The Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney games are some of the most fun you can have on a handheld device (whether it’s a DS/Switch or your smartphone). However, they’re expensive, and a lot of people have already played through them. If you’re looking for something similar, give Devil’s Attorney a try. It’s not a visual novel and the gameplay is less detective-like, but it could scratch the same itch.
Strategic Puzzle Gaming
In Devil’s Attorney, you have to take on a variety of cases where you represent people who are mostly guilty. Each case has witnesses and evidence against your defendant that you have to deal with in turn-based “combat”. The combat is more like a card game or a board game or something, and while it’s very simple it’s also pretty entertaining.
The game has different difficulty levels, and if you lose a case you can just instantly try it again, and keep starting over until you win. In other words, the trials can be pretty engaging, but there’s no pressure because it doesn’t really matter if you lose. That means that it’s perfect for low-key gaming sessions.
Upgrade Your Apartment
The other part of Devil’s Attorney involves upgrading your apartment. Each time you win a trial, you get a set amount of money (that was set before each trial), and you can also get a bonus if you complete extra objectives, like winning in a certain amount of turns. You then use this money to upgrade your apartment!
It’s not just purely cosmetic, though. You have different options when you upgrade, and each upgrade gives you extra points in a certain skill, and when you get more points in these skills you get more and more abilities to use in trials. It’s a very simple progression system, but it makes for a fun little gameplay loop.
All in all, Devil’s Attorney is a pretty simple game, and it doesn’t involve too much sleuthing or anything. However, the basic gameplay loop is fun, and the trials are perfect for mobile gaming sessions. In my opinion, it’s slightly overpriced (unless you get it through credit you got from Google Rewards, like I did), but it’s still a fun game to have on your smartphone. If you’re looking for something to kill some time on your commute or to take short breaks from work with, give Devil’s Attorney a try.