After a brief interlude with Adrian Andrews to hear her part of the story, we’ll finally be ready to face Edgeworth in the final trial.
I didn’t consider this when I first recorded the episode, but one of the more curious aspects of this case is the way that it inverts the typical Prosecutor/Defense relationship in the Ace Attorney games.
Normally, it’s the Prosecution that is going everything it can to secure a guilty verdict, pulling any dirty trick and manipulating facts and testimony to better suit their story. Old Edgeworth and Franziska do it all the time, because they’re convinced that it’s the only way to win, and that winning is everything. Which is why, as the Defense, it is usually up to us to break through their tricks in order to expose the truth of the case.
However, this time the opposite is true. Edgeworth is confident in his prosecution not because he’s resorting to cheap tactics and fabrications. This time it’s the opposite: He knows he’s correct, and can simply rely on the facts and evidence as presented to make the case. With the truth on his side, victory is almost assured.
Except, with Maya’s life on the line, we can’t afford to let that happen. Which means that we are the ones resorting to lies and dirty tricks to prolong the trial as much as we can. Ace Attorney doesn’t play this card too often, but when it does it works. The mechanics don’t change, yet in this new context they take on a whole different texture and flavor that adds to the work overall.
It’s a large reason why this case is so well remembered.
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