Below is just a handful of characters you’ll meet across the two games that make up The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, but trust me, there are many more that are just as enjoyable to watch as they wiggle and squirm under fledging lawyer Ryunosuke’s pointed objection finger. This is a completely spoiler-free zone, too - unless of course you count the mere sight of a character as a spoiler, in which case, you probably better just go ahead and start playing instead. But if you want a taste of some of the brilliant people you’ll meet across your 60-hour legal adventure, then feast your eyes on these lovely clips below.
Herlock Sholmes is always pinging off walls and guffawing loudly in people’s faces, but it’s his little boxing animation that I love the most. In this particular instance, Ryunosuke’s caught him off guard and Herlock’s instantly on the attack. The witnesses in your first British case are absolutely wonderful, and I love Furst the hatter’s timid little quivers. Despite being a professional hat maker, you can probably tell from the state of his hat that he’s not particularly adept at his craft, as it keeps sloping off his noggin with all his shivers and shakes. Bless ‘im. Gina’s a crafty pickpocket who crops up several times over the course of each game, and honestly, the way she rolls that large gold coin between her fingers is something I could watch all day. Utterly mesmirising. Inspector Gregson (the Gumshoe of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles) is never seen without his wrapper of fish and chips, and no wonder, because this magical bit of newspaper automatically replenishes his battered fish fillet with just a gentle little squeeze. No matter how fast Gregson chomps down on his dinner, the fish just keep on coming. Cor, now my tumble’s rumbling in revolt. Now here’s a woman after my own heart - a stress-induced tea drinker. You’ll meet this particular juror earlier on in this case, but she’s determined to keep her identity a secret. When things get dicey, she whips out her tea pot and gets her drink on. All she needs is a nice bit of cake to go with it. Another brilliant jury member, this guy (who’s definitely not a Russian spy and utters the line, “Good day. I am wisiting London for sightseeing. I would like to take a bus to the Crystal Tower, please,” when introducing himself) is great value. I love how he’s constantly looking up English words in his little dictionary, and I love how his little mouse friend reads along with him. He’s a class act. Herlock Sholmes isn’t the only famous literary figure in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. You’ll also have several run-ins with acclaimed Japanese author Natsume Soseki, whose most famous work “I Am A Cat” is referenced several times over the course of the game. The first time you meet him, he’s in his pre-I Am A Cat days; the second time (pictured above) he’s a successful, widely popular author. One thing that never changes, though, is his twitchy, nervous disposition. Soseki has some great animations in Chronicles, but I love this one the most. Reporter Menimemo not only has a great name (many memo, geddit?), but his camera work is absolutely first rate. Just look at that thing go. Proper paparazzi energy, this one, but for some reason I just can’t turn my eyes away… William Shamspeare is arguably one of the best characters in the entire game. An obvious send-up of old Shakespeare, Shammy boy speaks in full Elizabethan English and does much actorly dancing and swanning about. He’s a joy to watch, especially when he gets hot under his ruffly collar, and this little swaying shimmy makes it very easy to see why the jury becomes so taken with him. Of all the brilliant cast members in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, shady engineer Drebber is probably the one that feels closest to that classic Phoenix Wright character design. His steampunk hand, monocle and eye piece are never really explained, but golly, what a joy they are to watch in motion. Drebber’s another one I could happily watch strut his stuff all day if it came to it, which is probably why it took me so long to finish it, if I’m honest. Uh oh, sorry, your honour, I’m starting to stray into spoiler territory, you say? Well, I won’t question that big ominous gavel you have there. You’ve made your point, and I’m now backing away slowly. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is out today (July 27th), and you can grab it from Steam right now.