We did it. We successfully defended our first client and caught the true culprit while we were at it. That’s a huge win in my book. So let’s go with our boss and celebr-
O… Oh. Oh crap, here we go again!
One of the strongest aspects of the Ace Attorney games is how it immediately draws the player in with a stunning presentation. Few visual novels have as complete a package as this series does.
The character designs all have distinct silhouettes that allow us to tell each character apart at a mere glance. And even inside their designs, each one has a visual flair that sets them apart from the rest of the cast, like Phoenix’s spiky hair, Gumshoe’s green coat, Maya’s robes and necklace, or even Edgeworth’s legendary cravat. No matter who we’re talking to, we don’t need the script to know who it is.
But if we did, we’d still be fine, because this game is perhaps most famous for the skill of its localization team. There is an art to capturing the essence of a line or phrase and switching it out for an equivalent statement that would convey a similar meaning and tone in an entirely different language and culture. And yet, they do that here. Better yet, each character has a distinct mode of talking that separates them from each other as much as the visual design. When I’m slipping into accents while reading the script, I’m not always doing it with intent. A lot of the time I’m doing it without realizing it because the character on screen feels like they’re “speaking” in a tone more suited for whatever accent I’m imitating. You’ll see what I mean later with Ms. April May.
I could go on, but I best stop myself for now. We might be able to discuss this more another time.
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