Along with all three titles, the trilogy packs Turnabout Reclaimed and Turnabout Time Traveler, two Special Episodes previously available only as DLC. It also offers HD visuals, support for seven languages (with simplified languages receiving voice recordings) and the ability to change character costumes.

There’s also an Art Library to admire the background art and character’s designs or watch the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice Prologue anime (which is also available online). You can also listen to the soundtrack in-game via the Orchestra Hall and 14 tracks selected from the 15th Anniversary Orchestra Concert and the 2019 Orchestra Concert.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is playable on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It’s also available on Game Pass. Check out our review here.

While initial reception to these games was more divided than to any other set in the series, over time, fondness for these games has grown too. These games are decidedly different from the rest of the series in some almost intangible ways – from the bold (if controversial) story decisions that Apollo Justice (the first one in this trilogy) makes to some increasingly contrived plotting in the later games, these ones do not feel as cohesive or as tightly written as either the original Ace Attorney trilogy, or The Great Ace Attorney. 

"While initial reception to these games was more divided than to any other set in the series, over time, fondness for these games has grown too. "

That’s not necessarily a bad thing – for one, it means if you don’t like one of these, you have a higher chance of liking the others, which isn’t something you can say about the other two sets of games. It also means that each of the games feels distinct – the characters and their motivations and statuses change across games, the settings change across games, and in fact, since the original games straddled two generations of hardware, we even get a dramatic bump in presentation in the later two games, with a move to surprisingly well realized 3D models, more dramatic camera angles, and full anime cutscenes. The later games bring their own gameplay gimmicks, with the standout being Spirit of Justice’s Divination Seances.

There’s something to be said for the distinct flair of these games – while a lot of fans were originally outraged at how Apollo Justice handles certain characters, for example, it feels refreshingly bold and unconstrained by the framework of the earlier games with a lot of the narrative and character decisions that it makes. Dual Destinies introduces a fascinating new character in Athena (arguably one of the best characters in the series, in fact), and has a sharp, arrestingly compelling narrative that might have some of the best payoffs in the series. Spirit of Justice narratively feels the most redundant and the most contrived, but is flat out the best one to play through, and the Seance mechanics make each case extremely interesting. The lack of cohesion is a knock against these games, don’t get me wrong – but that also comes with its own unique strengths that imbue these games with a flavour the rest of the series is yet to have.

"The unique and distinct character these games have, both narratively and mechanically, makes them well worth experiencing, even with their foibles. "

All three of these games were well worth playing with their original releases, and the final cases in the later games (especially Dual Destinies) are among the best the series has had. Which means that this release of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is well worth playing, especially if you are a newer fan who discovered this series later, and never played these games before. The unique and distinct character these games have, both narratively and mechanically, makes them well worth experiencing, even with their foibles. 

If you are a fan of the original releases on DS and 3DS, these are greatly incentivized re-releases. The graphics look great upscaled to full HD, the bonuses such as the art gallery, the music gallery, and the movie gallery are all great for fans to dig in to. There are many other QoL additions as well – a new Story Mode lets you simply get through the narrative if you don’t want to deal with the puzzles and gameplay segments, for example, and numerous UI improvements from the later games were back ported to Apollo Justice as well. The games are even set up to let you jump right into the chapter or case you want from the get go if you just want to replay the greatest hits – no need to go through the whole game just to get to the parts you wanted.

"If you are a fan of the original releases on DS and 3DS, these are greatly incentivized re-releases. The graphics look great upscaled to full HD, the bonuses such as the art gallery, the music gallery, and the movie gallery are all great for fans to dig in to. "

There are some tradeoffs that have had to be made to bring these games to modern hardware though. The original titles, especially the 3DS entries Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, made some great use of the hardware’s unique dual-screened nature that obviously was not possible to translate as-is to either PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch. And so those gameplay segments are a bit different because none of these systems have two screens. Functionally, it comes out to being roughly the same thing – you still have to keep track of footage and evidence across two independent but correlated displays – but for purists who do care about the authenticity of the original experience, that’s still something to take note of. 

Those tradeoffs aside, the games are brought over pretty much as-is. They are extremely faithful reproductions of titles that have only gotten better with age and with some distance from the circumstances of their original releases. If you liked them then, you’ll like them now. If you didn’t like them then, you may find yourself more receptive to them this time around. And if this is your first time discovering them, then you’re in for a ride either way. 

With the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, the developer has finally finished bringing over the entirety of the Ace Attorney series to modern platforms, in multiple languages and localizations. These once niche but now iconic games are finally accessible to anyone who may be interested, with all sorts of QoL perks and bonus content celebrating these games included to boot. Getting to go through this series again on modern systems has been great, and has only served as a reminder of the brilliance of the gleefully deranged anime courtroom drama series. All of this is to say, I sincerely hope an Ace Attorney 7 is around the corner. I am glad we got to play these great games again in their best form yet – but rather than whetting my appetite for more, they only served to make it even more ravenous. Hopefully the next major entry in this franchise is coming soon – but until then, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a great release for new and old fans of the franchise alike.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

How much longer are we going to be waiting for the next Ace Attorney game, then? The question to that answer remains unclear, but according to Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy producer Kenichi Hashimoto, the franchise is still very much in Capcom’s plans.

Speaking in a recent interview with Japanese outlet 4Gamer, when asked about the future of Ace Attorney, Hashimoto said (translation via Nintendo Everything), “At this time there is nothing to talk about, but we have gained a lot of knowledge about the RE Engine. I can say that the Ace Attorney series will not be stopping, so in that sense I think you can look forward to what is coming.”

How long it’ll be before Capcom is ready to unveil the next Ace Attorney game and what it will end up looking like remains to be seen, but clearly, series fans can take solace in the fact that, sooner or later, there will be a new Ace Attorney game.

Until then, you can look forward to Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which launches on January 25 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

While the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake continues to chug along, Ubisoft Montpellier has something different coming up with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It stars a new playable character, Sargon, who must rescue Prince Ghassan.

As a 2D action side-scroller with Metroid-style exploration, it features several time-focused powers, with Sargon also capable of slashing, dashing and parrying attacks. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown could be an interesting spin-off to the main series with an interconnected world with secrets to discover and a fresh story. We’ll find out when it launches on January 18th for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

The Last of Us Part 2 is getting the “remastered” treatment on PS5, with PS4 owners able to upgrade for $10. Available on January 19th, it adds two modes – Fidelity for native 4K and Performance for 1440p upscaled to 4K while improving other visual aspects like shadow quality, level of detail distances and more.

Developer commentary from director Neil Druckmann and narrative lead Halley Gross is included, with actors Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Laura Bailey along for the ride and three Lost Levels cut from the game. Those expecting more gameplay can also jump into No Return, a roguelike survival mode with various playable characters, each having unique abilities and randomized challenges. There’s also a new Speedrun Mode, Photo Mode options, new skins for Ellie and Abby, and more.

Tekken 8

Bandai Namco’s flagship fighter is finally getting a sequel, built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. Tekken 8 is more than just a graphical leap – it continues the story of Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima while adding the new Arcade Quest. Select an avatar and venture through the world of arcades, battling challengers and building your crew’s reputation. There are 32 playable characters, from classics like Jin, Paul, Nina, Alisa and more to newcomers like Azucena, Victor and Reina.

The mechanics have also been revamped, with the new Heat system leaning into more aggressive play. Sharpen your skills in Super Ghost Battles, take a break with Tekken Ball or improve your combos thanks to the overhauled My Replay and Tips. Tekken 8 launches on January 26th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC and looks to set a new standard for the series.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Touted as the longest game in the series – so long that the development team is worried you’ll get sick if you keep playing continuously – Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches on January 26th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Ichiban Kasuga returns, venturing to Honolulu City to meet his mother, who was assumed dead for years.

After some shenanigans, he meets up with Kazuma Kiryu, who is on a mission for the Daidoji faction. Old friends return, new characters are introduced, and the turn-based combat offers new mechanics like area-of-effect attacks, easier combos with allies and more. You also have several new activities, from arcade games to Dondoko Island, an entire island community that you build and populate, Animal Crossing-style. Is it too much? Probably, but it also looks amazing.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

Ryunosuke and Phoenix Wright have had their contemporary compilations, and it’s finally the turn of Apollo Justice. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is out on January 25th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch, and collects Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice into one collection.

It also includes two Special Episodes previously DLC-only, an Animation Studio for creating custom scenes, an Art Library to view illustrations and other artwork, the Orchestra Hall and much more. If you want to complete the Phoenix Wright journey, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is worth picking up.

Bulletstorm VR

It’s been a while since People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm launched, showcasing all the kicking, sliding, environmental destruction and Skillshots that a first-person shooter could offer. With Bulletstorm VR, players can pull enemies close or redirect them for some makeshift shields. There’s also dual-wielding to add more spice to combat and two exclusive levels starring Trishka Novak, who can utilize energy blades to dismember foes. Bulletstorm VR launches on January 18th and will be available for PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest and PC via Steam VR.

Graven

It’s hard to believe that Slipgate Ironworks’ Graven launched in early access almost three years ago. On January 23rd, it will finally be available for PC (later for other platforms), offering several regions to explore and old-school combat. The full release promises nine new enemies, 13 new weapons and mods, new unique bosses and other challenges. As a Hexen 2 spiritual successor, Graven should offer a compelling dark fantasy.

Enshrouded

Survival crafting games in the vein of Valheim have begun to pop up more recently, and Enshrouded looks like a potential hit (at least based on its demo). Described as “Valheim meets Zelda,” you awaken in the world of Embervale, with a pestilent fog consuming the kingdom.

Explore various locations, from dungeons and caves to forests, while collecting materials and building a base, with NPCs able to take shelter and lend assistance. Craft powerful gear and weapons, then venture into the Shroud to tackle bosses and other threats. With support for up to 16 players and sleek-looking combat, Enshrouded is worth checking out when it launches on January 24th for PC via Steam Early Access.

New Cycle

Have you ever looked at Frostpunk and thought, “But what if with solar flares?”, there’s New Cycle from Core Engage. With the Old World in ruins, it’s up to you to build up a colony of survivors by gathering resources and expanding to thrive. The current state of the world brings unstable seasons and “destructive events,” as the developer describes them, for more challenges to your colony. You also must manage your people’s efficiency and morale, lest they become unruly. New Cycle launches on January 18th for PC.

The trailer once again highlights the new features and content that Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will launch with. In addition to Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, the collection will also include two episodes that were previously available only as DLC.

Beyond that, players will also be able to enjoy the new Orchestra Hall to enjoy the trilogy’s music, an Art Gallery to peruse illustrations, art pieces, as well as the special Spirit of Justice Prologue anime, and an Animation Studio to fiddle around with the various animations of different characters. Check out the trailer below for more details.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is set to launch on January 25 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, and will also be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility.

These include Special Episodes like Turnabout Reclaimed for Dual Destinies and Turnabout Time Traveler for Spirit of Justice, previously available as DLC. You can also change costumes for characters, visit the Art Library to check out character designs, background art and the Spirit of Justice prologue anime, and the Orchestra Hall to listen to the in-game BGM and 14 tracks from the Ace Attorney 15th Anniversary Orchestra Concert and the Ace Attorney 2019 Orchestra Concert.

Animation Studio allows for creating scenes with background music, animations and more. You also have Story Mode, which auto-plays through the games, letting you enjoy the story. If that weren’t enough, support for six additional languages – Japanese, French, German, Korean, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese – with new voice dubs for each, has also been added. Stay tuned for more details on the trilogy in the coming months.

Available for Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android and PC, the trilogy features Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations, all in HD. The collection also supports additional languages like French, German, Korean and Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

For more details, check out our review here. That’s not all, as Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy – which includes HD versions of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice – is also coming to Game Pass in early 2024. It will be available on day one for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is perhaps the most significant as director Hideaki Itsuno will showcase some new gameplay and details. Considering its lackluster showing at the Capcom Showcase in June here’s hoping for an extended look at the open-world action RPG and its mechanics.

Street Fighter 6 fans can look forward to more details on A.K.I., the fighting game’s second DLC character releasing on September 27th. Exoprimal’s Title Update 2 will be detailed ahead of its release in October, and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will receive an update. All these titles, along with Resident Evil 4 Remake VR Mode and Monster Hunter Now, are playable for attendees.

Even more interesting is there will be a 50-minute pre-recorded Capcom Online Special Program with the latest news on September 21st, 11 PM JST. Perhaps a release date for Resident Evil 4 Remake’s VR Mode will be revealed. There may also be details on A.K.I., the next DLC character for Street Fighter 6, and Exoprimal’s next big Title Update. Dare we hope for an update on Separate Ways, rumored to be paid DLC for Resident Evil 4 Remake?

Time will tell. Tokyo Game Show 2023 takes place in Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, from September 21st to 24th. Other companies confirmed for the show include Konami, Sega, Atlus, Square Enix, Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo, and Microsoft. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

The Trilogy features full HD visuals and support for seven languages, including English, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and more. Voice recordings have also been added for the simplified languages. There weren’t any other details revealed, but further updates will be provided in the coming months leading to the launch.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy launches in early 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC. In the meantime, check out our review of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy here, and our review of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles here.