Every Ace Attorney Game, Ranked From Worst To Best

Capcom has plenty of iconic series, but one franchise that has seen a major revival recently is the Ace Attorney series. With several remasters coming out in the past several years and the franchise more accessible than ever, let’s rank every game in the series from worst to best.

Ranking Every Ace Attorney Game, From Worst To Best

While Ace Attorney began in 2001, it wasn’t until 2005 that the series entered the view of people in the West. Since then, eleven games have been localized, although most of the time it took years, if not decades, to reach the West. With the release of the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, every game in the franchise is now available legally in English.

With that in mind, let’s look at each Ace Attorney game and rank them from worst to best! Given how the series mostly focuses on narrative over in-depth gameplay mechanics, we’ll mostly be looking at each game’s overall narrative and the unique mechanics added for each entry. We’re also counting the spin-offs here since many of them retain the spirit of the original games and introduce mechanics that would be picked up in later entries. With that, here’s our ranking of every Ace Attorney game from worst to best!

11) Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (2009)

Switching genres from a visual novel to a point-and-click adventure should be a natural evolution for Ace Attorney, but the first Investigations feels tedious by comparison. The gameplay feels much slower and forces you to backtrack a bit too often and with some absolutely aggravating dialogue sequences that feels like you’re wasting your time convincing morons what the obvious truth is. There are people who do love the Investigations games, mostly because of how more interactive it is compared to the mainline entries, but it pales in comparison to the mainline games.

10) Ace Attorney: Justice For All (2006)

Justice For All is a victim of being the middle child of the early trilogy. While both the original game and Trials and Tribulations had five cases each, Justice For All seems lacking by comparison, sporting only four. Even then, two of the cases in this game are some of the worst in the series. Admittingly, its finale, Farewell My Turnabout, is excellent, but it follows Turnabout Big Top, a horrible case involving carnies that all have an aggravating gimmick. Most of the game feels underdeveloped, with the only real addition being the Magatama system for interrogating people, but even then, it barely changes the formula, making this a by-the-numbers entry.

9) Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice (2008)

You really gotta feel for Apollo Justice. Despite leading a new trilogy of games, the only entry where he’s the main character is in his debut game. It gets off to an excellent start, sporting a masterful first case that sets the bar high, but the rest of the game just can’t reach it. Like Justice For All, two of the cases are underwhelming at best, but at the very least the first and last cases are wonderful. Plus, Apollo’s unique ability to perceive people’s tells on the stand adds an extra layer that makes cross-examinations more interesting. There are moments of brilliance in Apollo Justice, but there are just as many underwhelming moments.

8) Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice (2016)

There’s surprisingly little to say about Spirit of Justice. It’s the conclusion of Apollo’s trilogy, despite how he plays second fiddle to Phoenix Wright, and outside of the Divination Seances that allow you to see the last moments of a victim’s life, most of the mechanics are just continuations of the ones introduced in Dual Destinies. That’s fine though, since the game’s setting, the fictional nation of Khura’in, more than makes up for the game’s lack of innovation, presenting a setting that is deeply religious and implements that faith in interesting ways. It’s a good game, but it could have been better.

7) Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2014)

Mixing two DS puzzle series like Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton is a brilliant concept. Watching the two franchises interact with each other and seeing characters like Phoenix and Professor Layton play off each other is a fan’s dream come true. That being said, it’s more of a Professor Layton game than an Ace Attorney game, so fans looking for prosecutorial thrills may leave disappointed. Still, there are some unique perks here, like cross-examining multiple people, so Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney does warrant a playthrough, especially if you like both franchises.

6) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2005)

The one that started it all, the original Ace Attorney is a simple yet well-polished game. While it’s lacking a lot of mechanics future games would have, the simple thrill of piecing together evidence to find the flaws in a person’s arguments is addicting. While the game takes some time to get going, the last two cases, especially Rise From The Ashes, create compelling narratives that go all over the place. But again, that basic delivery does make it hard to come back to the original game despite how rock-solid its presentation is. It’s a classic for a reason and a great entry point for visual novel enthusiasts.

5) The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures (2021)

Set during the Meiji Period, this prequel is bursting with creativity. Outside of court, you’re dancing with a goofy stand-in for Sherlock Holmes investigating crime scenes. In court, not only are you cross-examining multiple witnesses, but thanks to London’s Jury System, you have to convince the jurors to believe your arguments. With a great cast of characters, Adventures is beloved for a good reason. The only disappointing thing about the game is that it peaks a bit too early with its third case, with the final two cases merely being okay. It’s all set-up for the far superior sequel though, so this first half of the duology gets a solid recommendation.

4) Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies (2013)

The first 3D Ace Attorney game, Dual Destinies has a fair amount going for it besides just the visual facelift. Phoenix is back as the main character (sorry Apollo), but he’s joined by Athena Cykes and her Mood Matrix, allowing her to analyze the psychology of the various people on the stand. That’s all well and good, but the game sports a fairly strong line-up of cases with a great ongoing plot featuring an international spy and twist after twist that makes your heart race. With hindsight, while it doesn’t surpass some of the all-time great entries in the series, Dual Destinies‘ consistency elevates it above its peers.

3) Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosector’s Gambit (2024)

A good story can make you forget about a game’s shortcomings and Investigations 2 is a perfect example of that. While there are refinements in the gameplay from the original Investigations, mostly thanks to the Mind Chess mechanic, it’s the game’s story that really elevates this into one of the franchise’s best entries. Featuring a narrative that ties every case together, but allows each case to tell its own unique and great story, Investigations 2 keeps players on the edge of their seats. It’s hard to think of a legitimate low point in the game’s story, easily earning it high marks.

2) Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (2007)

To many, Trials and Tribulations is considered to be the best game in the series, and for good reason. Like the best Ace Attorney games, the overarching narrative of Trials and Tribulations is gripping and introduces some of the franchise’s best supporting characters, but the game’s emotional beats are absolutely heartbreaking in the best way. It’s the conclusion to the original trilogy and because of that, it doesn’t hold back wrapping up this era of Phoenix’s life. Sure, there isn’t anything really new mechanically in Trials and Tribulations, but when the focus is on crafting a rock-solid story, that ultimately doesn’t matter as much.

1) The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve (2021)

Ultimately, the quality of an Ace Attorney game comes down to how good its story is, and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve is simply sublime. Building on the mysteries from the first Great Ace Attorney game, Resolve builds upon those and creates a gigantic conspiracy that spans the globe and constantly escalates in a way that’s impossible to put down. The amazing characters from the first game are still present and get even more development, and the gameplay additions made in the first entry, the Dance of Deduction and Summation Examination, are back and better than ever. Plus, while people may love Bridge to the Turnabout, The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo is both the best ending to an Ace Attorney game and the best case in the series bar none. Everything about Resolve is not only incredibly well-written but just plain fun, making it ever-so-slightly the best game in the series.