Sadface.

[sabinelagrande]

So, I finished Apollo Justice.

At some point, I'm going to sit down and write a real honest to god review of it, because I do have some actual thoughts about the gameplay, progression of the series, slash, etc, but

FUCKING OW MAN.

I didn't anticipate that the game would make me so very unhappy. I'm really not sure why it did, either. Obvious candidates include:

1. Kristoph. He was my favorite character straight away, and though I'd been sort of spoiled on the fact that he was an evil son of a bitch, I liked him anyway. He's classy. And then, he was decidedly unclassy. Where are my elegant villains? Where's my Shelly De Killer?

2. Phoenix. Shit, son. Yeah, it was a good direction to take the series, but goddammit, see 1! And over a fucking poker game? Plus, Phoenix is more than my proxy for the first three games. He's my boy. And I don't want drama to be happening in his life. Until Dahlia Hawthorne, all the drama happened to Edgeworth and Maya other characters. He's like my drinking buddy. I don't want his life all fucked up even if he's better for it in the end. And Jesus, he couldn't have a single friend left? No Gumshoe or Edgeworth or Maya or, hell, Bikini cameo? All you get is Director Hotti, and he and Phoenix don't seem to even recognize each other. There's Ema, but shit, she's just a Rise from the Ashes character. It hurts my heart.

3. Valant. Fuck, guys! Valant was robbed! He didn't get the magic, he didn't get the girl, he didn't get Trucy, he didn't even get a scene in the credits. What valid reason is there for him and Trucy not teaming up, or him and Thalassa not getting together after the game (OTP BITCHES)? Can't old boy catch a break at all?

4. Daryan. GODDAMMIT WHENEVER I LIKE A CHARACTER THEY TURN EVIL IMMEDIATELY, AND NOT IN AN AWESOME WAY.

5. Apollo and Klavier. They're fine characters, and they're growing on me. But... Phoenix and Edgeworth immediately grabbed me. It's unfair to compare them, especially because I started off with JFA!Phoenix and missing!Edgeworth, but I did have certain expectations that were not met.

It was honestly better than I thought it was going to be, but it certainly didn't make me happy. Fucking ow. :(

Comments

[sarahofcroydon.livejournal.com]

I felt really sad at the end of it too... there was no retribution for anybody, there was no sense of 'we got the bad guy yay!' because everyone's lives had been so fucked up by the whole mess. Also, we really didn't get an impression of their lives being messed up... you'd think Apollo would have been more upset by Kristoph's sudden status as murderer, and you'd think he'd be more angry at Phoenix for making his very first trial success based on illegal evidence, what a bastard.

The thing that got me the most was Phoenix... I love the bum plotline, I can see its feasibility and pros, but I don't think they got his character right. For a start, he was too cocky in the flashback, way too cocky for someone who'd previously wrapped up one of the most emotional trials of his career. He also seemed a little manipulative, too... our Phoenix believed in the truth and finding it with the truth, not forcing the truth by illegal means. Maybe his desperate resorting to forged evidence was meant to show us how desperate and affected he was by Kristoph, but I really didn't get a sense of that in any of the dialogue or case. :(

I won't talk your ear off, but there was a lot missing. A lot was great (Like Klavier's arse ) but a lot was missing.

I want to rename it "Phoenix Wright (and Apollo Justice who does all the dirty work for him)"

[sabinetzin]

Yeah, Phoenix pulling out the forged evidence- twice- speaks to a HUGE loss of faith on his part, and we never really saw it. And Apollo was all, "Well, my mentor's a cold blooded crazy ass killer. Wonder what's for lunch?"

Lol, feel free to talk my ear off. I'm all sad and ripe for the talking.

[sarahofcroydon.livejournal.com]

LOL, yes. And he was so eager to go to the Wright and co offices... you'd think Apollo would feel a kind of hatred towards Phoenix for being his admired hero and then basically manipulating him to illegally convict his mentor.

I also thought Kristoph would have put up more of a fight than he did, in the first case. Because since when did courts accept the ravings of some disbarred hobo?! And since when could a disbarred hobo not only introduce and preside over the testing of a new court case, but freakin' RIGG IT!? Because really, the way the jurist and mason system (whatever that was) were implemented were hardly fair or unbiased.

In the end, they convicted Kristoph because he 'seemed' guilty, and because the judges had no choice but to be swayed by Phoenix's story. I mean, really. The second the gyakuten series introduces a plot element that is about contradicting its own legal procedure, it's in big, big trouble. It wasn't convincing. :(

I still thoroughly enjoyed it, don't get me wrong... I really felt for Valant, and I loved the designs for Alita and Wocky and the rest of them... but it still felt a little hollow, like everyone's emotional ranges were a little cut off.
Particularly Klavier, actually... best bandmate betrays 7 years worth of mutual work, then his brother turns out to be a psycho who manipulated him!? I can't blame them there, though, because he has such a strong professional court poker face... it's up to us to write him all the angsty fic. 8D

But yeah. This is partially why I set up the 'who is the hobo' competition on narumitsu... because I kind of want to see Edgeworth deck Phoenix one. :|
I strongly believe that the Phoenix we know and love would never have forged evidence, but it's also interesting to accept it into canon to see the effect on Edgeworth. :)

And Mia. I bet her spirit is furious somewhere out there... 'What's happened to my office!??!'

[sabinetzin]

Man, I would have appreciated at least a little bit of angsty Klavier. I know he's a badass, and I know they're trying to seperate his character from Edgeworth (because Edgey would have gone home and listened to Berlioz and cried little black tears), but shit, son!

AH GOD, THE FUCKING JURIST SYSTEM. What the fuck did that have to do with anything except bringing Lamiroir (who I liked a lot better before I knew who she was, even if that means I can write HOT HOT VALANT/THALASSA) back in to the story?

That was a big complaint I had with the gameplay, actually- it all felt so much easier than the other games, and the MASON and Jurist Systems really exacerbated the problem. The last standoff with Kristoph really kind of pissed me off, because 1) there was nothing for the player to do for, like, fifteen minutes 2) he was all "lol no, you can't use that evidence" (though good on him for actually calling Phoenix out on being just some discredited hobo) 3) then everybody else was all "lol yes" and he got sent up the river.

And what was his freakout about? His character wasn't developed enough for that shit about "OMG NO TEH LAWS WUT HAVE U DUN" to make any sense.

I am plotting my Who Is the Hobo fic as we speak. Rest assured that it will be full of ruffles and objection.

[sarahofcroydon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so delighted to hear that. <3 I'm working on my whoa angsty Klavier kink meme fic, the other kink meme fic I'm too ashamed to admit to authoring and yet another kink meme request... the Naruhodo and Mitsurugi meet Phoenix and Edgeworth one. :)

God, you're so right about Kristoph doing his dragonball z thing. I suppose he was angry at finally being completely outed by Phoenix, but still, at least part of that should have been expressed in his first conviction. :/
I was shocked actually, when he was caught out so early on... too soon! I thought we'd have to be second guessing him all game. Plus, I wanted to see his office.

Did you also get the impression that effectively, Apollo was useless?! I swear, Trucy did most of the work for him, and he mostly looked flustered and stressed. I mean, I love that, it means he'll be an enthusiastic bottom to Klavier... I mean, um, a good contrast to Phoenix, but...

I don't know. I at least had confidence in Phoenix because he was so passionate and tried so hard and really believed in his clients. I wouldn't want Apollo to defend me because it seems he mostly relies on young women and dumb luck. XD

[sabinetzin]

! I'm so glad somebody picked up Naruhodo and Mitsurugi meet P/E. I have so much love for that prompt. And no fic's too embarassing to admit, since I just admitted to the fluffiest fluff that ever did fluff.

I'm just really hoping we get more Kristoph in the next game. I thought it was kind of neat that he got caught in the first case, because it was a real turnabout (OH, see what I did there?). But. If that was going to happen, he needed either to have lots of flashbacks or to leave the game completely after that point. They tried to have it both ways, but... it failed.

Shit, forget Trucy, Klavier did most of his work for him. I mean, from trial 2 he was already going for the reacharound assist.

Man, I know that Phoenix would try any type of shit to get me off WAIT THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT... still true though KINK MEME HERE I COME. Apollo's half likely to sell me up the river. Machi, anyone?

[sarahofcroydon.livejournal.com]

AAAHAHAHAH, nice. :D Now that would be an interesting kink meme request. I have half a mind to put it there to see what happens. XD LOL coming from Edgeworth's mouth.. ahahhah, sorry, I have to sit for a little while to stop laughing. XD

And oh, I loved that fic! It was so sweet. :) I still maintain mine is totally embarassing, but only because I was disturbed at how erotic salami as metaphor for testicles (http://teagueful.livejournal.com/22910.html?thread=4360318#t4360318) could be. >>

And god, you're right about Klavier doing all of his work for him. Probably Klavier was letting him win so he could get into his pants.
I'm like a Christian missionary on a... mission with this pairing, geez. I kind of find Phoenix/Apollo really wrong so am compensating.

Someone drew a pic of young Gant on the meme, and it looked disturbingly like Klavier. Now if we could get both Gant and Kristoph back in the next game.... 8D