
3. Yet another reappearance of the Bellboy (unfortunately, Miles is off Choosing Death™)
2. WHAT HASN'T SCIENCE DONE?
1.